Sequential Extractions for the Study of Radiocesium and Radiostrontium Dynamics in Mineral and Organic Soils from Western Europe and Chernobyl Areas

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 887 - 895
• Main Authors: Rigol, Anna, Roig, Maria, Vidal, Miquel, Rauret, Gemma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 15.03.1999
• Subjects: AGING; Applied sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; CAESIUM; CESIO; CESIUM; Contamination; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; ENVEJECIMIENTO; ESTRONCIO; EUROPA OCCIDENTAL; EUROPE OCCIDENTALE; Exact sciences and technology; INTERACTIONS; ISOTOPE RADIOACTIF; LOAM SOILS; LOAMY SANDY SOILS; Nuclear power plants; PEAT SOILS; PODZOL; PODZOLES; PODZOLS; POLLUTED SOIL; polluted soils; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Radioactivity; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIOISOTOPOS; RADIONUCLDIE-SOIL INTERACTIONS; RADIONUCLIDE AGING; radionuclides; SANDY SOILS; Soil and sediments pollution; Soils; SOL DE REGION SECHE; SOL POLLUE; SOL SABLEUX; SOL SABLOLIMONEUX; SOL TOURBEUX; STRONTIUM; SUELO ARENOSO; SUELO CONTAMINADO; SUELO FRANCO; SUELO TURBOSO; SUELO XERICO; UCRANIA; UKRAINE; VIEILLISSEMENT; WESTERN EUROPE; Western European region; xeric regimes; XERIC SOILS; Eastern Europe; Europe; Mediterranean Basin; Ukraine; Chernobyl Ukraine; Western Europe; Western European region; Cesium 137; Radioactive pollution; Pollutant behavior; Soil moisture; Organic soil; Sequential extraction; Mineral soils; Bioavailability; Radioisotope; Soil pollution; Loamy soil; Peat soil; Soil interaction; Podzol; Strontium 85; Sandy loam soil
• DOI: 10.1021/es980720u
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851

To study radiostrontium (RSr) and radiocesium (RCs) aging in soils, three sequential extraction schemes were used on Mediterranean loamy and loam-sandy soils, podsols and peaty podsols from the area near Chernobyl, and peats from Western Europe. Aging was quantified by changes in radionuclide distribution. Two factors were thought to affect radionuclide distribution:  time elapsed since contamination and drying−wetting cycles. Changes in radionuclide distribution were of low significance in Mediterranean loamy and loam-sandy soils in the short term, even after drying−wetting cycles. In the short term, podsols and peaty podsols showed a decrease in the RSr exchangeable fraction in the laboratory samples (20−25% decrease), whereas samples taken 6 years after contamination did not show any further decrease. For RCs in podsols and peaty-podsols, the application of drying−wetting cycles for 9 months led to observe a 2−3-fold decrease in the exchangeable fraction, whereas time alone did not lead to any change. No RCs aging was observed in peats with a low or almost negligible content of mineral matter, low base saturation and low interception potential for RCs, even after drying−wetting cycles. Finally, changes in the radionuclide exchangeable fraction over time in these soils corresponded to changes in transfer factors over a similar period.