Decontamination of radionuclides-containing wastewater with organic leftovers

Short summary A Swiss SME active in the remediation of contaminated sites offers a solution for releasing radionuclides from wastewater with organic leftovers. The processes can be applied simply and rapidly under normal temperature and pressure to reach 99.99% of release of radionuclides. The company searches for partners/representatives for the pilot stage, licenses, joint ventures and commercial or technological cooperation agreements.

Full description Aqueous radioactive effluents are generated mostly by nuclear power and research plants but also by industries, labs, and hospitals involved in developing, manufacturing, and using radio-labeled isotopes for medical diagnosis and treatment. Separation of the radioisotopes from aqueous effluents with organic leftovers to recover water streams or disposal according to regulatory requirements can be challenging. Ion exchange is a good option for treating wastewater generated in nuclear installations. Still, unfortunately, the efficiency of ion exchangers is reduced when the radioisotopes are present in the wastewater in association with organic matter, e.g., in the form of complexes with chelating agents and the like. The formation of stable complexes occurs in certain types of radioactive wastewater. The radioisotope is tightly bound to organic material and does not lend itself to easy adsorption on a cation exchange resin. The Swiss company offers an efficient and rapid solution for releasing radionuclides from wastewater with organic leftovers. The methodology is based on real-time synthetic generation of highly concentrated superoxide radical that acts as a super oxidizer in wastewater, allowing the efficient release of radioactive material from the complex. This radical is much stronger, faster, safer, and cheaper than well-known hydroxyl or hydroperoxyl radicals that are widely applied in advanced oxidation processes. This methodology allows efficient filtration of the radionuclides by the known ion exchange methodology, with a filtration ability of 99.99%. The technology has been tested on a lab scale in a nuclear plant, with excellent results. The technologies can be applied in nuclear power and research plants but also in industries, labs, and hospitals involved in developing, manufacturing, and using radio-labeled isotopes. The company searches for scaled-up pilot sites and partners/representatives based on the license, joint venture, or commercial or technological cooperation agreement.

Advantages and innovations The main advantages of the technology for releasing radionuclides from wastewater with organic leftovers are: • High efficiency, separation ability of 99.99% • Rapid (required contact time of several hours) • Simple application • Cost-effective • Efficient in cases where other approaches are almost useless • Non-disruptive • Safe. It doesn’t generate toxic or dangerous leftovers or by-products • Ready for the scaled-up pilot

Contact / source: NEXT EEN Widgets (europa.eu)