Comparison of polyethersulfone and polyamide nanofiltration membranes for uranium removal from aqueous solution

Fabrication of granular three-dimensional graphene oxide/UiO-66 adsorbent for high uranium adsorption: Density functional theory and fixed bed column studies

This study presents a thorough investigation of the novel application of graphene oxide (GO) modified with melamine formaldehyde to fabricate granular three-dimensional GO (3D-GO), followed by the introduction of UiO-66 doping (3D-GO/U) for high uranium (U) adsorption. The U(VI) adsorption isotherms revealed that 3D-GO/U-10 with 10 % UiO-66 incorporation exhibited an impressive adsorption capacity of 375.5 mg g-1 and remained high U(VI) sorption performance in wide pH range. The introduction of UiO-66 to 3D-GO (3D-GO/U-10) led to the deagglomeration of the UiO-66 particles. The in situ surface-enhanced-Raman-spectroscopy-analysis and density-functional-theory simulations showed the symmetric metal center site Zr-O2 on UiO-66 was discovered to exhibit the highest adsorption energy (-3.21 eV) for U(VI) species due to the electrons transfer from the oxygen atom to U(VI) drives the covalent bonding between the symmetric metal center sites Zr-O2 and U(VI) on 3D-GO/U-10. The 3D-GO/U-10 was regenerated using a 0.1 M Na2CO3/0.01 M H2O2 solution and achieved up to 89.7 % U(VI) removal in the 5th cycle. The continuous flow column experiments results revealed 3D-GO/U-10 can regenerate and maintain a U(VI) removal capacity of ∼76 % for up to 4 cycles column experiments. Therefore, 3D-GO/U-10 exhibits great potential for removing U(VI) from water bodies.

Uranium capture from aqueous solution using palm-waste based activated carbon: sorption kinetics and equilibrium

Carbonaceous materials produced from agricultural waste (palm kernel shell) by pyrolysis can be a proper type of low-cost adsorbent for wide uses in radioactive effluent treatment. In this context, the as-produced bio-char (labeled as PBC) and its sub-driven sulfuric acid and zinc oxide activated carbons (labeled as PBC-SA, and PBC-Zn respectively) were employed as adsorbents for uranium sorption from aqueous solution. Various analytical techniques, including SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), EXD (X-ray Diffraction), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), and Zeta potential, provide insights into the material characteristics. Kinetic and isotherm investigations illuminated that the sorption process using the three sorbents is nicely fitted with Pseudo-second-order-kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models. The picked data display that the equilibrium time was 60 min, and the maximum sorption capacity was 9.89, 16.8, and 21.9 mg/g for PBC, PBC-SA, and PBC-Zn respectively, which reflects the highest affinity for zinc oxide, activated bio-char, among the three adsorbents, for uranium taking out from radioactive wastewater. Sorption thermodynamics declare that the sorption of U(VI) is an exothermic, spontaneous, and feasible process. About 92% of the uranium-loaded PBC-Zn sorbent was eluted using 1.0 M CH3COONa sodium ethanoate solution, and the sorbent demonstrated proper stability for 5 consecutive sorption/desorption cycles.

A review of remediation technologies for uranium-contaminated water

Uranium is a naturally existing radioactive element present in the Earth's crust. It exhibits lithophilic characteristics, indicating its tendency to be located near the surface of the Earth and tightly bound to oxygen. It is ecotoxic, hence the need for its removal from the aqueous environment. This paper focuses on the variety of water treatment processes for the removal of uranium from water and this includes physical (membrane separation, adsorption and electrocoagulation), chemical (ion exchange, photocatalysis and persulfate reduction), and biological (bio-reduction and biosorption) approaches. It was observed that membrane filtration and ion exchange are the most popular and promising processes for this application. Membrane processes have high throughput but with the challenge of high power requirements and fouling. Besides high pH sensitivity, ion exchange does not have any major challenges related to its application. Several other unique observations were derived from this review. Chitosan/Chlorella pyrenoidosa composite adsorbent bearing phosphate ligand, hydroxyapatite aerogel and MXene/graphene oxide composite has shown super-adsorbent performance (>1000 mg/g uptake capacity) for uranium. Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and electrocoagulation have been observed not to go below 97% uranium removal/conversion efficiency for most cases reported in the literature. Heat persulfate reduction has been explored quite recently and shown to achieve as high as 86% uranium reduction efficiency. We anticipate that future studies would explore hybrid processes (which are any combinations of multiple conventional techniques) to solve various aspects of the process design and performance challenges.

