Article

Estimation of distribution coefficient of radium around a uranium mining site

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai-85, India

^* ggp@barc.gov.in

Received: 24 June 2014
Accepted: 24 November 2014

Abstract

The present study provides an estimation of the site-specific distribution coefficient for radium around a uranium mining site. The soil parameters which affect the K_d value of radium were also estimated. For the estimation of the distribution coefficient of radium the equilibration time was optimized. The distribution coefficient of radium was determined using the laboratory batch method. The distribution coefficient of radium varies from 796 ± 9 mL g^-1 to 2,285 ± 52 mL g^-1. K_d values of radium were observed to be higher for one-meter-depth soil samples compared with top soil samples in all the sampling locations. It was found that the K_d of radium strongly depends on different soil parameters such as pH, organic matter (OM) and cation exchange capacity (CEC). With increasing soil pH, OM and CEC, the K_d of radium increases linearly.