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Cendón DI, Rowling B, Hughes CE, Payne TE, Hankin SI, Harrison JJ, Peterson MA, Stopic A, Wong H, Gadd P. Rare earth elements and yttrium as tracers of waste/rock-groundwater interactions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 830:154706. [PMID: 35331767 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Increasing concentrations of Rare Earth Elements (REE) plus yttrium (REY) are entering the environment due to human activities. The similar chemical behaviour across the whole REY, i.e. the lanthanide series (lanthanum to lutetium) and yttrium, allows their use as tracers, fingerprinting rock-forming processes and fluid-rock interactions in earth science systems. However, their use in fingerprinting waste and particularly low-level radioactive waste has not received much attention, despite the direct use of REE in the nuclear industry and the traditional use of REE as proxies to understand the environmental mobility of the actinide series (actinium to lawrencium). The highly instrumented low-level radioactive waste site at Little Forest (Australia) allows a detailed REY study, investigating interactions with local strata, neighbouring waste forms and shallow groundwater flows. Groundwater samples and solids from cored materials were recovered from 2007 to 2012 from the study site and regional baseline sites in the same geological materials. The REY in water samples were analysed by automated chelation pre-concentration (SeaFast, ESI) followed by ICP-MS determination, while solid samples were analysed using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) and X-ray fluorescence scanning (ITRAX). Solid rocks showed no REY departed from typical Upper Crust compositions in either Little Forest or regional background sites. Shallow groundwater from ~4-5 m, at or slightly below waste trench levels, showed water-waste interaction as a marked enrichment, relative to shale-normalised patterns, in samarium, europium and gadolinium, with depleted yttrium. Leachate samples from the neighbouring urban landfill show different REY normalised patterns. REY distribution changes with depth through increased interaction with shales and sandstones. Variations in pH and redox conditions lead to widespread precipitation of Fe-hydroxides, which scavenge REY with differential uptake by precipitating solids, resulting in increases in Y and higher Y/Ho ratio in the groundwater along the flow path. Our study revealed that the Little Forest low-level radioactive waste has a REY fingerprint different to that of groundwater in surrounding land uses. REY can be used to fingerprint diverse waste sources, assess the mobility of lanthanides inferring the mobility of selected actinides, and to trace the fate of REY during groundwater recharge. The approach presented can refine source allocation and trace pollutant mobility in current and legacy urban, mixed and radioactive waste sites around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dioni I Cendón
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Brett Rowling
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Catherine E Hughes
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Timothy E Payne
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Stuart I Hankin
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Jennifer J Harrison
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Mark A Peterson
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Attila Stopic
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Henri Wong
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Patricia Gadd
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
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Kirishima A, Terasaki M, Miyakawa K, Okamoto Y, Akiyama D. Deep groundwater physicochemical components affecting actinide migration. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 289:133181. [PMID: 34875295 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To better understand the migration behavior of actinides in deep groundwater (GW), the interactions between doped tracers and deep GW components were investigated. La, Sm, Ho, and U tracers (10 or 100 ppb) were doped into sedimentary rock GW samples collected from 250 to 350 m deep boreholes in the experimental gallery of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL), Hokkaido, Japan. To evaluate the effect of GW composition on the chemical speciation of actinides, the same tracers were doped into crystalline rock GW samples collected from 300 to 500 m deep boreholes in the experimental gallery at the Mizunami URL, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Each GW sample was sequentially filtered through a micro-pore filter (0.2 μm) and ultrafilters with a 10 kDa nominal molecular weight limit. Next, the filtrate solutions were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of tracers retained in solution during each filtration step, and the used filters were analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry element mapping and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to determine the chemical species of the tracers trapped on each filter. It was determined that lanthanide migration was controlled by the amount of phosphates in the Horonobe GW. Therefore, it was expected that the solubility of minor actinides (MAs), which exhibit a similar chemical behavior to that of lanthanides, would be controlled by the formation of phosphates in sedimentary rock GW. Moreover, the data on the Mizunami GW indicated that a fraction of lanthanides and MAs formed hydroxides and/or hydroxocarbonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Kirishima
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 1-1 Katahira, 2-chome, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan.
| | - Mariko Terasaki
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 1-1 Katahira, 2-chome, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan; Department of Quantum Science and Energy Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan
| | - Kazuya Miyakawa
- Horonobe Underground Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Hokushin 432-2, Horonobe-cho, Hokkaido, 098-3224, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Okamoto
- Materials Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kouto 1-1-1, Sayo-cho, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
| | - Daisuke Akiyama
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 1-1 Katahira, 2-chome, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
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Deblonde GJP, Mattocks JA, Wang H, Gale EM, Kersting AB, Zavarin M, Cotruvo JA. Characterization of Americium and Curium Complexes with the Protein Lanmodulin: A Potential Macromolecular Mechanism for Actinide Mobility in the Environment. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:15769-15783. [PMID: 34542285 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic radionuclides, including long-lived heavy actinides such as americium and curium, represent the primary long-term challenge for management of nuclear waste. The potential release of these wastes into the environment necessitates understanding their interactions with biogeochemical compounds present in nature. Here, we characterize the interactions between the heavy actinides, Am3+ and Cm3+, and the natural lanthanide-binding protein, lanmodulin (LanM). LanM is produced abundantly by methylotrophic bacteria, including Methylorubrum extorquens, that are widespread in the environment. We determine the first stability constant for an Am3+-protein complex (Am3LanM) and confirm the results with Cm3LanM, indicating a ∼5-fold higher affinity than that for lanthanides with most similar ionic radius, Nd3+ and Sm3+, and making LanM the strongest known heavy actinide-binding protein. The protein's high selectivity over 243Am's daughter nuclide 239Np enables lab-scale actinide-actinide separations as well as provides insight into potential protein-driven mobilization for these actinides in the environment. The luminescence properties of the Cm3+-LanM complex, and NMR studies of Gd3+-LanM, reveal that lanmodulin-bound f-elements possess two coordinated solvent molecules across a range of metal ionic radii. Finally, we show under a wide range of environmentally relevant conditions that lanmodulin effectively outcompetes desferrioxamine B, a hydroxamate siderophore previously proposed to be important in trivalent actinide mobility. These results suggest that natural lanthanide-binding proteins such as lanmodulin may play important roles in speciation and mobility of actinides in the environment; it also suggests that protein-based biotechnologies may provide a new frontier in actinide remediation, detection, and separations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauthier J-P Deblonde
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States.,Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Joseph A Mattocks
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Huan Wang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 149 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Eric M Gale
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 149 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Annie B Kersting
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States.,Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Mavrik Zavarin
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States.,Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Joseph A Cotruvo
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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Removal of thorium by modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes: Optimization, thermodynamic, kinetic, and molecular dynamic viewpoint. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2020.103445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Panteli S, Savva I, Efstathiou M, Vekas L, Marinica OM, Krasia-Christoforou T, Pashalidis I. β-ketoester-functionalized magnetoactive electrospun polymer fibers as Eu(III) adsorbents. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-018-0034-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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Paschalidou P, Liatsou I, Pashalidis I, Theocharis CR. The effect of surface properties on the uranium adsorption by mesoporous ceria. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-018-6195-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ramírez-Guinart O, Salaberria A, Vidal M, Rigol A. Dependence of samarium-soil interaction on samarium concentration: Implications for environmental risk assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 234:439-447. [PMID: 29202422 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The sorption and desorption behaviour of samarium (Sm), an emerging contaminant, was examined in soil samples at varying Sm concentrations. The obtained sorption and desorption parameters revealed that soil possessed a high Sm retention capacity (sorption was higher than 99% and desorption lower than 2%) at low Sm concentrations, whereas at high Sm concentrations, the sorption-desorption behaviour varied among the soil samples tested. The fractionation of the Sm sorbed in soils, obtained by sequential extractions, allowed to suggest the soil properties (pH and organic matter solubility) and phases (organic matter, carbonates and clay minerals) governing the Sm-soil interaction. The sorption models constructed in the present work along with the sorption behaviour of Sm explained in terms of soil main characteristics will allow properly assessing the Sm-soil interaction depending on the contamination scenario under study. Moreover, the sorption and desorption Kd values of radiosamarium in soils were strongly correlated with those of stable Sm at low concentrations (r = 0.98); indicating that the mobility of Sm radioisotopes and, thus, the risk of radioactive Sm contamination can be predicted using data from low concentrations of stable Sm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Ramírez-Guinart
