THE SORPTION OF SR-90 FROM NATURAL-WATERS BY ALGINATES

The analytical applications of alginates, obtained from the marine alg ae Laminaria, for the pre-concentration of Sr-90 from natural waters w as studied. The sorption capacity for strontium in the samples investi gated reached 30 mmol kg(-1). The alginate sorbents were tested with s ea water from the north-western part of the Black Sea over a wide rang e of salinity. The limit of detection for Sr-90 in sea water with a sa linity of 15 parts per thousand <1 mBq dm(-3). The sorbents described are waste products of alginate manufacture and have a relatively low c ost which considerably reduces the total costs of the analysis. Copyri ght (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.