Adsorption and kinetic behavior of uranium and thorium in seawater-sediment system

Abstract

The adsorption and kinetic mechanism of uranium (U) and thorium (Th) in seawater-sediments system of Mumbai Harbour Bay (MHB) has been studied by Kd values of two sets of experimental determinations using a batch experiment. After equilibrium time (7 days), under static conditions, Kd for U and Th ranged from 25,030 to 55,662 mL/g (mean: 42,140 mL/g) and 24,926 to 38,561 mL/g (mean: 34,256 L/kg), respectively. Extraction studies showed that both U and Th were strongly bound to sediment components due to insignificant difference in their mean concentration in equilibrium solution. Rate constants (k) for transfer between seawater and the exchangeable fraction were found to be similar for the sediments as 1.02 ± 0.03 day−1 for uptake of U and Th. The resulting adsorption data were fitted to Freundlich, linear and Langmuir isotherm models. All the three models showed a significant correlation (R2 >0.9), indicating that there is more complex relationships with adsorption behavior of U and Th on sediment surface. Since, the Freundlich constant (n) for U and Th was found to be closer to unity. Therefore linear model was observed to be highly suitable. Based on the linear model, the distribution coefficient (kd) of Th was about 1.5 times higher than U. According to Freundlich model, sorption of U in sediments observed to be higher than Th. However, Langmuir model considered in opposite to Freundlich and showed a higher value of KL constant for Th than U. The pH (water) of the sediments ranged from 7.8 to 8.2 and the estimated total carbon (determined by C H N S–O elemental analyser) ranged from 1.7 to 3.4 %.