Nuclear Seminar - Vesaj Singh (11.3.2026)
Wednesday 11.3.2026 at 14:00, Lecture room F1/364
M.Sc. Vesaj Singh (Department of Nuclear Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava):
Development and Mechanistic Evaluation of Perlite–Alginate–Chitosan Composite Beads for the Removal of 133Ba and 137Cs from Aqueous Systems
Abstract:
The expansion of nuclear technologies has provided significant benefits to society; however, the safe management of radioactive waste remains a critical environmental challenge. Among radionuclides of concern, 133Ba and 137Cs are important due to their radiotoxicity and mobility in aqueous environments. 137Cs is a well-known fission product with a half-life of approximately 30.17 years, while 133Ba (half-life ~10.5 years) is commonly used as a gamma-emitting tracer and represents barium behaviour in radioactive systems. Their gamma emission and solubility enhance the risk of environmental contamination. In this study, Perlite–Alginate–Chitosan composite beads were synthesized and evaluated as a durable and regenerable adsorbent for the removal of 133Ba and 137Cs from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, temperature, initial concentration, and competing ions on removal efficiency. The maximum removal efficiency achieved was 97% for 133Ba and 33% for 137Cs under optimized conditions. Adsorption isotherm and kinetic models were applied to elucidate the adsorption mechanism and surface interaction behaviour. Furthermore, regeneration studies over five consecutive cycles demonstrated that the composite material retains its adsorption capacity with only minimal loss, highlighting its potential applicability for radioactive wastewater treatment.