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Title: Application of biological barriers in maintaining the integrity of radioactivity in shallow burial grounds

Abstract

Stabilization of a shallow burial site requires some means of keeping buried radioactive wastes in place and preventing the movement of radioactive elements into the biosphere by various vectors present in the soil covering the burial site. By placing a barrier between the surface of the soil and the buried wastes, it would be possible to isolate the wastes from the biosphere and eliminate the movement of radioactive elements into the environment. An effective biobarrier would make it possible to grow plants over the buried wastes regardless of rooting habits; the plants would stabilize the surface soil, prevent wind erosion, and transpire soil water back into the air, thus preventing it from percolating downward through the buried wastes. This report summarizes the finding of a study undertaken to determine the effectiveness of natural cobblestones as a long-term biobarrier. In the initial field study, we investigated whether a thick layer of cobblestones would prevent plant roots and burrowing animals from reaching contaminated materials and transferring radionuclides to the soil surface. In a subsequent greenhouse study, three modifications of the cobblestone barrier were tested, including the addition of another layer of stones, one of asphalt, and one of a root toxin. Thesemore » data show that cobblestone can be effective as a barrier to burrowing animals and insects, but not totally effective as a barrier to plant roots. Because of variable weather patterns at Hanford, five to six year studies are recommended for further studies on the effectiveness of different materials as biobarriers to radioactive substances. Stone size appeared to affect the plants' rate of root growth since root growth slowed in the air spaces between stones. Root toxin was 100% effective as a means of keeping roots out of the buried waste; this method could be used as a barrier modification where no plant cover is needed.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
5562157
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-7142; CONF-790728-8
ON: DE82007090; TRN: 82-007831
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 24. annual meeting of the Health Physics Society, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 7 Jul 1979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; COVERINGS; EVALUATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; PENETRATORS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; STABILIZATION; ANIMALS; ASPHALTS; ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS; HANFORD RESERVATION; HERBICIDES; INSECTS; LITHIUM CHLORIDES; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MAMMALS; PLANTS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; ROCKS; ROOTS; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS; ARTHROPODS; BITUMENS; CHLORIDES; CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; INVERTEBRATES; LITHIUM COMPOUNDS; LITHIUM HALIDES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PESTICIDES; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; TAR; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; 053000* - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects; 052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage

Citation Formats

Cline, J F. Application of biological barriers in maintaining the integrity of radioactivity in shallow burial grounds. United States: N. p., 1979. Web.
Cline, J F. Application of biological barriers in maintaining the integrity of radioactivity in shallow burial grounds. United States.
Cline, J F. 1979. "Application of biological barriers in maintaining the integrity of radioactivity in shallow burial grounds". United States.
@article{osti_5562157,
title = {Application of biological barriers in maintaining the integrity of radioactivity in shallow burial grounds},
author = {Cline, J F},
abstractNote = {Stabilization of a shallow burial site requires some means of keeping buried radioactive wastes in place and preventing the movement of radioactive elements into the biosphere by various vectors present in the soil covering the burial site. By placing a barrier between the surface of the soil and the buried wastes, it would be possible to isolate the wastes from the biosphere and eliminate the movement of radioactive elements into the environment. An effective biobarrier would make it possible to grow plants over the buried wastes regardless of rooting habits; the plants would stabilize the surface soil, prevent wind erosion, and transpire soil water back into the air, thus preventing it from percolating downward through the buried wastes. This report summarizes the finding of a study undertaken to determine the effectiveness of natural cobblestones as a long-term biobarrier. In the initial field study, we investigated whether a thick layer of cobblestones would prevent plant roots and burrowing animals from reaching contaminated materials and transferring radionuclides to the soil surface. In a subsequent greenhouse study, three modifications of the cobblestone barrier were tested, including the addition of another layer of stones, one of asphalt, and one of a root toxin. These data show that cobblestone can be effective as a barrier to burrowing animals and insects, but not totally effective as a barrier to plant roots. Because of variable weather patterns at Hanford, five to six year studies are recommended for further studies on the effectiveness of different materials as biobarriers to radioactive substances. Stone size appeared to affect the plants' rate of root growth since root growth slowed in the air spaces between stones. Root toxin was 100% effective as a means of keeping roots out of the buried waste; this method could be used as a barrier modification where no plant cover is needed.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5562157}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979},
month = {Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979}
}

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