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Reduction of natural radioactivity in groundwater with different salinity through adsorption of uranium and radium in filter materials

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Abstract

In many small communities in the Mediterranean area, groundwater is usually the only water body available. Depending mainly on the surrounding geology, their concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides may pose a radiological hazard. Removal of uranium and radium from drinking water is the best way to avoid it, i.e., reverse osmosis (RO), but consuming a lot of energy. Thus, two modified drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) using zeolites coated with manganese dioxide as adsorbent material were analyzed as an alternative to RO. Groundwater salinity can negatively affect this process. Radium removal decreased as water salinity increased; but it had a major impact on uranium, rendering the adsorption effectless in one DWTP. Waste management and how to avoid it from becoming radioactive are of major concern. Radium and uranium were associated to the reducible fraction in the filter material and also to the carbonate fraction in the case of uranium. Regeneration of the filter material using KCl solutions was able to remove 81% and 63% of uranium and radium, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

This study has been supported by the European Commission, European Project LIFE ALCHEMIA (LIFE16 ENV/ES/000437). We are also grateful to the Autonomous Government of Extremadura (Junta de Extremadura) for the financial support granted to the LARUEX research group (FQM001). We wish to dedicate this study to the memory of Dr. Antonio Baeza, who recently passed away.

Funding

This study has been supported by the European Commission, European Project LIFE ALCHEMIA (LIFE16 ENV/ES/000437). We are also grateful to the Autonomous Government of Extremadura (Junta de Extremadura) for the financial support granted to the LARUEX research group (FQM001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, Carretera de Sacramento s/n 04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain

    María Guadalupe Pinna-Hernández, Isabel Rodríguez-Ruano & José Luis Casas López

  2. Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, 04120, Almería, Spain

    María Guadalupe Pinna-Hernández, Isabel Rodríguez-Ruano & José Luis Casas López

  3. LARUEX, Dpt. Applied Physics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Extremadura, Avda. Universidad, s/n, 10003, Cáceres, Spain

    Alejandro Salas, Javier Guillén & Antonio Baeza

  4. Diputación of Almería, Development, Environment and Water Department, Hermanos Machado, 27, 04004, Almería, Spain

    Francisco Javier Martínez-Rodríguez

Authors
  1. María Guadalupe Pinna-Hernández
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  2. Alejandro Salas
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  3. Isabel Rodríguez-Ruano
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  4. Javier Guillén
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  5. Antonio Baeza
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  6. Francisco Javier Martínez-Rodríguez
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  7. José Luis Casas López
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Contributions

Conceptualization: José Luis Casas López, Antonio Baeza, Isabel Pérez Ruano, and Francisco Javier Martínez Fernández; methodology: José Luis Casas López, Antonio Baeza, María Guadalupe Pinna Hernández, and Alejandro Salas; formal analysis and investigation: María Guadalupe Pinna Hernández, Alejandro Salas, and Javier Guillén; writing—original draft preparation: María Guadalupe Pinna Hernández, Alejandro Salas, José Luis Casas López, and Antonio Baeza; writing—review and editing: Javier Guillén, María Guadalupe Pinna Hernández, and Alejandro Salas; funding acquisition: José Luis Casas López, Isabel Pérez Ruano, and Francisco Javier Martínez Fernández; resources: José Luis Casas López, Antonio Baeza, Isabel Pérez Ruano, and Francisco Javier Martínez Fernández; supervision: Alejandro Salas and Javier Guillén. The authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Javier Guillén.

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Pinna-Hernández, M.G., Salas, A., Rodríguez-Ruano, I. et al. Reduction of natural radioactivity in groundwater with different salinity through adsorption of uranium and radium in filter materials. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 48988–48998 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25638-w

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