Contaminant
migration is strongly controlled by sorption reactions;
thus, the behavior of anions, which are (almost) not sorbing under
alkaline conditions, is an issue of environmental concern. This is
especially relevant in the frame of low and intermediate-low radioactive
waste repositories, where the pH generated by cement-based materials
is hyperalkaline. Selenite (SeO
3
2–
) sorption
on calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) phases—the
main cement sorbing minerals—has been investigated
by batch experiments, ζ-potential measurements, and thermodynamic
modeling to elucidate retention mechanisms and possible competitive/synergetic
effects of cation coadsorption. Selenite sorption was shown to be
nonlinear and slightly increasing with the C–S–H Ca/Si ratio; precipitation
of CaSeO
3
(s) was observed
for Se concentration higher than 2 × 10
–3
M.
Indeed, the presence of Ca is essential to enable selenite retention
under alkaline conditions. Progressive additions of Na
2
SeO
3
or NaCl salt to the phases produced a change in the C–S–H surface properties,
that is,
a decrease in the ζ-potential, in apparent agreement with anion
adsorption. However, this effect had to be also correlated to Na coadsorption,
as Cl showed null retention on the C–S–H phases. At the
same time, anion adsorption had a clear effect on
the retention of other cations (Ba) in the system. The distribution
coefficient of Ba (at trace concentrations) suffered a moderate decrease
by the presence of Na
+
and Cl
–
, but it
was improved by the presence of Na
+
and SeO
3
2–
, indicating complex competitive/synergetic effects
between anions and cations. All of the experimental data were satisfactorily
modeled considering a classical double-layer approach.