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It is now known that all underground and surface waters are radioactive. A small amount of radon, and thus also its decay products, is almost always present in natural waters and in the atmosphere.
In the atmospheric air near the earth's surface, radon is found at a concentration of about 10-13 curie / l of air, but in some places its concentration can be much higher.
The history of the study of radioactive isotopes in medicinal waters covers a period of 60 years. In Russia, its origins date back to 1907, when E.E. Carstens discovered the presence of radon (Rn222) in the water of the heat sulfur springs in Pyatigorsk. In subsequent years, E. E. Carstens continued to study the radioactivity of rocks and mineral waters of Pyatigorsk and in 1913 published a message on this issue in the notes of the Russian Balneological Society.
A more detailed study of radioactive mineral waters in the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody began in 1926, when a radiological laboratory was organized at the Balneological Institute under the direction of E.S. Shchepoteva and A.N. Ogilvie. Already in 1925 A.N. Ogilvy published a "Short Report on the Hydrogeological Works on the Study of the Radioactivity of the Waters of Pyatigorsk".
In the pre-war years, the laboratory paid special attention to the determination of radium and radon in mineral waters, and much less attention to other radioactive isotopes. As a result of the joint work of the laboratory staff with the staff of the State Radium Institute, the “Instruction for the measurement of radioactive mineral sources and some methods” appeared (V.I. Baranov, A.N. Ogilvy, 1930; I.E. Starik, 1936; E.S. Shchepoteva, 1943).
In subsequent years (1956-1967) research covered a wider range of issues. The focus was on systematic regime observations of radon sources in order to find out the conditions for their formation, the reasons for fluctuations in the flow rate and the content of radioactive isotopes.
Of interest is the work of I.E. Starik "Radiological study of the CMS region" (1943), as well as the candidate's dissertation of D.S. Nikolaev "Radon waters and sulfuric baths of Pyatigorsk" (1947).
Based on the general theory of the formation of radon waters in natural conditions, developed by I.E. Starik and E.S. Shchepoteva (1936), and the theory of the formation of radon waters from the Pyatigorsk deposit, proposed by the famous hydrogeologist A.N. Ogilvy, M.S. Kagan and V.L. Augustinskaya (1962) conducted experiments to increase the debit of radon sources in the northern group of Pyatigorsk.
By flooding the places of formation of radon waters with an additional jet of hydrogen sulfide water, similar in its mineralization and chemical composition to the main radon water of this deposit, these authors, in the course of two-year experiments, managed to increase the flow rate of the studied deposit by 2.5 times, almost without reducing the concentration of radon in the source water, which fluctuated within 60 Mahe units.
At the same time, important theoretical questions were resolved. The calculated data showed that in the experimental area, during the formation of natural radon waters, the resulting radon is captured only by 16%, and therefore, there are large reserves of it, which make it possible to artificially enrich the waters of other mineral and even fresh sources with it.
Important data have also been obtained showing that in the process of artificial flooding, radium is not leached from rocks and the deposit is depleted.
Particularly noteworthy are the works on the detailed radiochemical characterization of mineral waters with the determination of such radioactive isotopes as radon, radium, uranium, thorium X and mesothorium I, carried out in recent years in all the main sources of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region (M.S. Kagan, 1952- 1953, 1959, 1965).
A detailed study of radioactive isotopes in the mineral waters of other regions made it possible to highlight some issues related to hydrogeology and the conditions for the formation of radon waters, to give a balneological assessment, and to reveal some of the mechanisms of their physiological and therapeutic effects.
As a result of many years of research, it has been established that many mineral springs contain an increased amount of radioactive elements, especially radon (Rn222) and radium (Ra226).
Radioactive waters, depending on the predominance of certain radioactive isotopes in them, are divided into three groups: radon, radium, radon-radium. Uranium and radium-mesothoric waters are much less common in natural conditions.
Table 4. Prohibitory criteria for the internal use of radioactive water (according to the content of radioactive isotopes in them in g/l) 
When assessing the radioactivity of mineral waters, we use the criteria proposed by E.S. Shchepoteva and adopted at a meeting of representatives of resort institutions in 1961 (Tables 3 and 4).
