Title:
Utilizing Northeastern Minnesota Wastewater Treatment Sludge in Heavyweight Concrete for Radiation Shielding
Author(s):
McCabe
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
ws_F24_McCabe.pdf
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
11/3/2024
Abstract:
In Northeastern Minnesota, iron mining creates runoff wastewater with sulfate concentrations upwards of 2000 ppm. This region is also home to some of the world's most productive wild rice beds, which are significantly impaired by high sulfate concentrations. A barite precipitation process to remove these sulfates has been developed but generates a significant amount of solid waste consisting primarily of barium sulfate, which is characterized by its high specific gravity. This research considers the utilization of fine barite powder coupled with iron-rich taconite aggregate, also prevalent in the region, to develop a heavy-weight concrete. The radiation shielding properties of the barite-containing concrete will be investigated through measurements of its linear attenuation coefficient to gamma radiation from common industrial and medical radionuclides including Co-60 and Cs-137.