Isotherm, Kinetic, and Selectivity Studies for the Removal of 133Ba and 137Cs from Aqueous Solution Using Turkish Perlite

The efficiency of Ba-133 and Cs-137 removal from aqueous solution is vital to mitigate ecological concerns over spreading these radionuclides in the environment. The present work focused on the use of Turkish perlite for the sorptive removal of Ba-133 and Cs-137 from aqueous solution by the radioindicator method. Perlite was characterized by XRF, XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, and BET analyses. The maximum percentage removals of 88.2% and 78.7% were obtained for Ba-133 and Cs-137 at pH 6 and pH 9, respectively. For both ions, the sorption equilibrium was attained relatively rapidly. Experimental kinetic data were well described with pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models. The uptake of both ions increased with the increase in metal concentration (1 x 10(-5) to 5 x 10(-2) mol/L) in solution. The maximum uptake capacities of Ba-133 and Cs-137 were found to be 1.96 and 2.11 mmol/g, respectively. The effect of competing ions decreased in the order of Ca2+ > K+ > Ni2+ > Na+ for Ba-133 sorption, whereas for Cs-137 sorption, the order was determined as Ca2+ > Ni2+ > K+ > Na+. Selectivity studies pointed out that sorption of Ba-133 onto perlite is preferable to Cs-137. Therefore, Turkish perlite is a promising, cost-effective, and efficient natural material for the removal of Ba-133 and Cs-137 from relatively diluted aqueous solution.

Automated summary

This study focused on the use of Turkish perlite for the sorptive removal of Ba-133 and Cs-137 from aqueous solution. The results showed that the maximum removal percentages for Ba-133 and Cs-137 were 88.2% and 78.7% at pH 6 and pH 9, respectively. Sorption equilibrium was achieved relatively rapidly and experimental data fit well with pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models. Turkish perlite demonstrated preferential sorption of Ba-133 over Cs-137.