Sorption of radionuclides on Yucca Mountain tuffs
A substantial database of sorption coefficients for important radionuclides on Yucca Mountain tuffs has been obtained by Los Alamos National Laboratory over the past ten years. Current sorption studies are focussed on validation questions and augmentation of the existing database. Validation questions concern the effects of the use of crushed instead of solid rock samples in the batch experiments, the use of oversaturated stock solutions, and variations in water/rock ratios. Sorption mechanisms are also being investigated. Database augmentation activities include determination of sorption coefficients for elements with low sorption potential, sorption on psuedocolloids, sorption on fracture lining minerals, and sorption kinetics. Sorption can provide an important barrier to the potential migration of radionuclides from the proposed repository within Yucca Mountain to the accessible environment. In order to quantify this barrier, sorption coefficients appropriate for the Yucca Mountain groundwater system must be obtained for each of the important radionuclides in nuclear waste. Los Alamos National Laboratories has conducted numerous batch (crushed-rock) sorption experiments over the past ten years to develop a sorption coefficient database for the Yucca Mountain site. In the present site characterization phase, the main goals of the sorption test program will be to validate critical sorption coefficients and to augment the existing database where important data are lacking. 11 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 137542
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR--89-3210; CONF-890928--9; ON: DE90000198
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
BACKFILLING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DATA ACQUISITION
DATA ANALYSIS
DATA BASE MANAGEMENT
GROUND WATER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDRAULICS
PUBLIC HEALTH
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ROCKS
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
TUFF
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Yucca Mountain Project