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Uptake, Transport, and Remediation of Strontium

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Strontium Contamination in the Environment

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 88))

Abstract

Strontium abundantly occurs in nature in the rocks and soils in the form of sulfate and carbonate minerals, i.e., celestite (SrSO4) and strontianite (SrCO3), in nonradioactive and nontoxic forms. However, a small amount of strontium as radioactive 90Sr has been contributed to the geo-environment by the anthropogenic activities of nuclear testing and fission reactions. The contamination caused by the radioactive by-products of such activities poses major concerns due to its ease of entry into the ecosystem. The 90Sr has a prolonged half-life of 28.9 years and can progressively enter into the geo-environment and also the life cycle of organisms living in close proximity to such contaminated sites. The mobility of 90Sr migration in the geo-environment is often favored due to its similarity to calcium ions but can be retarded through the strong interactions with soil organic materials, clay minerals, and other oxides present in the environment. Owing to the severity of radioactive Sr contamination, this chapter thus deals with the various pathways of strontium dispersal into the geo-environment. Additionally, for the contaminated sites, studies on sorption-desorption behavior for selection of suitable remediation technology are deliberated herein. This chapter also explores the extent to which phytoremediation, an in situ modification, can be used to reclaim soils contaminated with 90Sr.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Meghalaya, Shillong, Meghalaya, India

    Susmita Sharma

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  1. Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India

    Pankaj Pathak

  2. Institut für Radioökologie und Strahlenschutz (IRS), Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Dharmendra K. Gupta

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Sharma, S. (2020). Uptake, Transport, and Remediation of Strontium. In: Pathak, P., Gupta, D. (eds) Strontium Contamination in the Environment. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 88. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15314-4_6

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