Radionuclide Uptake and Transport on Microbes in Potential Repository Drifts at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

2002 ◽  
Vol 713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren M. Jolley
Keyword(s):  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Multiple Model ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Waste Package ◽  
Uranium Uptake ◽  
High Level ◽  
Dry Cell

ABSTRACTRadionuclide adsorption onto microbes, microbial retention in the engineered barrier system (EBS), and their potential release from the EBS as microbial colloids have been investigated. The microbial source term for these calculations was derived using MING V 1.0 software code [1]. Multiple model calculations from MING representing variations in possible microbial communities in the EBS were abstracted into two equations representing one meter segments of potential repository drift containing either commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) or defense high level waste (HLW) packages. These two equations (Equations 1 and 2) represent the average cumulative microbial biomass generated in the EBS at any given time. A distribution for uranium uptake onto microbes (162.88 ± 133.05 mg U/gm dry cell) was applied to the microbial source term. The distribution was derived from the data set in Suzuki and Banfield [2] representing 45 different species of bacteria and fungus, covering uranium uptake at optimum pH values of 1 to 7. The mass of uranium sorbed onto the biomass was either sequestered in the EBS or transported as a microbial colloid based on a regression of data from Jewett et al. [3] representing microbial sorption onto air-water interfaces in unsaturated column experiments. Over one million years, it is estimated that EBS microbes may adsorb from 77 to 2302 kg of uranium [2302 kg U > 100% of the uranium available in a one meter segment of a CSNF waste package] per meter of waste package depending on the saturation of the invert and type of waste package. Over the same time, microbial colloids may transport from 8 to 1250 kg of adsorbed uranium per meter of waste package from the EBS.

scholarly journals Reactive transport calculations to evaluate sulphide fluxes in the near-field of a SF/HLW repository

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 10005
Author(s):  
Marek Pękala ◽  
Paul Wersin ◽  
Veerle Cloet ◽  
Nikitas Diomidis
Keyword(s):  
Reactive Transport ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Opalinus Clay ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Waste Containment ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
High Level ◽  
Reducing Bacteria ◽  
Hlw Repository

Radioactive waste is planned to be disposed in a deep geological repository in the Opalinus Clay (OPA) rock formation in Switzerland. Cu coating of the steel disposal canister is considered as potential a measure to ensure complete waste containment of spent nuclear fuel (SF) and vitrified high-level waste (HLW) or a period of 100,000 years. Sulphide is a potential corroding agent to Cu under reducing redox conditions. Background dissolved sulphide concentrations in pristine OPA are low, likely controlled by equilibrium with pyrite. At such concentrations, sulphide-assisted corrosion of Cu would be negligible. However, the possibility exists that sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) might thrive at discrete locations of the repository’s near-field. The activity of SRB might then lead to significantly higher dissolved sulphide concentrations. The objective of this work is to employ reactive transport calculations to evaluate sulphide fluxes in the near-field of the SF/HLW repository in the OPA. Cu canister corrosion due to sulphide fluxes is also simplistically evaluated.

Adsorption Materials Development for the Separation of Actinides and Specific Fission Products from High Level Waste

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 ◽  
pp. 103-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhou Wei ◽  
Shun Yan Ning ◽  
Qi Long Wang ◽  
Zi Chen ◽  
Yan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Selective Adsorption ◽  
Packed Column ◽  
Liquid Waste ◽  
Separation Method ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fast Diffusion ◽  
High Level Liquid Waste ◽  
High Level

The long-term radiotoxicity of high level liquid waste (HLLW) generated in spent nuclear fuel reprocessing is governed by the content of several long-lived minor actinides (MA) and some specific fission product nuclides. To efficiently separate MA (Am, Cm) and some FPs such as Cs and Sr from the HLLW, we have been studying an advanced aqueous partitioning process, which uses selective adsorption as separation method. In this work, we prepared different types of porous silica-based organic/inorganic adsorbents with fast diffusion kinetics, improved chemical stability and low pressure drop in a packed column. So they are advantageously applicable to efficient separation of the MA and specific FP elements from HLLW. Adsorption and separation behaviors of the MA and some FP elements such as Cs and Sr were studied. Small scale separation tests using simulated and genuine nuclear waste solutions were carried out and the obtained results indicate that the proposed separation method based on selective adsorption is essentially feasible.

