Sorption Behavior of Strontium-85 Onto Colloids of Silica and Smectite

Strontium-90 is one of the sizable radioactive contaminants found in DP Canyon at Los Alamos, New Mexico. Radioactive surveys found the {sup 90}Sr is present in surface and groundwater in DP Canyon and Los Alamos Canyon. Colloids may influence the transport of this radionuclide in surface water and groundwater environments in both canyons. In this study, we investigated the sorption/desorption behavior of Sr on colloids of smectite and silica. Laboratory batch sorption experiments were conducted using {sup 85}Sr as a surrogate to {sup 90}Sr. Groundwater, collected from DP Canyon and from Well J-13 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, and deionized water were used in this study. Our results show that 92% to 100% of {sup 85}Sr was rapidly adsorbed onto smectite colloids in all three waters. The concentrations of Ca{sup 2+} significantly influence the adsorption of {sup 85}Sr onto silica colloids. Desorption of {sup 85}Sr from smectite colloids is much slower than the sorption process. Desorption of {sup 85}Sr from silica colloids was rapid in DP groundwater and slow using J-13 groundwater and deionized water