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Effects Of Gamma-Sterilization On The Physico-Chemical Properties Of Natural Sediments, T.L. Bank, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, A.S. Madden, M.A. Ginder-Vogel, M.E. Baldwin, P.M. Jardine

US Department of Energy Publications

Batch U(VI) sorption/reduction experiments were completed on sterilized and non-sterilized sediment samples to elucidate biological and geochemical reduction mechanisms. Results from X-ray absorption nearedge structure (XANES) spectroscopy revealed that γ-sterilized sediments were actually better sorbents of U(VI), despite the absence of any measurable biological activity. These results indicate that γ-irradiation induced significant physico-chemical changes in the sediment which is contrary to numerous other studies identifying γ-sterilization as an effective and minimally invasive technique. To identify the extent and method of alteration of the soil as a result of γ-sterilization, untreated soil samples, physically separated size fractions, …