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Title: Scouting treatability studies performed in support of the nonradiological wastewater treatment facility feasibility study

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5820316· OSTI ID:5820316

A developmental program was undertaken to partially investigate the flowsheet being considered for the treatment of nonradiological wastewater produced by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The proposed flowsheet contains the following unit operations: equalization, carbon adsorption, ozonation, biodenitrification, biooxidation, filtration, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange. This report details an initial scouting program in which granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption and reverse osmosis (RO) were operated on two of the waste streams that will be treated in the nonradiological waste treatment (NRWT) facility (190 pond influent and Building 3544 effluent). The GAC system was operated on both the 190 pond influent and the 3544 effluent, using Filtrasorb-300 activated carbon. Mercury removal was measured to be greater than 94% at an inlet concentration of 0.02 to 0.04 mg/L of mercury. Total organic carbon (TOC) removal was 40 to 70%, with inlet values of 4.6 to 5.3 mg/L of TOC. The removal of TDS, nitrate, sulfate, and mercury from the 3544 effluent was examined by RO with a cellulose acetate membrane (Osmonics) and a thin film composite membrane (FilmTec). The Osmonics membrane was operated in the feed recovery range of 64 to 95%. The corresponding rejection values were: 66 to 22.5% for nitrate, 74 to 45% for TDS, and 92 to 85% for sulfate. Mercury was not rejected at any recovery. The FilmTec membrane was operated at between 60 and 94% recovery. The corresponding rejection values were: 95.5 to 68.4% for nitrate, 95.4 to 84.5% for TDS, and 54.9 to 33% for mercury. Sulfate rejection was greater than 98.5% in all cases. Both membranes rejected more mercury upon the addition of sulfide to the feed stream, probably due to the formation of colloidal mercury sulfide. Both membranes were found to concentrate radioactive species. 12 figs., 10 tabs.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
5820316
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-9667; ON: DE86010086
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English