Distribution of plutonium and americium beneath a 33-yr-old liquid waste disposal site
The distribution of Pu, /sup 241/Am, and water in Bandelier Tuff beneath a former liquid waste disposal site at Los Alamos was investigated. The waste use history of the site was described, as well as the previous field and laboratory studies of radionuclide migration performed at this site. One of the absorption beds studied had 20.5 m of water added to it in 1961 in an aggressive attempt to change the distribution of radionuclides in the tuff beneath the bed. Plutonium and /sup 241/Am were detected to sampling depths of 30 m in this bed, but only found to depths of 6.5 to 13.41 m in an adjacent absorption bed (bed 2) not receiving additional water in 1961. After 17 yr of migration of the slug of water added to bed 1, 0.3 to 5.1% of the Pu inventory and 3.0 to 49.6% of the /sup 241/Am inventory was mobilized within the 30-m sampling depth, as less than one column volume of water moved through the tuff profile under the bed. The results of similar lab and field studies performed since 1953 were compared with 1978 data and site hydrologic data was used as a time marker to estimate how fast radionuclide migration occurred in the tuff beneath absorption bed 1. Most of the radionuclide migration appeared to have occurred within 1 yr of the 20.5-m water leaching in 1961. The implications of this research results to nuclear waste management were also discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6196873
- Journal Information:
- J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 14:4; ISSN JEVQA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Distribution of radionuclides and water in Bandelier Tuff beneath a former Los Alamos liquid waste disposal site after 33 years
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Related Subjects
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDES
AMERICIUM
CHEMISTRY
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION VI
GROUND DISPOSAL
LEACHING
LOS ALAMOS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
METALS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES