Review

  • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
  • Volume 23(1); 2025
  • Article

Research Paper

Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology 2025;23(1):97-105. Published online: Mar, 30, 2025

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DOI : doi.org/10.7733/jnfcwt.2025.010

A Study on Behaviors of the Uranium Dissolution From UraniumContaminated Soil During an Acid Wash Process

  • Jun-Young Jung1 , Byung-Moon Jun2 , Maengkyo Oh1 , Tack-Jin Kim1 , and Hee-Chul Eun1,*

    1Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111, Daedeok-daero 989beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34057, Republic of Korea,
    2Kyung Hee University, 1732, Deogyeong-daero, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea
Abstract

Uranium-contaminated soil can be cleaned using an acid washing process. However, high-concentration acid washing generates substantial amounts of radioactive waste, making it essential to develop a treatment process using low-concentration acid. This study evaluated the effectiveness of low-concentration sulfuric acid washing for uranium removal from contaminated soil. Experiments were conducted with a 0.05 M sulfuric acid solution. With a mixing ratio of soil to acid solution at 1:5, three consecutive washes were sufficient to remove uranium from contaminated soil to clearance level. During the acid washing process, real-time pH monitoring was performed to analyze the correlation between uranium leaching and pH changes. This led to the establishment of a monitoring-based process control strategy. In conclusion, we identified an effective method for removing uranium from soil under low acid concentration conditions. Consequently, significant reductions in radioactive waste generation are anticipated.

Keywords

Uranium-contaminated soil, Low-concentration acid washing, Removal, Clearance, pH monitoring