Wash. Contamination at these sites includes such radionuclides as tritium, cesium, americium, uranium and others with long half-lives. Radiation at these facilities is typically significantly higher than from naturally occurring sources, and may contain isotopes not typically found in natural conditions. Systems also may be installed at the source to provide treatment before distribution. Remediation systems generally are more robust than drinking water treatment, and may include components to address other contaminants associated with the site, such as heavy metals and salts. Specific treatment technologies are described below.
Air stripping effectively removes radon gas from groundwater.
Cation and anion exchange resins are used to remove various species of radionuclides. Ion exchange media can consist of naturally occurring materials, such as zeolite, or manmade resins. As the resin becomes exhausted due to all sites being occupied by the radium or other cations that may be in the water, such as copper or nickel, it must either be replaced or regenerated. Due to the high ionic strength of the regenerate solution, the sorbed radionuclides on the resin are released and replaced by sodium ions. The spent regenerate solution containing the radionuclides must then be disposed of properly.