Technetium-99 Removal from Process Solutions and Contaminated Groundwater

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Abstract
The predominant form of technetium under oxic conditions is the pertechnetate anion (TcO4 −), which is highly soluble in water and readily mobile in the environment. Technetium-99 is of particular concern because of its persistence and mobility. Various equipment decontamination and uranium recovery operations at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant generate a “raffinate” waste stream characterized by toxic heavy metals, high concentration of nitric acid, and low levels of radionuclides (235u and 99Tc). Dilution and adjustment of solution pH to a value of 8.2 to 8.5 precipitates a heavy-metals-sludge and a filtrate. The removal of 99Tc from these waste streams and from contaminated groundwater can be accomplished using anionic ion-exchange resins. Batch equilibrium and packed column breakthrough and regeneration studies were performed using inorganic sorbenta and organic ion-exchange resins (Dowex SRB-OH and Reillex resins). These studies were performed on actual and surrogate raw raffinates, filtrates, and surrogate groundwater samples. The experimental conditions were chosen to closely represent the actual process.

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