Publication Date:
1998-11-01
Description:
Several leach solutions have been developed for the removal of uranium (U) from contaminated media such as soil and military catch-box sand used for the ballistics testing of U-containing projectiles. Leach solutions of concentrated sulfuric acid and of carbonate (with and without oxidants such as peroxides) have also been used in the mining of U from high-grade ore deposits. Many of these solutions have been used at U-contaminated environmental sites with varying degrees of success. Batch leaches with six characterized U-contaminated media and seven leach solutions were conducted. After the leach solutions were reacted with the media (five soils and a catch-box sand), the solutions were analyzed for dissolved U, Ca, Si, Fe, Mn, Pb and Cr. We study the ability of acidic, basic, acidic-oxidizing and basic-oxidizing solutions to leach U from contaminated media. The results suggest the removal efficiency of soil U for each leach solution varies with the nature of the U-contamination in the media and the media composition. It is likely the forms of U in the contaminated media such as reduced, absorbed, complexed and solid species influence the solubilization of U by the leaching agents. Key words: Uranium, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF), remediation, chromium, lead, leaching, catch-boxes
Print ISSN:
0008-4271
Electronic ISSN:
1918-1841
Topics:
Geosciences
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Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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