Using paper electrophoresis and paper chromatography, changes in the physico-chemical forms of
60Co,
106Ru and
144Ce in fresh water were studied and also compared with those in seawater.
Initial stage of mixing with fresh water, over 90% of
60Co was found in the cationic species, while on the third day, three cationic peaks of electrophoresis were revealed, and electroneutral species including hydrolytic products increased with time.
In the cases of ruthenium complexes (chloro, nitrosyl-nitro, -nitrato, -binuclear complexes), each chemical form had its own characteristic paper electrophoretic behavior in each original solution. After mixing with fresh water, however, hydrolysis and replacement of ligands with H
2O occurred, producing lower-order complexes.
Examination on
144Ce in fresh water showed that over 95% of
144Ce remained at the starting point of paper electrophoresis, suggesting highly adsorptive hydrolytic products might being predominant.
It is noted from the present studies that the tendency of changes in the physico-chemical forms of each radionuclide could be almost similar in both fresh water and aged seawater.
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