Review

Research advances on adsorption materials for the purification of radioactive wastewater

¹ School of Naval Architecture and Maritime, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
² State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

^* Corresponding author: h20091957@126.com

Received: 15 February 2025
Accepted: 1 May 2025

Abstract

With the development of nuclear industry, the prevention and control of radioactive risks remains a critical challenge. Radioactive wastewater contains various radionuclides, such as ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, and ²³⁹Pu, which pose threats to both the environment and human health. Effective treatment and purification of radioactive wastewater are therefore crucial. Adsorption methods, due to their efficiency and energy-saving characteristics, play a crucial role in radioactive wastewater purification technologies. This review summarizes the research progress on adsorption materials used for radioactive wastewater purification, including natural adsorbents, composite adsorbents, engineered adsorbents, adsorption membrane materials, and photothermal evaporation adsorbents. The advantages, disadvantages, and future prospects of these materials are analyzed. Studies indicate that adsorption materials hold great potential in the field of radioactive wastewater treatment, and however, issues such as low adsorption capacity, insufficient selectivity, and the risk of secondary contamination still remain. This paper reviewed the research advances of adsorption materials used for the purification of radioactive wastewater, and discussed their advantages, limitations, and future research directions.