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Uranium Uptake by Phosphate Minerals from Ca-Containing Technogenic Solutions: Experimental Study Full article

Journal Geosystems and Geoenvironment
ISSN: 2772-8838
Output data Year: 2025, Volume: 4, Number: 3, Article number : 100415, Pages count : DOI: 10.1016/j.geogeo.2025.100415
Tags Uranium adsorption; Uranium oxides; Groundwater purification; Valent state
Authors Boguslavsky А.Е. 1,2 , Gaskova O.L. 1,3 , Sofronova S.M. 1 , Saraev А.А. 4 , Vinokurov Z.S. 5 , Safonov А.V. 6
Affiliations
1 V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
2 Novosibirsk State Technical University, Novosibirsk, Russia
3 Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
4 Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
5 Synchrotron Radiation Facility SKIF, Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Koltsovo 630559, Russia
6 Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry RAS, Moscow 119071, Russia

Funding (1)

1 Russian Science Foundation 24-27-00319 (

Abstract: Since apatite is capable to adsorb and retain radionuclides, the removal of uranyl (UO22+) ions from two Ca-containing technogenic and model solutions (1–2 g/L of Ca) was studied when neutralized with sodium hydrogen phosphate solution Na2HPO4. Chemical composition of the sediments was analyzed by XPS and their structure was refined by XRD. The hydroxyapatite formation was confirmed. XRD proves that the two samples contained additional CaH(PO4) ∙ (H2O)2 (brushite), in which calcium changes to uranium of up to 15 % in a model solution. When identifying the oxidation state of uranium the presence of U4+, U5+ and U6+ was noticed with U5+ of up to 30–35 at. % from the total. SEM-EDS did not allow to determine location of the phases with an uranium content over 14 %, for example Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2·11H2O (autunite) or other uranium phosphates. Uranium is detected at the grain rims, indicating a sorption nature of its accumulation. At the same time, thermodynamic computations showed the possible formation of independent uranium phases, such as ß-UO2.333, ß-UO2(OH)2 and NaUO2O(OH) (clarkeite), at the measured Eh-pH. We believe that the supersaturation of solutions and the spontaneous formation of hydroxyapatite and brushite solid particles led to a change in the initial Ca/PO4 ratio, where the P/Ca and Ca/O ratios, as well as the elemental composition in the near-surface layer of three sediments, are not strictly constant. There have been no similar studies on uranium, and our results demonstrate the need for further studies on the influence of uranium on apatite crystallization. Stability of phosphate phases shows the high efficiency of phosphate safety barriers for the uranium recovery facilities and these processes can be used for the water purification of polluted aquifers.
Cite: Boguslavsky А.Е. , Gaskova O.L. , Sofronova S.M. , Saraev А.А. , Vinokurov Z.S. , Safonov А.V.
Uranium Uptake by Phosphate Minerals from Ca-Containing Technogenic Solutions: Experimental Study
Geosystems and Geoenvironment. 2025. V.4. N3. 100415 . DOI: 10.1016/j.geogeo.2025.100415 OpenAlex publication_identifier_short.sciact_skif_identifier_type
Dates:
Submitted: Oct 11, 2024
Accepted: May 11, 2025
Published online: Jun 2, 2025
Published print: Aug 1, 2025
Identifiers:
OpenAlex: W4410976344
publication_identifier.sciact_skif_identifier_type: 3943
Citing: Пока нет цитирований
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