Purification of Radioactive Contaminated Water with a Column Charged with Several Adsorbents

Mordenite, semibaked dolomite, and activated carbon were chosen as adsorbents in a column for purifying water contaminated with radioactive materials. Under the static condition, distribution coefficients of radioactive isotopes (${}^{137}\mathrm{Cs}$, ${}^{90}\mathrm{Sr}$, ${}^{106}\mathrm{Ru}$, ${}^{144}\mathrm{Ce}$, and ${}^{131}\mathrm{I}$) in water on mordenite, semibaked dolomite, and activated carbon were determined. Distribution coefficients of radioactive isotopes on columns charged with individual adsorbents (granular size = 0.2–0.315 mm) were also determined. Based on those experimental data, as radioactive contaminated water [specific radioactivity of $4–6\times {10}^3\mathrm{imp}\mathrm{u}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{e}(\mathrm{i}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{p})/(\mathrm{mL}·\min )$] traveled at a flow rate of $0.1\mathrm{mL}/\min$ through a column charged with those adsorbents together, radioactive isotopes (${}^{137}\mathrm{Cs}$, ${}^{90}\mathrm{Sr}$, ${}^{106}\mathrm{Ru}$, ${}^{144}\mathrm{Ce}$, and ${}^{131}\mathrm{I}$) were removed completely from water at volume 200 times that of the total adsorbents’ bed volume. Thus, this column may be used to purify radioactive contaminated water.