Rapid and irreversible sorption behavior of Be assessed to evaluate its use as a catchment sediment tracer.

Beryllium-7 (Be) has been used as a sediment tracer to evaluate soil redistribution rates at hillslopes and as a tool to estimate sediment residence time in river systems. A key assumption for the use of Be as a sediment tracer is the rapid and irreversible sorption of Be upon contact with the soil particles. However, recent studies have raised questions about the validity of these assumptions.