Lignin-based materials for iodine capture and storage: A review

The safety of nuclear energy, as a low-carbon energy source, has received widespread attention. One of the concerns is the appropriate handling of volatile radioactive elements (e.g., 129I and 131I) generated during the operation of nuclear reactors. These radioactive iodine isotopes are potentially hazardous to the environment and human health, so their effective removal is essential. Adsorption has become a popular method for capturing radioiodine due to its simplicity and low cost, which eliminates the need for highly corrosive solutions. Porous solid adsorbents have been widely studied and applied in practice for the efficient removal of radioactive iodine elements. However, most of these adsorbents are expensive, have limited capture capacity, and can burden the environment. Currently, researchers have now begun to experiment with the use of lignin as a substrate to develop new green and inexpensive adsorbents to enhance the capture efficiency of radioactive iodine. This review article begins by discussing the design of lignin-based iodine capture materials, detailing their application in iodine capture, and analyzing their performance, mechanisms, and practical application cases. Considering the challenges and opportunities in the field of radioactive iodine capture, it is hoped that this work can provide a reference point for future research.