Plutonium removal

There is no physiological process for plutonium removal from the body. Various chelating agents have been used as therapeutic reagents for its removal. One of these, rfiown below, is a tetracatechol ligand. 

Important characteristics of the ten adsorbents evaluated in this study relevant to plutonium removal from PFP wastewater are summarized and compared in Table IV. Properties that an ideal adsorbent should possess are (1) high adsorption distribution... 

Table IV. Comparison of Adsorbents for Plutonium Removal from PFP Wastewater...

Of all the sequestering agents tested to date, 3,4,3-LICAMS, a derivative of the natural product spermine, is the most effective in plutonium removal at low dosages. 

The most promising actinide squestering agents yet prepared (Table IX) are the sulfonated catechoylamide derivatives of linear tetra-amines. These compounds appear to strongly bind tetravalent actinides, while only weak complexation has been observed for trivalent and divalent metals. A derivative of the natural product spermine, 3,4,3-LICAMS, is more effective in plutonium removal at low dosages than any other sequestering agent tested to date. 

The electronic structures of the ions are simpler than those of the metals. In the case of plutonium, removal of the first two (7s) electrons increases the stability of the 5/level relative to the 6d level, and the electrons become firmly placed in the 5/shell. After depletion of the 7s electrons, the next four electrons are removed from the Sf shell. A summary of the electronic structures of plutonium (in addition to the Rn core) is given in Table 9.16. 

The capacity of microorganisms, including algae, for accumulation and metabolism of heavy metals is well documented. The applications range from sewage and industrial waste treatment (5,7) to ore leaching (18), and to plutonium removal from holding ponds (12). 

Biological plutonium removal. P. aeruginosa cells attached to PP were used efficiently for the removal of plutonium from aqueous systems. Pu removal experiments were conducted In small scale batch or continuous column operations. 

Some of the plutonium absorbed into the body leaves the body in urine. The rate of plutonium removal from the tissues of the body is very slow, however, occurring over years. Most of the plutonium that stays in the body is found in the lungs, liver, and skeleton. You may find more information about this subject in Chapter 2. 

Figure 2. Plutonium Removal Performance with Various Sorbents...

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