Construction of Imprinted\nBacterial Cellulose Composite\nMembranes for Selective Adsorption of Cesium from Low Concentration\nRadioactive Wastewater

Cesium-137 (Cs(I)) is highly hazardous in low-level wastewater\nand is a major problem in low-level nuclear wastewater. Its effective\nremoval from contaminated wastewater is crucial to ensuring environmental\nsafety and public health. In this study, cesium ion-imprinted composite\nmembranes (I-DBC) were developed for selective separation of Cs(I)\nusing dopamine modification and ion-imprinting techniques. Bacterial\ncellulose (BC) was used as a carrier in the membrane matrix, and the\nadsorption capacity of the material was greatly improved after hydrophilic\ndopamine mimetic bonding and ion blotting techniques. Rapid and highly\nselective adsorption of cesium ions from low concentration nuclear\nenergy wastewater was realized. The researchers conducted both static\nand dynamic adsorption experiments on Cs(I) to evaluate the performance\nof the I-DBC composite membranes. The results showed that the I-DBC\ncomposite membrane was more compatible with the Langmuir model and\nadsorbed Cs(I) mainly by chemical monolayer adsorption, with a maximum\nadsorption capacity of 50.016 mg g<sup>–1</sup> under optimal\nconditions. In low concentration wastewater, the maximum adsorption\ncapacity of the I-DBC was 4.093 mg g<sup>–1</sup>. Furthermore,\nduring dynamic permeation experiments, the breakthrough point of the\nI-DBC was approximately 20 min. The membrane demonstrated good flux\nproperties, which underscores its potential for practical application\nin the treatment of nuclear wastewater. The findings suggest that\nthe I-DBC composite membrane holds promising prospects for the efficient\nremoval of cesium ions from contaminated water, contributing to safer\nand more effective nuclear wastewater management.