Far field migration of radionuclides in groundwater through geologic media

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6642010

Ting, D K.S.

This work models the radionuclide migration by groundwater flow in geologic media after nuclide release from a high level waste repository. Predictive analytical methods are presented that can be used to assess the performance of a repository site, and which estimate the potential hazard at the biosphere to the general public. The results of the analysis are presented by analytical formulas and a set of computer codes which evaluate these solutions has been developed. The exact analytical non-recursive solution to the one-dimensional nuclide transport equation with sorption equilibrium and without solubility limitations is studied. A parametric study showing the influence of the water travel time, the leach time, the time for beginning of leaching and the retardation coefficients on the maximum concentration of every nuclide present in the high level waste is presented by an approximation method. The results indicate that for most of the parameter range considered, I-129 and Ra-226 are the potentially most hazardous nuclides. The hazard due to the leaching of high level waste packages is compared to that of the leaching of an equivalent amount of natural uranium ore. The analytical non-recursive solution for the migration of radionuclides in two-dimensional groundwater flow is studied next. With neglect of dispersion, the solution to the one-dimensional transport equation is applicable along a streamline of the two-dimensional groundwater flow described by Darcy's law. The potential function driving this flow can be represented either by analytical expressions or by field piezometric measurements. The analysis yields the contaminated region for any member of a chain of arbitrary length and evaluates its concentration in that region. One can also evaluate the discharge rate as well as the cumulative discharge at the biosphere.

• OSTI ID: 6642010
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510300* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
DISSOLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GROUND DISPOSAL
GROUND WATER
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER