BENZENE DESTRUCTION IN AQUEOUS WASTE .1. BENCH-SCALE GAMMA-IRRADIATION EXPERIMENTS

Destruction of the benzene component of a simulated low-level mixed aq ueous waste stream by high energy irradiation was explored. This work was motivated by the fact that mixed waste, containing both radionucli des and regulated (non-radioactive) chemicals, is more difficult and m ore expensive to dispose of than only radioactive waste. After the ben zene is destroyed, the waste can then be listed only as radiological w aste instead of mixed waste, simplifying its disposal. This study quan tifies the removal of benzene, and the formation and destruction of re action products in a relatively complex waste stream matrix consisting of NO3-, SO42-, PO43-, Fe2+ and detergent at a pH of 3. All of the ex periments were conducted at a bench scale using a Co-60 gamma source. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.