Lateritic minerals for decontamination of radionuclides

Abstract

Naturally available lateritic minerals (LM) have been used on laboratory scale for the removal of Ce, Gd and Lu radionuclides from nuclear industry and reactor effluents. The adsorption behavior using radiotracers is reported, describing factors such as the nature and strength of acids, particle size, temperature and equilibration time which influence the adsorption mechanism. The interference of various anions and organic complexing agents on sorption of these radiotracers has also been considered. The optimized physico-chemical conditions and high loading capacities suggest an, effective use of LM for the isolation of the radionuclides from industrial and reactor effluents. Leaching studies made on pelletized LM loaded with the radionuclides indicate their potential for disposal in reduced solid form for a longer period.