A new technique for removing strontium from seawater by coprecipitation with barite

Abstract

Strontium (Sr) removal from seawater has recently attracted attention from an environmental perspective after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident, but there is a lack of effective removal techniques for removing Sr from seawater. In the present study, we looked at the removal efficiency of Sr by using barite (BaSO4) under various experimental conditions to develop techniques for the direct removal of Sr from seawater. The effects of pH, saturation state, ionic strength, competitive ions, and [Ba2+]/[SO42−] ratio in the initial aqueous solution were examined. Among them, Sr uptake by barite was found to be dependent on pH, saturation state, and [Ba2+]/[SO42−] ratio in initial aqueous solution, showing that most of the aqueous Sr can be removed from the aqueous solution by adjusting these parameters. However, the effects of ionic strength and competitive ions were negligible, suggesting the effectiveness of its application to removal of Sr from seawater. Batch experiments were also conducted in a seawater system, and a rather high removal efficiency of Sr from seawater (more than 90%) was achieved. Considering its high removal and retention efficiency of Sr in seawater systems, barite is a reliable material for the removal of Sr from seawater.