Abstract
In this paper, beads-shaped hybrid sorbents composed of pectin and Prussian blue were prepared. Various ratios of pectin and Prussian blue in hybrid sorbents were tested. Obtained sorbents had high and roughly constant sorption capacity in a broad pH range (4–10), in which also the swelling index and stability of sorbents were satisfactory. The preliminary sorption studies proved that almost 100% of cesium removal efficiency may be achieved by using the proper sorbent dose. The sorption capacity of the hybrid sorbent with a 1:1 ratio of pectin to Prussian blue equaled q = 36.5 ± 0.8 mg/g (dose 3 g/L, pH = 6, temp. = 22 ± 1 °C, t = 24 h). The obtained results showed that the prepared hybrid pectin-based sorbents are promising for cesium ions removal.
Highlights
Cesium-137, due to its long half-life of 30.17 years and radioactivity, is a serious threat to health.Due to its high solubility, high mobility, and easy incorporation into living organisms, cesium may cause various human diseases [1,2,3]
Methods and materials for cesium ion removal are required. Methods such as chemical precipitation, extraction, volatilization, adsorption, and ion exchange have been proposed for cesium removal [6,7]
A number of sorbents have been proposed to date [8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17]; the most widely known materials for selective cesium removal are the metal hexacyanoferrates and their composites
Summary
Cesium-137, due to its long half-life of 30.17 years and radioactivity, is a serious threat to health.Due to its high solubility, high mobility, and easy incorporation into living organisms, cesium may cause various human diseases (e.g., thyroid cancer and birth defects) [1,2,3]. Methods such as chemical precipitation, extraction, volatilization, adsorption, and ion exchange have been proposed for cesium removal [6,7] Both liquid-liquid solvent extraction and precipitation usually generate large quantities of secondary radioactive waste. Despite the high selectivity of Prussian blue and its analogues towards cesium ions, their use can be difficult This is mainly due to their form, i.e., fine powders. The usage of metal hexacyanoferrates in granular form may be impractical due to factors such as their irregular shape or poor mechanical stability [18] These problems may be overcome by the application of composites in which the active material (metal hexacyanoferrate) is encapsulated into a polymer matrix or sited on a support.
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