Sorption and desorption of neptunium(V) on calcareous soil and its solid components: A comparative study

The sorption and desorption isotherms of untreated calcareous soil and three treated soils to remove CaCO3, organic matter (OM) and both CaCO3 and OM were determined and analyzed with the Freundlich equation at pH 7.8, moderate concentrations of NpO2 + (~10-5mol/l), in the presence of 0.01 mol/l CaCl2 and under ambient aerobic conditions. The relative contribution of CaCO3 and OM to the neptunium(V) sorption on calcareous soil and the sorption/desorption hysteresis is discussed. The effects of adding fulvic acid (FA) and carbonate in to the solution on the sorption of neptunium(V) on the soils were also studied. The sorption and desorption characteristics of NpO2 +, Zn2+, Sr2+ and Cs+ on the soils are compared.