Adsorption of uranium (VI) complexes with polymer-based spherical activated carbon

Adsorption processes with carbon-based adsorbents have received substantial attention as a solution to remove uranium from drinking water. This study investigated uranium adsorption by a polymer-based spherical activated carbon (PBSAC) characterised by a uniformly smooth exterior and an extended surface of internal cavities accessible via mesopores. The static adsorption of uranium was investigated applying varying PBSAC properties and relevant solution chemistry. Spatial time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was employed to visualise the distribution of the different uranium species in the PBSAC. The isotherms and thermodynamics calculations revealed monolayer adsorption capacities of 28-667 mg/g and physical adsorption energies of 13-21 kJ/mol. Increasing the surface oxygen content of the PBSAC to 10 % enhanced the adsorption and reduced the equilibrium time to 2 h, while the WHO drinking water guideline of 30 µgU/L could be achieved for an initial concentration of 250 µgU/L. Uranium adsorption with PBSAC was favourable at the pH 6-8. At this pH range, uranyl carbonate complexes (UO2CO3(aq), UO2(CO3)22-, (UO2)2CO3(OH)3-) predominated in the solution, and the ToF-SIMS analysis revealed that the adsorption of these complexes occurred on the surface and inside the PBSAC due to intra-particle diffusion. For the uranyl cations (UO22+, UO2OH+) at pH 2-4, only shallow adsorption in the outermost PBSAC layers was observed. The work demonstrated the effective removal of uranium from contaminated natural water (67 µgU/L) and meeting both German (10 µgU/L) and WHO guideline concentrations. These findings also open opportunities to consider PBSAC in hybrid treatment technologies for uranium removal, for instance, from high-level radioactive waste.

Prediction of Uranium Adsorption Capacity in Radioactive Wastewater Treatment with Biochar

Recently, Japan's discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the ocean has attracted widespread attention. To effectively address the challenge of separating uranium, the focus is on finding a healthy and environmentally friendly way to adsorb uranium using biochar. In this paper, a BP neural network is combined with each of the four meta-heuristic algorithms, namely Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Differential Evolution (DE), Cheetah Optimization (CO) and Fick's Law Algorithm (FLA), to construct four prediction models for the uranium adsorption capacity in the treatment of radioactive wastewater with biochar: PSO-BP, DE-BP, CO-BP, FLA-BP. The coefficient of certainty (R2), error rate and CEC test set are used to judge the accuracy of the model based on the BP neural network. The results show that the Fick's Law Algorithm (FLA) has a better search ability and convergence speed than the other algorithms. The importance of the input parameters is quantitatively assessed and ranked using XGBoost in order to analyze which parameters have a greater impact on the predictions of the model, which indicates that the parameters with the greatest impact are the initial concentration of uranium (C0, mg/L) and the mass percentage of total carbon (C, %). To sum up, four prediction models can be applied to study the adsorption of uranium by biochar materials during actual experiments, and the advantage of Fick's Law Algorithm (FLA) is more obvious. The method of model prediction can significantly reduce the radiation risk caused by uranium to human health during the actual experiment and provide some reference for the efficient treatment of uranium wastewater by biochar.

Biosorption of Uranium from aqueous solution by green microalga Chlorella sorokiniana

Uranium and its compounds are radioactive and toxic, as well as highly polluting and damaging the environment. Novel uranium adsorbents with high biosorption capacity that are both eco-friendly and cost-effective are continuously being researched. The non-living biomass of the fresh water green microalga Chlorella sorokiniana was used to study the biosorption of uranium from aqueous solution. The biosorption of uranium from aqueous solutions onto the biomass of microalga C. sorokiniana was investigated in batch studies. The results showed that the optimal pH for uranium biosorption onto C. sorokiniana was 2.5. Uranium biosorption occurred quickly, with an equilibrium time of 90 min. The kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order rate equation, and the biosorption process fit the Langmuir isotherm model well, with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 188.7 mg/g. The linear plot of the DKR model revealed that the mean free energy E = 14.8 kJ/mol, confirming chemisorption adsorption with ion exchange mode. The morphology of the algal biomass was investigated using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The FTIR spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that functional groups (carboxyl, amino, and hydroxyl) on the algal surface could contribute to the uranium biosorption process, which involves ion exchange and uranium absorption, and coordination mechanisms. Thermodynamic simulations indicated that the uranium biosorption process was exothermic (ΔH = -19.5562 kJ/mol) and spontaneous at lower temperatures. The current study revealed that C. sorokiniana non-living biomass could be an efficient, rapid, low-cost, and convenient method of removing uranium from aqueous solution.

Construction of g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 Z-scheme photocatalyst and Its improved photocatalytic U(VI) reduction application in water

The reduction of soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) by photocatalytic technology is considered to be a valid method to remove U(VI) from water. Herein, g-C₃N₄/Ag/TiO₂ Z-scheme heterojunction was synthesized for photocatalytic U(VI) reduction application. The SEM, XRD and XPS characterization results showed that a ternary g-C₃N₄/Ag/TiO₂ composite photocatalyst was synthesized successfully. g-C₃N_4/Ag/TiO₂ exhibited excellent photocatalytic reduction performance for U(VI) under visible light irradiation. After 30 min irradiation, the removal rate of U(VI) was above 99%. XPS indicated that the majority of U(VI) on the surface of g-C₃N₄/Ag/TiO₂ was reduced to U(IV). In addition, the photocatalytic activity of g-C₃N₄/Ag/TiO₂ has been kept significantly after five rounds of experiments, indicating good stability. g-C₃N₄/Ag/TiO₂ exhibited better photocatalytic reduction of U(VI) under visible light irradiation, which is mainly ascribed to Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism assisted by the LSPR effect (Local Surface Plasmon Resonance). Ag with plasmon resonance effect on the loading has a strong absorption of photon energy. In addition, an intermediate charge transfer channel is formed between Ag and the semiconductor to inhibit the combination of photogenerated electrons and holes, resulting in a significant increase in the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst. This idea has some significance in design of other composite photocatalytic systems.

Efficient and selective adsorption of U(VI) by succinic acid modified iron oxide adsorbent

The iron oxide surface was modified with succinic acid moiety and the adsorbent obtained, Fe-SUC, was evaluated for the adsorption of U(VI) (Uranium (VI)) from aqueous solution. The Fe-SUC was characterized by FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscope - Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy), and particle size analysis. The adsorption behavior of U(VI) on Fe-SUC was studied as a function of pH, contact time, and concentration of U(VI) in the aqueous phase. The adsorption of U(VI) increased with increase in the pH of aqueous phase, and the adsorption saturation occurred at pH = 6. The kinetic data obtained for the adsorption of U(VI) on Fe-SUC were modeled with the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order rate models. Similarly, the U(VI) adsorption isotherm was fitted with Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption isotherm models. The Langmuir adsorption capacity of U(VI) on Fe-SUC was about ∼176 mg g−1. The selectivity of the adsorbent toward U(VI) was evaluated in the presence of several possible interfering ions. The adsorbed U(VI) was recovered by 0.5 M sodium carbonate solution and the spent adsorbent was tested for its reusability.

Efficient photoreduction of hexavalent uranium over defective ZnO nanoparticles by oxygen defect engineering

The oxygen-defect engineering of ZnO-400 nanosheets to enhance their photocatalytic performance for U(vi) reduction.

Indole-functionalized cross-linked chitosan for effective uptake of uranium(VI) from aqueous solution

Herein, a novel indole-modified cross-linked chitosan aerogel (IAA-CTSA) was fabricated by grafting 3-indoleacetic acid onto chitosan and adding glutaraldehyde as crosslinking agent through a facile two-step one pot method. The...

Efficient removal and recovery of uranium from industrial radioactive wastewaters using functionalized activated carbon powder derived from zirconium carbide process waste

Development of efficient sorbents for selective removing and recovery of uranium from radioactive wastewaters is highly important in nuclear fuel industries from the standpoint of resource sustainability and environmental safety issues. In this study, carbon powder waste was modified by various chemical activating agents under atmosphere of nitrogen gas at 725 °C to prepare an efficient sorbent for removal and recovery of uranium ions from radioactive wastewaters of nuclear fuel conversion facility. Activation of the carbon powder with KOH, among different activators, provided maximum porosity and surface area. The activated samples were modified by reacting with ammonium persulfate in sulfuric acid solution to generate surface functional groups. The synthetized sorbents were characterized with FT-IR, XRD, BET, and SEM-EDS techniques. The effects of solution pH, contact time, initial uranium concentration, and temperature on the sorption capacity of the sorbent with respect to U(VI) from wastewater were investigated by batch method, followed by optimizing the effect of influential parameters by experimental design using central composite design. The sorption of UO₂²⁺ ions on the sorbents follows the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Maximum sorption capacity for U(VI) was 192.31 mg g^-1 of the modified sorbent at 35 °C. Thermodynamic data showed that sorption of U(VI) on the sorbent was through endothermic and spontaneous processes. The sorption studies on radioactive effluents of the nuclear industry demonstrated that the modified sorbent had a favorable selectivity for uranium removal in the presence of several other metal ions.

Development of implantation substrates for the collection of radionuclides of medical interest produced via ISOL technique at INFN-LNL

Accelerator-based techniques with electromagnetic mass separation are considered among the most innovative and promising strategies to produce non-conventional radionuclides for nuclear medicine. Such approach was successfully used at CERN, where the dedicated MEDICIS facility was built, and at TRIUMF, where the ISAC radioactive beam facility was used to produce unconventional α-emitters. In such framework, the Legnaro National Laboratories of the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN-LNL) proposed the ISOLPHARM project (ISOL technique for radioPHARMaceuticals), which will exploit radionuclides producible with the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) facility to develop novel radiopharmaceuticals. The ISOL technique utilizes the irradiation with a primary beam of particles/nuclei of a production target where radionuclides are produced. A radioactive ion beam is subsequently extracted from the production target unit, and transported up to an analyzing magnet, where non-isobaric contaminants are filtered out. The so-obtained purified radioactive beam is dumped onto an implantation substrate, referred as collection target. Then, the desired nuclides can be chemically harvested from the collected isobars, and the isotopically pure atom collection can be employed to radiolabel high specific activity radiopharmaceuticals. Metallic deposition targets in the form of coated metal foils were mostly used at TRIUMF and CERN. At ISOLPHARM, a different approach is under investigation which foresees the use of soluble cold-pressed collection targets, possibly facilitating the chemical purification process of the collected radionuclides. In this study, the production and characterization of some of the ISOLPHARM collection targets is presented, in particular, soluble salts (NaCl and NaNO3) and organic materials widely used for pharmaceutical tablets production are considered. All such materials proved to be potentially suitable as collection targets, since solid samples were easily produced and resulted compatible with the vacuum conditions required for the ion implantation process. Furthermore, some of the selected substrates were used for proof-of-concept deposition tests with stable silver, to prove their suitability as ISOLPHARM deposition substrates for silver-111, a promising candidate for radiotherapy. Such tests highlighted possible scenarios useful for the development of new alternative materials, as the use of insoluble organic targets.

Removal of Uranyl Ion from Wastewater by Magnetic Adsorption Material of Polyaniline Combined with CuFe2O4

The magnetic adsorption material of polyaniline (PANI) with amino functional group combined with CuFe2O4 (CuFe2O4/PANI nanocomposite) has been described in this work. It has been characterized by TEM, XRD, XPS, BET, FTIR, and VSM, respectively. Significantly, it exhibits extremely high maximum adsorption capacity (322.6 mg/g) for removal of uranyl ions from wastewater at a pH of 4. The adsorption process is consistent with the quasisecond-order kinetic equation, and the isotherm and kinetic data are accurately described by the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model. Furthermore, the magnetic CuFe2O4/PANI displays stable adsorption performance for uranyl ions after five cycles of recovery in acid medium, which indicates it possesses good recovery due to its magnetism and excellent regeneration ability for reusability.

Phosphorylation of Guar Gum/Magnetite/Chitosan Nanocomposites for Uranium (VI) Sorption and Antibacterial Applications

The development of new materials is needed to address the environmental challenges of wastewater treatment. The phosphorylation of guar gum combined with its association to chitosan allows preparing an efficient sorbent for the removal of U(VI) from slightly acidic solutions. The incorporation of magnetite nanoparticles enhances solid/liquid. Functional groups are characterized by FTIR spectroscopy while textural properties are qualified by N2 adsorption. The optimum pH is close to 4 (deprotonation of amine and phosphonate groups). Uptake kinetics are fast (60 min of contact), fitted by a pseudo-first order rate equation. Maximum sorption capacities are close to 1.28 and 1.16 mmol U g-1 (non-magnetic and magnetic, respectively), while the sorption isotherms are fitted by Langmuir equation. Uranyl desorption (using 0.2 M HCl solutions) is achieved within 20-30 min; the sorbents can be recycled for at least five cycles (5-6% loss in sorption performance, complete desorption). In multi-component solutions, the sorbents show marked preference for U(VI) and Nd(III) over alkali-earth metals and Si(IV). The zone of exclusion method shows that magnetic sorbent has antibacterial effects against both Gram+ and Gram- bacteria, contrary to non-magnetic material (only Gram+ bacteria). The magnetic composite is highly promising as antimicrobial support and for recovery of valuable metals.

Dual crosslinked polyamidoxime/alginate sponge for robust and efficient uranium adsorption from aqueous solution

A facile, low-cost, organic solvent-free fabrication strategy is developed to prepare a seawater-stable sponge adsorbent from a water-soluble precursor for highly efficient extraction of uranium from seawater and uranium-containing wastewater.

Synthesis and performance evaluation of PES/chitosan membranes coated with polyamide for acid mine drainage treatment

In this article, performance evaluation of PES membrane infused with chitosan and coated with polyamide layer for treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) is reported. PES/chitosan membranes were fabricated by varying chitosan concentration (0, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 wt%) using phase inversion method. PES/chitosan membranes were coated with polyamide (PA) via co-solvent assisted interfacial polymerization technique (CAIP). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and contact angle analysis show that chitosan and polyamide could enhance permeability without affecting rejection of the membrane. The permeability was improved with increasing chitosan content. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to quantitatively determine cations in the permeate and the sulphate ions were analysed using ultraviolet and visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometer. Pure water flux of PES/PA membrane was significantly improved from 56 to 93 l/m².hr with 1 wt% chitosan addition. Cation rejection (90.4, 88.3, 89.3 and 75.7% for Mn²⁺,Fe²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺, respectively) was observed to be higher than anion rejection (56.33% for SO₄²⁻), when chitosan content was 0.75 wt%. These results indicate that the positively charged membranes under acidic condition had strong repulsive forces with the cations than attractions forces with anions. Polyethersulphone membrane modified with chitosan and coated with polyamide layer displayed potential for application in treatment of AMD.

Magnetically modified hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for the removal of uranium (VI): Preparation, characterization and adsorption optimization

Recently, magnetically modified nanomaterials have gained a great interest in the field of wastewater remediation. In this regard, the present work introduces a facile microwave-assisted pathway for the preparation of magnetically modified hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (MNHA) and evaluates its adsorption capability towards the removal of uranium (VI) ions from wastewaters. The prepared magnetic nanocomposite went through a full characterization procedure using different techniques, such as transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements and magnetization curve. Involvement of the prepared MNHA in the remediation of wastewater containing U(VI) ions was investigated and the factors that influence the adsorption capacity were considered and optimized. The adsorption's optimum pH was found to be 5.0 and equilibrium was attended after 120 min. A maximum adsorption capacity of 310 mg/g was achieved after 120 min at 25 °C. The experimental data were well explained by Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. Kinetically, the adsorption process follows the pseudo-second order model. Thermodynamically, it is endothermic, irreversible and spontaneous adsorption process. Removal of U(VI) ions was found to take place via complex formation between the phosphate groups on the adsorbent and uranyl ions. The recovery of U(VI) ions from MNHA beads and the reusability of the spent beads were also explored. It was concluded that the prepared MNHA nanocomposite is simple, fast, ecofriendly adsorbent for the removal of U(VI) ions from water with excellent adsorption capacity.

