The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 16 No 2 (2012): 157 - 162

 

 

 

SORPTION COEFFICIENTS OF ¹³⁷Cs ONTO VARIOUS MALAYSIAN SOIL SERIES

 

(Pekali Serapan ¹³⁷Cs ke atas Pelbagai Siri Tanih Malaysia)

 

Zidan Mohamed M.Houmani¹, Amran Ab.Majid¹, Shahidan Radiman¹, Zaharudin Ahmad²

 

¹Faculty of Science and Technology,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

²Nuclear Malaysia ,

43000 Bangi, Selangor D.E, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: houmani67@yahoo.com

 

 

Abstract

The ratio of equilibrium radionuclide concentration in the solid phase to the concentration in soil solution i.e. the distribution coefficient (K_d) can be used for quantification of a radionuclide’s migration potential in the subsurface. K_d is one of the main parameter that describes soil absorbability for any radionuclide. In this study, distribution coefficients (K_d’s) of ¹³⁷Cs were measured by a batch technique for five Malaysian soil series samples to evaluate the absorbability of ¹³⁷Cs. The five Malaysian soils series samples i.e. Durian, Rengam, Holyrood, Segamat and Selangor were collected systematically at different depths (0-20 cm, 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm), at five different sites in Malaysia. The calculated K_d values for Durian, Holyrood, Rengam, Segamat  and Selangor soil series were  in the range of 958 to 3231 ml g^-1,  273 to 1349 ml g^-1 (mean: 853 ± 444 ml g^-1), 202 to 1739 ml g^-1 (mean: 754 ± 724 ml g^-1), 216 to 546 ml g^-1 (mean: 388 ± 113 ml g^-1) and 3389 to 5919 ml.g^-1 (mean: 4657 ± 918 ml g^-1), respectively. Thus this study indicated that the ¹³⁷Cs K_d values of the soils varies with type and depth of the soil and can be used as a good backfill choice for final disposal sites for retarding migration of ¹³⁷Cs.

 

Keywords:  K_d – values, ¹³⁷Cs, Malaysian Soil Series

 

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