Functional group analysis of natural organic colloids and clay association kinetics using C(1s) spectromicroscopy

The quantification of natural humic colloid functional group content and chemical association of humic substances with clay minerals exerts a crucial role in the colloid-borne mobility of actinides due to the functional group dependent strong interaction with multivalent metal ions. Functional group quantification in isolated fulvic acids of the Gorleben groundwater (Lower Saxony, NW Germany) by comparison of high resolution C(1s) NEXAFS spectra deconvolution with C-13-NMR measurements showed good correlation (r(2) > 0.9) and gives a potential quantification tool in complex natural groundwater systems. Time resolved soft X-ray spectromicroscopy on dissolved organic carbon stabilized SWy-2 smectite colloids revealed an enrichment of carboxyl groups on broken edges (silanol/aluminol groups) at short contact times (1h). With longer contact times (7d, 6 months) the clay associated organic carbon increases and significantly higher aromatic content associated with basal surfaces were detected. The enhanced sorption of aromatic compounds can be related to an increase in mineral surface hydrophobicity and/or preferential sorption on charged siloxane surfaces.