scholarly journals Characterizing mineralogy and redox reactivity in potential host rocks for a UK geological disposal facility

2015 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 1353-1367 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Quirke ◽  
C. M. B. Henderson ◽  
R. A. D. Pattrick ◽  
K. M. Rosso ◽  
A. Dent ◽  
...  

AbstractGeological disposal facilities (GDF) are intended to isolate and contain radioactive waste within multiple protective barriers, deep underground, to ensure that no harmful quantities of radioactivity reach the surface environment. The last line of defense in a multi-barrier GDF is the geosphere, where iron is present in the host rock mineralogy as either Fe(II) or Fe(III), and in groundwater as Fe(II) under reducing conditions. The mobility of risk-driving radionuclides, including uranium and technetium, in the environment is affected significantly by their valence state. Due to its low redox potential, Fe(II) can mediate reduction of these radionuclides from their oxidized, highly mobile, soluble state to their reduced, insoluble state, preventing them from reaching the biosphere. Here a study of five types of potential host rocks, two granitoids, an andesite, a mudstone and a clay-rich carbonate, is reported. The bulk rocks and their minerals were analysed for iron content, Fe(II/III) ratio, and for the speciation and fine-grained nature of alteration product minerals that might have important controls on groundwater interaction. Total iron content varies between 0.9% in clays to 5.6% in the andesite. X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals that Fe in the granitoids and andesite is predominantly Fe(II), and in mudstones, argillaceous limestone and terrestrial sandstone is predominantly Fe(III). The redox reactivity of the potential host rocks both in the presence and absence of Fe(II)-containing 'model' groundwater was investigated using an azo dye as a probe molecule. Reduction rates as determined by reactivity with the azo dye were correlated with the ability of the rocks to uptake Fe(II) from groundwater rather than with initial Fe(II) content. Potential GDF host rocks must be characterized in terms of mineralogy, texture, grain size and bulk geochemistry to assess how they might interact with groundwater. This study highlights the importance of redox reactivity, not just total iron and Fe(II)/(III) ratio, when considering the host rock performance as a barrier material to limit transport of radionuclides from the GDF.

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 01047
Author(s):  
Fahad Souid ◽  
Peter Birkle ◽  
Fred Worrall

A total of 79 groundwater samples from the Upper Silurian-Lower Devonian Tawil and Triassic Jilh aquifers in NW Saudi Arabia were analysed for hydrochemical and strontium isotopic composition. A sequential extraction and 87Sr/86Sr analysis were conducted on 32 cutting samples from the groundwater host rocks and the underlying shale bed. The chemical composition of the groundwater was distinct from that of the host rock lithologies in terms of elemental abundance (i.e., Na+ was dominant in the groundwater and K and Ca were the main constituents of the aquifer units). Principal component analysis (PCA) of water samples showed a positive loading of Na+ and negative loadings of Ca2+ and SO42-. The replacement of gypsiferous waters by Na+-rich waters is suggested by this ion exchange. The shale rock samples showed Na to be the dominant chemical constituent. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the groundwater (0.707673-0.711577) and host rock samples (0.707930-0.712477) suggest that groundwater inherits the Sr signature of the rock from the exchangeable, carbonate, and the oxides phase, reflecting reducing conditions in Tawil aquifer. The elevated groundwater 87Sr/86Sr ratios were found in deeper sections of the aquifers, which coincided with the radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr of the deeper aquifer lithologies and the underlying shale bed.


1973 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.A. Merewether ◽  
J.A. Sharps ◽  
J.R. Gill ◽  
M.E. Cooley
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
Yuri Fedorov ◽  
Yuri Fedorov ◽  
Irina Dotsenko ◽  
Irina Dotsenko ◽  
Leonid Dmitrik ◽  
...  

The distribution and behavior of certain of trace elements in sea water is greatly affected by both physical, chemical and hydrometeorological conditions that are showed in the scientific works of prof. Yu.A. Fedorov with coauthors (1999-2015). Due to the shallow waters last factor is one of the dominant, during the different wind situation changes significantly the dynamics of water masses and interaction in the system “water – suspended matter – bottom sediments”.Therefore, the study of the behavior of the total iron in the water of the sea at different wind situation is relevant. The content of dissolved iron forms migration in The Sea of Azov water (open area) varies from 0.017 to 0.21 mg /dm3 (mean 0.053 mg /dm3) and in Taganrog Bay from 0.035 to 0.58 mg /dm3 (mean 0.11 mg /dm3) and it is not depending on weather conditions.The reduction in the overall iron concentration in the direction of the Taganrog Bay → The Sea of Azov (open area) is observed on average more than twice. The dissolved iron content exceeding TLV levels and their frequency of occurrence in the estuary, respectively, were higher compared with The Sea of Azov (open area).There is an increase in the overall iron concentration in the water of the Azov Sea on average 1.5 times during the storm conditions, due to the destruction of the structure of the upper layer and resuspension of bottom sediments, intensifying the transition of iron compounds in the solution.


