Scientific article
English

Binding of 239Pu and 90Sr to Organic Colloids in Soil Solutions: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Published inEnvironmental science & technology, vol. 44, no. 22, p. 8509-8514
Publication date2010
Abstract

Colloidal transport has been shown to enhance the migration of plutonium in groundwater down stream from contaminated sites, but little is known about the adsorption of 90Sr and plutonium onto colloids in the soil solution of natural soils. We sampled soil solutions using suction cups, and separated colloids using ultrafiltration to determine the distribution of 239Pu and 90Sr between the truly dissolved fraction and the colloidal fraction of the solutions of three Alpine soils contaminated only by global fallout from the nuclear weapon tests. Plutonium was essentially found in the colloidal fraction (>80%) and probably associated with organic matter. A significant amount of colloidal 90Sr was detected in organic-rich soil solutions. Our results suggest that binding to organic colloids in the soil solutions plays a key role with respect to the mobility of plutonium in natural alpine soils and, to a lesser extent, to the mobility of 90Sr.

Keywords
  • Plutonium
  • Strontium
  • Val Piora
  • Colloid
Citation (ISO format)
CHAWLA, Fabienne et al. Binding of 239Pu and 90Sr to Organic Colloids in Soil Solutions: Evidence from a Field Experiment. In: Environmental science & technology, 2010, vol. 44, n° 22, p. 8509–8514. doi: 10.1021/es101766g
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Identifiers
Journal ISSN0013-936X
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