Colloids are micron-scale particles which can be mobile within the vadose zone ands in aquifers. Though small, they can have very large portion of the total surface area in a soil, and are generally highly reactive. Solutes frequently sorb to colloids, and if the colloidal particles dissociate from the soil grains, this can mobilize those sorbed compounds. This can move compounds, such as heavy metals, when we would not expect such sorbed chemicals to be mobile. Dr. Selker presents these ideas with data from experiments conducted on sediments from the Hanford Nuclear Site.
21 окт 2024