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franqués 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aitor Salaberria
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franqués 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Vidal
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franqués 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Rigol
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franqués 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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Paschalidou P, Liatsou I, Pashalidis I, Theocharis CR. Effect of surface and textural characteristics on uranium adsorption by nanoporous titania. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-017-5475-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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9
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O'Hara MJ, Addleman RS. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for the collection and direct measurement of adsorbed alpha-emitting radionuclides from environmental waters by liquid scintillation analysis. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2017; 9:2791-2804. [PMID: 31156721 PMCID: PMC6541455 DOI: 10.1039/c7ay00247e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive contamination, be it from accidental or intentional release, can create an urgent need to assess water and food supplies and the environment, and monitor human health. In the event of such an emergency, rapid and efficient methods may be needed to assess contamination levels in scores of samples within a short time frame. Internalized exposure to radionuclides that decay by alpha (α) emission can be especially hazardous, given the strongly ionizing nature of the α particle. Unfortunately, the determination of α-emitting radionuclides using traditional radioanalytical methods is typically labor and resource intensive and time consuming. In an effort to devise methods that are fast, require little labor and laboratory expendables, and minimize the use of toxic or corrosive reagents, researchers at PNNL have evaluated superparamagnetic nanoparticles as extracting agents for α-emitting radionuclides from chemically unmodified and acidified (pH 2) aqueous systems. It is demonstrated that bare magnetite nanoparticles exhibit strong affinity for two representative α-emitting radionuclides (241Am and 210Po) from two representative aqueous matrices (river and ground water). Furthermore, use of the superparamagnetic properties of these nanomaterials to concentrate the analyte-bearing solids from the bulk aqueous solution has been demonstrated. The nanoparticle concentrate can be either directly dispensed into a scintillation cocktail, or first dissolved and then added to a scintillation cocktail as a solution for an α-emission assay by liquid scintillation analysis. Despite the severe quenching caused by the metal oxide suspensions in the cocktail, the authors have demonstrated that modern liquid scintillation analyzers can report accurate α activity count rates; the upper limits of nanoparticle suspension concentrations in a cocktail are reported for cases wherein normal instrument count mode and a quench correction protocol are used. Discussions are provided on the presented sample processing and analysis method, the improvement (lowering) of minimum detectable activity concentrations using the nanoparticle-based assay method, and the quenching effects of nanoparticle suspensions in a scintillation cocktail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J O'Hara
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd., PO Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, USA
| | - R Shane Addleman
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd., PO Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, USA
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11
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Romanchuk AY, Kalmykov SN, Egorov AV, Zubavichus YV, Shiryaev AA, Smirnov EA, Garshev AV. Photoreduction of Pu(V,VI) by TiO2. RADIOCHIM ACTA 2016. [DOI: 10.1515/ract-2015-2494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In this study, the effect of light on the kinetics and speciation of plutonium at its interaction with particles of TiO2 under different light conditions is shown for the first time. It was found that sorption was followed by reduction of the plutonium to Pu(IV). In this, the reduction reaction and sorption in conditions of the presence of light proceed significantly more rapidly due to the photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide, providing a source of electrons for the reaction. Spectral methods (XAFS and TEM) showed that plutonium forms nanoclusters with the structure of PuO2, which decorate the surface of the solid phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Yu. Romanchuk
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Stepan N. Kalmykov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of RAS, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
- National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute,” 123182, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Alexander V. Egorov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Yan V. Zubavichus
- National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute,” 123182, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Andrei A. Shiryaev
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry of RAS, 119071, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Eugene A. Smirnov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Alexey V. Garshev
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
