6 research outputs found
Plutonium Desorption from Mineral Surfaces at Environmental Concentrations of Hydrogen Peroxide
Knowledge of Pu adsorption and desorption
behavior on mineral surfaces
is crucial for understanding its environmental mobility. Here we demonstrate
that environmental concentrations of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> can
affect the stability of Pu adsorbed to goethite, montmorillonite,
and quartz across a wide range of pH values. In batch experiments
where PuÂ(IV) was adsorbed to goethite for 21 days at pH 4, 6, and
8, the addition of 5–500 μM H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> resulted in significant Pu desorption. At pH 6 and 8 this desorption
was transient with readsorption of the Pu to goethite within 30 days.
At pH 4, no Pu readsorption was observed. Experiments with both quartz
and montmorillonite at 5 μM H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> desorbed
far less Pu than in the goethite experiments highlighting the contribution
of Fe redox couples in controlling Pu desorption at low H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> concentrations. PlutoniumÂ(IV) adsorbed to quartz and
subsequently spiked with 500 μM H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> resulted
in significant desorption of Pu, demonstrating the complexity of the
desorption process. Our results provide the first evidence of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-driven desorption of PuÂ(IV) from mineral surfaces.
We suggest that this reaction pathway coupled with environmental levels
of hydrogen peroxide may contribute to Pu mobility in the environment
Reduction of Plutonium(VI) to (V) by Hydroxamate Compounds at Environmentally Relevant pH
Natural
organic matter is known to influence the mobility of plutonium
(Pu) in the environment via complexation and reduction mechanisms.
Hydroxamate siderophores have been specifically implicated due to
their strong association with Pu. Hydroxamate siderophores can also
break down into di and monohydroxamates and may influence the Pu oxidation
state, and thereby its mobility. In this study we explored the reactions
of PuÂ(VI) and PuÂ(V) with a monohydroxamate compound (acetohydroxamic
acid, AHA) and a trihydroxamate siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFOB)
at an environmentally relevant pH (5.5–8.2). PuÂ(VI) was instantaneously
reduced to PuÂ(V) upon reaction with AHA. The presence of hydroxylamine
was not observed at these pHs; however, AHA was consumed during the
reaction. This suggests that the reduction of PuÂ(VI) to PuÂ(V) by AHA
is facilitated by a direct one electron transfer. Importantly, further
reduction to PuÂ(IV) or PuÂ(III) was not observed, even with excess
AHA. We believe that further reduction of PuÂ(V) did not occur because
PuÂ(V) does not form a strong complex with hydroxamate compounds at
a circum-neutral pH. Experiments performed using desferrioxamine B
(DFOB) yielded similar results. Broadly, this suggests that PuÂ(V)
reduction to PuÂ(IV) in the presence of natural organic matter is not
facilitated by hydroxamate functional groups and that other natural
organic matter moieties likely play a more prominent role
Effect of Natural Organic Matter on Plutonium Sorption to Goethite
The effect of citric acid (CA), desferrioxamine
B (DFOB), fulvic
acid (FA), and humic acid (HA) on plutonium (Pu) sorption to goethite
was studied as a function of organic carbon concentration and pH using
batch sorption experiments at 5 mg<sub>C</sub>·L<sup>–1</sup> and 50 mg<sub>C</sub>·L<sup>–1</sup> natural organic
matter (NOM), 10<sup>–9</sup>–10<sup>–10</sup> M <sup>238</sup>Pu, and 0.1 g·L<sup>–1</sup> goethite
concentrations, at pH 3, 5, 7, and 9. Low sorption of ligands coupled
with strong Pu complexation decreased Pu sorption at pH 5 and 7, relative
to a ligand-free system. Conversely, CA, FA, and HA increased Pu sorption
to goethite at pH 3, suggesting ternary complex formation or, in the
case of humic acid, incorporation into HA aggregates. Mechanisms for
ternary complex formation were characterized by Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy in the absence of Pu. CA and FA demonstrated
clear surface interactions at pH 3, HA appeared unchanged suggesting
HA aggregates had formed, and no DFOB interactions were observed.
Plutonium sorption decreased in the presence of DFOB (relative to
a ligand free system) at all pH values examined. Thus, DFOB does not
appear to facilitate formation of ternary Pu-DFOB-goethite complexes.
