Reducing the Radioactive Surface Contamination Level of Cobalt-60-Contaminated Material with PVA-Glycerol-EDTA Combination Gel

Decommissioning of nuclear facilities can be performed in stages. One of the stages and processes in decontamination is the decontamination process before dismantling or facility area recovery activities. Decontamination can be performed using various methods, primarily physical and chemical. One chemical method involves using a gel made of polymers for decontamination. In this study, a gel consisting of a mixture of 15 g polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), 15 mL of glycerol, and 2 g Na-EDTA was dissolved in 100 mL. The three materials were dissolved in hot conditions until they dissolved, and a gel was formed. The formed gel was applied to the material contaminated by Co-60 with a radioactivity of 81 µCi, as much as 5 µL. The decontamination radioactive efficiency test results range from 53% to 98%, with the highest decontamination efficiency observed on glass media. This study also showed that higher EDTA concentrations can increase the ability of the PVA-glycerol gel to absorb and bind Co. This study also found that decontamination efficiency was influenced by the type of contaminated material and the concentration of EDTA. It can be concluded that gels with a composition of PVA, glycerol, and EDTA can reduce the level of contamination on the surface of materials made of glass, ceramics, and metal plates.