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Decontamination of low-level contaminated water from radioactive cesium and cobalt using microalgae

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Abstract

This study selects microalgae suitable for the decontamination of radioactive cobalt (Co-60) in radioactive solutions based on the decontamination efficiency of Co-60 and Cs-137 by various microalgae. The biosorption rates of Co-60 in the low-level contaminated water have been measured using three different types of microalgae Haematococcus sp., Vacuoliviride crystalliferum, and Chlorella vulgaris, which are known to uptake Cs-137 and Sr-90 effectively. In the comparative experiments, Haematococcus sp. showed the highest decontamination efficiency within 48 h, and it could be a suitable bio-adsorbent out of three types of microalgae for the removal of Co-60. Haematococcus sp. also removed 88.0% of Cs-137 from contaminated water for 48 h. Our findings indicated that the low-level radioactive solution was decontaminated to a very low-level state through the biosorption process of microalgae.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Nuclear R&D Program (20161520101210) of Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) and Grant Number 2018M2B2A9065873 of National Research Foundation of Korea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ORIONEnC Co., Ltd., #1306, Seongsuiro-22gil 37, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04798, Republic of Korea

    Tae Young Kim, Hye Min Park & Un Jang Lee

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sogang University, Baekbeom-ro 35, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea

    Ji Eun Hong

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University, Baekbeom-ro 35, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea

    Seung-Yop Lee

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  1. Tae Young Kim
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  2. Ji Eun Hong
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  3. Hye Min Park
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  5. Seung-Yop Lee
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Correspondence to Un Jang Lee or Seung-Yop Lee.

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Kim, T.Y., Hong, J.E., Park, H.M. et al. Decontamination of low-level contaminated water from radioactive cesium and cobalt using microalgae. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 323, 903–908 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-07008-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-07008-4

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