Degradation of chelating and complexing agents in an irradiated, simulated mixed waste

Abstract

A simulant of an actual mixed waste was prepared and used to study organic degradation in nuclear wastes. Citric acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA) were added to an inorganic matrix, which contained no radionuclides. This simulated waste was then γ-irradiated in a60Co-source up to 100 hours. The organics degraded "exponentially" at first, before tapering off; 80% had disappeared by 100 hours. Numerous degradation products (27 in all), mainly complexor and chelator fragments, ranging from small to complex species, were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The waste's total organic content decreased with increasing radiation, indicating that radiolytic degradation is dispersive. © 1992 Akadémiai Kiadó.

Department(s)

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02040502

Publication Date

8-1-1992

Journal Title

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Articles

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