Synthetic Clay Excels in ⁹⁰Sr Removal

Tests with actual ground water from Hanford site, and fundamental studies of 2Na⁺ → Sr²⁺ exchange equilibria revealed that a synthetic clay is extremely selective for ⁹⁰Sr with a high capacity for uptake. Comparative studies with existing Sr selective ion exchangers clearly revealed that the present synthetic clay exhibited the best performance for ⁹⁰Sr removal from actual ground water collected from three different locations at Hanford. This novel Sr ion sieve is expected to be useful for the decontamination of the environment after accidental release and contamination with ⁹⁰Sr.