Modern Sorption Materials for Cesium and Strontium Radionuclide Extraction from Liquid Radioactive Waste

Abstract

The paper describes the main types of sorption materials used to remove cesium and strontium radionuclides from low-level and intermediate-level liquid radioactive waste (LRW). It mainly focuses on sorbents produced at an industrial or pilot scale in Russia. Based on a developed standardized technique, it presents the experimental values for 137Cs and 90Sr distribution coefficients (Kd ) accounting for various types of sorbents. The study demonstrates that based on the developed technique, sorption characteristics of various types of sorption materials can be compared in an unbiased manner and most effective sorbents can be reasonably selected to treat liquid radioactive waste of various salt and radionuclide composition.