Modern medical therapies involving radioisotopes provide radionuclide contamination in wastewater. These radioisotopes present in wastewater increase the possibility of human exposure to radiation. The objective of this work was to study the fate of radionuclides of medical sources in wastewater, and to determine the distribution of various radionuclides in different stages of wastewater treatment. Influent, return activated sludge and effluent samples were collected from four wastewater facilities in Massachusetts. Samples were collected approximately twice a month over 4 months. The radionuclides and their decay products were tested by inductively coupled plasma with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and broad energy germanium detector analysis (BEGe). The samples were analyzed to determine the content and radioactivity of each target radionuclide and decay product for three treatment stages (influent, return activated sludge and effluent) from each facility at different sampling times. The results indicated that I-131 is the only radionuclide in wastewater, however many decay products were identified. Recommendations are put forward according to the testing results.

Last modified

• 2021-01-27

Creator

• Pan, Xiaodi

Contributors

• Mathisen, Paul P.
• Bergendahl, John Andrew

Degree

• MS

Unit

• Civil & Environmental Engineering

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Language

• English

Identifier

• etd-090816-105235

Keyword

• wastewater
• medicine
• radioisotope

Advisor

• Bergendahl, John Andrew

Committee

• Mathisen, Paul P.

Defense date

• 2016-09-07

Year

• 2016

Date created

• 2016-09-08

Resource type

• Thesis

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved