Sorption of Radioactive Iodine and Fluoride Ion on Hydroxyapatite from the Aqueous Phase

Sorption of the ¹³¹I^-, ¹³¹IO₃^-, and F^- ions on various samples of hydroxyapatite (HAP) from aqueous solutions was studied. The HAP samples were prepared by the following reactions: Ca(OH)₂ + H₃PO₄ HAP, CACl₂ + Na₃PO₄ + NaOH HAP, and Ca(NO₃)₂ + HAP seed + (NH₄)₂HPO₄ + NH₃ HAP. None of the HAP samples sorb ionic species of radioactive iodine from aqueous solutions. As for F^-, the best sorption properties are exhibited by the HAP sample prepared by the second reaction. The degree of recovery of fluoride ion with the HAP precipitate in 5 min, 4 h, and 5 days of the contact of the solid and liquid phases is 54, 66, and >95% of the initial F^- amount, respectively. The distribution factor K_d of the fluoride ion between the HAP solid phase and solution decreases with increasing V/m ratio and pH of the initial solution.