Retention of Some Radionuclides on Soil in Site Selection for Nuclear Facility

Abstract

The mobility of several radionuclides in a soil sample from a potential site in Egypt is examined. The retention of 152,154Eu (as homologs of 241Am), 60Co, 137Cs, and 99Mo in the presence of chelating ligands in the soil sample and without them is studied. Four chelating agents, namely, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric and oxalic acids (as the major degradation products of EDTA), and humic acid are chosen for this purpose. The radionuclide retention on the soil without chelating ligands decreases in the order Co(II) > Eu(III) > Cs(I) > Mo(VI), with Kd equal to 11.38 mL/g for 99Mo and 1088 mL/g for 152,154Eu. The chelating ligands had little influence on the sorption of 60Co and 137Cs, but significantly decreased the retention of 152,154Eu owing to complexation. The soil sample on the potential nuclear site can act as a material for trapping the released radionuclides.