Unveiling the extreme environmental radioactivity of cryoconite from a Norwegian glacier

This study is a first survey of the occurrence of artificial (¹³⁷Cs, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁰⁷Bi, Pu isotopes) and natural (²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁸Ac, ²¹⁴Bi, ⁴⁰K) radionuclides in Norwegian cryoconite. Cryoconite samples were collected before (12 samples) and after (5 samples) a rainfall event, after which 7 cryoconite holes dissapeared. The concentrations of radionuclides in cryoconite samples from the Blåisen Glacier are compared with data from the Arctic and Alpine glaciers. Cryoconite samples from the studied glacier had extremely high activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁰⁷Bi and ^239+240Pu (up to 25,000 Bq/kg, 58 Bq/kg, 13 Bq/kg and 131 Bq/kg, respectively) and also high concentrations of organic matter (OM), comparing to other Scandinavian and Arctic glaciers, reaching up to ~40% of total mass. The outstandingly high concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs, ²⁴¹Am, Pu isotopes, and ²⁰⁷Bi on the Blåisen Glacier are primarily related to bioaccumulation of radionuclides in organic-rich cryoconite and might be enhanced by additional transfers of contamination from the tundra by lemmings during their population peaks. The presumed influence of intense rainfall on radionuclide concentrations in the cryoconite was not confirmed.

The influence of acid treatments over vermiculite based material as adsorbent for cationic textile dyestuffs

The influence of different acid treatments over vermiculite was evaluated. Equilibrium, kinetic and column studies have been conducted. The results showed that vermiculite first treated with nitric acid and then with citric acid has higher adsorption capacity, presenting maximum adsorption capacities in column experiments: for Astrazon Red (AR), 100.8 ± 0.8 mg g(-1) and 54 ± 1 mg g(-1) for modified and raw material, respectively; for Methylene Blue (MB) 150 ± 4 mg g(-1) and 55 ± 2 mg g(-1) for modified and raw material, respectively. Materials characterization by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, N2 adsorption and CEC determination, has been performed. The results suggest the existence of exchange of interlayer cations, leaching of metals from vermiculite's sheets and formation of an amorphous phase in the material. Adsorption follows pseudo 2(nd) order model kinetics for both dyestuffs and equilibrium occurs accordingly to Langmuir's model for AR and Freundlich's model for MB. In column systems Yan's model is the best fit. The enhanced properties of acid treated vermiculite offer new perspectives for the use of this adsorbent in wastewater treatment.