E.A. Smirnov-Kamensky, S.M. Petelin
The age of the Earth is about 6 billion years, and only after 4 billion years did life begin on Earth. The reason for such a large gap in time, according to some scientists, could be the high level of radiation that was on the planet shortly after its occurrence. Therefore, living organisms appeared only after a significant decrease in the radioactivity of the earth's crust and atmosphere. But the radiation remained, and it does not prevent people from living. It is everywhere - in water, air, in earth and on earth. The waters of the World Ocean contain billions of tons of radioactive potassium, rubidium, uranium, thorium and radium. The waters of natural springs contain uranium from 5 x 10-7 to 3 x 10-5 g/l. There is somewhat less uranium in the northern rivers, and more in the southern ones. In drainless water bodies of arid regions, the concentration of uranium can reach 4 x 10-2 g/l. The radioactivity of river water is estimated at about 10-12 Curie/l, lake water 10-11 Curie/l and sea water 10-10 Curie/l, while the radioactivity of atmospheric air is about 10-16 Curie/cm3 and the radioactivity of atmospheric precipitation near the surface The earth is about 2-10-11 Curies/g. Precipitation remains radioactive for several hours, and snow is more radioactive than rain. Precipitation contributes to the purification of the atmosphere from radioactive contamination. Fog and drizzle contain the greatest amount of radioactive substances. The natural radioactivity of land waters and oceans is mainly caused by the radioactive isotope of potassium (K40). In the high layers of the atmosphere, when hydrogen nuclei are bombarded by cosmic rays, a heavy hydrogen isotope is formed - radioactive tritium, which then enters the composition of superheavy water T20 and, together with precipitation, falls on the earth's surface. Its half-life is 12.2 years. The tritium concentration decreases as one approaches the equator. There is less tritium in oceanic waters than in land waters.
The human body contains about 3-10-3 g of radioactive potassium and 6-10-9 g of radium. Due to these substances, 6000 beta decays and 220 alpha decays occur every second in the human body. In addition, as a result of exposure to cosmic rays, artificial radioelements arise in the human body. As a result, 10,000 decay reactions occur every second in the human body. And since the air, water and rocks around us are radioactive, the human body has adapted to the radiation background of the environment in terms of its level of radioactivity. Radioactive water is widely used in the treatment of various body systems and specific diseases.
A century ago, the newly discovered radioactivity was seen as a panacea for most diseases and even old age. Uranium, thorium, and especially radium and its gaseous "emanation" (radon) were widely used by physicians. Natural waters containing an increased amount of radioactive substances are divided into radium-uranium, radon radioactive waters. Radon waters are mineral waters of various compositions containing a radioactive gas - radon of a certain therapeutic concentration. Radon waters are divided into two main groups: simple composition, in which radon is the only healing component; complex composition, when radon is combined with other valuable therapeutic components (silicon, nitrogen, chlorides, calcium, carbon dioxide, etc.). Already in 1935, the Soviet scientist V. A. Stogov used radon baths and microclysters with radon water to treat patients with chronic prostatitis. When treating with radon waters, two therapeutic factors interact - the balneological effect of the mineral water itself and the effect of ionizing radiation that occurs during the decay of this radioactive gas. Radon enters the human blood through the skin, respiratory tract and mucous membranes. After 2.5 hours, as a result of decay, radon turns into isotopes that live in the human body for no more than 2 hours. The ionizing effect of decaying isotopes leads to the formation of free radicals, which lead to various chemical reactions, enzymatic processes and the production of various hormones. However, weakly radon waters containing silicic acid, nitrogen and other microelements can often have a therapeutic effect.
Radon and its decay products, causing radiation, stimulate the connective tissue, epithelial and parenchymal cells of the body; affect the function of various body systems; increase the speed of blood circulation, stimulate the formation of blood and the exchange of biologically active substances (serotonin, histamine, catecholamines, etc.). By influencing the body's immune system, radon therapy promotes the activation of tissue processes and causes the resorption of inflammatory infiltrates, thereby affecting the course of the inflammatory process, in particular, it delays the development of the sclerosis process. Radon has a general strengthening effect on the body (osteoporosis, regeneration in old age). Radon mineral water helps fight autoimmune systemic diseases (dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.) and diseases of the peripheral nervous system (neurosis, neuritis, neuralgia, polyneuropathy, sciatica, arthritis, plexitis, paresis at the recovery stage), and also in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system of various origins and complexity (arthritis, arthrosis, ankylosing spondylitis, joint endoprostheses, arthropathy, vertebrogenic algic syndrome, etc.) Radon baths are recommended for violations of the thyroid gland, diseases of the female genital area, immunodeficiencies.
