Removal of radium from filter sands of a conventional ground water treatment station

Sand granules are used as a filter bed in many ground water treatment stations to remove particulate matter from untreated water. A build-up of radioactivity may take place on the granules. The disposal of those granules poses a significant problem. A batch technique was used to test the possibility of removing radioactivity from actual samples of the loaded sands. The study was limited to combined radium (226Ra and 228Ra). Acidity, temperature, contact time and liquid-to-solid ratio were thoroughly investigated as factors affecting the treatment process. The data obtained are discussed on the basis of the experimental results. (author) 17 refs.; 3 figs.; 2 tabs