Sorption behavior of gamma-irradiated silica gel

Abstract

The use of ionizing radiation to achieve some desired effect on silica gel, applicable to the adsorption of radionuclides has been investigated as a function of the dose-rate over a wide range of doses, in experiments with strongly alkaline aqueous solutions containing an excess of UO 2+ relative to trace concentrations of 88y, 103Ru ' 134Cs and 141Ce. The results obtained revealed that y-irradiation of silica gel was reproduced with an uptake comparable to that measured for the unirradiated-silica gel. Radiation resistance is strongly influenced by the basic macromolecular structure, the presence of water, and the particular environmental exposure conditions.

Uranium Sorption on “Tezontle” Volcanic Rock

“…Considerable groundwater remediation research has been focused on the removal of contaminated water from the subsurface, but, while removal of pollutants is desirable from an environmental standpoint, the costs are often prohibitive, and contaminant concentrations are rarely lowered to the required levels. Several processes have been proposed and implemented for the removal of actinides from aqueous media [1][2][3][4][5]. These include precipitation and ion exchange as well as sorption on organic resins, natural zeolites, and clays.…”