Abstract: A process for the decontamination of radioactive materials which process comprises the steps of: i) contacting the material to be decontaminated with a dilute carbonate containing solution in the presence of ion exchange particles which either contains or have a chelating function bond to them; and ii) separating the ion exchange particles from the dilute carbonate containing solution. The radioactive materials which are treated may be natural materials, such as soil, or man-made materials such as concrete or steel, which have been subjected to contamination.

Abstract: A method for the removal of pollutant ions from an aqueous solution in which they are contained, which method includes the steps of:i) contacting the solution to be treated with particles of a composite magnetic resin which includes magnetic particles embedded in an organic polymeric matrix which either contains, or has attached thereto sites which are selective for the pollutant ions in the presence of other ions it is not desired to remove;ii) separating by magnetic filtration the composite magnetic resin particles from the solution;iii) subjecting the separated composite magnetic resin particles to regeneration using an appropriate regenerant solution;iv) separating the regenerated composite magnetic resin particles from the regenerant solution; andv) recycling the separated composite magnetic resin particles to step (i) of the method.

Abstract: A method for the combined removal and destruction of nitrate ions in an electrochemical cell which includes an anode compartment containing electrolyte and an anode, a cathode compartment containing electrolyte and a cathode, and a central compartment containing an anion exchange resin, the central compartment being separated from the anode compartment and the cathode compartment by respective anion permeable membranes, includes the steps of(i) passing an aqueous solution containing nitrate ions through the anion exchange resin in the central compartment of the cell,(ii) passing an electric current through the cell in order to cause the nitrate ions captured on the anion exchange resin to migrate into the anode compartment of the cell, and(iii) destroying the nitrate ions by subjecting them to reduction and oxidation reactions to form nitrogen and oxygen or water.Step (i) may be replaced by passing an anion exchange resin washed with nitrate ion through the central compartment of the electrochemical cell.