Trench water-soil chemistry and interactions at the Maxey Flats Site-II

Conference · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5187675

Weiss, A J; Czyscinski, K S; Pietrzak, R F

The chemistry of leachates in the Maxey Flats trenches is an important factor in evaluating the site's effectiveness for retaining radionuclides. Trench water composition reflects interactions of the buried waste with infiltrating groundwater and the effects of bacterial decomposition of organic material. Aerobic, anaerobic, sulfate reducing, denitrifying and methanogenic bacteria are present in the leachates. Bacterial processes cause decreases in redox potential (Eh), sulfate and nitrate concentrations, as well as increases in alkalinity and ammonia relative to local groundwater compositions. The major radionuclides of concern present in trench waters include: /sup 3/H, /sup 60/Co, /sup 90/Sr, /sup 134, 137/Cs, /sup 241/Am, and /sup 238, 239, 240/Pu. Several additional laboratory and field analyses were performed on the fourth sampling of trench waters to better characterize the waters and to assure the reliability of some procedures. New procedures include: sulfide ion measurement in the field; laboratory ion chromatographic determinations of sulfate, chloride, and bromide; Eh and pH measurements in the laboratory; and ferrous-ferric concentration ratios by a colorimetric procedure. No overall systematic change in any disposal trench was observed. Analysis of water collected from the experimental interceptor trenches at Maxey Flats shows a chemical composition intermediate between disposal trench water and local groundwater. The existence of organo-radionuclide complexes that may enhance radionuclide mobility is a subject of much concern in waste management. Low concentrations of free EDTA, NTA, and DTPA are present in some leachates. Sorption experiments demonstrated the ability of EDTA to lower the apparent sorption capacity of Maxey Flats shale. 21 refs., 8 figs., 6 tabs.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5187675
• Report Number(s): BNL-NUREG-30099; CONF-810768-1; ON: TI86000922
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
510301 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
520301 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Water-- (1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
AMINO ACIDS
BACTERIA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CESIUM 134
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHELATES
CHELATING AGENTS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
COMPLEXES
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
EDTA
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION IV
GROUND WATER
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
KENTUCKY
LEACHATES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MIXTURES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
SOLUTIONS
SORPTION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
STRONTIUM 85
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE WATERS
TIME DEPENDENCE
TRITIUM
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES