Evaluation of Isotope Migration - Land Burial: Water Chemistry at Commercially Operated Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Sites: Progress Report No. 11 October - December 1978

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5248148· OSTI ID:5248148

Colombo, P. ^[1]; Weiss, A. J. ^[1]

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1. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Water samples were collected by anoxic procedures from trenches 2, 19S, 26, 27, 32, 33L-4, and 33L-18 and from well UB1-A at the Maxey Flats, Kentucky, low-level radioactive waste disposal site. In-situ measurements of pH, Eh, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and temperature were made. The results of inorganic, organic, and radiochemical analyses are reported. Acid-base titration curves of the trench waters exhibit the complex nature of these waters compared to well water. The population distribution of aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, denitrifiers, sulfate-reducers, and methanogens in trench water and well water samples from Maxey Flats are presented. Several colonies of bacteria from aerobic and anaerobic agar plates were isolated and identified including: Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Citrobacter sp, and Clostridium sp. The effect of varying concentrations of radionuclides on the growth of a mixed culture bacteria from trench 32 is described. Cobalt-60, strontium-90, tritium, and plutonium-238, 239, 240 were found in all trench waters. Americium-241 and cesium-137 were found in most trenches, whereas cesium-134 was found only in trench 33L-18. Several members of the U-238 and Th-232 decay series were measured in trenches 27 and 33L-18. Gas chromatograms and concentrations of organic compounds present in the water samples from Maxey Flats are shown. A comparison of organic compounds and radionuclides identified in water from well UB1 with those measured in nearby trenches suggests water communication between the trenches and the well to a depth of 30 feet. Radiochemical analyses of suspended particulates filtered from trench waters taken from the West Valley, New York, disposal site during November 1977 are also reported.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USNRC
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5248148
• Report Number(s): BNL-NUREG--51113; NUREG/CR-1167; ON: TI86000155
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
BACTERIA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GROUND WATER
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TRITIUM
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES