Mobility of 137Cs related to speciation studies in contaminated soils of the Chernobyl area.

Gri, N.; Stammose, D.; Guillou, Ph. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry v. 246(2) p. 403-409.

Chernobyl derived 137Cs present in upper soil layers can still remain available to cation exchange and hence to downward migration. More than its physico-chemical deposit forms (fuel particles and/or condensed aerosols), radiocesium mobility is influenced by soil properties. Although all the soils studied contain illitic clay minerals, different 137Cs fixation levels were observed due to: (1) the reactivity state of sorption sites with a low radiocesium content in soil, and (2) the presence, or absence, of organic matter complexes inhibiting cation sorption on clays.