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Zhao P, Begg JD, Zavarin M, Tumey SJ, Williams R, Dai ZR, Kips R, Kersting AB. Plutonium(IV) and (V) Sorption to Goethite at Sub-Femtomolar to Micromolar Concentrations: Redox Transformations and Surface Precipitation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:6948-56. [PMID: 27268262 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Pu(IV) and Pu(V) sorption to goethite was investigated over a concentration range of 10(-15)-10(-5) M at pH 8. Experiments with initial Pu concentrations of 10(-15) - 10(-8) M produced linear Pu sorption isotherms, demonstrating that Pu sorption to goethite is not concentration-dependent across this concentration range. Equivalent Pu(IV) and Pu(V) sorption Kd values obtained at 1 and 2-week sampling time points indicated that Pu(V) is rapidly reduced to Pu(IV) on the goethite surface. Further, it suggested that Pu surface redox transformations are sufficiently rapid to achieve an equilibrium state within 1 week, regardless of the initial Pu oxidation state. At initial concentrations >10(-8) M, both Pu oxidation states exhibited deviations from linear sorption behavior and less Pu was adsorbed than at lower concentrations. NanoSIMS and HRTEM analysis of samples with initial Pu concentrations of 10(-8) - 10(-6) M indicated that Pu surface and/or bulk precipitation was likely responsible for this deviation. In 10(-6) M Pu(IV) and Pu(V) samples, HRTEM analysis showed the formation of a body centered cubic (bcc) Pu4O7 structure on the goethite surface, confirming that reduction of Pu(V) had occurred on the mineral surface and that epitaxial distortion previously observed for Pu(IV) sorption occurs with Pu(V) as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pihong Zhao
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - James D Begg
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Mavrik Zavarin
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Scott J Tumey
- Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Ross Williams
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Zurong R Dai
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Ruth Kips
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Annie B Kersting
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
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Haliena B, Zheng H, Melson N, Kaplan DI, Barnett MO. Decreased Salinity and Actinide Mobility: Colloid-Facilitated Transport or pH Change? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:625-632. [PMID: 26687028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Colloids have been implicated in influencing the transport of actinides and other adsorbed contaminants in the subsurface, significantly increasing their mobility. Such colloid-facilitated transport can be induced by changes in groundwater chemistry that occur, for example, when high ionic strength contaminant plumes are displaced by infiltrating rainwater. We studied the transport and mobility of Th(IV), as an analogue for Pu(IV) and other tetravalent actinides [An(IV)], in saturated columns packed with a natural heterogeneous subsurface sandy sediment. As expected, decreases in ionic strength both promoted the mobilization of natural colloids and enhanced the transport of previously adsorbed Th(IV). However, colloid-facilitated transport played only a minor role in enhancing the transport of Th(IV). Instead, the enhanced transport of Th(IV) was primarily due to the pH-dependent desorption of Th(IV) caused by the change in ionic strength. In contrast, the adsorption of Th(IV) had a marked impact on the surface charge of the sandy sediment, significantly affecting the mobility of the colloids. In the absence of Th(IV), changes in ionic strength were ineffective at releasing colloids while in the presence of Th(IV), decreases in ionic strength liberated significant concentrations of colloids. Therefore, under the conditions of our experiments which mimicked acidic, high ionic strength groundwater contaminant plumes, Th(IV) had a much greater effect on colloid transport than colloids had on Th(IV) transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Haliena
- Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University , Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | - Hangping Zheng
- Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University , Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | - Nathan Melson
- Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University , Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | - Daniel I Kaplan
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina 29803, United States
| | - Mark O Barnett
- Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University , Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
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Wang C, Yang X, Li C, Liu C. The sorption interactions of humic acid onto Beishan granite. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2015.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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15
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Tan X, Ren X, Chen C, Wang X. Analytical approaches to the speciation of lanthanides at solid-water interfaces. Trends Analyt Chem 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Hixon AE, Powell BA. Observed changes in the mechanism and rates of Pu(V) reduction on hematite as a function of total plutonium concentration. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:9255-62. [PMID: 25003955 DOI: 10.1021/es5013752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Changes in aqueous- and solid-phase plutonium oxidation states were monitored as a function of time and plutonium concentration in hematite (α-Fe2O3) suspensions containing initially Pu(V). Batch kinetic experiments were conducted at plutonium concentrations between 10(-8) and 10(-6) M at pH 5 and 0.3 g/L (9.3 m(2)/L) hematite. Surface-mediated reduction of Pu(V) was observed under all conditions studied. However, differences in the reaction kinetics demonstrate that the mechanism of Pu(V) reduction changes as a function of plutonium concentration. Adsorption of Pu(V) was found to be the rate-limiting step at plutonium concentrations less than approximately 10(-7) M Pu(V). Plutonium reduction in these systems was attributed to trace amounts of Fe(II) in the hematite structure. Reduction of Pu(V) was found to be the rate-limiting step at concentrations higher than approximately 10(-6) M Pu(V) and is attributed to the formation of PuO(2+x)·nH2O nanoparticles and the Nernstian favorability of Pu(IV) surface complexes. The reaction order with respect to plutonium concentration was found to be -0.68 ± 0.09, indicating that there is a concentration dependence in these systems. This work strongly suggests that the kinetics of experiments carried out under high plutonium concentrations (i.e., >10(-7) M Pu) cannot be directly extrapolated to environmental concentrations of plutonium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Hixon
- Department of Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
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Zänker H, Hennig C. Colloid-borne forms of tetravalent actinides: a brief review. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2014; 157:87-105. [PMID: 24365396 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Revised: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Tetravalent actinides, An(IV), are usually assumed to be little mobile in near-neutral environmental waters because of their low solubility. However, there are certain geochemical scenarios during which mobilization of An(IV) in a colloid-borne (waterborne) form cannot be ruled out. A compilation of colloid-borne forms of tetravalent actinides described so far for laboratory experiments together with several examples of An(IV) colloids observed in field experiments and real-world scenarios are given. They are intended to be a knowledge base and a tool for those who have to interpret actinide behavior under environmental conditions. Synthetic colloids containing structural An(IV) and synthetic colloids carrying adsorbed An(IV) are considered. Their behavior is compared with the behavior of An(IV) colloids observed after the intentional or unintentional release of actinides into the environment. A list of knowledge gaps as to the behavior of An(IV) colloids is provided and items which need further research are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Zänker
- Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, P.O. Box 51 01 19, D-01314 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Christoph Hennig
- Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, P.O. Box 51 01 19, D-01314 Dresden, Germany
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Neubauer E, v d Kammer F, Hofmann T. Using FLOWFFF and HPSEC to determine trace metal-colloid associations in wetland runoff. WATER RESEARCH 2013; 47:2757-2769. [PMID: 23528782 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2013.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Natural organic matter (NOM) and iron colloids can coexist in surface water. These colloids might exhibit different affinities to metals and metalloids. Previously it has been shown, that organic and inorganic colloids in the low nanometer range can be fractionated using Flow Field-Flow Fractionation analyzes (FlowFFF), but it is not yet understood how the presence of inorganic colloids influences results obtained by High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC). Studies that compare the use of these size-separation techniques for the analyzes of organic and inorganic colloids and associated elements are needed in order to interpret results obtained by either of these methods. Therefore, associations between colloids from a small stream draining a wetland area and a selected range of elements (Fe, Al, Ti, Pb, Cu, Ni, As, U, and Rare Earth Elements (REE)) have been investigated. FlowFFF analyzes and HPSEC analyzes were combined with ultrafiltration, functional group titration and arsenic speciation analysis. NOM and, in a sample with a pH > 5.2, slightly larger iron organo-mineral colloids, were present in the <0.2 μm fraction in the surface water. Both exhibited notably different affinities for trace elements. Cu, Ni, Al, and the REE all showed similar modes (i.e. peak maxima) and size distributions to the NOM, while Pb and As showed a preferential association with iron organo-mineral colloids. It was not possible to differentiate between NOM and iron-organo mineral colloids with HPSEC. The differences in the results regarding the apparent molecular mass distributions obtained by FlowFFF and HPSEC are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Neubauer
- Department of Environmental Geosciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Kalinichev AG. Molecular models of natural organic matter and its colloidal aggregation in aqueous solutions: Challenges and opportunities for computer simulations. PURE APPL CHEM 2012. [DOI: 10.1351/pac-con-12-05-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous in soil and groundwater, and its aqueous complexation with various inorganic and organic species can strongly affect the speciation, solubility, and toxicity of many elements in the environment. Despite significant geochemical, environmental, and industrial interest, the molecular-scale mechanisms of the physical and chemical processes involving NOM are not yet fully understood. Recent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using relatively simple models of NOM fragments are used here to illustrate the challenges and opportunities for the application of computational molecular modeling techniques to the structural, dynamic, and energetic characterization of metal–NOM complexation and colloidal aggregation in aqueous solutions. The predictions from large-scale MD simulations are in good qualitative agreement with available experimental observations, but also point out the need for simulations at much larger time- and length-scales with more complex NOM models in order to fully capture the diversity of molecular processes involving NOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey G. Kalinichev
- 1Departments of Chemistry, Department of Geological Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Maher
- Department of Geological & Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, United States
| | | | - Gordon E. Brown
- Department of Geological & Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, United States
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Johnson BE, Santschi PH, Chuang CY, Otosaka S, Addleman RS, Douglas M, Rutledge RD, Chouyyok W, Davidson JD, Fryxell GE, Schwantes JM. Collection of lanthanides and actinides from natural waters with conventional and nanoporous sorbents. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2012; 46:11251-11258. [PMID: 23030048 DOI: 10.1021/es204192r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Effective collection of trace-level lanthanides and actinides is advantageous for recovery and recycling of valuable resources, environmental remediation, chemical separations, and in situ monitoring. Using isotopic tracers, we have evaluated a number of conventional and nanoporous sorbent materials for their ability to capture and remove selected lanthanides (Ce and Eu) and actinides (Th, Pa, U, and Np) from fresh and salt water systems. In general, the nanostructured materials demonstrated a higher level of performance and consistency. Nanoporous silica surface modified with 3,4-hydroxypyridinone provided excellent collection and consistency in both river water and seawater. The MnO(2) materials, in particular the high surface area small particle material, also demonstrated good performance. Other conventional sorbents typically performed at levels below the nanostructured sorbents and demonstrate a larger variability and matrix dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce E Johnson
