Effect of some Organic Ligands on the Sorption of Radiocobalt on Soil

The sorption of radiocobalt onto low cost materials (such as soil and clay) in the presence of environmentally available organic ligands (such as humic acid, phenol and gallic acid) is investigated. The organic matter was eliminated from the soil and clay and they are characterized by FT-IR, Textural analysis, X- ray diffraction (XRD) & Energy dispersive X- ray (EDX). The investigations were carried out as a function of pH, metal ion concentration and weight of sorbent, using the batch technique. The results showed that the pseudo 2nd-order equation tailored the kinetic sorption well. The sorption of Co(II) on both soil and clay is powerfully dependent on pH. A positive effect of humic acid on the sorption of Co(II) is found, whereas a negative effect is observed for phenol and gallic acid. The presence of HA, together with the other ligands, enhances the sorption in all cases. Generally, the sorption of Co(II) is higher for soil than for clay.