Interfacial Soil Chemistry of Radionuclides in the Unsaturated Zone Page: 1 of 10
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ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT: 2002-2003
Project ID # 70126
Project Title: Interfacial Soil Chemistry of Radionuclides in the Unsaturated Zone
Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Jon Chorover, Department of Soil, Water and
Environmental Science, 429 Shantz Building, University of Arizona, AZ 85721:
Tel (520) 626-5635; Email: Chorovergcals.arizona.edu
Co-Investigators: Dr. Karl T. Mueller, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of
Chemistry, 152 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802; Tel: (814) 863-
8674; Email: ktm2@psu.edu
Dr. K. G. Karthikeyan, Department of Biological System Engineering, University
of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706; Tel: (608) 262-9367; Email:
kkarthikeyangfacstaff.wi sc. edu
Dr. A. Vairavamurthy, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Department of Applied
Science, Building 815, Upton, New York 11973; Tel: (516) 344-5337; Email:
vmurth yvbnl.gov
Mr. R. Jeff Serne, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Applied Geology &
Geochemistry Group, Richland, WA 99352; Tel: (509) 376-8429; Email:
jeff. semegpnl. gov
Graduate Students: 2 [Garry Crosson; Paula Rotenberg]
Postdoctoral Scholar: Sunkyung Choi
This is the final year (in a one-year extension) of a project with the principal goal of
investigating the impact of clay surface alteration, resulting from hydroxy-aluminum
(HyA) and hydroxyaluminosilicate (HAS) species intercalation on reactivity of soils
towards Cs and Sr. Special emphasis has been accorded to the unique geochemical
conditions that are representative of the Hanford site vadose zone (high ionic strength,
high pH, high Al concentrations). Specific objectives of the research include:
i) Quantify the rate and extent of contaminant sorption to prevalent soil minerals as a
function of system composition and contaminant concentration.
ii) Determine the effects of intercalation of clays by HyA and HAS on the sorption/ion
exchange process.
iii) Determine the role of NOM (dissolved and mineral bound) on the particle retention
of Cs and Sr.
iv) Investigate the nature of mineral transformations induced by high pH and ionic
strength conditions characteristic of waste impacted environments as it affects
concurrent/subsequent retention of Cs and Sr.
v) Determine the coordination chemistry of contaminants bound into clay surfaces [as
measured in objectives (i)-(iv)] using NMR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)].
Significant progress has been made in achieving these objectives. We have conducted
long-term kinetic studies - reaction times ranging from 1 d to 2 yr - to examine
relationships between aluminosilicate weathering in the presence of synthetic tank waste
leachate (STWL) and Cs/Sr uptake and release. Our experiments employ a sequence of
specimen clay minerals including illite, vermiculite, smectite and kaolinite, which are
also important reactive solids in the Hanford sediments (Serne et al., 2001). Parallel1
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Chorover, Jon; Mueller, Karl T.; Karthikeyan, K. G.; Vairavamurthy, A. & Serne, R. Jeff. Interfacial Soil Chemistry of Radionuclides in the Unsaturated Zone, report, June 1, 2003; United States. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc779823/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.