For the treatment of patients with chronic prostatitis, radon baths, microclysters and irrigation through the rectum are used. Radon baths are used at a concentration of 60-120 nCi / l, temperature 36-37 ° C, the procedures are carried out every other day, for 10-15 minutes, for a course of treatment 12-14 procedures.
Irrigation with radon water is carried out according to the following method: water concentration 40-80 nCi/l; temperature 38-39 °C; water is introduced into the rectum in portions of 0.5-0.7 liters and then released. Up to 10 liters of water are used for one procedure. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes, the course of treatment is 5-6 irrigations.
Patients who do not tolerate irrigation well are shown microclysters with radon water, a concentration of 80-120 nCi / l, a temperature of 39-40 ° C. 150-200 ml of radon water is injected into the rectum, which is kept there for 30 minutes or more. Microclysters are prescribed daily or every other day, for a course of treatment 10-12 procedures. Irrigation with radon water has the greatest therapeutic effect (75-77%). Less effective are microclysters and radon baths (65-70%).
Treatment with radon and radon baths gives a wonderful effect without harmful side effects on the body. However, radon treatment is contraindicated in the following cases: tumors, acute infectious diseases, active form of tuberculosis, acute heart failure, acute psychogenic diseases. In addition, pregnant women, patients with enlarged thyroid function, patients after surgery or treatment for a neoplastic disease should refrain from radioactive treatment for the first 2 years. Also, radon treatment is limited to children and teenagers.
PIR (natural sources of radiation)
There are substances that are naturally radioactive, known as natural sources of radiation (NIR). Most of these substances are formed as a result of the decay of uranium or thorium, and emit alpha particles.
The main by-product of enrichment is depleted uranium, consisting mainly of uranium-238 with less than 0.3% uranium-235. It is in storage, just like UF 6 and U 3 O 8 . These substances are used in areas where their extremely high density is valued, such as in the manufacture of keels of yachts and anti-tank shells. They are also used (along with recycled plutonium) to create mixed oxide nuclear fuel and to dilute reenriched uranium, which was previously part of nuclear weapons. This dilution, also called depletion, means that any country or group that gets its hands on nuclear fuel will have to repeat a very expensive and complex enrichment process before it can create a weapon.
End of cycle
Substances in which the nuclear fuel cycle has come to an end (mostly spent fuel rods) contain fission products that emit beta and gamma rays. They may also contain actinides that emit alpha particles, which include uranium (234 U), neptunium (237 Np), plutonium (238 Pu) and americium (241 Am), and sometimes even neutron sources such as californium (Cf) . These isotopes are produced in nuclear reactors.
It is important to distinguish between the processing of uranium to produce fuel and the processing of used uranium. The used fuel contains highly radioactive fission products (see Highly active radioactive waste below). Many of them are neutron absorbers, thus getting the name "neutron poisons". Ultimately, their numbers increase to such an extent that, by trapping neutrons, they stop the chain reaction even when the neutron absorber rods are completely removed. The fuel that has reached this state must be replaced with fresh, despite the still sufficient amount of uranium-235 and plutonium. Currently, in the US, used fuel is sent to storage. In other countries (in particular, in Russia, Great Britain, France and Japan), this fuel is reprocessed to remove fission products, then, after re-enrichment, it can be reused. In Russia, such fuel is called regenerated. The reprocessing process involves working with highly radioactive substances, and the fission products removed from the fuel are a concentrated form of highly radioactive waste, just like the chemicals used in reprocessing.
To close the nuclear fuel cycle, it is proposed to use fast neutron reactors, which allows processing fuel that is a waste product of thermal neutron reactors.
On the issue of nuclear proliferation
When working with uranium and plutonium, the possibility of their use in the creation of nuclear weapons is often considered. Active nuclear reactors and stockpiles of nuclear weapons are carefully guarded. However, highly radioactive waste from nuclear reactors may contain plutonium. It is identical to the plutonium used in reactors and consists of 239 Pu (ideal for building nuclear weapons) and 240 Pu (unwanted component, highly radioactive); these two isotopes are very difficult to separate. Moreover, highly radioactive waste from reactors is full of highly radioactive fission products; however, most of them are short-lived isotopes. This means that waste disposal is possible, and after many years the fission products will decay, reducing the radioactivity of the waste and facilitating work with plutonium. Moreover, the unwanted isotope 240 Pu decays faster than 239 Pu, so the quality of weapons raw materials increases over time (despite the decrease in quantity). This causes controversy that, over time, waste storage facilities can turn into a kind of "plutonium mines", from which it will be relatively easy to extract raw materials for weapons. Against these assumptions is the fact that the half-life of 240 Pu is 6560 years, and the half-life of 239 Pu is 24110 years; Pu in a substance consisting of several isotopes will halve on its own - a typical conversion of reactor-grade plutonium to weapons-grade plutonium). Therefore, "weapon-grade plutonium mines" will become a problem in the very distant future; so there is still a lot of time to solve this problem with modern technology before it becomes actual.
