Premium
Reclamation of Soils Contaminated with Radioactive Strontium
Author(s) -
Lagerwerff J. V.,
Kemper W. D.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1975.03615995003900060020x
Subject(s) - loam , soil water , saturation (graph theory) , leaching (pedology) , strontium , chemistry , strontium 90 , silt , adsorption , cation exchange capacity , mineralogy , volatilisation , soil science , environmental chemistry , geology , radionuclide , mathematics , paleontology , physics , organic chemistry , combinatorics , quantum mechanics
Evesboro loamy sand, Sassafras sandy loam, and Fort Collins silt loam were treated with a mixed Ca‐Sr solution to give about 95% saturation with Ca and 5% saturation with Sr. Samples of these soils were placed in acrylic cylinders and leached with 0.06 N CaCl 2 to remove Sr. The leachings were mechanically controlled at various rates for different periods of time. Extracting the leached soil samples with 1 N HCl yielded residual Sr equal to 0.43, 0.47, and 0% of the Sr exchange capacity of the Evesboro, Sassafras, and Fort Collins soils, respectively. There was general agreement between Sr concentrations measured at various depths and those calculated on the basis of the Lapidus‐Amundson equation, especially so with heavier soils. The Evesboro and Fort Collins soils were also tagged with carrier‐free 85 Sr and, mounted in columns, leached with 0.06 N solutions of either CaCl 2 or SrCl 2 . The removal of 85 Sr was more complete from the Evesboro than from the Fort Collins soil, and from the center than from the edge of the columns. Short‐term leaching capability of SrCl 2 exceeded that of CaCl 2 where 85 Sr was present in amounts small enough to be adsorbed mostly on specific soil adsorption sites. Where larger amounts of 85 Sr had been adsorbed, Ca was equally effective as Sr in replacing the contaminant.