Immobilization of trivalent actinides by sorption onto quartz and incorporation into siliceous bulk: investigations by TRLFS.

The adsorption of Cm(III) on quartz is studied by time resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) in the pH range from 3.75 to 9.45. The raw spectra are deconvoluted into three single components. The first one has a peak maximum at 593.8 nm and can be attributed to the Cm(III) aquo ion with an emission lifetime of 68+/-3 micros. The second one corresponds to an adsorbed species and has a peak maximum at 601.4 nm and an emission lifetime of 123+/-10 micros. The peak maximum of the third component is shifted to higher wavelength (603.6 nm) while the lifetime remains constant. Additionally, the adsorption of Am(III) on quartz is investigated in batch experiments. Based on the spectroscopic data a sorption mechanism is suggested. In addition, the obtained Am uptake data and the Cm-TRLFS data are modeled simultaneously using a single site Basic Stern model in combination with the charge distribution concept of Pauling. The finally suggested model consists of two bidentate surface complexes where the second one is the product of hydrolysis of the first sorption species. In a separate set of experiments the influence of silicic acid at different concentrations on the Cm(III) speciation in a quartz system is investigated by TRLFS. In suspension silicic acid at low concentration (3.5x10(-4) mol/L) has no influence on the Cm(III) speciation. At high concentration (3.5x10(-2) mol/L) the Cm(III) speciation is definitely influenced. The results at higher concentration indicate the formation of Cm(III)/silicic acid complexes and the incorporation of Cm(III) into siliceous bulk. This is confirmed by measurements at a quartz single crystal surface. Moreover, these measurements indicate the formation of quartz/Cm(III)/silicic acid ternary complexes at the mineral surface.

Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy study on the interaction of curium(III) with Desulfovibrio äspöensis DSM 10631T.

The influence of microorganisms on migration processes of actinides has to be taken into account for the risk assessment of potential high-level nuclear waste disposal sites. Therefore it is necessary to characterize the actinide-bacteria species formed and to elucidate the reaction mechanisms involved. This work is focused on the sulfate-reducing bacterial (SRB) strain Desulfovibrio äspöensis (D. äspöensis) DSM 10631T which frequently occurs in the deep granitic rock aquifers at the Aspö Hard Rock Laboratory (Aspö HRL), Sweden. We chose Cm(III) due to its high fluorescence spectroscopic sensitivity as a model system for exploring the interactions of trivalent actinides with D. äspöensis in the trace concentration range of 3 x 10(-7) mol/L. A time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) study has been carried out in the pH range from 3.00 to 7.55 in 0.154 mol/L NaCl. We interpret the pH dependence of the emission spectra with a biosorption forming an inner-sphere surface complex of Cm(III) onto the D. äspöensis cell envelope. This Cm(III)-D. äspöensis-surface complex is characterized by its emission spectrum (peak maximum at 600.1 nm) and its fluorescence lifetime (162 +/- 5 micros). No evidence was found for incorporation of Cm(III) into the bacterial cells under the chosen experimental conditions.

Spectroscopic Study of Cm(III) Sorption onto gamma-Alumina.

The surface sorption of Cm(III) onto aqueous suspensions of alumina is investigated by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The experiment is performed under an Ar atmosphere at an ionic strength of 0.1 M NaClO(4). The pH is varied between 2 and 10 and the metal ion concentration between 2.7x10(-8) and 4.5x10(-5) mol/L. With increasing pH, two Cm(III)-alumina surface species are identified which are attributed to identical withAl-O-Cm(2+)(H(2)O)(5) and identical withAl-O-Cm(+)(OH)(H(2)O)(4). The two curium-alumina surface complexes are characterized by their emission spectra (peak maxima at 601.2 nm and 603.3 nm, respectively) and fluorescence emission lifetime (both 110&mgr;s). In the concentration range investigated, the surface complex formation is not dependent on the metal ion concentration but only on the pH. Additionally, the concentration ratio of the two surface species is found to be independent of the metal ion concentration. No spectroscopic evidence for the presence of "strong" and "weak" sites can be found at different surface coverages. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.