Long-term environmental impacts of geologic repositories

Conference · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:6249331

Pigford, T H

This paper summarizes a study of the long-term environmental impacts of geologic repositories for radioactive wastes. Conceptual repositories in basalt, granite, salt, and tuff were considered. Site-specific hydrological and geochemical parameters were used wherever possible, supplemented with generic parameters when necessary. Radiation doses to future maximally exposed individuals who use the contaminated groundwater and surface water were calculated and compared with a performance criterion of 10/sup -4/ Sv/yr for radiation exposures from probable events. The major contributors to geologic isolation are the absence of groundwater if the repository is in natural salt, the slow dissolution of key radioelements as limited by solubility and by diffusion and convection in groundwater, long water travel times from the waste to the environment, and sorption retardation in the media surrounding the repository. In addition, dilution by surface water can considerably reduce the radiation exposures that result from the small fraction of the waste radioactivity that may ultimately reach the environment. Estimates of environmental impacts are made both for unreprocessed spent fuel and for reprocessing wastes. Accelerated dissolution of waste exposed to groundwater during the period of repository heating is also considered. This study of environmental impacts is a portion of a more comprehensive study of geologic waste disposal carried out by the Waste Isolation System Panel of the US National Research Council.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6249331
• Report Number(s): LBL-16096; CONF-830523-12; ON: DE83012900
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BASALT
DOSES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GRANITES
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIC ROCKS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
ROCKS
SALT DEPOSITS
TUFF
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER