Mineralogical study of transporting radiocesium sorbed media

Hagiwara, Hiroki  ; Konishi, Hiromi*

Identification of radiocesium sorbed minerals in sediments is important in view of adsorbed or desorbed mechanism between minerals and radiocesium in river water. Recently, the authors reported that not only micas but also mafic minerals could contribute toward the radiocesium migration in Fukushima river basin. In this study, we investigated crystal structure of hornblende in riverbed of mafic minerals using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) within Tomioka river. The results showed a part of surface on hornblende is altered to clay minerals. We also confirmed hornblende had cleavages and fractures which filling altered minerals inner part. This implies that these altered minerals could be contribute radiocesium adsorbing.