Abstract
The efficiency of tailor made immobilized Saccharomycescerevisiae(biomatrix) for the sorption of radionuclides 233U, 239Pu, 241Am, 137Ce, 144Cs, 103,106Ru and 90Sr from aqueous nitrate solutions at different pH was studied. Effect of ionic strength, anionic components, initial metal concentration and particle size of the biomatrix on the sorption of metal ions were investigated. At pH in the range of 1 to 2 more than 95% sorption of U, Pu, Am and Ce could be accomplished, while that of Ru was 65%. Sorption of Cs and Sr were negligible under similar conditions. The metal ion-biomatrix system for Pu, Am and Ce reached equilibrium within 60 minutes. In the case of U, equilibrium attained in 100 minutes. The presence of anionic components, Cl-, C2O42-, CH3COO-, NO3- and SO42- (up to 0.5 mol.dm-3 of their individual concentration) in the aqueous solutions has no effect on the sorption of Pu by the biomatrix. Sorption of U, Pu, Am were observed in the presence of several cationic impurities such as Al, Be, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ce, Dy, Eu, Gd and Sm. Metal sorbed on the biomatrix could be leached out using 5 mol.dm-3 nitric acid. The I.R spectra of U bearing biomatrix suggest chemical interaction of uranyl ion with the biomatrix.
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