Attapulgite as an eco-friendly adsorbent in the treatment of real radioactive wastewater

Abstract

Operators cannot ignore the radiation hazards arising from nuclear weapons. In this study, batch adsorption experiments were investigated to remove the radioactive isotope Cs-137 from the real radioactive wastewater. The attapulgite natural clay mineral was characterized and adopted as an adsorbent in a batch adsorption system. Equilibrium was reached after 2 h with a Cs-137 removal efficiency of 97% for attapulgite. The kinetics of Cs-137 adsorption on the attapulgite clay surface were evaluated. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model produced an excellent fit with the experimental kinetic data. HIGHLIGHTS Very cheap attapulgite clay was used in a batch adsorption system.; Iraqi attapulgite natural clay proved as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of Cs-137.; Natural clay was modified and manufactured from a locally available material.; The real samples of radioactive wastewater containing 137Cs have been treated.;

Keywords

• attapulgite
• cesium adsorption
• clay minerals
• cs-137
• wastewater remediation