Chlorine-36 in the Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory: Origin and implications

Journal Article · · Ground Water; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1993.tb01822.x· OSTI ID:6774920

Beasley, T M ^[1]; Cecil, L D; Mann, L J ^[2]; Sharma, P; Fehn, U; Gove, H E ^[3]; Kubik, P W ^[4]

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1. Dept. of Energy, New York, NY (United States)
2. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls (United States)
3. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
4. ETH-Hoenggerberg, Zurich (Switzerland)

Between 1952 and 1984, low-level radioactive waste was introduced directly into the Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), Idaho Falls, Idaho. These wastes were generated, principally, at the nuclear fuel reprocessing facility on the site. The measurements of [sup 36]Cl in monitoring and production well waters, downgradient from disposal wells and seepage ponds, found easily detectable, nonhazardous concentrations of this radionuclide from the point of injection to the INEL southern site boundary. Comparisons are made between [sup 3]H and [sup 36]Cl concentrations in aquifer water and the advantages of [sup 36]Cl as a tracer of subsurface-water dynamics at the site are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 6774920
• Journal Information: Ground Water; (United States), Journal Name: Ground Water; (United States) Vol. 31:2; ISSN GRWAAP; ISSN 0017-467X
• 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
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540330* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHLORINE 36
CHLORINE ISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SNAKE RIVER PLAIN
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES