Interactions of Tc(IV) with Humic Substances

• Published in: Environmental science & technology 2011-04, Vol.45 (7), p.2718-2724
• Main Authors: Boggs, Mark A, Minton, Travis, Dong, Wenming, Lomasney, Samuel, Islam, Mohammed R, Gu, Baohua, Wall, Nathalie A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Applied sciences; Bioremediation; Chemical elements; Environmental Processes; Exact sciences and technology; Humic Substances - analysis; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Ions; Kinetics; Osmolar Concentration; Pollution; Protons; Soil contamination; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - chemistry; Solvent extraction processes; Technetium - chemistry; Technetium organic matter complexation Solvent Extraction
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es103390z

To understand the key processes affecting 99Tc mobility in the subsurface and help with the remediation of contaminated sites, the binding constants of several humic substances (humic and fulvic acids) with Tc(IV) were determined, using a solvent extraction technique. The novelty of this paper lies in the determination of the binding constants of the complexes formed with the individual species TcO(OH)+ and TcO(OH)2 0. Binding constants were found to be 6.8 and between 3.9 and 4.3, for logβ1,−1,1 and logβ1,−2,1, respectively; these values were little modified by a change of ionic strength, in most cases, between 0.1 and 1.0 M, nor were they by the nature and origin of the humic substances. Modeling calculations based on these show TcO(OH)−HA to be the predominant complex in a system containing 20 ppm HA and in the 4−6 pH range, whereas TcO(OH)2 0 and TcO(OH)2−HA are the major species, in the pH 6−8 range.