Nature Environment and Pollution Technology

Mahmudul Kabir ¹, Yoshitaka Hatakeyama ¹, Shunsuke Nakajima ²

Affiliations
1 Graduate School of Engineering and Resource Science, 1-1 Tegata Gakuen Machi, Akita Shi-010-8502, Akita, Akita University, JP
2 Sanwa Tekki Corporation, 6-5-19 Minami Shinagawa, Shinagawa Ku, Tokyo, JP

Abstract

Soil pollution is one of the main problems after the atomic power plant explosion in Japan. Electrokinetic method can be an important soil remediation method. The method has been proved efficient in laboratory scale, but still requires some solutions to apply it in practical field. However, a new method has been developed, which uses a flat electrode on the surface of the polluted soil as cathode and the anode electrodes are put inside the soil, and then the electrokinetic method is applied in between the electrodes. We have named this process as FEM-EK (Flat Electrode Method-Electrokinetic) process. This new process needs electrodes which can adsorb radioactive materials. We have tried to induce some materials and methods to prepare this new type of cathode electrodes. Natural zeolite, Kuntan (burnt rice husk) and Abaca in different amounts were used to prepare the electrodes. We evaluated the electrodes by measuring the conductivity, flexibility and the adsorption ability of Cs. Our experiments have shown that a combination of zeolite, Kuntan and Abaca may fulfil the needs of the electrode for the FEM-EK process. These electrodes and FEM-EK process can pave the way for purification of radioactive polluted soil in the near future.

Keywords

FEM-EK Method, Electrode, Zeolite, Cesium.

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