366 TRANSURANIC ELEMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT 



AI2O3 beds, at all the salinities tested. The efficiencies derived from the concentrations 

 on each sorption bed can be used to obtain the total concentration in the water. 



The tank experiments, in addition to testing the BLVWS technique, also indicated 

 that chemical speciation beyond particulate and soluble fractions can be made. There 

 appeared to be evidence of a "colloidal" form of plutonium that passed through a 03-jJim 

 Millipore filter but was efficiently sorbed on the first AI2O3 bed. Tlie colloidal 

 plutonium, first discussed by Nevissi and Schell (1975), appeared at the higlier salinities, 

 31.6 %o, and was identified by a much greater collection efficiency on the first AI2O3 

 bed compared with the second and third beds, as shown in Fig. 16. An abrupt change in 



100 FT 



10 



> 



> 



< 



LU 

 > 



1= 100 

 < 



_1 



LU 



IX. 



10 



OV 



31.576 %c 



1 — 



%« 



31.576 %o 



11.756 °'oo 



31.608 %o 



1 2. 1 79 %o 



31.608 %o 



20.923 %o 



31.608 %o 



19.950 %o 



31.608 %o 



31.608 %o 



31.608 %o 



I I I I 



4 



4 



4 



4 



4 



4 



AI2O3 BED NUMBER 



Fig. 16 Relative concentrations of plutonium sorbed on AljOj beds at different 

 salinities using prefiltered water (0.3 ^m) that had been aged for 2 to 3 weeks before 

 sampling with the BLVWS. o, extrapolated values for soluble activity. •, activity 

 measurements. 



