Removal of cesium and strontium from low active waste solutions by zeolites

Ion exchange, crystallographic and thermal characteristics of sodium, cesium and strontium forms of locally available synthetic zeolites have been investigated. X-ray and differential thermal analyses have confirmed that the synthetic materials AR1 and 4A belonged to the mordenite and A type families of zeolites respectively. Equilibrium uptake of cesium and strontium ions by sodium forms of zeolite was studied as a function of time, pH and sodium concentration. It was found that the rate of sorption by AR1 was higher than that by 4A. In regard to pH, distribution of nuclides on zeolites was found to pass through maxima at a pH value of around 9. Sodium ion interfered with the sorption of cesium and strontium by zeolites. However, at sodium concentration ≤ 0.01 M, distribution coefficient values for these nuclides were sufficiently high to merit consideration of these zeolites for low level waste treatment. Lab-scale column runs using 5 ml beds of materials showed that the zeolites AR1 and 4A were very effective in removing cesium and strontium nuclides respectively from large volumes (a decontamination factor of 50 for a throughput of 6000 bed volumes) of actual low level waste solutions. Thus, the zeolite system has a potential future for large scale application in the treatment of low level wastes. (author). 6 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs