Progress in evaluation of radionuclide geochemical information developed by DOE high-level nuclear waste repository site projects: report for October-December 1983

Technical Report · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6899523

Kelmers, A D; Kessler, J H; Arnold, W D; Meyer, R E; Cutshall, N H; Jacobs, G K; Lee, S Y

Radionuclide solubility data and retardation parameters reported by the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) and the experimental and calculational methodologies used by BWIP to develop those values were evaluated. The behavior of neptunium and technetium in basalt/synthetic groundwater systems was studied. Under oxic redox conditions, neptunium had a sorption ratio of 1.7 L/kg for McCoy Canyon basalt and synthetic groundwater GR-2, which is lower than the conservative best estimate value recommended by BWIP. Under anoxic test conditions, McCoy Canyon basalt showed little or no ability to remove technetium(VII) from synthetic groundwater GR-2 by sorption or precipitation. Several important concerns may make it impossible to assert that the addition of hydrazine to synthetic groundwaters is modeling the repository redox condition. These are: its reaction with any reducible solute is undefined; its dissociation to release hydroxide ions probably dominates the groundwater pH; it could react with bicarbonate to form the carbamate ion; it is corrosive t- polycarbonate or polypropylene test tubes; it may alter or disaggregate clay mineral structure; and uncertainty exists as to the solid phase or solution species formed by reaction with pertechnetate ion. Thus, BWIP data obtained in the presence of hydrazine may be nonconservative for use in assessment studies.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6899523
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-3851-Vol.1; ORNL/TM-9191/V1; ON: TI84013741
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
58 GEOSCIENCES
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BASALT
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
NEPTUNIUM
ADSORPTION
DESORPTION
SOLUBILITY
TECHNETIUM
EVALUATED DATA
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDRAZINE
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ACTINIDES
CHEMISTRY
DATA
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
METALS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ROCKS
SORPTION
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTES
WATER
053000* - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects
580400 - Geochemistry- (-1989)
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage