Comparative study on sorption/desorption of radioeuropium on alumina, bentonite and red earth: effects of pH, ionic strength, fulvic acid, and iron oxides in red earth

The sorption and desorption of Eu(III) as a representative of trivalent lanthanides and actinides on bentonite, alumina, red earth and red earth treated to remove free iron oxides were comparatively investigated by using batch technique and radiotracer 152 + 154Eu. The effects of pH, ionic strength, fulvic acid, iron oxides in red earth and the sorption mechanism were also discussed. As compared to alumina and red earth, Eu(III) presents a considerable distribution coefficient (Kd) onto bentonite. It was found that the pH and the presence of clay minerals are the main factors dominating the sorption/desorption characteristic of Eu3+ in the soil, and that a sorption-desorption hysteresis on bentonite and red earth actually occurs. Furthermore, the main sorption mechanism of lanthanides onto bentonite, alumina and red earth is the formation of bridged hydroxo complexes with the surface, and there are negative effects of fulvic acid and free iron oxides in red earth on the sorption of Eu(III). The results of this paper indicate that the additivity rule on the sorption characteristic of a soil from the individual component's characteristics is not general.