Volume reduction of cesium contaminated soil by magnetic separation – Pretreatment of organic matters –

Abstract

By the accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, a large amount of soil was contaminated by radioactive cesium. We developed a new volume reduction method of contaminated soil combining classification and magnetic separation. In magnetic separation, 2:1 type clay minerals, which adsorb cesium strongly and show paramagnetism, are removed from soil suspension of silt and clay, and then the contaminated soil can be separated into two groups that is high and low dose soil. However, there is an issue that the clay aggregates induced by organic matters prevent 2:1 type clay minerals from selective separation magnetically. The purpose of this study is to disperse aggregates by means of the alkaline K2CO3 solution treatment for selective separation of 2:1 type clay minerals. Firstly, particle size distribution was measured and the dispersion by K2CO3 treatment was investigated. Moreover, the radioactivity of passed soils after magnetic separation was measured to investigate the effect of dispersion treatment before magnetic separation. The result showed the possibility of more selective separation for 2:1 type clay minerals by treatment of organic matters.