Sorbent materials for rapid remediation of wash water during radiological event relief

Abstract

Procedures for removing harmful radiation from interior and exterior surfaces of homes and businesses after a nuclear or radiological disaster may generate large volumes of radiologically contaminated waste water. Rather than releasing this waste water to potentially contaminate surrounding areas, it is preferable to treat it onsite. Retention barrels are a viable option because of their simplicity in preparation and availability of possible sorbent materials. This study investigated the use of aluminosilicate clay minerals as sorbent materials to retain (137)Cs, (85)Sr, and (152)Eu. Vermiculite strongly retained (137)Cs, though other radionuclides displayed diminished affinity for the surface. Montmorillonite exhibited increased affinity to sorb (85)Sr and (152)Eu in the presence of higher concentrations of (137)Cs. To simulate flow within retention barrels, vermiculite was mixed with sand and used in small-scale column experiments. The GoldSim contaminate fate module was used to model breakthrough and assess the feasibility of using clay minerals as sorbent materials in retention barrels. The modeled radionuclide breakthrough profiles suggest that vermiculite-sand and montmorillonite-sand filled barrels could be used for treatment of contaminated water generated from field operations.

Developing Surrogate Far-Field Nuclear Fallout and its Rapid Decontamination from Aircraft Surfaces

“…Tap water was supplied by the DuPage County Department of Public Works, which routinely analyzes it. We previously analyzed a sample of the tap water by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and found good agreement with reported values for metal content [31]. We also prepared artificial seawater and rainwater.…”

Raw and modified clays and clay minerals for the removal of pharmaceutical products from aqueous solutions: State of the art and future perspectives

“…Jolin and Kaminski worked with a much lower clay sand ratio (i.e. 0.25% of clays) allowing both a regular and significant flow rate and a good removal of contaminants (Jolin & Kaminski, 2016).…”

In Situ Cs and H Exchange into Gaidonnayite and Proposed Mechanisms of Ion Diffusion

“…Materials that have been used for ion exchange of Cs + from aqueous environments include glasses (e.g., refs − ), clay minerals (e.g., refs − ), microporous materials (e.g., refs , − ), and other materials and methods (e.g., refs − ). One concern with microporous materials is their relatively low thermal stability, a potential problem with high-temperature interactions in nuclear reactors and around uncooled spent nuclear fuel pellets. , The molecular H 2 O typically dehydrates out of zeolitic structures around 400 °C, often leading to instability.…”