LABORATORY STUDIES ON THE DECONTAMINATION OF RADIOACTIVE SEAWATER BY COAGULATION AND SEDIMENTATION

Technical Report · Mon Mar 31 04:00:00 EST 1958

OSTI ID:4340459

Honma, M; Greendale, A E

The radioactive decontamination of sea water until now has been difficult because of its salinity and therefore its high ionic strength. However, this salinity makes sea water conducive to the attempted removal of radioactive materials through flocculation techniques. A survey of candidate decontaminating materials has been conducted, out of which the more promising decontaminants were examined further for their efficiency in the removal of mixed fission products in sea water. Approxinnately 85 to 95% decontamination is achieved in a single-stage stirring process by clays, phosphates, silicates, and iron salts used singly or in binary combinations. Other studies using selected radioisotopes ordinarily found in mixed fission products have given similar results except for iodine and cesium. Only 14% of iodine-131 and negligible amounts of cesium137 were adsorbed by the flocs. Generally speaking, sodium ortho silicate turned out to be the best singular decontaminant. More extensive investigations of the various sodium silicates in controlled hydrogen ion concentrations, floc weights, and Na/sub 2/O/SiO/sub 2/ ratio studies have shown that the more aixaline silicates are superior to the siliceous silicates in their removal characteristics. Moreover, the efficiency of mixed fission products decontamination from sea water is directiy proportional to the floc volume. (auth)

• Research Organization: Naval Radiological Defense Lab., San Francisco
• NSA Number: NSA-12-009073
• OSTI ID: 4340459
• Report Number(s): USNRDL-TR-218
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACIDITY
CESIUM 137
CHEMICALS
CHEMISTRY
CLAYS
DECONTAMINATION
EFFICIENCY
FISSION PRODUCTS
IODINE 131
IRON COMPOUNDS
MIXING
OPERATION
PHOSPHATES
PRECIPITATION
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOISOTOPES
SALTS
SEA
SILICATES
SODIUM SILICATES