Scientists from the National Nuclear Research University “MEPhI” (NRNU MEPhI), as part of an international scientific team, have developed a new absorber for the treatment of liquid radioactive waste. MEPhI reported this to socialbites.ca.
Liquid radioactive waste is produced at every stage of the operation of a nuclear power plant. Since radioactive isotopes can concentrate in the bodies of animals and humans and harm their health, you can’t just throw them into the environment.
“One of the main methods of treating such waste today is the use of filters that can absorb radioactive components. At the same time, for each pollutant it is necessary to choose a special absorber that targets it,” Konstantin Katin, professor of the National Nuclear Research University MEPhI, one of the developers of the new filter, explained to socialbites.ca.
He added that not only physical and chemical but also economic factors should be taken into consideration when choosing absorbents, and that it is advantageous to use raw materials extracted from the region where waste treatment will be carried out. Moroccan experts followed this path and initiated research that led to the creation of the described absorbent.
Katin, as part of a group of Moroccan experts, proposed creating a new sorbent based on chitosan, a substance obtained from the shells of molluscs, crustaceans, insects, spiders and metakaolin, a product obtained from the processing of white clay. It also includes Moroccan oil shale mined in Tarfaya (Morocco).
The scientists were able to achieve an absorption coefficient of 0.236 mol/k for uranyl, the main compound containing dissolved uranium in the waste. This indicator is comparable to the efficiency of other adsorbents used in the purification of uranium-containing waste. The saturation time of chitin and clay material with contaminants is several hours.
Previously “socialbites.ca” Wrote Radioactive water was previously thought to be beneficial.