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Title: Investigation of radionuclide release from Solid Waste Disposal Area 3, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Abstract

Radionuclide release from Solid Waste Disposal Area (SWDA) 3 has been studied through the analysis of surface and ground waters from the local drainage areas. SWDA 3 is located in the Northwest Tributary drainage basin, a part of the White Oak Creek drainage; /sup 90/Sr is the only radionuclide being discharged in solution in the main stream. Water-level measurements in wells around SWDA 3 suggest the presence of a ground-water divide beneath the southwestern end of the disposal area. Ground water below this area may be moving southwestward toward the Raccoon Creek drainage system. Strontium-90 activity has been detected in this watershed, discharging from a seep adjacent to a Raccoon Creek tributary stream about 640 m southwest of SWDA 3. It appears that /sup 90/Sr is moving through ground-water flow to the northeast and to the southwest of SWDA 3 and that this direction of movement is related to bedrock structure. The trend of a line connecting the two seeps passes through the disposal area and is parallel to bedrock strike. Information from core-hole logs and televiewer logs suggests that /sup 90/Sr in ground water may be moving through solution channels near the contact between units F and G ofmore » the Chickamauga Limestone. The apparent extent of migration of /sup 90/Sr in bedrock has implications regarding potential underground radionuclide movement in Melton Valley.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
6315861
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-7323
ON: DE81030260; TRN: 81-016187
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; STREAMS; CONTAMINATION; STRONTIUM 90; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES; GROUND WATER; ORNL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOISOTOPES; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; SURFACE WATERS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 520301* - Environment, Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Water- (1987); 053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects

Citation Formats

Stueber, A.M., Webster, D.A., Munro, I.L., Farrow, N.D., and Scott, T.G.. Investigation of radionuclide release from Solid Waste Disposal Area 3, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. United States: N. p., 1981. Web. doi:10.2172/6315861.
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Stueber, A.M., Webster, D.A., Munro, I.L., Farrow, N.D., & Scott, T.G.. Investigation of radionuclide release from Solid Waste Disposal Area 3, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. United States. doi:10.2172/6315861.
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Stueber, A.M., Webster, D.A., Munro, I.L., Farrow, N.D., and Scott, T.G.. Sat . "Investigation of radionuclide release from Solid Waste Disposal Area 3, Oak Ridge National Laboratory". United States. doi:10.2172/6315861. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6315861.
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@article{osti_6315861,
title = {Investigation of radionuclide release from Solid Waste Disposal Area 3, Oak Ridge National Laboratory},
author = {Stueber, A.M. and Webster, D.A. and Munro, I.L. and Farrow, N.D. and Scott, T.G.},
abstractNote = {Radionuclide release from Solid Waste Disposal Area (SWDA) 3 has been studied through the analysis of surface and ground waters from the local drainage areas. SWDA 3 is located in the Northwest Tributary drainage basin, a part of the White Oak Creek drainage; /sup 90/Sr is the only radionuclide being discharged in solution in the main stream. Water-level measurements in wells around SWDA 3 suggest the presence of a ground-water divide beneath the southwestern end of the disposal area. Ground water below this area may be moving southwestward toward the Raccoon Creek drainage system. Strontium-90 activity has been detected in this watershed, discharging from a seep adjacent to a Raccoon Creek tributary stream about 640 m southwest of SWDA 3. It appears that /sup 90/Sr is moving through ground-water flow to the northeast and to the southwest of SWDA 3 and that this direction of movement is related to bedrock structure. The trend of a line connecting the two seeps passes through the disposal area and is parallel to bedrock strike. Information from core-hole logs and televiewer logs suggests that /sup 90/Sr in ground water may be moving through solution channels near the contact between units F and G of the Chickamauga Limestone. The apparent extent of migration of /sup 90/Sr in bedrock has implications regarding potential underground radionuclide movement in Melton Valley.},
doi = {10.2172/6315861},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981},
month = {Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981}
}
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DOI:  10.2172/6315861
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  • ; ;
    An understanding of subsurface transport processes is essential to produce realistic predictions of future contaminant discharge from Solid Waste Storage Areas (SWSAs) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Locating groundwater flow zones (permeable pathways) and determining the relative contributions of primary vs secondary contaminant sources are critical to the proper selection and evaluation of remedial actions. Because groundwater discharge from SWSA 5 contributes significant amounts of {sup 3}H and {sup 90}Sr to the White Oak Creek watershed, an area on the southeastern edge of SWSA 5 was chosen for an investigation aimed at understanding and characterizing the subsurface movement ofmore » contaminants. Preliminary data collected in 1991 indicated that the vertical distribution of {sup 3}H (0.02 to 279 {mu}Ci/L) observed over the sampled interval (O to 10 ft deep) may be a result of upward diffusion from a hydraulically dominant fracture (or fractured zone) below the sampled interval. The investigation continued this year (1992) with the primary objective of defining where the most permeable zones exist in the subsurface and how they relate to the vertical extent of {sup 3}H. An open borehole was drilled on the southeastern edge of SWSA 5 through the upper zones of soil and saprolite and then through interbedded shales and limestones to a depth of about 26 ft. Two methods were used to determine permeable zones within the borehole. In addition, samples were collected monthly from a nearby well and seep (where tritiated groundwater discharges) to determine seasonal variability in the transport of {sup 3}H and {sup 90}Sr from the study area.« less