Characterization of uranium(VI) in seawater1

Abstract

The physicochemical characterization of uranium(VI) in seawater is described on the basis of species distribution calculations and experiments using polarography and spectrophotometry in artificial seawater at elevated uranium concentrations. Various dissolved uranium(VI) species are identified under different conditions of pH and carbonate concentration. Below pH 4, the hydrated uranyl ion is present in the “free” state (forming “labile” complexes). Above pH 4, a stepwise coordination of uranyl by the carbonate ion occurs. The monocarbonate complex is formed in the pH range 4–5, the bicarbonate uranyl complex between 5 and 6. Above pH 8, uranium is present predominately as the tricarbonate and to a smaller extent as a trihydroxide complex. There is satisfactory agreement between our experiments and the theoretically computed distribution of uranium(VI) in seawater based on published stability constants.The experiments done at higher concentrations are justified by theoretical distributions showing that there is no great difference in species distribution between the uranium at concentrations of 10−4 and 10−8 mol dm−3.