Removal of Xenon and Radon from Contaminated Atmospheres with Dioxygenyl Hexafluoroantimonate, O2SbF6

RADIOACTIVE noble gases, such as 133Xe, 135Xe, 85Kr, and 88Kr, are formed in uranium fission and are released to the atmosphere by nuclear power plants and fuel reprocessing plants. Studies of the US Public Health Service have shown that a modern boiling-water reactor, for example, releases about 20 Ci of 85Kr and 13,000 Ci of 133Xe per year under normal operating conditions1,2. Under adverse operating conditions, the release rates may be much higher1. Of the physical methods for reducing these emissions3–7, cryogenic distillation and charcoal adsorption are being developed for large-scale use.