Summary of Uranium Solubility Studies in Concrete Waste Forms and Vadose Zone Environments

Recommended Updates to Solubility Controls for Modeling Leaching of Technetium, Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, and Iodine from the Residual Waste Layer of Closed Savannah River Site High Level Waste Tanks

“…However, little is known yet about the prevalence of phosphate in SRS tank grout and uranyl phosphate mineral are not considered here. Multiple investigators have observed the general sequence of minerals in U-Ca-Si-H2O systems prevalent in concrete wasteforms (Golovich et al, 2011): Golovich et al (2014) describe experiments in which concrete was spiked with uranium solutions. In 10 -3 M solutions, a hydroxide phase resembling schoepite initially forms, then reacts to form an apparent mixed phase of becquerelite and uranophane.…”

Corrosion and migration of zero-valent depleted uranium products in soil

“…Differences in solubility can effect mobility (Gorman-Lewis et al 2008). For example, the uranyl tricarbonate forms tend to be stable but can be dissolved and released under changing environmental conditions such as change in pH (Golovich et al 2011). Silicate and phosphate forms, on the other hand, are stable; and U bound in these forms is less likely to migrate (Runde et al 2002).…”