Waste Isolation Safety Assessment Program. Technical progress report for FY-1978

Abstract

Analysis 3-10 3.3 VTT Model Predicted Potentiometric Surface for the Large Region (7500 ft nodes) Paradox Simulation. Small Region Potentials are Illustrated in Figure 3.2. 3-11 3.4 Three-Dimensional Finite Element Representation of Groundwater Reservoir Beneath Long Island, New York 3-13 3.5 Aquatic Pathways of Exposure from Geologic Storage Site for SHLW. 3-20 4.1 Factors That Determined the Concentration of Radionuclides in Solutions Leached Through the Waste 4-3 4.2 Large Volume Sorption Curves for Americium on Basalt 4-4 4.3 Axial Filter 4-10 4.4 Distribution of Sr(II) Between Montmorillonite and Sodium Chloride-0.1 M Sodium Acetate Solutions (Low Loading Sr(II)-4-14 4.5 Elution of Strontium from a Column of Glauconite. Peak Width Increases with Flow Rate (Top of Bottom), Indicating Nonequilibium Behavior 4-16 4.6 Elution Curve for 85S r Forced Through an Oolitic Limestone Column with REW Solution. Solution Flow Rate was 0.1 ml/min. 4-18 4.7 Elution Curve for 85S r Forced Through an Oolitic Limestone Column with Recipe Solution. Solution Flow Rate was 0.043 ml/min 4-18 4.8 High Pressure Sorption Apparatus 4-19 xvii 4.9 Experimental and Predicted Distributions of Americium on the Fissure Surfaces after Elution with 20 Fissure Volumes of Solution at a Flow Rate of 1.13 cm h-1. .. • 4-21 4.10 Experimental and Predicted Distributions of Americium on the Fissure Surfaces after Elution with 20 Fissure Volumes of Solution at a Flow Rate of 4.77 cm h-1 4-21 4.11 Adsorption on Am-241 on Na-Montmorillonite 4.12 Loading Effect on Distribution Coefficient of Cobalt 4.13 Distribution Coefficients for Cd(II)/Na(I) Exchange Versus 4-28 4-28 Loading on Montmorillonite 4-29 4.14 Adsorption of Cs(I) on the Sodium Form of Montmorillonites From Several Sources. 4-31 4.15 Adsorption of Sr(II) on the Sodium Form of Wyoming Montmorillonite. 4-31 4.16 Adsorption of Ba(II) on the Sodium Form of Wyoming Montmorillonite. 4-32 4.17 Adsorption of Eu(III) on the Form of Wyoming Montmorillonite. 4-32 4.18 Effects of Loading on Distribution Coefficients of Cs(I) on the Sodium Form of Wyoming Montmorillonite 4-35 4.19 Effect of Loading on Distribution Coefficients of Sr(II) on the Sodium Form of Wyoming Montmorillonite 4-35 4.20 Effect of Loading on Distribution Coefficients of Eu(III) on the Sodium Form of Wyoming Montmorillonite 4.36 4.21 Log Kd Versus Loading for 1-1 Exchange • 4-89 4.22 Apparatus for Leach/Migration Experiments in Which Nuclides Leached from a Solidified Waste Form at Elevated Temperature Migrate in Rock Columns 4-93 4.23 Elution of Ionic and Particulate Tracers in the Large Column 4-95 4.24 Elution of Particulate Tracers in the Large and Small Columns 4-96 4.25 Elution of Ionic and Particulate Tracers in the Small Column 4-97 xviii TABLES 1.1 Potentially Disruptive Phenomena for Nuclear Waste Repositories 1-3 1.2 Some Example Input Data for the Pilot Model 1-21 2.1 Leaching Schedule for Doped Waste Glasses 2-4 2.2 Leach Solutions. 2-4 2.3 Chemical Composition of WIPP B Salt Brine 2-5 2.4 Composition of NFS (76-68) Glas...

Waste/Rock Interactions Technology Program: the status of radionuclide sorption-desorption studies performed by the WRIT program

“…The batch sorption test because of its strengths such as simplicity and cost efficiency [Brandstetter et al (1979)J remains the most frequently used test to obtain empirical Rd values. The WRIT staff endorse its use for screening purposes and further recommend that once site-specific Rd values are necessary that adsorption-desorption isotherms such as the empirical Freundlich isotherm [Travis (1978)] be determined over a realistic range of nuclide concentrations and ground-water compositions as opposed to single Rd determinations.…”

“…Two laboratory methods under study in 1976 through 1978, axial filtration and channel chromatography, have been dropped from further consideration due to their large equipment and complex data reduction requirements, respectively. Descriptions of these methods and a discussion of their strengths and weaknesses are found in Meyer et al (1978 and, Meyer (1979), Triolo et al (1979), Francis and Reeves (1978) Francis et al (1979) and Brandstetter et al (1979).…”

The safety of repositories for highly radioactive wastes

“…These terms were eliminated on an ad hoc basis (Brandstetter et al , 1979) until the source of the error was detected by Burkholder and Rosinger (1980). The analytic solutions are presented by the latter authors in unambiguous form.…”

Sorption of redox-sensitive elements: critical analysis

“…Thus it is the redox potential from other reactions which are being measured at the Pt electrode, such as Pt(OH) + e-++Pt + OH-. At lower (reducing) pe values, with the presence of S=, the formation of platinum sulfide may limit measurements using a platinum electrode because of the surface-sulfide reactions (Brandstetter et al 1979). Other reactions with solution or suspended material may also coat the Pt electrode and seriously affect the potential measurement by reducing the rate constant or the effective surface area.…”

“…which reduce the migration rates of the radionuclides. Empirical methods have been used both in WISAP and WRIT to determine the distribution coefficient (Kd)(a) of various radionuclides (Brandstetter et al 1979;Task 4 Proceedings, 1980). The Kd concept was developed in the chromatography field and has been used in various geologic studies where adsorption/ desorption equilibrium was achieved within the time frame of interest.…”