Waste Remediation

Zeolite’s high cation ion exchange properties allow for the decontamination of low-level radioactive waste using zeolite’s natural properties. For example, low-level radioactive wastewater passes through four Clinoptilolite Zeolite columns from irradiated fuel storage basins in parallel; as radioactive nuclides reach the bottom drums, the top drums are replaced, removed from use, sealed, and buried as solid waste.

Natural zeolite is a highly effective absorbent; the mineral’s ability to bind with different elements that make up hydrocarbons and radioactive isotopes offers it a significant advantage over other remediating agents. Companies who want to be more proactive in their waste treatment efforts can leverage zeolite’s excellent natural properties to clean up their sites efficiently and at a lower cost.

Zeolite’s affinity to heavy metals spans to nickel, copper, mercury, and silver, chromium, and cadmium, as the direct addition of zeolite powder led to the removal of the metals from water in an acid mine drainage facility. Additionally, natural zeolites have a superior selectivity for certain radionuclides compared with organoresins, are more valuable, and much more resistant to nuclear degradation.