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Title: MIC evaluation and testing for the Yucca Mountain repository

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy is engaged in a suitability study for a potential deep geological repository at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada, for the containment and storage of high-level nuclear waste. There is growing awareness that biotic factors could affect the integrity of the repository directly through microbially induced corrosion (MIC) of waste package (WP) materials and other repository elements. A program to determine the degree that microorganisms, especially bacteria, influence the corrosion of waste package materials has therefore been undertaken. These studies include testing candidate waste package materials for their susceptibility to MIC, and also seek to determine rates of biocorrosion under varying environmental conditions, as well as predict rates of waste package corrosion over the long term. Previous characterization of bacterial isolates derived from YM geologic material showed that many possessed biochemical activities associated with MIC, 2. Various Yucca Mountain microbes demonstrated the abilities to oxidize iron, reduce sulfate to sulfide, produce acids, and generate exopolysaccharides (or `slime`). Table 1 summarizes previously characterized YM organisms and their associated relevant activities. A subset of the characterized YM bacteria were spread on WP alloy coupons in systems designed to collect polarization resistance (Rp) data for corrosion rate calculations, and tomore » determine cathodic and anodic potentiodynamic polarization to assess corrosion mechanisms. Coupons inoculated with bacteria were compared to those that remained sterile, to determine the bacterial contribution to overall corrosion rates.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
292197
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC-129198; CONF-980316-
ON: DE98057743
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Corrosion `98, San Diego, CA (United States), 22-27 Mar 1998; Other Information: PBD: 1 Oct 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
05 NUCLEAR FUELS; YUCCA MOUNTAIN; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; MICROORGANISMS; CORROSION; CONTAINERS; BACTERIA

Citation Formats

Horn, J M, Rivera, A, Lain, T, and Jones, D A. MIC evaluation and testing for the Yucca Mountain repository. United States: N. p., 1997. Web.
Horn, J M, Rivera, A, Lain, T, & Jones, D A. MIC evaluation and testing for the Yucca Mountain repository. United States.
Horn, J M, Rivera, A, Lain, T, and Jones, D A. 1997. "MIC evaluation and testing for the Yucca Mountain repository". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/292197.
@article{osti_292197,
title = {MIC evaluation and testing for the Yucca Mountain repository},
author = {Horn, J M and Rivera, A and Lain, T and Jones, D A},
abstractNote = {The U.S. Department of Energy is engaged in a suitability study for a potential deep geological repository at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada, for the containment and storage of high-level nuclear waste. There is growing awareness that biotic factors could affect the integrity of the repository directly through microbially induced corrosion (MIC) of waste package (WP) materials and other repository elements. A program to determine the degree that microorganisms, especially bacteria, influence the corrosion of waste package materials has therefore been undertaken. These studies include testing candidate waste package materials for their susceptibility to MIC, and also seek to determine rates of biocorrosion under varying environmental conditions, as well as predict rates of waste package corrosion over the long term. Previous characterization of bacterial isolates derived from YM geologic material showed that many possessed biochemical activities associated with MIC, 2. Various Yucca Mountain microbes demonstrated the abilities to oxidize iron, reduce sulfate to sulfide, produce acids, and generate exopolysaccharides (or `slime`). Table 1 summarizes previously characterized YM organisms and their associated relevant activities. A subset of the characterized YM bacteria were spread on WP alloy coupons in systems designed to collect polarization resistance (Rp) data for corrosion rate calculations, and to determine cathodic and anodic potentiodynamic polarization to assess corrosion mechanisms. Coupons inoculated with bacteria were compared to those that remained sterile, to determine the bacterial contribution to overall corrosion rates.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/292197}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997},
month = {Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997}
}

Conference:
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