INVESTIGATIONS OF THE SORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF RADIOSILVER ON SOMENATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL SOIL PARTICLES

The likely distribution of Ag-110m(I), a radionuclide that may be prod uced in nuclear power stations and which has been known to contaminate the environment, between the components of particles of soil has been investigated by measuring its uptake from solutions of sodium nitrate , sodium EDTA and sodium citrate onto particles of chernozem soil and particles formed to simulate soils. The artificial soil particles were formed from: (i) silicas coated with manganese oxide, ferric oxide an d hydrated ferric oxide, (ii) silicas bearing chemically bound humic a nd fulvic acids and (iii) alumina bearing anionically associated humic acid. These investigations have established that uptake of Ag-110m(I) by the humate coatings of soil particles will predominate under a wid e range of pH. In the absence of humate coatings on the soil particles the radionuclide will be bound by the Fe/Mn oxide fractions of soils.