Development of Natural Sorbent for Decontamination of Drinking Water from Low Level of Transuranic and Other Long-lived Radionuclides

Abstract

Three different types of natural sorbents were developed using natural siliceous material, sodium alginate, and impregnation of goethite in alginate matrix. Experiments were carried out for decontamination of uranium, thorium, americium and plutonium by using siliceous material, Calcium-Alginate (Cal-Alg) and Goethite impregnated CalciumAlginate (Geo-Cal-Alg) respectively. These materials were tested for different conditions by varying their pH in the range of 1-8, 95-98% Am-241 and Pu-239+240 sorbed by Cal-Alg and Geo-Cal-Alg beads respectively and experimental sorption capacity as evaluated were Eu 3+ as a natural analogue for Am-241 and Pu-239+240 is 12.16 mg g -1 . Experimental results clearly showed that Th and U sorption capacity is 1 and 0.3 µg mg -1 (w/w) respectively in case of siliceous material. No change in various physicochemical characteristics of the potable water was observed after decontamination process.