Recovery of Liquid Organic Radioactive Waste Absorbed Into Soil by Extraction

ABSTRACT A methodology for the radiological characterization of organic radioactive liquid wastes (OLRWS) adsorbed into soils, generated in the 80s and 1990s is developed to define their management. The methodology is based on the recovery of radioactive organic liquids from their solid matrix using a solvent and their subsequent quantification. It is established on the basis of controlled tests with samples prepared with radioactive scintillation liquids mixed with soil, using different scintillation liquids, solvents, radionuclides and process types (percolation or batch). Thinner is selected as the extraction agent because it is inexpensive, easily accessible and offers good performance in the removal of radioactive organic liquids from soil. The recovery of the scintillation liquids depends mainly on their miscibility with the solvent and the affinity of the radionuclides to the soil. The method was applied to OLRWS containing only H‐3 with average activities of 39 Bq g −1 and can therefore be released from regulatory control.