One solution to this problem is to reuse reprocessed plutonium as fuel, such as in fast nuclear reactors. However, the very existence of nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, necessary to separate plutonium from other elements, creates an opportunity for the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In pyrometallurgical fast reactors, the resulting waste has an actinoid structure, which does not allow it to be used to create weapons.
Recycling of nuclear weapons
Waste from the processing of nuclear weapons (unlike their manufacture, which requires raw materials from reactor fuel), does not contain sources of beta and gamma rays, with the exception of tritium and americium. They contain a much larger number of actinides that emit alpha rays, such as plutonium-239, which undergoes a nuclear reaction in bombs, as well as some substances with a high specific radioactivity, such as plutonium-238 or polonium.
In the past, beryllium and highly active alpha emitters such as polonium have been proposed as nuclear weapons in bombs. Now an alternative to polonium is plutonium-238. For reasons of national security, the detailed designs of modern bombs are not covered in the literature available to the general public.
Some models also contain a (RTG) that uses plutonium-238 as a durable source of electrical power to operate the bomb's electronics.
It is possible that the fissile material of the old bomb to be replaced will contain decay products of plutonium isotopes. These include alpha emitting neptunium-236, formed from inclusions of plutonium-240, as well as some uranium-235, obtained from plutonium-239. The amount of this waste from the radioactive decay of the bomb core will be very small, and in any case they are much less dangerous (even in terms of radioactivity as such) than plutonium-239 itself.
As a result of the beta decay of plutonium-241, americium-241 is formed, an increase in the amount of americium is a bigger problem than the decay of plutonium-239 and plutonium-240, since americium is a gamma emitter (its external effect on workers increases) and an alpha emitter, capable of generating heat. Plutonium can be separated from americium in a variety of ways, including pyrometric treatment and extraction with an aqueous/organic solvent. A modified technology for the extraction of plutonium from irradiated uranium (PUREX) is also one of the possible separation methods.
general review
To summarize the above, you can phrase "Isolate from people and the environment" until the waste completely decays and no longer poses a threat.
Removal of low-level radioactive waste
Low-level radioactive waste
Low-level radioactive waste is the result of the activities of hospitals, industrial enterprises, as well as the nuclear fuel cycle. These include paper, rags, tools, clothing, filters, etc., containing small amounts of predominantly short-lived isotopes. Usually these items are defined as low level waste as a precautionary measure if they were in any area of the so-called. "core zone", often including office space with very little potential for radioactive contamination. Low-level radioactive waste usually has no more radioactivity than the same items sent to landfill from non-radioactive areas, such as ordinary offices. This type of waste does not require isolation during transport and is suitable for surface disposal. To reduce the amount of waste, it is usually pressed or incinerated before landfill. Low-level radioactive waste is divided into four classes: A, B, C and GTCC (the most dangerous).
Intermediate radioactive waste
Intermediate radioactive waste has a higher radioactivity and in some cases needs to be shielded. This class of waste includes tar, chemical residue, metal cladding of reactor fuel elements, as well as polluted substances from decommissioned nuclear power plants. During transportation, these wastes can be rolled into concrete or bitumen. As a rule, short half-life wastes (mostly non-fuel materials from reactors) are burned in surface storage facilities, while long-lived wastes (fuel and its products) are placed in deep underground storage facilities. US legislation does not classify this type of radioactive waste as a separate class; the term is mainly used in European countries.
Transportation of flasks with high-level radioactive waste by train, UK
Highly active radioactive waste
High-level radioactive waste is the result of the operation of nuclear reactors. They contain fission products and transuranium elements produced in the reactor core. This waste is extremely radioactive and often has a high temperature. Highly active radioactive waste accounts for up to 95% of the total radioactivity resulting from the process of generating electrical energy in the reactor.
