Geochemical studies supporting the US subseabed disposal program

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5324105

Erickson, K L; Seyfried, W E; Heath, G R; Krumhansl, J L; Bowen, V T

The important chemical phenomena associated with emplacing high-level radioactive waste in subseabed geologic formations are being identified and experimentally investigated. Studies of processes occuring in the hydrothermal environment near the canister have focused on sediment-seawater interactions at elevated temperatures and pressures and the resulting potential effects on canister, wasteform, and radionuclide source term. Significant changes in oxidation potential and pH have been related to variations in temperature and mineralogy. Investigation of phenomena occurring in the sediment outside of the hydrothermal environment have focused on actinide solution chemistry, sorption phenomena, and radionuclide diffusion rates. Data for several radionuclides and sediment types are being used to compare predicted and experimental results from diffusion experiments. Studies of processes occurring near the sediment-seawater interface have emphasized establishing a data base for evaluating the geochemical, physical, biological, and fluid-mechanical mechanisms determining radionuclide fluxes across the interface.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis (USA); Oregon State Univ., Corvallis (USA); Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5324105
• Report Number(s): SAND-80-1407C
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACTINIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CONTAINERS
DIFFUSION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOCHEMISTRY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MARINE DISPOSAL
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEA BED
SEAWATER
SEDIMENT-WATER INTERFACES
SEDIMENTS
SOLUBILITY
SORPTION
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER