Uranyl Extraction Electrochemistry Could Tackle Uranium Pollution in Nuclear Water Streams

A new review outlines how electrochemical technologies could address one of nuclear energy’s key environmental challenges: the selective removal of toxic, mobile uranyl ions from wastewater and seawater.

As the global demand for clean and low-carbon energy grows, nuclear power is expected to play an increasingly important role. Yet the expansion of nuclear energy brings a persistent environmental challenge: the release of uranium into wastewater, mining effluents, and even the ocean. A new review paper published in Science of Carbon Materials provides the most comprehensive overview to date of how electrochemical technologies could help solve this problem by selectively capturing uranium in its most mobile and hazardous form.

Uranium in water typically exists as uranyl ions, a highly soluble and toxic species that can spread easily through natural and engineered water systems. Long-term exposure to elevated uranium levels has been linked to kidney damage and other serious health risks. Removing uranyl efficiently while also enabling uranium recovery for reuse remains a major scientific and technological challenge.

In the new review, researchers systematically analyze recent advances in electrochemical strategies designed to extract uranyl from complex aqueous environments, including radioactive wastewater and seawater. These approaches use electricity to drive adsorption and reduction reactions at specially designed electrode surfaces, offering a potentially energy-efficient and controllable alternative to traditional chemical separation methods.

“Electrochemical methods allow us to use electrical energy to precisely control how uranium ions move, bind, and transform at electrode surfaces,” said corresponding author Bin Ma. “This creates new opportunities to recover uranium selectively, even from waters that contain many competing ions.”

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The review covers three major electrochemical approaches: electro-adsorption, electrocatalysis, and photo-electrocatalysis. Electro-adsorption relies on an applied electric field to concentrate charged uranyl ions onto electrode surfaces, while electrocatalysis drives chemical reactions that convert soluble uranyl into insoluble forms that can be collected. Photo-electrocatalysis combines light and electricity to further enhance reaction efficiency.

A major focus of the paper is the rapid evolution of electrode materials. The authors summarize advances in carbon-based materials, metal oxides, metal sulfides, and emerging porous frameworks such as metal organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks. These materials can be engineered at the nanoscale to increase surface area, improve electrical conductivity, and enhance selectivity for uranyl ions.

“Electrode design is the core of electrochemical uranium extraction,” said Ma. “By tuning surface chemistry, pore structure, and electronic properties, researchers have achieved remarkable improvements in capacity and efficiency over the past few years.”

The review also highlights the importance of moving beyond laboratory powders toward self-supported electrodes that are more stable and practical for real-world applications. Such designs reduce energy losses and improve durability, both critical factors for large-scale water treatment systems.

In addition, the authors discuss the unique challenges posed by different water sources. Fluoride-rich nuclear wastewater, uranium mining effluents, and seawater each contain complex mixtures of ions that can interfere with uranium recovery. Electrochemical strategies offer flexibility to address these challenges by adjusting voltage, electrode composition, and operating conditions.

By synthesizing findings from dozens of recent studies, the review identifies key knowledge gaps and future research priorities, including improving selectivity, reducing energy consumption, and developing scalable reactor designs.

“This field is moving quickly from fundamental studies toward practical solutions,” Ma said. “Electrochemical uranium recovery has the potential to protect water resources while supporting sustainable nuclear energy.”

The authors conclude that electrochemical technologies could become a vital tool for both environmental remediation and resource recovery, helping to close the loop between clean energy production and environmental protection.

Journal reference: Li J, Chen Q, Pang B, Tan X, Fang M, et al. 2026. A critical review of electrochemical strategies for selective uranyl recovery from radioactive wastewater and seawater. Sustainable Carbon Materials 2: e001

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