Effect of soil humic and fulvic acids, pH and ionic strength on Th(IV) sorption to TiO2 nanoparticles

Appl Radiat Isot. 2007 Apr;65(4):375-81. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2006.10.014. Epub 2006 Dec 8.

Abstract

Thorium is considered as a chemical analog of other tetravalent actinides. Herein, the sorption of Th(IV) on TiO(2) in the presence or absence of soil fulvic acid (FA)/humic acid (HA) as a function of pH, ionic strength and FA/HA concentration has been studied by a batch method. The morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that sorption of Th(IV) on TiO(2) increases from 0% to approximately 94% at pH 1 approximately 4, and then maintains level with increasing pH values. Both FA and HA have a positive effect on Th(IV) sorption at low pH values and the contribution of FA on Th(IV) sorption is rather higher than that of HA at pH<4. The sorption is weakly dependent on the concentration of KNO(3) in solution, but the cations K(+), Na(+) and Li(+) influence Th(IV) sorption more obviously. The batch results indicate that the inner sphere complex formation is formed at bare surfaces or FA/HA-bound TiO(2) particle surfaces. Results of SEM analysis show that the particle sizes of TiO(2), Th-TiO(2) and Th-HA-TiO(2) colloids are quite different. Surface complexation may be considered as the main sorption mechanism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption / drug effects
  • Benzopyrans / chemistry*
  • Humic Substances*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Lithium / chemistry
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nitrates / chemistry
  • Osmolar Concentration
  • Potassium Compounds / chemistry
  • Soil / analysis*
  • Thorium / isolation & purification*
  • Titanium / chemistry*
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Benzopyrans
  • Humic Substances
  • Nitrates
  • Potassium Compounds
  • Soil
  • titanium dioxide
  • Thorium
  • sodium nitrate
  • Lithium
  • Titanium
  • potassium nitrate
  • fulvic acid