At pH 9, Pu sorption in the presence of all NOM increased relative
to pH 5 and 7; speciation models attributed this to PuÂ(IV) hydrolysis
competing with ligand complexation, increasing sorption. The results
indicate that in simple Pu-NOM-goethite ternary batch systems, NOM
will decrease Pu sorption to goethite at all but particularly low
pH conditions
Kinetic Studies of the [NpO<sub>2</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]<sup>4–</sup> Ion at Alkaline Conditions Using <sup>13</sup>C NMR
Carbonate
ligand-exchange rates on the [NpO<sub>2</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]<sup>4–</sup> ion were determined using a saturation-transfer <sup>13</sup>C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) pulse sequence in the
pH range of 8.1 ≤ pH ≤ 10.5. Over the pH range 9.3 ≤
pH ≤ 10.5, which compares most directly with previous work
of Stout et al., we find an average rate,
activation energy, enthalpy, and entropy of <i>k</i><sub>ex</sub><sup>298</sup> = 40.6(±4.3)
s<sup>–1</sup>, <i>E</i><sub>a</sub> =45.1(±3.8)
kJ mol<sup>–1</sup>, Δ<i>H</i><sup>‡</sup> = 42.6(±3.8) kJ mol<sup>–1</sup>, and Δ<i>S</i><sup>‡</sup> = −72(±13) J mol<sup>–1</sup> K<sup>–1</sup>, respectively. These activation parameters
are similar to the Stout et al. results at pH 9.4. However, their
room-temperature rate at pH 9.4, <i>k</i><sub>ex</sub><sup>298</sup> = 143(±1.0) s<sup>–1</sup>, is ∼3 times faster than what we experimentally determined
at pH 9.3: <i>k</i><sub>ex</sub><sup>298</sup> = 45.4(±5.3) s<sup>–1</sup>.
Our rates for [NpO<sub>2</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]<sup>4–</sup> are also faster by a factor of ∼3 relative to the isoelectronic
[UO<sub>2</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]<sup>4–</sup> as
reported by Brucher et al. of <i>k</i><sub>ex</sub><sup>298</sup> = 13(±3) s<sup>–1</sup>. Consistent with results for
the [UO<sub>2</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]<sup>4–</sup> ion, we find evidence for a proton-enhanced pathway for carbonate
exchange for the [NpO<sub>2</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]<sup>4–</sup> ion at pH < 9.0
Np(V) and Pu(V) Ion Exchange and Surface-Mediated Reduction Mechanisms on Montmorillonite
Due to their ubiquity and chemical reactivity, aluminosilicate
clays play an important role in actinide retardation and colloid-facilitated
transport in the environment. In this work, PuÂ(V) and NpÂ(V) sorption
to Na-montmorillonite was examined as a function of ionic strength,
pH, and time. NpÂ(V) sorption equilibrium was reached within 2 h. Sorption
was relatively weak and showed a pH and ionic strength dependence.
An approximate NpO<sub>2</sub><sup>+</sup> → Na<sup>+</sup> Vanselow ion exchange coefficient (Kv) was determined on the basis
of NpÂ(V) sorption in 0.01 and 1.0 M NaCl solutions at pH < 5 (Kv
∼ 0.3). In contrast to NpÂ(V), PuÂ(V) sorption equilibrium was
not achieved on the time-scale of weeks. PuÂ(V) sorption was much stronger
than NpÂ(V), and sorption rates exhibited both a pH and ionic strength
dependence. Differences in NpÂ(V) and PuÂ(V) sorption behavior are indicative
of surface-mediated transformation of PuÂ(V) to PuÂ(IV) which has been
reported for a number of redox-active and redox-inactive minerals.
A model of the pH and ionic strength dependence of PuÂ(V) sorption
rates suggests that H<sup>+</sup> exchangeable cations facilitate
PuÂ(V) reduction. While surface complexation may play a dominant role
in Pu sorption and colloid-facilitated transport under alkaline conditions,
results from this study suggest that PuÂ(V) ion exchange and surface-mediated
reduction to PuÂ(IV) can immobilize Pu or enhance its colloid-facilitated
transport in the environment at neutral to mildly acidic pHs
Plutonium(IV) and (V) Sorption to Goethite at Sub-Femtomolar to Micromolar Concentrations: Redox Transformations and Surface Precipitation
PuÂ(IV)
and PuÂ(V) sorption to goethite was investigated over a concentration
range of 10<sup>–15</sup>–10<sup>–5</sup> M at
pH 8. Experiments with initial Pu concentrations of 10<sup>–15</sup> – 10<sup>–8</sup> M produced linear Pu sorption isotherms,
demonstrating that Pu sorption to goethite is not concentration-dependent
across this concentration range. Equivalent PuÂ(IV) and PuÂ(V) sorption <i>K</i><sub>d</sub> values obtained at 1 and 2-week sampling time
points indicated that PuÂ(V) is rapidly reduced to PuÂ(IV) on the goethite
surface. Further, it suggested that Pu surface redox transformations
are sufficiently rapid to achieve an equilibrium state within 1 week,
regardless of the initial Pu oxidation state. At initial concentrations
>10<sup>–8</sup> M, both Pu oxidation states exhibited deviations
from linear sorption behavior and less Pu was adsorbed than at lower
concentrations. NanoSIMS and HRTEM analysis of samples with initial
Pu concentrations of 10<sup>–8</sup> – 10<sup>–6</sup> M indicated that Pu surface and/or bulk precipitation was likely
responsible for this deviation. In 10<sup>–6</sup> M PuÂ(IV)
and PuÂ(V) samples, HRTEM analysis showed the formation of a body centered
cubic (bcc) Pu<sub>4</sub>O<sub>7</sub> structure on the goethite
surface, confirming that reduction of PuÂ(V) had occurred on the mineral
surface and that epitaxial distortion previously observed for PuÂ(IV)
sorption occurs with PuÂ(V) as well