Testing of a Mobile Pilot-Scale Continuous Countercurrent Ion Exchange System for Treatment of Low-Level Radioactive Wastewater.

摘要

A mobile pilot-scale continuous countercurrent ion exchange (CCIX) system is being operated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the treatment of wastewaters that contain predominantly calcium, sodium, and magnesium bicarbonates and are slightly contaminated with (sup 90)Sr and (sup 137)Cs radioisotopes. A demonstration study is being conducted to evaluate the steady state performance and feasibility of a pilot-scale CCIX column for the selective removal of strontium from the wastewater. Initial test results show that the process sufficiently removes strontium from the water while significantly reducing the volume of secondary waste generation. This process has the potential for effective use in many diverse applications. However, it has not been frequently utilized by industries to date. This study shows that the CCIX process could offer an economical alternative for decontamination of wastewaters containing trace amounts of contaminants prior to discharge into the environment. 7 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.