Water treatment material

Is used in advanced nuclear waste reprocessing methods, in which the microporous ability of zeolites can trap some ions while allowing others to pass freely, allowing many fission products to be effectively removed from the waste and permanently captured. The mineral properties of zeolite are equally important. Their aluminosilicate structure is extremely durable and resists radiation even in its porous form. In addition, once the zeolite-nuclear waste combination is loaded with captured fission products, it can be hot-pressed into an extremely durable ceramic form, closing the pores and trapping the nuclear waste in solid rock. This is a form of waste disposal that is much less harmful than traditional post-treatment systems. Zeolite is also used in the management of radioactive spills. After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, for example, zeolite sandbags were thrown into the sea near the plant to absorb high levels of radioactive cesium