Green approach for radium isotopes removal from TENORM waste using humic substances as environmental friendly

Humic substances (HS) of the dark-colored are found in all soils and sediments as natural organic matter (NOM). HS has high affinity interacted with various organic and inorganic pollutants. Therefore, the HS were isolated from agriculture soil and their potential to remove radium species (226+228Ra) from TENORM scale waste produced from oil production was investigated. Different factors affecting on the efficient removal of radium species by natural humic and natural fulvic acids (NHA and NFA) were investigated by batch technique. These parameters include contact time, concentration of HS, pH, successive leaching as well as the influence of mixed ratio of NHA and NFA. The experimental results indicate that, higher pH and concentration of HS is capable of leaching out 95.2% and 90.2% from TENORM scale waste by the NHA and NFA, respectively, through 3 successive leaching process. Admixture of NHA and NFA solution has been removed 93% of 226+228Ra from scale waste. It is a novel approach for efficient removal Ra isotopes level from TENORM scale waste by economic and eco-friendly that could be help for design a semi-pilot plant for scale-up test in forthcoming study.