Interaction of 137Cs with Sumedang Clay as Natural Barrier of Radwaste Disposal

Abstract

The interaction of ¹³⁷Cs with Sumedang clay as a natural barrier for radwaste disposal system has been studied. The initial concentration of Cs was 10^‑8 M for the experiments on the contact time and the effect of Na and K concentrations on the sorption of ¹³⁷Cs; however, the initial concentration ranging from 10^‑8 to 10^‑3 M of CsCl in the solution for the effect of CsCl concentration. The distribution coefficient K_d is used as the indicator of ¹³⁷Cs sorption into samples. It was found that the K_d values decreased nonlinearly with the concentration of Na and K, and also to the effects of CsCl concentration. A Freundlich isotherm was proposed to explain the sorption phenomena observed in the experiment. Conclusion of the experiments shown that the presence of metal ions such as Na⁺ and K⁺ and variation of CsCl concentrations in the solution have a significant effect on the sorption of ¹³⁷Cs to the samples. The results should be taken into account for the assessment or selection of the site of radwaste disposal facility in the future.