Scptembcr 1951
Hysteria over gross contamination of public waterways by radioactive waste appears unwarranted
X I ~ Y ) R I the ~:
:Ltoniic t)omt) :tri,ivrd, fv\v persons, if any, rwlizcd that difficult r dispos:il proi)leins \vcrc
S t ; i t c ~.\tomic Iiv:iilal)l(~
had heen added. The data on alum coagulation is shown in Table I as compiled by Straub.
TABLE I. ALUMCOAGULATION OF RADIO- ACTIVE SUBSTANCES Element Iiai
Corrrqiondence concerning this column forwarded proniptly if addressed to the '$ Editor. Industrial and Engineering istry, 1155-16th St., N. W., Washington
114 A
will be author, IChem6, D.C.
'
il"/Q
~
3
2
Srss
98 plus 10
......
Increasing turbidity from 50 to 1000 n.o.m. increased rernova'l 'effi-
45 98
98
yo0
98
Srgo
l"
"L-.
10
1000 p.p.m., removals ranged from 17 to 82% Turbidity also influencing factor. for turbidity range81 of 50 t o 1000 n.n.m.. removals ranged- fiom 70 to 86% Rtanding, ighter formed of On standing more the Y dauihter formed from Sr
......
Lauderdale, also of Oak Ridge, eniployed a modified phosphate coagulation technique. The studies were made at, p H 11.5 using up t o 200 p.p.m. of sodiuni (NasP04) or potassium (KHtPO4) phosphates and lime. Element Zne6 was reSrS9,98%; Ysl, W + % ; moved 99+%; Sb124, 67%; Cel44, 99+%; and Wl@, only 10%.
TABLE11. PILOTPLANTTESTSWITH ALUM Element Pa2
1131
( I
t I i ( 5
Removal, % Remarks UP to 10 Addition of small amounts of Cu A g or "C C rincreased n removals t.o
Treatment Removal, Coagu1atio.n with alum plus sedimentation 86 Coagulation with alum plus sedimentation plus filtration 96 to 98 Coagulation with alum PIUS sedimentation (sodium silicate also used)
