title: Recovery of NORM from scales generated by oil extraction.
abstract: Scales, containing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), are a major problem in oil production that lead to costly remediation and disposal programmes. In view of environmental protection, radio and chemical characterisation is an essential step prior to waste treatment. This study focuses on developing of a protocol to recover (226)Ra and (210)Pb from scales produced by petroleum industry. X-ray diffractograms of the scales indicated the presence of barite-strontium (Ba0.75Sr0.25SO4) and hokutolite (Ba0.69Pb0.31SO4) as main minerals. Quartz, galena and Ca2Al2SiO6(OH)2 or sphalerite and iron oxide were found in minor quantities. Incineration to 600 °C followed by enclosed-digestion and acid-treatment gave complete digestion. Using (133)Ba and (210)Pb tracers as internal standards gave recovery ranged 87-91% for (226)Ra and ca. 100% for (210)Pb. Radium was finally dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid, while (210)Pb dissolved in the former solution as well as in 8 M nitric acid. Dissolving the scales would provide better estimation of their radionuclides contents, facilitate the determination of their chemical composition, and make it possible to recycle NORM wastes in terms of radionuclides production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Protection and Safety, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, Damascus, P.O. Box 6091, Syria. Electronic address: prscientific@aec.org.sy.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Al Attar
authors.affiliation: Department of Protection and Safety, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, Damascus, P.O. Box 6091, Syria.
authors.forename: Bassam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Safia
authors.affiliation: Department of Protection and Safety, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, Damascus, P.O. Box 6091, Syria.
authors.forename: Basem Abdul
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Ghani
authors.affiliation: Department of Protection and Safety, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, Damascus, P.O. Box 6091, Syria.
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Al Abdulah
mesh_terms: D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D010578:Petroleum; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D010578:Petroleum; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D011883:Radium
keywords: (226)Ra and (210)Pb; Acid digestion; NORM; Oil industry; Scales