Sorption Extraction of Strontium Radionuclides from Surface Water by Natural Aluminum Silicate

The contamination of large volumes of surface waters with radionuclides is caused by the appearance of a significant number of objects that pose a potential radiation hazard. The search and development of affordable, environmentally friendly sorbents for the purification of such waters is an urgent task, the solution of which will make it possible to propose effective measures for the purification of natural water bodies from pollution. The article presents the result of research of sorption reduction of 90Sr radionuclide from aqueous solutions with experimental samples under static and dynamic conditions. Methods. We have defined the strontium concentration range within which the reduced component distribution between solid and liquid phases obeys Henry law. The granulated sorbent distribution index in the Henry area was Kd=(3.46±0.2)•102 ml/g in terms of strontium and this is comparable with the Kd=200 ml/g value of the initial natural glauconite. The obtained value of the sorbent static exchange capacity in terms of strontium in the (10-5 – 1) g/l concentration range is ≥ 4.2 mg/g. We investigated the sorption kinetics in the recirculation mode. We have presented the output curves of the strontium sorption with the developed sorbent in the dynamic mode. The strontium distribution index was at least 2.42 ∙ 103 ml/g and this approximately 10 times exceeded the value obtained under the static conditions. After passing of 900 column volumes of the model solution through the column, no compacting of the sorbent was observed and this confirmed preserving of its hydro/dynamic characteristics and the possibility to use it as a filter loads in ant water treatment systems. Results. The sorbent produced from local mineral raw material is applicable and feasible for use in treatment of the Ural region water bodies contaminated with 90Sr. We have demonstrated good perspective of the natural aluminum silicate glauconite of the Karinsk deposit (Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia) granulated with bonding tap water use as a sorbent for extraction of strontium radionuclide from natural waters in the process of radioactive-contaminated territories.