• Evaluation of Rhizofiltration for Uranium Removal with Calculation of the Removal Capacity of Raphanus sativus L.
  • Han, Yikyeong;Lee, Minhee;
  • Department of Earth Environmental Sciences, Pukyong National University;Department of Earth Environmental Sciences, Pukyong National University;
  • 무순(Raphanus sativus L.)의 제거능 계산에 의한 뿌리여과법의 우라늄 제거 가능성 평가
  • 한이경;이민희;
  • 부경대학교 지구환경과학과;부경대학교 지구환경과학과;
Abstract
The uranium removal capacity of radish sprouts (Raphanus sativus L.) in groundwater was calculated on the basis of the amount of uranium accumulated in the radish sprouts rather than the concentration in solution, of which process was very limited in previous studies. Continuous rhizofiltration clean-up system was designed to investigate the feasibility of radish sprouts, applying for uranium contaminated groundwater (U concentration: 110 μg/L) taken at Bugogdong, Busan. Six acrylic boxes (10 cm × 30 cm × 10 cm) were connected in a direct series for the continuous rhizofiltration system and 200 g of radish sprouts cultivars was placed in each box. The groundwater was flushed through the system for 48 hours at the constant rate of 5 mL/min. The rhizofiltration system was operated in the phytotron, of which conditions were at 25℃ temperature, 70% of relative humidity, 4,000 Lux illumination (16 hours/day) and 600 mg/L of CO2 concentration. While 14.4 L of contaminated groundwater was treated, the uranium removal efficiency of the radish sprouts (1,200 g in wet weight) was 77.2% and their removal capacities ranged at 152.1 μg/g-239.7 μg/g (the average: 210.8 μg/g), suggesting that the radish sprouts belong to the group of hyper-accumulation species. After the experiment, the sum of U amounts accumulated in radish sprouts and remained in groundwater was 1,472.2 μg and the uranium recovery ratio of this rhizofiltration experiment was 92.9%. From the results, it was investigated that the radish sprouts can remove large amounts of uranium from contaminated groundwater in a short time (few days) because the fast growth rate and the high U accumulation adsorption capacity.

Keywords: Hyper-accumulation species;Phytoremediation;Radish sprouts;Raphanus sativus L.;Removal capacity;Rhizofiltration;Uranium;

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This Article

  • 2015; 20(7): 43-52

    Published on Dec 31, 2015

  • 10.7857/JSGE.2015.20.7.043
  • Received on Jul 9, 2015
  • Revised on Aug 14, 2015
  • Accepted on Sep 17, 2015