Adsorption of Co2+, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and equal-molar Co2+ a
nd NTA by a low surface area (LSA) commercial gibbsite (3.5 m(2) g(-1)
) was investigated in batch as a function of pH (4.5 to 10.5), adsorba
te (0.5 to 10 mu M) and adsorbent (0.5 to 75 g L-1) concentrations and
ionic strength (0.01 to 1 M NaClO4). The adsorption of Co2+ (Co-only)
and the acid form of NTA (NTA-only) by gibbsite in 0.01 M NaClO4 exhi
bit cation-like and anion-like adsorption edges, respectively. For the
equal-molar CoNTA chelate, Co and NTA adsorption edges were similar b
ut not identical to the Co-only and NTA-only edges. Differences sugges
t the existence of a ternary CoNTA surface complex with the Co in the
intact chelate coordinated to surface hydroxyls. NTA-only adsorption w
as insensitive to ionic strength variation, indicating weak electrosta
tic contributions to surface coordination reactions. This is consisten
t with the formation of inner-sphere surface NTA complexes and ligand
exchange reactions in which monodentate, bidentate and binuclear NTA s
urface complexes form. Cobalt adsorption increases (edge shifts to low
er pH by 1 pH unit) on LSA gibbsite as ionic strength increases from 0
.01 to 1 M NaClO4. For the same ionic strength change, a similar shift
in the Co-only edge was observed for another commercial gibbsite (16.
8 m(2) g(-1)); however, no change was observed for delta-Al2O3. Ionic
strength shifts in Co2+ adsorption by gibbsite were described as an ou
ter-sphere CoOH+ surface complex using the triple-layer model. Results
suggest that, at waste disposal sites where Co-60 and NTA have been c
o-disposed, NTA will not promote ligand-like adsorption of Co for acid
conditions, but will reduce cation-like adsorption for basic conditio
ns. Thus, where gibbsite is the dominant mineral sorbent, NTA will not
alter Co-60 mobility in acidic pore waters and groundwaters; however,
NTA could enhance Co-60 mobility where alkaline conditions prevail, u
nless microbial degradation of the NTA occurs.