Construction of Imprinted Bacterial Cellulose Composite Membranes for Selective Adsorption of Cesium from Low Concentration Radioactive Wastewater

Cesium-137 (Cs(I)) is highly hazardous in low-level wastewater and is a major problem in low-level nuclear wastewater. Its effective removal from contaminated wastewater is crucial to ensuring environmental safety and public health. In this study, cesium ion-imprinted composite membranes (I-DBC) were developed for selective separation of Cs(I) using dopamine modification and ion-imprinting techniques. Bacterial cellulose (BC) was used as a carrier in the membrane matrix, and the adsorption capacity of the material was greatly improved after hydrophilic dopamine mimetic bonding and ion blotting techniques. Rapid and highly selective adsorption of cesium ions from low concentration nuclear energy wastewater was realized. The researchers conducted both static and dynamic adsorption experiments on Cs(I) to evaluate the performance of the I-DBC composite membranes. The results showed that the I-DBC composite membrane was more compatible with the Langmuir model and adsorbed Cs(I) mainly by chemical monolayer adsorption, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 50.016 mg g–1 under optimal conditions. In low concentration wastewater, the maximum adsorption capacity of the I-DBC was 4.093 mg g–1. Furthermore, during dynamic permeation experiments, the breakthrough point of the I-DBC was approximately 20 min. The membrane demonstrated good flux properties, which underscores its potential for practical application in the treatment of nuclear wastewater. The findings suggest that the I-DBC composite membrane holds promising prospects for the efficient removal of cesium ions from contaminated water, contributing to safer and more effective nuclear wastewater management.