| 摘要 |
A method for processing a mass of solid fine particles including Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material ("NORM") is disclosed. In one embodiment, the material is sampled and classified into fractions based upon one or more selected criteria such as particle size or particle density. The level of radioactivity associated with each fraction is determined, leading to separation of the mass of fines into selected fractions based upon one or more selected criteria and the activity levels of the fractions. Selected fractions are chosen for chemical treatment, thereby reducing the volume of material to be treated. By reducing the volume of solid material to be treated, the amount of chemicals used for treatment is reduced, along with the size and capacity of the processing equipment required to treat the material. Radionuclides are extracted from the selected fractions into an aqueous solution which may be subsequently injected into a subterranean formation, such as the formation from which the materials originated. In one embodiment, the aqueous solution consists of water, a chelant comprising an alkali metal salt of a polyamine polycarboxylic acid, and sufficient alkali metal hydroxide to result in a pH of the aqueous solution of about 5 to about 14.
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