Effects of pH and Ion Exchange on Cesium Adsorption in Vermiculite Interlayers.

This presentation will convey the results of ion exchange experiments intended to elucidate the adsorption behavior of Cs⁺ on vermiculite clays. Improving our understanding of this adsorption mechanism has become of critical importance in recent years due to the contamination of soil by radiocesium downwind of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which experienced a meltdown in 2011. Data presented will include an adsorption envelope illustrating the impact of pH on Cs⁺ adsorption, an adsorption isotherm illustrating the impact of aqueous Cs⁺ concentration on Cs⁺ adsorption, and the results of a kinetics experiment exploring the competition between Cs⁺ and K⁺ for adsorption sites in the vermiculite interlayer. The presentation will conclude with a brief exploration of how these data may help in understanding how to remove the tightly bound radiocesium contamination from Japanese soils.