Sorption of Cs Radionuclide on Compacted Egyptian soil Samples

Soil exhibits a marked capacity for retaining radionuclides from the aqueous to the solid phases. The interaction of Cs-134 radionuclide dissolved in canal water with natural soil (water bearing layer) at depth more than 40 m down the surface of the ground was studied. Batch experiments were used to investigate the influence of various factors on sorption of Cs radionuclide and other cations such as Na, K, Mg, and Cs. These factors include, Cs ion concentrations, ph, presence of competing cations and contact time. The fractional occupancies of Cs and other cations on the soil samples was found to dependent on the structure changes of the soil and the competing cations dissolved present in the aqueous solution. K was found more competing for Cs ion than other cations (Na, Mg and Ca). Distribution coefficients of Na, K, Ca and Mg was found to be constant at initial aqueous Cs concentrations ranging from 10-4 to 10-2 mol/1 , sorption coefficient of Cs- radionuclide was found increased by decreasing the initial aqueous Cs concentrations and was found increased by increasing the ph of the aqueous solution from 5 to 9. Fractional uptake of Cs sorbed by the soil samples and was reached to an equilibrium condition after 30 minutes for compacted soil samples and was reached to an equilibrium condition after 24 hours for loosely bound soil samples