An Investigation of the Temperature Dependence of Sorption Behavior for Lead and Cesium Metal Ions on Western Pahute Mesa and Rainier Mesa Aquifer Rocks

Technical Report · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1466731· OSTI ID:1466731

Decker, David L. ^[1]; Papelis, Charalambos ^[1]; Hershey, Ronald L. ^[1]; Harris, Rebekah ^[1]; Schmett, Greg ^[1]

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1. Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States)

The effects of elevated temperature on the sorption behavior of two radionuclide analog ions, Cs and Pb, on three aquifer material samples from Rainier Mesa and western Pahute Mesa were investigated. This study was not intended to be exhaustive, but rather a reconnaissance survey to evaluate the potential for temperature dependent sorption behavior. However, enough data are presented to provide qualitative pH-dependent behavior with elevated temperature, and preliminary K_d values. Temperature dependent sorption behavior was not observed for Cs on any of the three rocks. Temperature dependent sorption behavior was observed for Pb on the two tuffaceous rocks. The trend of this temperature dependence is a decrease in K_d with an increase in temperature. This result will have a significant impact on calculated travel times for strongly sorbing radionuclides in areas of western Pahute Mesa and Rainier Mesa that do not have a constant subsurface temperature along a flowpath. Because the retardation coefficient scales linearly with K_d, considering temperature dependence in sorption behavior is recommended for modeling efforts. Additional research is required to identify the mechanisms of sorption at elevated temperatures, determine the effects of elevated temperatures on the surface mineralogy of the rock samples, provide an explanation for the relationships observed between K_d and elevated temperatures, and explore the possibility of temperature dependent sorption on other rock types at the NTS.

• Research Organization: Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Nevada Univ., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
• DOE Contract Number: AC08-00NV13609
• OSTI ID: 1466731
• Report Number(s): DOE/NV/-13609-21; 4-5193
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
elevated temperature
sorption behavior
radionuclide analog ions
aquifer
Rainier Mesa
Western Pahute Mesa
reconnaissance survey
pH-dependent
tuffaceous rocks
retardation coefficient