Minerals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenheng Liu ◽  
Xiaodong Liu ◽  
Jiayong Pan ◽  
Kaixing Wang ◽  
Gang Wang ◽  
...  

The Qingshanbao complex, part of the uranium metallogenic belt of the Longshou-Qilian mountains, is located in the center of the Longshou Mountain next to the Jiling complex that hosts a number of U deposits. However, little research has been conducted in this area. In order to investigate the origin and formation of mafic enclaves observed in the Qingshanbao body and the implications for magmatic-tectonic dynamics, we systematically studied the mineralogy, petrography, and geochemistry of these enclaves. Our results showed that the enclaves contain plagioclase enwrapped by early dark minerals. These enclaves also showed round quartz crystals and acicular apatite in association with the plagioclase. Electron probe analyses showed that the plagioclase in the host rocks (such as K-feldspar granite, adamellite, granodiorite, etc.) show normal zoning, while the plagioclase in the mafic enclaves has a discontinuous rim composition and shows instances of reverse zoning. Major elemental geochemistry revealed that the mafic enclaves belong to the calc-alkaline rocks that are rich in titanium, iron, aluminum, and depleted in silica, while the host rocks are calc-alkaline to alkaline rocks with enrichment in silica. On Harker diagrams, SiO2 contents are negatively correlated with all major oxides but K2O. Both the mafic enclaves and host rock are rich in large ion lithophile elements such as Rb and K, as well as elements such as La, Nd, and Sm, and relatively poor in high field strength elements such as Nb, Ta, P, Ti, and U. Element ratios of Nb/La, Rb/Sr, and Nb/Ta indicate that the mafic enclaves were formed by the mixing of mafic and felsic magma. In terms of rare earth elements, both the mafic enclaves and the host rock show right-inclined trends with similar weak to medium degrees of negative Eu anomaly and with no obvious Ce anomaly. Zircon LA-ICP-MS (Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) U-Pb concordant ages of the mafic enclaves and host rock were determined to be 431.8 5.2 Ma (MSWD (mean standard weighted deviation)= 1.5, n = 14) and 432.8 4.2 Ma (MSWD = 1.7, n = 16), respectively, consistent with that for the zircon U-Pb ages of the granite and medium-coarse grained K-feldspar granites of the Qingshanbao complex. The estimated ages coincide with the timing of the late Caledonian collision of the Alashan Block. This comprehensive analysis allowed us to conclude that the mafic enclaves in the Qingshanbao complex were formed by the mixing of crust-mantle magma with mantle-derived magma due to underplating, which caused partial melting of the ancient basement crust during the collisional orogenesis between the Alashan Block and Qilian rock mass in the early Silurian Period.


2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.K. Yadav ◽  
S. Sehgal

Spinach ( Spinacia oleracia) and amaranth ( Amaranthus tricolor) leaves were stored in polyethylene bags and without packing for 24 and 48 hours in a refrigerator at 5°C and 30°C in polyethylene bags. The fresh leaves were also dried (oven and sun), blanched (5, 10 and 15 min) and cooked in an open pan and a pressure cooker. The processed leaves were analysed for total iron, its availability and antinutrient content. The iron content of these leaves varied from 26.54 to 34.14 mg/l00g, dry weight and its HCl-extractability and in vitro availability were 62.11–67.18% and 3.03–3.97% of total respectively. Drying and storage had no significant effect on total iron content, Hel-extractability and availability ( in vitro), while blanching and cooking resulted in significant improvement of iron availability, and a significant reduction in oxalic acid content, while only blanching significantly reduced phytic acid and polyphenol contents. Thus cooking and blanching are good ways to improve HCl-extractability and in vitro availability of iron.


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Dubbin ◽  
A. R. Mermut ◽  
H. P. W. Rostad

Soils developed from parent materials derived from uppermost Cretaceous and Tertiary sedimentary rocks have been delineated from those which do not contain any of these younger sediments. The present study was initiated to determine the validity of this delineation. Parent materials from six locations in southwestern Saskatchewan were collected to determine their general chemical and physical properties. Clay fractions from each of these six parent materials were then subjected to detailed chemical and mineralogical analyses. The two parent materials containing the greatest amount of post-Bearpaw bedrock sediments (Jones Creek, Scotsguard) were characterized by substantially more organic carbon and less CaCO3. The presence of coal and the absence of carbonates in local bedrocks were considered to be the source of these deviations. In general, fine clays were comprised of 64–69% smectite, 14–21% illite and 10–13% kaolinite and coarse clay contained 32–39% smectite, 25–34% illite and 11–14% kaolinite. An exception was found in two fine clays which had less smectite but 3–6% vermiculite. Total iron content of the fine clays ranged from 7.16 to 8.11% expressed as Fe2O3. However, only a small fraction of this iron was extractable using the CDB technique. There were no substantial differences in surface areas or CECs of the clay fractions. Despite minor differences in the chemistry and mineralogy of these six parent materials, a separation of the soil associations does not appear to be warranted. Key words: Parent materials, uppermost Cretaceous, Tertiary, bedrock, clay mineralogy


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