Open AccessElectrode Induced Removal and Recovery of Uranium (VI) from Acidic Subsurfaces
Author(s) -
Kelvin B. Gregory
Publication year - 2013
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/1089741
Subject(s) - environmental remediation , electrode , groundwater , aqueous solution , uranium , graphite , groundwater remediation , environmental science , chemistry , human decontamination , contamination , environmental chemistry , chemical engineering , materials science , waste management , geology , metallurgy , ecology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering , biology
The overarching objective of this research is to provide an improved understanding of how aqueous geochemical conditions impact the removal of U and Tc from groundwater and how engineering design may be utilized to optimize removal of these radionuclides. Experiments were designed to address the unique conditions in Area 3 of ORNL while also providing broader insight into the geochemical effectors of the removal rates and extent for U and Tc. The specific tasks of this work were to: 1) quantify the impact of common aqueous geochemical and operational conditions on the rate and extent of U removal and recovery from water, 2) investigate the removal of Tc with polarized graphite electrode, and determine the influence of geochemical and operational conditions on Tc removal and recovery, 3) determine whether U and Tc may be treated simultaneous from Area 3 groundwater, and examine the bench-scale performance of electrode-based treatment, and 4) determine the capacity of graphite electrodes for U(VI) removal and develop a mathematical, kinetic model for the removal of U(VI) from aqueous solution. Overall the body of work suggests that an electrode-based approach for the remediation of acidic subsurface environments, such as those observed in Area 3 of ORNL may be successful for the removal for both U(VI) and Tc. Carbonaceous (graphite) electrode materials are likely to be the least costly means to maximize removal rates and efficiency by maximizing the electrode surface area