Abstract
Fenton or Fenton-like oxidation for treatment of organic radioactive wastes is a promising technology with applications to a range of organic wastes. This review details this process; exploring potential challenges, pitfalls and opportunities for industrial usage with radioactive wastes. The application of this process to real radioactive wastes within pilot-plant settings has been documented, with key findings critically assessed in the context of future waste production. Although this oxidation process has not found mainstream success in treatment of radioactive wastes, a lower temperature oxidation system bring certain benefits, specifically for higher volume or problematic organic wastestreams.
Highlights
The safe and economical treatment of wastes arising throughout the nuclear fuel cycle is a complex problem due to different material characteristics and the radiological considerations
This review aims to provide a brief overview of current Fenton and Fenton-like wet-oxidation technology, the current scientific understanding, and a deeper look into historical and current applications of this wet-oxidation process to nuclear wastes around the world
Fenton and Fenton-like wet oxidation of radioactive wastes has been championed for destruction of organic materials for around 40 years, due to the attractive option to significantly reduce solid waste volumes and potentially re-categorise wastes for acceptance into national repositories
Summary
The safe and economical treatment of wastes arising throughout the nuclear fuel cycle is a complex problem due to different material characteristics (liquid effluents, organic/inorganic solids, gaseous discharges, etc.) and the radiological considerations. It is commonly found that low molecular weight acids (LMWA—maleic, oxalic, acetic, formic, etc.) build-up with dark Fenton, affecting final achievable organic mineralisation levels These and their Fe(III) complexes only weakly react with HO*90, and have been shown to form as decomposition products from a wide range of compounds including (and not limited to) phenol[49,91,92], nitrophenol[70], ethylene glycol[93], sawmill wastewater[94], H-acid[95] and ion-exchange resins[68,96]. TiO2 system post-treatment, greatly reducing residual organic contents[115]
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