Interaction of Actinides with Natural Microporous Materials

This contribution contains a concise review of the existing literature on the interaction of actinides with natural microporous aluminosilicate minerals and metal oxides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides). The interaction includes several types of chemical processes (absorption / ion-exchange, adsorption / surface sorption, surface precipitation, complexation, formation of colloidal / pseudocolloidal systems) controlling the transport of the actinides in the biosphere (environmental geochemistry of the actinides) and determining the suitability of these materials for the treatment, immobilisation and disposal of nuclear industry wastes. The contribution also includes some new data on the interaction of U and Th with granitic biotite and todorokite as well as on the sorption of Pu and Am by Greek and Slovak zeolites and clays.