Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology

This study aimed to develop an efficient recycling process for wastewater generated from soil-washing used to remediate uranium (U(VI))-contaminated soil. Under acidic conditions, U(VI) ions leached from the soil were precipitated and separated through neutralization using hydrazine (N₂H₄). N₂H₄, employed as a pH adjuster, was decomposed into nitrogen gas (N₂), water (H₂O), and hydrogen ions (H⁺) by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The residual N₂H₄ was precipitated when the pH was adjusted using sulfuric acid (H2SO₄) to recycle the wastewater in the soil-washing process. This purified wastewater was reused in the soil-washing process for a total of ten cycles. The results confirmed that the soil-washing performance for U(VI)-contaminated soil was maintained when using recycled wastewater. All in all, this study proposes an efficient recycling process for wastewater generated during the remediation of U(VI)-contaminated soil.

Keywords

Soil-washing, Uranium precipitation, Hydrazine decomposition, Wastewater treatment, Water recycling