| Abstract [eng] |
This Master’s final degree project confronts an issue of radioactive iodine isotope contamination in urine following nuclear medicine treatments, particularly the excretion of iodine-131, which poses environmental and health risks. Traditional liquid radioactive waste disposal methods, such as storage or dilution are often impractical in clinical settings due to cost and logical constraints. To address this issue, during the research a 3D-printed ion exchange filtration system was designed to remove iodide ions from the patient urine, using MP artificial urine and potassium iodide as a phantom of patient’s urine. The filter system was made of stackable ion exchange resin elements to capture iodide ions. Comparative filtration experiments demonstrated that while double-stacked filter (one anionic and one cationic element) significantly reduced dissolved solids and fully removed traceable amounts of iodide, as proven with silver nitrate test for halogens and starch test for iodine. Quadruple-stacked filter (alternating between anionic and cationic elements) showed even better results in completely removing total dissolved solids, as well as iodide ions, which were also confirmed with qualitative tests with starch and silver nitrate. 3D-printed ion exchange resin stackable filter is proposed as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional radioactive medical wastewater management solution. Its adaptability and low environmental footprint make it especially beneficial for smaller healthcare facilities. |
