Isotherm, Kinetic, and Selectivity Studies for the Removal of (133)Ba and (137)Cs from Aqueous Solution Using Turkish Perlite

The efficiency of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] removal from aqueous solution is vital to mitigate ecological concerns over spreading these radionuclides in the environment. The present work focused on the use of Turkish perlite for the sorptive removal of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] from aqueous solution by the radioindicator method. Perlite was characterized by XRF, XRD, FTIR, SEM–EDX, and BET analyses. The maximum percentage removals of 88.2% and 78.7% were obtained for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at pH 6 and pH 9, respectively. For both ions, the sorption equilibrium was attained relatively rapidly. Experimental kinetic data were well described with pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models. The uptake of both ions increased with the increase in metal concentration (1 × 10(−5) to 5 × 10(−2) mol/L) in solution. The maximum uptake capacities of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were found to be 1.96 and 2.11 mmol/g, respectively. The effect of competing ions decreased in the order of [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] sorption, whereas for [Formula: see text] sorption, the order was determined as [Formula: see text]. Selectivity studies pointed out that sorption of [Formula: see text] onto perlite is preferable to [Formula: see text]. Therefore, Turkish perlite is a promising, cost-effective, and efficient natural material for the removal of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] from relatively diluted aqueous solution.