RETENTION OF NEPTUNIUM, AMERICIUM, AND CURIUM BY DIFFUSIBLE SOIL PARTICLES

When some representative U.S. soils were shaken with 241Am, 244Cm, and 237Np in distilled water, it was found by centrifuging and other techniques that much of the 241Am and 244Cm and some of the 237Np were bound to soil particles having colloidal dimensions. Effective distribution ratios (which depend upon physical details of the measurement technique) indicated that increasing retention of the actinides by most of the soils did not cease in 4-6 months. Furthermore, the proportion of actinide retained by potentially diffusible soil particles decreased with time. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.