Method of separating useful radioactive nuclide in radioactive liquid waste

Purpose: To separate useful radioactive nuclides from radioactive liquid wastes for reducing the amount of radioactive secondary wastes generated upon disposal of radioactive liquid wastes. Method: Nitric acid is added to radioactive liquid wastes containing radioactive metal ions, iron ions, nickel ion, chromium ions and oxidative tetravalent serium ions dissolved therein, to convert tetravalent serium ions into complex ions. The liquid wastes are circulated through an ion exchange resin column. This enables to efficiently recover tetravalent serium ions which are useful oxidative nuclides thereby enabling the reuse of serium. Further, since the oxidative nature of the radioactive liquid wastes is eliminated, there is no requirement of adding a reducing agent and it is possible for drying treatment and solidification processing such as plastic solidification. (Takahashi, M.)