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Radionuclide Cycling in Natural Waters: Relevance of Scavenging Kinetics

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Sediments and Water Interactions

Abstract

Apparent sorption rate constants on oceanic particles were measured in batch experiments for a series of soluble and “particle-reactive” radionuclides. We have found that radionuclide uptake by natural particles is slow compared to adsorption rates onto defined oxide surfaces. Equilibrium is attained only at time scales of days. One reason for slow scavenging reactions is the coagulation of radioactively tagged colloidal particles onto larger (filterable) particles. This interpretation explains both the slow sorption (scavenging) kinetics and the dependence of the sorption rate and the distribution ratio (K d ) on the particle concentration. The sorption rate constants for Th isotopes calculated by this method are in good agreement with the rates determined by in situ measurements of the U/Th disequilibrium.

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Authors
  1. P. H. Santschi
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  2. U. P. Nyffeler
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  3. Y.-H. Li
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  4. P. O’Hara
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW), L7R 4A6, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

    Peter G. Sly

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© 1986 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Santschi, P.H., Nyffeler, U.P., Li, YH., O’Hara, P. (1986). Radionuclide Cycling in Natural Waters: Relevance of Scavenging Kinetics. In: Sly, P.G. (eds) Sediments and Water Interactions. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4932-0_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4932-0_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9364-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4932-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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