Hf-181-PAC investigations were undertaken as a contribution to the understa
nding of the aquatic chemistry of the tetravalent elements. In solution, th
e growth of polymeric species with increasing pH was observed by PAC. For t
he sorption of Hf on silica surfaces we found a strong dependence of the PA
C results on the pH value. The corresponding sites were assigned to surface
complexation and surface precipitation, respectively.