Migration of 134Cs in unsaturated soils at a site in Egypt

To demonstrate the safety performance assessment for the disposal of ¹³⁴Cs radionuclide in a geological formation, several investigations were required to calculate the possible release of radionuclides into groundwater. This research examined the sorption behavior of radioactive cesium (¹³⁴Cs) in natural groundwater. Cesium chloride (10^-6 to 10^-2 mol^.l^-1) was used as a carrier, traced with ¹³⁴Cs radionuclide. Distribution coefficients of radiocesium for sorption and desorption were measured on natural soil samples of different grain size fractions (400 to 36 mm). Cesium sorption and desorption were found reversible at cesium chloride concentrations between 10^-6 mol^.l^-1 to less than 10^-3 mol^.l^-1. Sequential extraction procedures showed that the cesium sorption on soils were of various types: those easily desorbed, ion-exchanged, bound to carbonate, iron oxides, and organic matter. To demonstrate the safety performance assessment for the disposal of ¹³⁴Cs radionuclide in a geological formation, several investigations were required to calculate the possible release of radionuclides into groundwater. This research examined the sorption behavior of radioactive cesium (¹³⁴Cs) in natural groundwater. Cesium chloride (10^-6 to 10^-2 mol^.l^-1) was used as a carrier, traced with ¹³⁴Cs radionuclide. Distribution coefficients of radiocesium for sorption and desorption were measured on natural soil samples of different grain size fractions (400 to 36 mm). Cesium sorption and desorption were found reversible at cesium chloride concentrations between 10^-6 mol^.l^-1 to less than 10^-3 mol^.l^-1. Sequential extraction procedures showed that the cesium sorption on soils were of various types: those easily desorbed, ion-exchanged, bound to carbonate, iron oxides, and organic matter.