Sorption concentration of 234Th from seawater using various sorbent types
摘要
The 234Th distribution in seawater and on suspended particulate matter is used to determine the particulate organic carbon fluxes. Methods involving coprecipitation from small volumes of seawater with onboard 234Th analysis have become widespread. However, they are poorly applicable in the absence of onboard measuring equipment and at low 234Th concentrations due to low salinity. Therefore, a study was conducted on the efficiency of 234Th sorption from large volumes of seawater with different salinity using sorbents based on manganese dioxide, iron(III) hydroxide, and barium silicate. The high efficiency of most studied sorbents was demonstrated. Based on the obtained data, a method for 234Th sorption from large volumes of seawater using fibrous sorbents unaffected by hydrodynamic resistance was developed. The distribution of 234Th in the surface waters of the Black Sea was studied, and based on this, the sedimentation rates of particulate 234Th in the Black Sea in spring 2022 were determined.