A procedure for the decontamination of objects

Objects can be conveniently decontaminated by treating them with a chelating agent and exposing them to ultrasound. In the procedure suggested, the object is submerged into a 0.1-30% aqueous solution of a chelating agent (preferably from the group of polyamino-polycarboxylic acids), which is allowed to act for a period of time from 1 min to 24 hr at 0-60 degC. After this treatment, the acidity of the solution is adjusted to pH 3-7 and the system is exposed to the action of ultrasound; the temperature of the system is adjusted to 10-62 degC, the duration of this exposure is 1-60 min. The procedure is well suited to the decontamination of corroded or uncorroded metallic objects (steels, ferrous as well as non-ferrous metals); its application to other materials is conceivable. (P.A.)