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Title: Groundwater monitoring at three Oak Ridge National Laboratory inactive waste impoundments: results after one year

Abstract

To determine if the migration of potential contaminants from three inactive waste impoundments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory poses a threat to groundwater quality, at least one upgradient groundwater monitoring well and threee downgradient monitoring wells were installed at each impoundment in early 1985. These three unlined impoundments, formerly used to collect and, in some instances, treat wastewater are: the 3513 impoundment; the Old Hydrofracture Facility (OHF) impoundment; and the Homogeneous Reactor Experimnt No. 2 impoundment. Groundwater samples were collected quarterly for one year. Analyses were conducted for the groundwater protection parameters promulgated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The groundwater samples were also analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls, copper, nickel, zinc, /sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs, and tritium. The contaminants found most often to affect groundwater quality at all three waste impoundments were radionuclides. For example, mean concentrations of gross beta and gross alpha activity exceeded drinking water limits at all three sites. The gross beta limit was exceeded at the 3513 and OHF impoundments by either /sup 90/Sr or tritium levels. At the 3513 impoundment, there was substantial evidence that the downgradient groundwater has been contaminated by chromium and lead and possibly by halogenated organic compounds. At the OHFmore » impoundment, the mean level of tritium measured in the upgradient well (about 91,000 Bq/L as compared with 80,000 Bq/L in the downgradient wells) indicated that the groundwater quality has been affected by the radioactive wastes buried in the low-level radioactive waste burial ground solid waste storage area-5 upgradient of the impoundment. Testing for groundwater contamination, disclosed statistically significant contamination at all three sites.« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
7147312
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-10193
ON: DE87002339
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-84OR21400
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Paper copy only, copy does not permit microfiche production. Original copy available until stock is exhausted. Environmental Sciences Division Publication No. 2787
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GROUND WATER; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; WATER QUALITY; ORNL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; STORAGE; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE STORAGE; WATER; 053000* - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects; 052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage; 520300 - Environment, Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1989)

Citation Formats

Francis, C. W., and Stansfield, R. G. Groundwater monitoring at three Oak Ridge National Laboratory inactive waste impoundments: results after one year. United States: N. p., 1986. Web. doi:10.2172/7147312.
Francis, C. W., & Stansfield, R. G. Groundwater monitoring at three Oak Ridge National Laboratory inactive waste impoundments: results after one year. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/7147312
Francis, C. W., and Stansfield, R. G. 1986. "Groundwater monitoring at three Oak Ridge National Laboratory inactive waste impoundments: results after one year". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/7147312. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/7147312.
@article{osti_7147312,
title = {Groundwater monitoring at three Oak Ridge National Laboratory inactive waste impoundments: results after one year},
author = {Francis, C. W. and Stansfield, R. G.},
abstractNote = {To determine if the migration of potential contaminants from three inactive waste impoundments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory poses a threat to groundwater quality, at least one upgradient groundwater monitoring well and threee downgradient monitoring wells were installed at each impoundment in early 1985. These three unlined impoundments, formerly used to collect and, in some instances, treat wastewater are: the 3513 impoundment; the Old Hydrofracture Facility (OHF) impoundment; and the Homogeneous Reactor Experimnt No. 2 impoundment. Groundwater samples were collected quarterly for one year. Analyses were conducted for the groundwater protection parameters promulgated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The groundwater samples were also analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls, copper, nickel, zinc, /sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs, and tritium. The contaminants found most often to affect groundwater quality at all three waste impoundments were radionuclides. For example, mean concentrations of gross beta and gross alpha activity exceeded drinking water limits at all three sites. The gross beta limit was exceeded at the 3513 and OHF impoundments by either /sup 90/Sr or tritium levels. At the 3513 impoundment, there was substantial evidence that the downgradient groundwater has been contaminated by chromium and lead and possibly by halogenated organic compounds. At the OHF impoundment, the mean level of tritium measured in the upgradient well (about 91,000 Bq/L as compared with 80,000 Bq/L in the downgradient wells) indicated that the groundwater quality has been affected by the radioactive wastes buried in the low-level radioactive waste burial ground solid waste storage area-5 upgradient of the impoundment. Testing for groundwater contamination, disclosed statistically significant contamination at all three sites.},
doi = {10.2172/7147312},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7147312}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986},
month = {Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986}
}