Removal of radioactive cesium by polymer

Large amounts of high-activity-level water accumulated in the reactor, turbine building and the trench in the facility that were generated from the nuclear accident of Fukushima NPP-1 caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. This contaminated water resulted in operation obstacles and environmental contamination. At present, the cold shutdown is completed by the circulating injection cooling system, while large amounts of high-activity-level water, over 260,000 m³, are stored in Fukushima NPP-1. In order to develop high selective adsorbents towards radioactive cesium, functional polymers can be used for the immobilization of selective fine adsorbents. By using the alginate gel polymer enclosing insoluble ferrocyanides and heteropolyacids, complete removal of radioactive Cs can be accomplished from seawater. Non woven Zeolite was also effective for the selective removal of radioactive cesium in the field of soil decontamination. Functional polymers are thus useful for the decontamination of radioactive cesium and environmental remediation.