Uptake of uranium from aqueous solution by Nymphaea tetragona Georgi: The effect of the accompanying heavy metals

This study evaluated the application value of Nymphaea tetragona Georgi (N. tetragona) in the remediation of water co-contaminated with U and the U-accompanying heavy metals (UAHMs). Under greenhouse conditions, a 5-factor quadratic regression orthogonal rotation combination design (QRORCD) was employed to set up a hydroponic experiment to evaluate the effect of U and UAHMs on the enrichment of U from water in N. tetragona. The results showed that the coexisting U and UAHMs tend to inhibit the amount of U enriched in the whole plant. Under co-contaminated conditions, Mn and Hg can increase the enrichment of U from water in N. tetragona, while Pb and As usually inhibit it. The predicted amount of U enriched in the whole plant (U_WP) was 57,131.32 μg (1938.66 mg•kg^-1 D.W.), and the validation result of the optimization scheme was 53,285.88 μg. A single-factor effect analysis showed that the influence of the 5 types of contamination on the U_WP was in the order of U > Hg > Pb > Mn > As. The interactive effects analysis showed that the concentrations of U and As, Mn and As, and Pb and Hg all had significant interactive effects on the U_WP, and the change trend exhibited a basin or saddle shape.

Preparation of a magnetic reduced-graphene oxide/tea waste composite for high-efficiency sorption of uranium

The preparation and application of adsorptive materials with low cost and high-efficiency recovery of uranium from nuclear waste is necessary for the development of sustainable, clean energy resources and to avoid nuclear pollution. In this work, the capacity of tea waste and tea waste hybrids as inexpensive sorbents for uranium removal from water solutions was investigated. Composites of graphene oxide (GO) and tea waste (TW) exhibited a promising adsorption performance for uranium from aqueous solutions. The composites GOTW and magnetic rGO/Fe₃O₄/TW show high adsorption capacities (Q_{m (TW)} = 91.72 mg/g, Q_{m (GOTW)} = 111.61 mg/g and Q_{m (rGO/Fe3O4/TW)} = 104.95 mg/g) and removal rates (~99%) for U(VI). The equilibrium sorption of the adsorbents fitted well to the Langmuir model, and the sorption rate fitted well to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that sorption was spontaneous and favourable. The prepared adsorbents were used for the removal of uranium from real water samples as well. The results revealed that GOTW and rGO/Fe₃O₄/TW can be used to remediate nuclear industrial effluent as a potential adsorbent.

Synthesis of C@Ni-Al LDH HSS for efficient U-entrapment from seawater

In this paper, a double hollow spherical shell composite modified with layered double hydroxide (C@Ni-Al LDH HSS) was fabricated for uranium(VI) (U(VI)) adsorption. Various batch experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of pH, concentration, time and coexistence ion on extraction. The results showed that the adsorption processes of U(VI) onto C@Ni-Al LDH HSS were spontaneous and endothermic and closely followed pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherm models. The equilibrium time and maximum adsorption capacity of C@Ni-Al LDH HSS was 360 min and 545.9 mg g^-1. FT-IR and XPS analyses proved that the adsorption behavior was primarily attributed to the strong interaction between oxygen-containing functional groups and U(VI). Moreover, the extraction of trace U(VI) (μg L^-1) in artificial and natural seawater was also studied. The results showed that C@Ni-Al LDH HSS provided a promising application for the efficient extraction of U(VI) from seawater.

