Evaluation of selected cobalt-60 complexes as tracers of groundwater

A series of Co-60 compounds, considered as potentially useful tracers of groundwater movement, were prepared and evaluated in soil column and batch studies. The compounds were: potassium hexacyanocobaltate (III), K₃Co(CN)₆; potassium ethylenediamminetetraacetato-cobaltate (III), KCo(EDTA); ammonium 12-tungstodicobaltoate (III), (NH₄)₈[Co(II)Co(II)W₁₂O₄₂] · 20 H₂O; chloraquotetrammine cobalt (III) chloride, [Co(NH₃)₄(H₂O)Cl]Cl₂; and sodium hexanitrocobaltate (III), Na₃Co(NO₂)₆. The performance of K₃ ⁶⁰Co(CN)₆ and K ⁶⁰Co EDTA were dependent on their environment and more especially on the type and amount of clay present. The EDTA cobalt complex cannot be used in soils that are basic or where a large fraction of the clay is saturated with Na⁺ and/or Ca⁺⁺. Of the other radioactive tracers tested, none were suitable for groundwater tracing because of instability in aqueous solution (Na₃Co(NO₂)₆), variable anionic structure under acid conditions ((NH₃)₈[Co(II)Co(II)W₁₂O₄₂] · 20 H₂O), or preferential uptake by the clay fraction ([Co(NH₃)₄(H₂O)Cl]Cl₂).