School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre (Southampton), European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK.
National Nuclear Laboratory, Sellafield, Cumbria CA20 1PG, UK.
J Hazard Mater. 2021 Jul 5;413:125274. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125274. Epub 2021 Feb 1.
Contamination encountered on nuclear sites includes radionuclides as well as a range of non-radioactive co-contaminants, often in low-permeability substrates such as concretes or clays. However, many commercial remediation techniques are ineffective in these substrates. By contrast, electrokinetic remediation (EKR), where an electric current is applied to remove contaminants from the treated media, retains high removal efficiencies in low permeability substrates. Here, we evaluate recent developments in EKR for the removal of radionuclides in contaminated substrates, including caesium, uranium and others, and the current benefits and limitations of this technology. Further, we assess the present state of EKR for nuclear site applications using real-world examples, and outline key areas for future application.
核设施中遇到的污染包括放射性核素以及一系列非放射性共污染物，这些污染物通常存在于低渗透性基质中，如混凝土或粘土。然而，许多商业修复技术在这些基质中效果不佳。相比之下，电动修复（EKR）通过施加电流从处理介质中去除污染物，在低渗透性基质中仍能保持高去除效率。在这里，我们评估了 EKR 在去除污染基质中的放射性核素（包括铯、铀和其他核素）方面的最新进展，以及该技术的当前优势和局限性。此外，我们使用实际案例评估了 EKR 在核设施应用中的现状，并概述了未来应用的关键领域。