Flow-Electrode CDI Removes the Uncharged Ca-UO2-CO3 Ternary Complex from Brackish Potable Groundwater: Complex Dissociation, Transport, and Sorption

Unacceptably high uranium concentrations in decentralized and remote potable groundwater resources, especially those of high hardness (e.g ., high Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and CO₃^2- concentrations), are a common worldwide problem. The complexation of alkali earth metals, carbonate, and uranium(VI) results in the formation of thermodynamically stable ternary aqueous species that are predominantly neutrally charged (e.g ., Ca₂(UO₂)(CO₃)₃⁰). The removal of the uncharged (nonadsorbing) complexes is a problematic issue for many water treatment technologies. As such, we have evaluated the efficacy of a recently developed electrochemical technology, termed flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI), to treat a synthetic groundwater, the composition of which is comparable to groundwater resources in the Northern Territory, Australia (and elsewhere worldwide). Theoretical calculations and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy analyses confirmed that Ca₂(UO₂)(CO₃)₃⁰ was the primary aqueous species followed by Ca(UO₂)(CO₃)₃^2- (at circumneutral pH values). Results under different operating conditions demonstrated that FCDI is versatile in reducing uranium concentrations to <10 μg L^-1 with low electrical consumption (e.g ., ∼0.1 kWh m^-3). It is concluded that the capability of FCDI to remove uranium under these common conditions depends on the dissociation kinetics of the Ca₂(UO₂)(CO₃)₃⁰ complex in the electrical field. The subsequent formation of the negatively charged Ca(UO₂)(CO₃)₃^2- species results in the efficient transport of uranium across the anion exchange membrane followed by immobilization on the positively charged flow (anode) electrode.

Retracted Article: A layered double hydroxide assembled on a g-C3N4-modified hollow carbon sphere as an adsorbent for the removal of uranium(vi)

A layered double hydroxide assembled on a g-C₃N₄-modified hollow carbon sphere with unique flower-like morphology was prepared to capture U(vi).

Adsorption of U(VI) ions from aqueous solution using nanogoethite powder

Goethite is a stable and widespread mineral present in soil with many uses, and it affects the transportation and immobilization of heavy metals in solution. Nanogoethite was synthesized by a chemical precipitation method and used to batch adsorb U(VI) in solution. Adsorption experiments were used to understand the role of nanogoethite in controlling the U(VI) adsorption behavior in soil. The morphology and the crystallinity of nanogoethite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and wide-angle X-ray powder diffractometry, respectively. The results showed that the crystallinity of nanogoethite after the adsorption of uranium did not change, but small particles appeared on the surface of the scales. The surface area was determined from N2 adsorption–desorption experiments using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller to be 81.86 m2/g. The effects of factors such as the contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, and the initial concentration of uranium on the adsorption of U(VI) were investigated. The experimental results showed that nanogoethite removed over 85% of the U(VI) in an aqueous 5.0 mg/L U(VI) solution at pH 4.0 and at 298 K. The pseudo-second-order model was used to simulate the adsorption process. The results show that chemisorption plays a major role in the adsorption process. The results of this study suggest that nanogoethite may play a significant role in controlling the migration and transfer of U(VI) in the soil, thus controlling the presence of U(VI) in soil.

Efficient decontamination of naturally occurring radionuclide from aqueous carbonate solutions by ion flotation process

The present study evaluates the performance of ion flotation process for removal of uranyl tricarbonate complex, UO2(CO3)3 4−, which is the dominant species in many aqueous media particularly seawater, from aqueous solutions using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB, as a cationic surfactant. Flotation of UO2(CO3)3 4− as a function in the solution pH is investigated in absence and in presence of carbonate. Removal percentage >99% is achieved in the pH range 8.5–11.5 in presence of 5×10−3 M carbonate. The influence of concentrations of ethanol (0.1–2% v/v) and CTAB (5×10−5–1.4×10−3 M) show that UO2(CO3)3 4− is efficiently removed at concentrations of 0.5–1.5% v/v and 4×10−4–1×10−3 M, respectively. Based on the obtained kinetic data, the flotation mechanism and the flotation rate are investigated using two different flotation models. Floatability of UO2(CO3)3 4− in presence of different cations (Ba2+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Sr2+) and anions (NO3 −, Br−, Cl−, SO4 2− and HPO4 2−) is studied. Except for Mg2+ and NO3 −, the flotation efficiency of UO2(CO3)3 4− is significantly decreased at concentrations higher than 1×10−3 and 5×10−3 M of the studied cations and anions, respectively. Ion flotation process is efficiently applied for removal of uranium(VI), R%>98.5%, from seawater. Accordingly, ion flotation can be considered as a promising technique and thus its feasibility for removal and/or recovery of uranium(VI) from many aqueous environment.