| Affiliation: | (1) University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade, Republic of Serbia;(2) Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-14, 11000 Belgrade, Republic of Serbia;(3) University of Belgrade, ICTM-Center for Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade, Republic of Serbia;(4) University of Belgrade, ICTM—Center for Chemistry, Polymer Department, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Republic of Serbia |
| Abstract: | Technetium-99 comprises a significant health risk, since edible plants can bioaccumulate and convert it to more lipophilic species that cannot be excreted through urine. Batch kinetics of pertechnetate removal from aqueous solutions by two samples of crosslinked poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) functionalized with diethylene triamine (PGME-deta) was investigated at the optimum pH value of 3.0, and the initial solution activity of 325 MBq dm−3. PGME-deta was characterized by elemental analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Five kinetic models (pseudo-first, pseudo-second order, Elovich, Bangham, and intraparticle diffusion) were used to determine the best-fit equation for pertechnetate sorption. After 24 h, PGME-deta samples sorbed more than 98% of pertechnetate present, with maximum sorption capacity of 25.5 MBq g−1, showing good potential for remediation of slightly contaminated groundwater. |
