Carbonate composite materials for the leaching remediation of uranium-contaminated soils: Mechanistic insights and engineering applications

Juncheng Han; Guangming Xu; Xinyao Liu; Likun Jiang; Kexin Shao; Haotian Yang; Guangsheng Zhu; Aizhong Ding; Zhaorong Shang; Ling Chen; Junfeng Dou

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136814

Carbonate composite materials for the leaching remediation of uranium-contaminated soils: Mechanistic insights and engineering applications

J Hazard Mater. 2024 Dec 7:485:136814. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136814. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China; Engineering Research Center for Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
² College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
³ Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100082, PR China.
⁴ China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing 102413, PR China.
⁵ College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China; Engineering Research Center for Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China. Electronic address: doujf@bnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 39662348
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136814

Abstract

In this study, a composite leaching agent consisting of Na₂CO₃, NaHCO₃, H₂O₂, and deep eutectic solvents was synthesized, and its composition and application conditions were optimized to mitigate soil contamination resulting from uranium mining. Laboratory and pilot field tests revealed that the use of this agent facilitated up to 92.6 % removal of uranium from contaminated soils. Analytical characterization through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that CO₃^2- readily formed complexes with uranium, increasing its mobility and desorption from soil particles. The safety of the leaching process was confirmed through plant growth tests and enzyme activity assays. Moreover, the leaching strategy not only adheres to environmentally sustainable principles but also replenishes carbon and nitrogen in the soil, thereby aiding in the restoration of its functional use.

Keywords: Carbonate preparations; Chemical leaching; Milder effects; U-contaminated soil.