The sorption of 90Sr from natural waters by alginates

The analytical applications of alginates, obtained from the marine algae Laminaria, for the pre-concentration of 90Sr from natural waters was studied. The sorption capacity for strontium in the samples investigated reached 30 mmol kg−1. The alginate sorbents were tested with sea water from the north-western part of the Black Sea over a wide range of salinity. The limit of detection for 90Sr in sea water with a salinity of 15‰ < 1 mBq dm−3. The sorbents described are waste products of alginate manufacture and have a relatively low cost which considerably reduces the total costs of the analysis.