Removing Strontium from Wastewater by Ion Exchange using Zeolite MAP

摘要

Radioactive Strontium ions (Sr~(2+) -90), a byproduct of nuclear fission, have a half-life of 28.6 years,. They can get into the water and soil, and then end up in the food chain, getting into the bones of mammals and humans, causing cancer and birth defects. In this research, we studied the removal of strontium ions (Sr~(2+) -88) from wastewater by ion exchange using zeolite MAP (Maximum aluminum zeolite NaP). The Na~+ ions (from the zeolite MAP) were exchanged with the Sr~(2+) ions. Zeolite MAP was obtained from two commercial suppliers and evaluated for Sr~(2+) removal. The results show that zeolite MAP is indeed very selective for Sr~(2+) removal. The selectivity of the zeolite MAP appears to improve with loading, and this may be related to structural changes occurring in the zeolite.