title: An assessment of strontium sorption onto bentonite buffer material in waste repository.
abstract: In the present study, changes occurring in sorption characteristics of a representative bentonite (WIn-BT) exposed to SrCl2(0.001-0.1 M) under the pH range of 1-13 were investigated. Such interaction revealed a significant variation in surface charge density and binding energy of ions with respect to bentonite, and alteration in their physicochemical properties viz., specific surface area, cation exchange capacity, thermal and mechanical behaviour were observed. The distribution coefficients (kd) calculated for sorption onto virgin (UCBT) and contaminated bentonite (CBT) indicated a greater influence of mineralogical changes occurred with variance of pH and strontium concentration. Notably, the sorption mechanism clearly elucidates the effect of structural negative charge and existence of anionic metal species onto CBT, and depicted the reason behind significant kdvalues at highly acidic and alkaline pH. The maximum kdof UCBT and CBT(0.001M SrCl2)were 8.99 and 2.92 L/kg, respectively, at the soil pH 8.5; whereas it was 2.37 and 1.23 L/kg at pH 1 for the CBT(0.1M SrCl2)and CBT(0.01M SrCl2), respectively. The findings of this study can be useful to identify the physicochemical parameters of candidate buffer material and sorption reversibility in waste repository.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Marwadi Education Foundation, Gauridad, Rajkot, Gujarat, 360003, India. pankajpathak18@gmail.com.|Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, -400076, India. pankajpathak18@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pankaj
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3756-303X
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pathak
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D001546:Bentonite / Q000737:chemistry*; D002021:Buffers; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D064371:Hazardous Waste Sites; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007194:India; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013324:Strontium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D008670:Metals; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D012987:Soil; D001546:Bentonite; D013324:Strontium
keywords: Bentonite; Buffer material; Distribution coefficient; Sorption mechanism; Strontium