The study of the mineral composition and caesium and strontium radionuclide sorption properties of natural clays of the Republic of Belarus
Abstract
The results of the analysis of the mineral composition and sorption properties relating to the 137Cs+ and 85Sr2+ radionuclides of natural clays from Kustikha, Gorodnoe, Ostrozhanskoe, and Markovskoe deposits of the Republic of Belarus are presented in this study.
The main minerals of the studied clays determined by XRD analysis were montmorillonite, illite, and kaolinite. The largest amount of montmorillonite was contained in a clay sample from the Ostrozhanskoe deposit (56.3 wt.%), and the smallest amount of montmorillonite was characteristic for clay sample from the Kustikha deposit (28.5 wt. %), for which the amount of illite was the highest (33.7 wt.%). For the rest of the clay samples, the illite content varied from 3.0 to 4.8 wt.%. Kaolinite was most abundant in clay samples from the Markovskoe (14.7 wt.%) and Kustikha deposits (8.3 wt. %), and for the rest of the clays its content did not exceed 7.0 wt.%. Montmorillonite in clay samples was mainly represented by the Ca or Mg form.
It was found that the values of the distribution coefficient of 137Cs+ (Kd 137Cs+) for samples of clays from the Kustikha, Gorodno, Ostrozhanskoe, and Markovskoe deposits during the sorption of a microquantity of 137Cs+ from a solution with a concentration of NaNO3 0.1 mol/dm3 were (1.5-2.7)·103 cm3/g (phase ratio solid: liquid=1: 100). These values were 1.1-2.0 times higher than the values Kd 137Cs+ for clinoptilolite samples from the Shivertuinsky deposit and bentonite clay from the 10th Khutor deposit (Russia). It was shown that K+ ions have a greater effect on the sorption of 137Cs+ than Na+ ions. The effect of K+ ions becomes noticeable even with a concentration of K+=0.01 mol/dm3, which is due to the fact that potassium is a geochemical analogue of caesium.
It was found that samples of natural clays absorb 137Cs+ better than 85Sr2+ from tap water. The values Kd 85Sr2+ for sorption from tap water for clay samples was 26-149 times lower than Kd 137Cs+. For the sorption of a micro-amount of 85Sr2+ from a Ca (NO3)2 solution with a concentration 0.01 mol/dm3 for all studied samples of natural materials from the deposits Kustikha, Gorodnoe,Ostrozhanskoe, Markovskoe, 10th Khutor, and Shivertuinskoe deposits the values of Kd 85Sr2+ were significantly lower compared to the values of Kd 85Sr2+ for the sorption of 85Sr2+ from tap water and were 40, 35, 54, 33, 65, and 71 cm3/r, respectively. This was due to the significant competition of Ca2+ and Sr2+ ions for the sorption sites and was associated with the proximity of the sizes of the ionic radii of calcium and strontium.
Among the studied samples of natural materials, the best sorption properties towards 137Cs+ from aqueous solutions was revealed for a clay sample from the Markovskoe deposit (Republic of Belarus), while clinoptilolite from the Shivertuinskoe deposit (Russia) showed the best sorption properties towards 85Sr2+. The obtained results of the study showed that natural clay from the Markovskoe deposit of the Republic of Belarus can be used for the effective purification of natural waters from the 137Cs+ radionuclide and for constructing safety barriers for radioactive waste disposal facilities.
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