Effects of Hanford High-Level Waste Components on Sorption of Cobalt, Strontium, Neptunium, Plutonium, and Americium on Hanford Sediments

Technical Report · Mon Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6180868· OSTI ID:6180868

Delegard, C. H. ^[1]; Barney, G. S. ^[1]

---

1. Rockwell International Corp., Richland, WA (United States)

To judge the feasibility of continued storage of high-level waste solutions in existing tanks, effects of chemical waste components on the sorption of hazardous radioelements were determined. Experiments identified the effects of 12 Hanford high-level waste-solution components on the sorption of cobalt, strontium, neptunium, plutonium, and americium on 3 Hanford 200 Area sediments. The degree of sorption of strontium, neptunium, plutonium, and americium on two Hanford sediments was then quantified in terms of the concentrations of the influential waste components. Preliminary information on the influence of the waste components on radioelement solubility was gathered. Of the 12 Hanford waste-solution components studied, the most influential on radioelement sorption were NaOH, NaAlO₂, HEDTA, and EDTA. The chelating complexants, HEDTA and EDTA, generally decreased sorption by complexation of the radioelement metal ions. The components NaOH and NaAlO₂ decreased neptunium and plutonium sorption and increased cobalt sorption. Americium sorption was increased by NaOH. The three Hanford sediments' radioelement sorption behaviors were similar, implying that their sorption reactions were also similar. Sorption prediction equations were generated for strontium, neptunium, plutonium, and americium sorption reactions on two Hanford sediments. The equations yielded values of the distribution coefficient, K_d, as quadratic functions of waste-component concentrations and showed that postulated radioelement migration rates through Hanford sediment could change by factors of 13 to 40 by changes in Hanford waste composition.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-77RL01030
• OSTI ID: 6180868
• Report Number(s): RHO-RE-ST-1-P; ON: DE83013777
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
510301 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDES
ADSORPTION
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALUMINATES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
AMERICIUM
AMINO ACIDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHELATING AGENTS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CITRIC ACID
COBALT
CONTAINERS
Chemical Composition
EDTA
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HANFORD RESERVATION
HEDTA
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
HYDROXY ACIDS
LEAKS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEPTUNIUM
NITRATES
NITRITES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
Radioelement
SEDIMENTS
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM FLUORIDES
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SODIUM NITRATES
SODIUM PHOSPHATES
SODIUM SULFATES
SOLUBILITY
SORPTION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
STORAGE
STRONTIUM
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
Sediment
TANKS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
Underground Storage
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
WASTES