Selective Capture of Cesium and Strontium from Radioactive Wastewater
This community develops materials and methods to selectively remove cesium and strontium ions from aqueous solutions, primarily to treat radioactive wastewater and liquid waste.
The work centers on synthesizing and testing adsorbents and ion-exchange media that target specific radionuclides. Recurring materials include zirconium phosphate, Prussian blue analogues, crystalline silicotitanate, and various zeolites. The research focuses on achieving high selectivity and efficiency in removing cesium and strontium from complex aqueous environments, such as seawater, salt lake brines, and contaminated water. Methods range from traditional ion exchange and adsorption to newer approaches involving metal-organic frameworks, layered double hydroxides, and membrane technologies. The goal is to isolate these specific radioactive ions from large volumes of liquid waste.
The community’s output is most significantly concentrated in zirconium research, accounting for 2.1% of all tracked zirconium papers, and in strontium research, representing 2.6% of all tracked strontium papers. It also holds a 2.3% share of caesium research.
The community comprises 11,466 papers, published most frequently in the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Separation Science and Technology, and Inorganic Chemistry.
Recent work continues to focus on selective extraction from brines and wastewater, with new developments in solar-powered adsorption systems, electrochemically switched ion exchange, and the use of zeolite-type metal sulfides for rapid cesium sequestration.