The use of sulfuric/phosphoric acid treated peat for radioactive wastewater treatment

Peat is relatively inexpensive material which possesses a native cation exchange capacity. Efforts to utilize peat have been hampered by its low permeability to water and its tendency to severely leach in water at pH 6. These disadvantages have been significantly minimized by treating the peat with a combination of concentrated sulfuric and phosphoric acids, resulting in a particulate material which is permeable to water and resistant to leaching. The acid treatment also increases the cation exchange capacity of the peat. This paper describes the results of both column and batch studies of the modified peat for use as an actinide adsorbent. 1 ref., 2 figs