- Department of Marine Science, Texas A&M University, Galveston, Texas 77553, USA
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Kütahyalı C, Cetinkaya B, Acar MB, Işık NO, Cireli I. Investigation of strontium sorption onto Kula volcanics using Central Composite Design. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2012; 201-202:115-124. [PMID: 22154872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.11.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2011] [Revised: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In performance assessment studies, the uptake of the radioactive elements by rock formations play an important role in retarding their aqueous phase migration. Sorption studies of radionuclides have been conducted to obtain data on the distribution coefficient (K(d)) that is as an input parameter in the performance assessment of the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. In this work, sorption experiments were studied in a batch sorption system using Sr(NO(3))(2) solution on non-treated and HCl-treated Kula volcanics. The distribution coefficient (K(d)) values of Sr(2+) derived from batch experiments were used to evaluate the migration behavior of Sr(2+). Central Composite Design was used in the experiments. Sr sorption was studied as a function of pH, temperature, initial concentration of adsorbate and contact time. The results show that the K(d) values are higher at pH 7-9 which is the pH range of the natural waters. The kinetic data conformed better to the pseudo-second-order equation. Thermodynamic parameters ΔH°, ΔS° and ΔG° were estimated and these parameters show that adsorption is endothermic. The correlation coefficients indicate that the Langmuir model fits better for the strontium sorption onto non-treated and HCl-treated Kula volcanics with monolayer capacities as 2.04 and 1.72 mg/g, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceren Kütahyalı
- Ege University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 35100 Bornova, İzmir, Turkey.
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Holliday K, Chagneau A, Schmidt M, Claret F, Schäfer T, Stumpf T. Discriminating factors affecting incorporation: comparison of the fate of Eu3+–Cm3+ in the Sr carbonate–sulfate system. Dalton Trans 2012; 41:3642-7. [DOI: 10.1039/c2dt12425d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Collins RN, Saito T, Aoyagi N, Payne TE, Kimura T, Waite TD. Applications of time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy to the environmental biogeochemistry of actinides. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2011; 40:731-741. [PMID: 21546659 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2010.0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) is a useful means of identifying certain actinide species resulting from various biogeochemical processes. In general, TRLFS differentiates chemical species of a fluorescent metal ion through analysis of different excitation and emission spectra and decay lifetimes. Although this spectroscopic technique has largely been applied to the analysis of actinide and lanthanide ions having fluorescence decay lifetimes on the order of microseconds, such as UO , Cm, and Eu, continuing development of ultra-fast and cryogenic TRLFS systems offers the possibility to obtain speciation information on metal ions having room-temperature fluorescence decay lifetimes on the order of nanoseconds to picoseconds. The main advantage of TRLFS over other advanced spectroscopic techniques is the ability to determine in situ metal speciation at environmentally relevant micromolar to picomolar concentrations. In the context of environmental biogeochemistry, TRLFS has principally been applied to studies of (i) metal speciation in aqueous and solid phases and (ii) the coordination environment of metal ions sorbed to mineral and bacterial surfaces. In this review, the principles of TRLFS are described, and the literature reporting the application of this methodology to the speciation of actinides in systems of biogeochemical interest is assessed. Significant developments in TRLFS methodology and advanced data analysis are highlighted, and we outline how these developments have the potential to further our mechanistic understanding of actinide biogeochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard N Collins
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Abstract
Abstract
The sorption of americium(III), (Am(III)), onto kaolinite was studied in batch experiments in the absence and presence of humic acid (HA) ([Am(III)]0=1×10−6ߙM, [HA]0=0 or 10ߙmg/L, I=0.01ߙM NaClO4, pH=3–10, p
CO2=10−3.5ߙatm, solid-to-liquid ratio (S/L)=1 or 4ߙg/L). The results show that the Am(III) sorption onto kaolinite is influenced by S/L, the presence of HA and the pH value. In the absence of HA, Am(III) exhibits a very strong and almost pH independent sorption onto kaolinite at the S/L ratio of 4ߙg/L. In the presence of HA, there are small differences in the Am(III) sorption compared to the HA free system. At pH values 5, HA very slightly enhances the sorption of Am(III). Conversely, at pH values ≥5.5, the presence of HA decreases the sorption of Am(III) due to the formation of dissolved Am(III) humate complexes. The decrease of S/L from 4 to 1ߙg/L has a significant effect on the Am(III) sorption onto kaolinite. A sorption edge occurs at pH 6 and the influence of carbonate on the Am(III) sorption at higher pH values becomes evident. Furthermore, the influence of HA on the Am(III) sorption onto kaolinite is more pronounced. The Am(III) sorption results are compared to literature data and to those of U(VI) sorption onto kaolinite obtained under the same experimental conditions.
