The influence of citric acid, EDTA, and fulvic acid on U(VI) sorption onto kaolinite

Uranium(VI) sorption onto kaolinite was investigated as a function of pH (3–12), sorbate/sorbent ratio (1 × 10−6–1 × 10−4 M U(VI) with 2 g/L kaolinite), ionic strength (0.001–0.1 M NaNO3), and pCO2 (0–5%) in the presence or absence of 1 × 10−2–1 × 10−4 M citric acid, 1 × 10−2–1 × 10−4 M EDTA, and 10 or 20 mg/L fulvic acid. Control experiments without-solids, containing 1 × 10−6–1 × 10−4 M U(VI) in 0.01 M NaNO3 were used to evaluate sorption to the container wall and precipitation of U phases as a function of pH. Control experiments demonstrate significant loss (up to 100%) of U from solution. Although some loss, particularly in 1 × 10−5 and 1 × 10−4 M U experiments, is expected due to precipitation of schoepite, adsorption on the container walls is significant, particularly in 1 × 10−6 M U experiments. In the absence of ligands, U(VI) sorption on kaolinite increases from pH ∼3 to 7 and decreases from pH ∼7.5 to 12. Increasing ionic strength from 0.001 to 0.1 M produces only a slight decrease in U(VI) sorption at pH < 7, whereas 10% pCO2 greatly diminishes U(VI) sorption between pH ∼5.5 and 11. Addition of fulvic acid produces a small increase in U(VI) sorption at pH < 5; in contrast, between pH 5 and 10 fulvic acid, citric acid, and EDTA all decrease U(VI) sorption. This suggests that fulvic acid enhances U(VI) sorption slightly via formation of ternary ligand bridges at low pH, whereas EDTA and citric acid do not form ternary surface complexes with the U(VI), and that all three ligands, as well as carbonate, form aqueous uranyl complexes that keep U(VI) in solution at higher pH.