Use of MgO to mitigate the effect of microbial CO{sub 2} production in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States). WIPP Chemical and Disposal Room Dept.
- SAIC, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located in a salt bed in southern New Mexico, is designed by US Department of Energy to demonstrate the safe and permanent disposal of design-basis transuranic waste. WIPP performance assessment requires consideration of radionuclide release in brines in the event of inadvertent human intrusion. The mobility of radionuclides depends on chemical factors such as brine pmH (-log molality of H{sup +}) and CO{sub 2} fugacity. According to current waste inventory estimates, a large quantity ({approximately} 10{sup 9} moles C) of organic materials will be emplaced in the WIPP. Those organic material will potentially be degraded by halophilic or halotolerant microorganisms in the presence of liquid water in the repository, especially if a large volume of brine is introduced into the repository by human intrusions. Organic material biodegradation will produce a large amount of CO{sub 2}, which will acidify the WIPP brine and thus significantly increase the mobility of actinides. This communication addresses (1) the rate of organic material biodegradation and the quantity of CO{sub 2} to be possibly generated, (2) the effect of microbial CO{sub 2} production on overall WIPP performance, and (3) the mechanism of using MgO to mitigate this effect.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 453443
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-97-0271C; CONF-970335-30; ON: DE97004382; TRN: 97:006749
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management `97, Tucson, AZ (United States), 2-7 Mar 1997; Other Information: PBD: 29 Jan 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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