Transuranium radioactive waste
According to the definition of US law, this class includes waste contaminated with alpha-emitting transuranium radionuclides with half-lives of more than 20 years and a concentration of more than 100 nCi/g, regardless of their form or origin, excluding high-level radioactive waste. Elements with atomic numbers greater than those of uranium are called "transuranium". Due to the long period of decay of transuranic wastes, their disposal is more thorough than the disposal of low-level and intermediate-level wastes. In the United States, transuranic radioactive waste is generated primarily from weapons production, and includes clothing, tools, rags, by-products of chemical reactions, various kinds of garbage, and other items contaminated with small amounts of radioactive substances (mainly plutonium).
In accordance with US legislation, transuranic radioactive waste is divided into wastes that allow contact handling and wastes that require remote handling. The division is based on the level of radiation measured on the surface of the waste container. The first subclass includes waste with a surface radiation level of not more than 200 millirem per hour, the second - more hazardous waste, the radioactivity of which can reach 1000 millirem per hour. Currently, the permanent disposal site for transuranium waste from power plants and military plants in the United States is the world's first experimental facility for radioactive waste isolation.
Intermediate radioactive waste management
Usually in the nuclear industry, intermediate-level radioactive waste is subjected to ion exchange or other methods, the purpose of which is to concentrate radioactivity in a small volume. After processing, a much less radioactive body is completely neutralized. It is possible to use iron hydroxide as a flocculant to remove radioactive metals from aqueous solutions. After absorption of the radioisotopes by iron hydroxide, the resulting precipitate is placed in a metal drum where it is mixed with cement to form a solid mixture. For greater stability and durability, cement is made from fly ash or furnace slag and Portland cement (as opposed to conventional cement, which consists of Portland cement, gravel and sand).
Handling of high-level radioactive waste
Storage
For temporary storage of high-level radioactive waste, storage tanks for spent nuclear fuel and storage facilities with dry barrels are designed to allow short-lived isotopes to decay before further processing.
geological burial
Searches for suitable deep final disposal sites are currently underway in several countries; it is expected that the first such storage facilities will become operational after 2010. The international research laboratory in Grimsel, Switzerland deals with issues related to radioactive waste disposal. Sweden is talking about its plans for direct disposal of spent fuel using KBS-3 technology, after the Swedish parliament deemed it safe enough. In Germany, discussions are currently underway about finding a place for permanent storage of radioactive waste, residents of the village of Gorleben in the Wendland region are protesting. This place until 1990 seemed ideal for the disposal of radioactive waste due to its proximity to the borders of the former German Democratic Republic. Currently, RW is in temporary storage in Gorleben, the decision on the place of their final disposal has not yet been made. The U.S. authorities chose Yucca Mountain, Nevada as the burial site, but this project met with strong opposition and became the topic of heated discussions. There is a project to create an international repository for high-level radioactive waste; Australia and Russia are proposed as possible disposal sites. However, the Australian authorities oppose such a proposal.
There are projects for the disposal of radioactive waste in the oceans, among which are disposal under the abyssal zone of the seabed, disposal in the subduction zone, as a result of which the waste will slowly sink to the earth's mantle, and disposal under a natural or artificial island. these projects have obvious merits and will solve the unpleasant problem of radioactive waste disposal at the international level, but, despite this, they are currently frozen due to the prohibition of maritime law. Another reason is that in Europe and North America they are seriously afraid of leakage from such a repository, which will lead to an environmental disaster. The real possibility of such a danger has not been proven; however, the bans were tightened after the dumping of radioactive waste from ships. However, in the future, countries that cannot find other solutions to this problem are seriously able to think about the creation of oceanic storage facilities for radioactive waste.
A more realistic project called "Remix & Return" (Mixing and return), the essence of which is that highly radioactive waste, mixed with waste from uranium mines and processing plants to the original level of uranium ore radioactivity, will then be placed in empty uranium mines . The advantages of this project are the disappearance of the problem of high-level radioactive waste, the return of the substance to the place intended for it by nature, the provision of work for miners, and the provision of a removal and neutralization cycle for all radioactive materials.
see also
Exotic radioactive waste disposal projects
It has been established that the main radiation background on our planet (at least for now) is created by natural sources of radiation. According to scientists, the share of natural sources of radiation in the total dose accumulated by an average person throughout life is 87%. The remaining 13% come from man-made sources. Of these, 11.5% (or almost 88.5% of the "artificial" component of the radiation dose) is formed due to the use of radioisotopes in medical practice. And only the remaining 1.5% are the result of the consequences of nuclear explosions, emissions from nuclear power plants, leaks from nuclear waste storage facilities, etc.
Among the natural sources of radiation, radon confidently holds the "palm tree", causing up to 32% of the total radiation dose.
What is radon? It is radioactive natural gas, absolutely transparent, having neither taste nor smell. The gaseous radionuclide radon-222 (along with iodine-131, tritium (3 H) and carbon-14) is not detected by standard methods. If there is a reasonable suspicion of the presence of the above radionuclides, in particular radon, it is necessary to use special equipment for measurements.
What is the danger of radon? As a gas, it enters the human body through inhalation and can cause detrimental health effects, most notably lung cancer. According to the US Public Health service, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in humans after smoking.
Radon is formed in the bowels of the Earth as a result of the decay of uranium, which, although in small quantities, is part of almost all types of soils and rocks. In the process of radioactive decay, uranium turns into radium-226, from which, in turn, radon-222 is formed. The content of uranium is especially high (up to 2 mg/l) in granite rocks. Accordingly, in areas where the predominant rock-forming element is granite, an increased content of radon can also be expected. Radon gradually seeps from the bowels to the surface, where it immediately dissipates in the air, as a result of which its concentration remains negligible and does not pose a danger.
Problems arise if there is not sufficient air exchange, for example, in houses and other premises. In this case, the content of radon in a closed room can reach dangerous concentrations. Since radon enters buildings from the ground, in the west, when building foundations in "radon-hazardous" areas, special protective membranes are widely used to prevent radon seepage. However, even the use of these membranes does not provide 100% protection. When wells are used to supply the house with water, radon enters the house with water and can also accumulate in significant quantities in kitchens and bathrooms. The fact is that radon dissolves very well in water and when groundwater comes into contact with radon, they are very quickly saturated with the latter. In the United States, the level of radon in groundwater ranges from 10 to 100 Becquerels per liter, in some areas reaching hundreds and even thousands of Bq/l.
Radon dissolved in water acts in two ways. On the one hand, it enters the digestive system together with water, and on the other hand, people inhale the radon released by water when using it. The fact is that at the moment when water flows out of the tap, radon is released from it, as a result of which the concentration of radon in the kitchen or bathroom can be 30-40 times higher than its level in other rooms (for example, in living rooms). The second (inhalation) method of exposure to rabon is considered more dangerous to health.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recommends a limit value of 300 pCi/l (which is 11.1 Bq/l - see "Units of measurement") as the recommended limit for radon in water, which, however, has not yet been reflected in the American national water quality standard (this parameter is not standardized). In the recently issued Russian Radiation Safety Standards (NRB-99), the limit level of radon content in water, at which intervention is already required, is set at 60 Bq/kg.
Is it possible to fight radon in water? Yes, and quite effective. One of the most effective methods of combating radon is water aeration ("bubbling" water with air bubbles, in which almost all radon literally "flies into the wind"). Therefore, for those who use municipal water, there is practically nothing to worry about, since aeration is included in the standard water treatment procedure at city water treatment plants. As for individual users of well water, studies conducted by USEPA have shown a fairly high efficiency of activated carbon. A filter based on high-quality activated carbon is able to remove up to 99.7% of radon. True, over time, this figure drops to 79%. The use of a water softener on ion-exchange resins before the carbon filter allows you to increase the latter figure to 85%.
radioactive water
radioactive water
Water containing radioactive substances is not uncommon. Radioactive contamination of natural water can occur in different ways. In particular, underground and surface waters can contain uranium, radium, thorium, radon, etc. These substances can be removed from rocks containing radioactive elements and their decay products, come from the bowels of the earth, get into water bodies with meteorites and as a result of technogenic human activity.
It must be said that so far there is no sufficiently effective and safe implemented method for the disposal of nuclear waste. The most commonly used disposal of these wastes in the ground at various depths. At the same time, the decay of radioactive isotopes with the release of heat continues in nuclear repositories, creating the danger of destruction of hermetic shells and contamination of the environment, through the spread of radionuclides by underground and surface waters.
In addition, industrial wastewater may contain radioactive substances that enter water bodies.
It should be noted that the half-life of various radioactive isotopes ranges from fractions of a second to millions of years, i.e. radioactive contamination of the area makes it uninhabitable for many years, if not millennia.
Thus, the task of decontaminating radioactive water is complex, but necessary and must be urgently addressed.
Ecocenter LLC offers a technology, the application of which will allow not only to quickly and effectively remove radioactive substances from contaminated water, but also to neutralize the resulting sludge, significantly reducing the decay period of radionuclides.
The time required for water purification is measured in minutes, the disposal of the resulting waste - in days. The technology has been developed and is ready for industrial implementation.
