The use of zeolites as amendments in radiocaesium- and radiostrontium-contaminated soils: A soil-chemical approach. Part II: Sr-Ca exchange in clinoptilolite, mordenite, and zeolite A

Abstract

A study was made on the ion exchange behavior of radiostrontium in a natural clinoptilolite and mordenite and in the synthetic zeolite A, using batch experiments over 20 days. The overall radiostrontium adsorption potential of these zeolites was measured, and the relative effect of Mg and K ions on the radiostrontium adsorption potential was assessed. A multisite model was applied to describe the change of the Sr-Ca selectivity coefficient as a function of the Sr-loading. The relevance of these results in regard to the potential use of these zeolites as countermeasure amendments in radiostrontium contaminated soils is discussed.