Stable solidification of silica-based ammonium molybdophosphate by allophane: Application to treatment of radioactive cesium in secondary solid wastes generated from fukushima

Cesium adsorption from an aqueous medium for environmental remediation: A comprehensive analysis of adsorbents, sources, factors, models, challenges, and opportunities

Considering the widespread and indispensable nature of nuclear energy for future power generation, there is a concurrent increase in the discharge of radioactive Cs into water streams. Recent studies have demonstrated that adsorption is crucial in removing Cs from wastewater for environmental remediation. However, the existing literature lacks comprehensive studies on various adsorption methods, the capacities or efficiencies of adsorbents, influencing factors, isotherm and kinetic models of the Cs adsorption process. A bibliometric and comprehensive analysis was conducted using 1179 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection spanning from 2014 to 2023. It reviews and summarizes current publication trends, active countries, adsorption methods, adsorption capacities or efficiencies of adsorbents, tested water sources, influencing factors, isotherm, and kinetic models of Cs adsorption. The selection of suitable adsorbents and operating parameters is identified as a crucial factor. Over the past decade, due to their notable capacity for Cs adsorption, considerable research has focused on novel adsorbents, such as Prussian blue, graphene oxide, hydrogel, and nanoadsorbents (NA). However, there remains a need for further development of application-oriented laboratory-scale experiments. Future research directions should encompass exploring adsorption mechanisms, developing new adsorbents or their combinations, practical applications of lab-scale studies, and recycling radioactive Cs from wastewater. Drawing upon this literature review, we present the most recent research patterns concerning adsorbents to remove Cs, outline potential avenues for future research, and delineate the obstacles hindering effective adsorption. This comprehensive bibliometric review provides valuable insights into prevalent research focal points and emerging trends, serving as a helpful resource for researchers and policymakers seeking to understand the dynamics of adsorbents for Cs removal from water.

Preparation and Density Functional Theory Studies of Aluminosilicate-Based Ceramic Solidified Products for Sr Immobilization

Strontium is a common radionuclide in radioactive waste, and its release into the environment can cause enormous damage to the ecosystem environment. In this study, the natural mineral allophane was selected as the substrate to prepare solidified ceramic products by cold pressing/sintering to solve the problem of the final disposal of radioactive strontium. Ceramic solidified products with various crystal structures were successfully prepared, and the microscopic morphology and energy-dispersive spectroscopy images of the samples showed a uniform distribution of Sr in the solidified products. Sr2Al2SiO7 and SrAl2Si2O8, which can stably solidify strontium, were formed in the solidified products, and the structural characteristics and stability of the above-mentioned substances were analyzed from the perspective of quantum chemical calculations using density functional theory. The calculation results showed that the overall deformation resistance of Sr2Al2SiO7 was higher than that of SrAl2Si2O8. Considering the isomorphic substitution effect of CaO impurities, we inferred that a mixed-crystalline structure of Ca2-xSrxAl2SiO7 may be present in the solidified products.

Radiation Resistance and Adsorption Behavior of Aluminum Hexacyanoferrate for Pd

Irradiation resistance is important for adsorbents used in radioactive environments such as high-level liquid waste. In this work, a silica-based composite adsorbent (KAlFe(CN)₆/SiO₂) was synthesized and γ-irradiated from 10 to 1000 kGy. The angles of the main X-ray diffraction peaks slightly decreased with the increase in irradiation dose, and a minor decomposition of CN^- occurred after irradiation to 1000 kGy, indicating that the KAlFe(CN)₆/SiO₂ adsorbent could preserve structural integrity with a dose below 100 kGy. In 1 to 7 M HNO₃, the adsorption ability of the irradiated KAlFe(CN)₆/SiO₂ remained performant, with a higher K_d than 1625 cm³ g^-1. The adsorption equilibrium of Pd(II) in 3 M HNO₃ was attained within 45 min before and after irradiation. The maximal adsorption capacity Q_e of the irradiated KAlFe(CN)₆/SiO₂ on Pd(II) ranged from 45.1 to 48.1 mg g^-1. A 1.2% relative drop in Q_e was observed after 100 kGy irradiation, showing that γ-irradiation lower than 100 kGy insignificantly affected the adsorption capacity of KAlFe(CN)₆/SiO₂. Calculating and comparing the structures and free energies of different adsorption products via the density functional theory (DFT) method showed that KAlFe(CN)₆/SiO₂ was more inclined to completely adsorb Pd(II) and spontaneously generate Pd[AlFe(CN)₆]₂.

