Trace perchlorates in a radiological liquid-waste treatment facility

Waste management programs at the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are concerned with the levels of perchlorates due to the effects it can have on the environment and resultant regulations. The RLWTF treats industrial and radioactive wastes generated at multiple research and production facilities across the LANL. Perchloric acid is the major source of the perchlorate ion in the RLWTF used in the analytical chemistry laboratories and for metal dissolution. Perchlorate is present in the influent to the RLWTF at concentrations up to several thousands μg/l level. Ion chromatography is the method of choice to analyze the concentrations of perchlorate in the wastewater generated at the RLWTF. Perchlorate was separated by elution through a CS16/CG16 with an EG40 eluent generator. To minimize background conductivity and enhance analyte conductance, an anion self-regenerating suppressor was used. The method achieved a perchlorate method detection limit of 1 μg/l. The method is successfully being used to monitor the perchlorate levels at the RLWTF and provide data for the pilot tests to remove perchlorate from the RLWTF effluent.