Affiliations 

  • 1 Malaysian Nuclear Agency
  • 2 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
MyJurnal

Abstract

Effect of washing solutions’ pH on removal of radium-226 from radium-contaminated soil using distilled water and humic acid extracted from Malaysian peat soil was studied by a single batch washing method. The study encompassed the extraction of humic acid and the washing of radium-contaminated soil using distilled water and humic acid solutions of varying pH in the range between 3 to 11. Activity of radium-226 was determined by gamma spectrometer. In the pH range studied, the removal of radium-226 was greater when humic acid solutions were used compared to distilled water. Greater removal of radium-226 was obtained using highly basic pH washing solutions compared to neutral and acidic solutions.