Study on the Effect of Gamma-Ray Irradiation on the Adsorption of 99Tc and Re by a Silica-Based Pyridine Resin

A silica-based anion exchange resin was synthesized and used to remove ⁹⁹Tc from real radioactive liquid waste. The adsorbent had a uniform particle size and exhibited good thermal stability up to 100 °C, which is promising for large-scale column experiments. In accordance with the chemical similarity with Tc, Re was used as a surrogate in this study. The N 1s high-resolution XPS spectra of the adsorbent before and after the adsorption of Re indicated that the ion exchange reaction was the controlling mechanism in the process. After γ-ray irradiation, the changing trend of the K_d was consistent, which showed that the competitive adsorption of NO₃^- led to a decrease in K_d. The adsorption capacity for the Re decreased slightly from 35.8 to 31.9 mg/g with the increase in the absorbed dose from 0 to 50 kGy. The separation and recovery of Re and the coexisting ions were achieved by chromatographic separation experiments, and the recovery percentage of Re was 86%. In real radioactive liquid waste, N3/SiO₂ exhibited good selectivity toward ⁹⁹Tc over the coexisting metals, namely, ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ²⁴¹Am, and U, and the decontamination efficiency of ⁹⁹Tc attained 65%.

Synergistic adsorption behavior of a silica-based adsorbent toward palladium, molybdenum, and zirconium from simulated high-level liquid waste

In this study, the synergistic adsorption behavior of palladium [Pd(II)], molybdenum [Mo(VI)], and zirconium [Zr(IV)] in simulated high-level liquid waste was systematically investigated based on various factors, such as the contact time, concentration of nitric acid, adsorption amount, and temperature using a silica-based adsorbent impregnated with N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-di-n-hexyl-thiodiglycolamide (Crea) and 2, 2', 2' -nitrilotris[N,N-bis(2-ethylhexyl)acetamide] (TAMIA-EH). The adsorption rates of Pd(II), Mo(VI), and Zr(IV) in this synergistic adsorption system were high; thus, equilibrium states could be obtained in only 1 h with high uptake percentages of more than 90%. The adsorption abilities of Pd(II), Mo(VI), and Zr(IV) were only slightly affected by variation in the concentration of nitric acid in the range of 0.1-5 M and solution temperature in the range of 288-313 K. Selective stripping of the adsorbed Re(VII), Pd(II), Zr(IV), and Mo(VI) was successfully achieved under elution with 5 M HNO₃, 0.2 M Tu (pH 1), 50 mM DTPA (pH 2), and 50 mM DTPA dissolved in 0.5 M Na₂CO₃ (pH 11) solutions using the chromatography method. In addition, the adsorption performance in solid-state was studied using the particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method; the obtained results were in good agreement with the results obtained via column separation.

Adsorption and separation behavior of palladium(II) from simulated high-level liquid waste using a novel silica-based adsorbents

Aiming at selective adsorption and separation of Pd(II) in nitric acid solution, a hybrid soft N and hard O donor adsorbent (TAMIA-EH+TOA)/SiO2–P (P = Polymer) was successfully synthesized. The adsorption performances of (TAMIA-EH+TOA)/SiO2–P adsorbent towards Pd(II) were systematically investigated as a function of contact time, effect of concentration of nitric acid, effect of temperature etc. Adsorption speed of Pd(II) was fairly fast and can reach equilibrium state within only 0.5 h. The distribution coefficient of Pd(II) was more than 103 when [HNO3] = 0.1. Though it decreased gradually with an increase in the concentration of HNO3, the adsorption selectivity of (TAMIA-EH+TOA)/SiO2–P adsorbent towards Pd(II) was still significant than other co-existing metal ions in the whole HNO3 range from 0.1 to 5 M. The adsorption isotherm of Pd(II) onto (TAMIA-EH+TOA)/SiO2–P adsorbent fitted well with Langmuir adsorption model but Freundlich isotherm model. The calculated results of adsorption thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption process of Pd(II) was exothermic and happened in a natural way. Furthermore, the separation chromatography experiment by utilizing (TAMIA-EH+TOA)/SiO2–P adsorbent packed column was carried out. Based on the results of plotted elution curves, it was found that the successful recovery of Pd(II) (96.27%) was achieved by eluting with thiourea solution.

Removal of Barium from Solution by Natural and Iron(III) Oxide-Modified Allophane, Beidellite and Zeolite Adsorbents

Efficient capture of barium (Ba) from solution is a serious task in environmental protection and remediation. Herein, the capacity and the mechanism of Ba adsorption by natural and iron(III) oxide (FeO) modified allophane (ALO), beidellite (BEI) and zeolite (ZEO) were investigated by considering the effects of contact time, temperature, pH, Ba2+ concentration, adsorbent dosage, the presence of competitive ions and adsorption-desorption cycles (regenerability). Physicochemical and mineralogical properties of the adsorbents were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM with EDX and N2 physisorption techniques. The Ba2+ adsorption fitted to a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, where equilibrium conditions were reached within <30 min. BEI, ALO and ZEO with(out) FeO-modification yielded removal efficiencies for Ba2+ of up to 99.9%, 97% and 22% at optimum pH (pH 7.5-8.0). Adsorption isotherms fitted to the Langmuir model, which revealed the highest adsorption capacities for BEI and FeO-BEI (44.8 mg/g and 38.6 mg/g at 313 K). Preferential ion uptake followed in the order: Ba2+ > K+ > Ca2+ >> Mg2+ for all adsorbents; however, BEI and FeO-BEI showed the highest selectivity for Ba2+ among all materials tested. Barium removal from solution was governed by physical adsorption besides ion exchange, intercalation, surface complexation and precipitation, depending mainly on the absorbent type and operational conditions. BEI and FeO-BEI showed a high regenerability (>70-80% desorption efficiency after 5 cycles) and could be considered as efficient sorbent materials for wastewater clean-up.

Microwave irradiation assisted sodium hexametaphosphate modification on the alkali-activated blast furnace slag for enhancing immobilization of strontium

An inadvertent leakage of ⁹⁰Sr into the environment can induce an easy accumulation in biosphere and cause a continuous radiation to the surrounding ecosystem. In this study, sodium hexametaphosphate (Na₆O₁₈P₆) was employed to modify the blast furnace slags (BFS) to enhance the chemical stabilization of Sr²⁺ ions in the BFS-based cementitious materials. Microwave irradiation (MW) was used to further increase the binder activity of BFS samples and strengthened the mechanical strengths and durability of BFS-based blocks. A combination of experimental factors including the mass ratio of Na₆O₁₈P₆ to BFS-Sr_0.1 of 15%, the ratio of solid to liquid of 1:4 mg/L, the output power of 650 W, and the activation time of 3 min was most conductive to achieving an optimal microwave-irradiation process. Four extraction solutions were sorted by their leaching abilities following as MgSO₄ solution > H₂SO₄ solution > CH₃OOH solution > deionized (DI) water based on their leaching results. Compared with microwave irradiation, an addition of Na₆O₁₈P₆ to BFS samples obtained a better compressive strength for BFS-based blocks. However, a microwave-irradiation treatment was more effective in improving the resistances of blocks to gamma irradiation and thermal-thaw changes. Exposing to gamma irradiation over 6 months and enduring to thermal-thaw tests over 15 cycles, the microwave-treated blocks only lost 3.29% and 2.23% of leaching removal efficiencies in deionized water, respectively. Microwave irradiation increased the mechanical strengths of BFS-based blocks and inhibited leaching of Sr²⁺ ions from matrices mainly by strengthening hydration reactions and Sr²⁺ encapsulation.

Decontamination of radioactive wastewater: State of the art and challenges forward

Radioactive substances have been widely used in many industrial sectors, e.g. nuclear power station, biomedical engineering, etc. With increasing applications of nuclear technology, more and more radioactive wastewater is being generated via different channels, which indeed is posing an emerging challenge and threat to the environment and human health. Given such a situation, this review attempts to offer a holistic view with regard to the state of the art of technology for decontamination of radioactive wastewater as well as shed lights on the challenges forward. Different from reclamation of other types of wastewaters, the most challenging issue in decontamination of radioactive wastewater is the effective stabilization and solidification of soluble radioactive nuclides present in wastewater, which are critical for final disposal. Moreover, the potential risk of human exposure to wastewater radiation needs to be carefully assessed, and this issue should also be taken into consideration in the selection, design and operation of the radioactive wastewater treatment process. These clearly differentiate the treatment principle of radioactive wastewater from those of traditional industrial and municipal wastewaters. Lastly, the challenges from the perspectives of technology development, environmental and human health impacts and possible solutions forward are also elucidated.

Removal of Barium, Cobalt, Strontium, and Zinc from Solution by Natural and Synthetic Allophane Adsorbents

The capacity and mechanism of the adsorption of aqueous barium (Ba), cobalt (Co), strontium (Sr), and zinc (Zn) by Ecuadorian (NatAllo) and synthetic (SynAllo-1 and SynAllo-2) allophanes were studied as a function of contact time, pH, and metal ion concentration using kinetic and equilibrium experiments. The mineralogy, nano-structure, and chemical composition of the allophanes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and specific surface area analyses. The evolution of adsorption fitted to a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, where equilibrium between aqueous metal ions and allophane was reached within <10 min. The metal ion removal efficiencies varied from 0.7 to 99.7% at pH 4.0 to 8.5. At equilibrium, the adsorption behavior is better described by the Langmuir model than by the Dubinin–Radushkevich model, yielding sorption capacities of 10.6, 17.2, and 38.6 mg/g for Ba 2 + , 12.4, 19.3, and 29.0 mg/g for HCoO 2 − ; 7.2, 15.9, and 34.4 mg/g for Sr 2 + ; and 20.9, 26.9, and 36.9 mg/g for Zn 2 + , by NatAllo, SynAllo-2, and SynAllo-1, respectively. The uptake mechanism is based on a physical adsorption process rather than chemical ion exchange. Allophane holds great potential to effectively remove aqueous metal ions over a wide pH range and could be used instead of other commercially available sorbent materials such as zeolites, montmorillonite, carbonates, and phosphates for special wastewater treatment applications.