²³⁹Pu sorption by suspended matter from Hueznar reservoir (southern Spain): Experimental and modelling study

¹ Centre National de l'Énergie des Sciences et des Techniques Nucléaires (CNESTEN),BP. 1382, Rabat, RP 10001, Maroc, e-mail: r.elmrabet@cnesten.org.ma
² Dpto. Física Aplicada I, EUITA, University of Seville, Carretera de Utrera km 1,41013 Seville, Spain
³ Dpto. Física Aplicada II, ETSA, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain

Abstract

Kinetic transfer coefficients are important parameters to understand and reliably model the behaviour of non-conservative radionuclides in aquatic environments. This report pertains to a series of radiotracer experiments on ²³⁹Pu uptake in natural unfiltered waters from the Hueznar reservoir (southern Spain). The experimental procedure ensures the preservation of environmental conditions and the dissolved Pu activity was measured by liquid scintillation technique. The data suggest that the main pathways for Pu uptake consist of two parallel and reversible reactions. We studied the effects of suspended matter concentrations and the specific surface area on the kinetic transfer coefficients.