This study investigated the removal of a radioactive cesium (Cs +) in the water at the water treatment processes. Since cesium is mostly present as the Cs + ion state in water, it is not removed by sand filtration, and coagulation with polyaluminum chloride (PACl), powdered activated carbon (PAC) and mixture of PACl and PAC. However, it is known that the removal rate of cesium increases as the turbidity increases in raw water. As the turbidity was adjusted by 74 NTU and 103 NTU using the surrounding solids near G-water intake and yellow soils, removal rate of cesium was about 56% and 51%, respectively. In case of a GAC filtration with supernatants after jar-mixing/setting was conducted, 80% of cesium is approximately eliminated. The experimental results show that it is efficient to get rid of cesium when the turbidity of the raw water is more than 80 NTU. In case of a GAC filtration, about 60% of cesium is removed and it is considered by the effect of adsorption. Cesium is not eliminated by microfiltration membrane while about 75% of cesium is removed by reverse osmosis.
There are two approaches in measuring colors (or chromaticity) in water, i.e., visual comparison method and spectrophotometric method. The color of sample was determined by comparing with that of platinum-cobalt standard solution in the visual comparison method. Single or multiple wavelengths are used for the spectrophotometric method. As the accuracy and precision of visual comparison method depend on the eye sight of the analyzer, the results are not so reliable and representative. In addition, it is hard to measure chromaticity less than 5 TCU. Single wavelength approach in spectrophotometric method, can be applied for groundwater or surface water with natural organic matter (i.e., humic substances) while it's hard to measure the color of wastewater which includes anthropogenic chemical compounds. The measurements with multiple wavelengths approach resulted in reliable data regardless of the source of sample water, i.e., surface water and wastewater. As dozens of measurements and complicated calculations for one sample were required for the multiple wavelengths approach, the approach could not be applied for field measurement. In the present study, the authors tested efficient method which could measure the color of water sample accurately and precisely regardless of the source of water. With the colorimeter with multiple wavelengths and calculation program, the colors of water samples could be measured within 3~4 seconds with accuracy and precision.
Iodine-131, an artificial radionuclide, mostly exists as iodide ion ( 131 I -) and iodate ion ( 131 IO3 -) in the water, and When a short time contacted, it could not be removed by poly aluminum chloride (PACl) and powdered activated carbon (PAC). Although the removal rate of iodine-131 was not related with turbidity of raw water, it showed linear relationship with contact time with PAC. With the mixture of PACl (24 mg/L or more) and PAC (40 mg/L or more), about 40% of iodine-131 could be removed. Iodine-131 could be removed little by sand filtration, but approximately 100% by granular activated carbon (GAC), both virgin-GAC and spent-GAC. Microfiltration process could remove little iodine-131 while reverse osmosis process could remove about 92% of iodine-131.
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