Influence of Humic Acid on Sorption of Neptunium(V) onto Soil

AbstractThe pH dependence of the stability constant of Np(V)-humate and the sorption of Np(V) onto soil was studied to clarify the influence of dissolved organic carbon on the migration behavior of Np(V) in soil layer. The stability constant of Np(V)-humate was expressed by logβ1=(0.35 ±0.03)pH+0.04±0.01 in the pH region from 5.3 to 8.7, and the intrinsic stability constant by logβ*1=3.66±0.05.The sorption of Np(V) increased with pH up to pH 7, and tended to reach maximum, about 95%, at pH 9 in the absence of humic acid. In the presence of humic acid more than 140mg/l, the sorption of Np(V) was lower than that in the absence of humic acid above pH 7, while any influence of humic acid on the sorption of Np(V) onto soil was not observed below pH 7. The sorption behavior of Np(V) onto soil was explained by reversible sorption of NpO2+and sorption of NpO2CO3- and/or NpO2OH. Further, the influence of the size distribution of Np(V) on the sorption onto soil was examined and discussed.