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Quantum chemical study of inner-sphere complexes of trivalent lanthanide and actinide ions on the corundum (0001) surface. RADIOCHIM ACTA 2010. [DOI: 10.1524/ract.2010.1763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Sorption of trivalent metal ions onto mineral surfaces is of special relevance in the safety assessment of nuclear waste disposal. In the present quantum chemical study we mainly focused on understanding the interaction of trivalent metal ions (La3+, Eu3+ and Cm3+) with the corundum (0001) the surface. We studied how the structure of the inner-sphere complex at the corundum (0001) surface depends on the deprotonation of the surface and give a prediction for the most likely structure of the inner-sphere complex (bi-, tri- or tetradentate). We approached this question using a cluster model for the surface. By deprotonating the cluster we mimicked a chemical environment at pH values above the point of zero charge. In a first step, we tested the accuracy of Density Functional Theory calculations with the BP86 functional and various basis sets by comparing them with Møller-Plesset perturbation theory of second order on a small chemically similar test system. This is followed by a series of calculations on a large and realistic cluster which is an extended model for the formation of the inner-sphere complex at the corundum (0001) surface. Our calculations predict the highest stability for a species with six water molecules remaining in the first coordination sphere of the metal ions and forming an inner-sphere surface complex attached to three surface oxygen atoms. The formation of the inner-sphere complexes is even more favoured when the coordination takes place via one or two deprotonated surface oxygen atoms.
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Sorption speciation of lanthanides/actinides on minerals by TRLFS, EXAFS and DFT studies: a review. Molecules 2010; 15:8431-68. [PMID: 21085087 PMCID: PMC6259111 DOI: 10.3390/molecules15118431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2010] [Revised: 11/09/2010] [Accepted: 11/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lanthanides/actinides sorption speciation on minerals and oxides by means of time resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS), extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) and density functional theory (DFT) is reviewed in the field of nuclear disposal safety research. The theoretical aspects of the methods are concisely presented. Examples of recent research results of lanthanide/actinide speciation and local atomic structures using TRLFS, EXAFS and DFT are discussed. The interaction of lanthanides/actinides with oxides and minerals as well as their uptake are also of common interest in radionuclide chemistry. Especially the sorption and inclusion of radionuclides into several minerals lead to an improvement in knowledge of minor components in solids. In the solid-liquid interface, the speciation and local atomic structures of Eu(III), Cm(III), U(VI), and Np(IV/VI) in several natural and synthetic minerals and oxides are also reviewed and discussed. The review is important to understand the physicochemical behavior of lanthanides/actinides at a molecular level in the natural environment.
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Bouby M, Lützenkirchen J, Dardenne K, Preocanin T, Denecke M, Klenze R, Geckeis H. Sorption of Eu(III) onto titanium dioxide: Measurements and modeling. J Colloid Interface Sci 2010; 350:551-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2010.06.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2010] [Revised: 06/23/2010] [Accepted: 06/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Schmidt M, Stumpf T, Walther C, Geckeis H, Fanghänel T. Incorporation versus adsorption: substitution of Ca2+ by Eu3+ and Cm3+ in aragonite and gypsum. Dalton Trans 2009:6645-50. [DOI: 10.1039/b822656c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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