Evaluating Various Adsorbents and Membranes for Removing Radium From Groundwater

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Abstract
Field studies were conducted in Lemont, Ill., to evaluate specific adsorbents and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for removing radium from groundwater. A radium‐selective complexer and barium‐sulfate‐loaded alumina appeared to have the best potential for low‐cost adsorption of radium from raw water or ion exchange brines, provided that the problem of the ultimate disposal of spent media can be solved. A new, low‐pressure (70‐psig) RO module achieved radium and total dissolved solids (TDS) rejections of 91 and 87 percent, respectively. Central treatment with standard or low‐pressure RO modules would be effective for radium removal—but expensive and unnecessary if TDS reduction is not also required. Point‐of‐use treatment using RO is effective for removing radium and may be cost effective for very small communities.