A Modest Proposal: A Robust, Cost-Effective Design for High-Level Waste Packages

1997 ◽  
Vol 506 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Apted
Keyword(s):  
Mild Steel ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Package Design ◽  
Waste Package ◽  
Modest Proposal ◽  
Proposal A ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
High Level ◽  
Effective Design

ABSTRACTAn alternative waste-package design for the geological disposal of high-level waste (HLW) glass is presented. In conventional designs, a massive buffer of compacted bentonite is placed around a thick-walled, mild-steel overpack; in the revised design, a much thinner buffer is placed within a thin-walled, mild-steel overpack. This simple expedient eliminates certain performance concerns in existing waste-package designs, while not necessitating the study of any new materials. This integrated waste package (IWP) design has comparable release-rate performance as current package designs for HLW. In addition, the 1WP design requires far-less rock excavation, permits significantly higher temperatures for longer periods, leads to a 20-50% reduction in repository area, and is more cost efficient than previous designs.

scholarly journals Sorption-Capacity Limited Retardation of Radionuclides Transport in Water-Saturated Packing Materials

1984 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Pescatore ◽  
T. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Sorption Capacity ◽  
Retardation Factor ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Radionuclide Transport ◽  
Breakthrough Time ◽  
Packing Materials ◽  
Sorption Data ◽  
Waste Package ◽  
High Level ◽  
Water Saturated

AbstractRadionuclides breakthrough times as calculated through constant retardation factors obtained in dilute solutions are non-conservative. The constant retardation approach regards the solid as having infinite sorption capacity throughout the solid. However, as the solid becomes locally saturated, such as in the proximity of the waste form-packing materials interface, it will exhibit no retardation properties, and transport will take place as if the radionuclides were locally non-reactive. The magnitude of the effect of finite sorption capacity of the packing materials on radionuclide transport is discussed with reference to high-level waste package performance. An example based on literature sorption data indicates that the breakthrough time may be overpredicted by orders of magnitude using a constant retardation factor as compared to using the entire sorption isotherm to obtain a concentrationdependent retardation factor.

Wipp Waste Package Testing on Simulated DHLW: Emplacement

1984 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin A. Molecke
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Loading ◽  
Accelerated Aging ◽  
Waste Form ◽  
Future Application ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Glass Waste ◽  
Waste Package ◽  
High Level ◽  
Artificial Introduction ◽  
Materials Behavior

AbstractSeveral series of simulated (nonradioactive) defense high-level waste (DHLW) package tests have recently been emplaced in the WIPP, a research and development facility authorized to demonstrate the safe disposal of defense-related wastes. The primary purpose of these 3-to-7 year duration tests is to evaluate the in situ materials performance of waste package barriers (canisters, overpacks, backfills, and nonradioactive DHLW glass waste form) for possible future application to a licensed waste repository in salt. This paper describes all test materials, instrumentation, and emplacement and testing techniques, and discusses progress of the various tests.These tests are intended to provide information on materials behavior (i.e., corrosion, metallurgical and geochemical alterations, waste form durability, surface interactions, etc.), as well as comparison between several waste package designs, fabrications details, and actual costs.These experiments involve 18 full-size simulated DHLW packages (approximately 3.0 m x 0.6 m diameter) emplaced in vertical boreholes in the salt drift floor. Six of the test packages contain internal electrical heaters (470 W/canister), and were emplaced under approximately reference DHLW repository conditions. Twelve other simulated DHLW packages were emplaced tinder accelerated-aging or overtest conditions, including the artificial introduction of brine, and a thermal loading approximately three to four times higher than reference. Eight of these 12 test packages contain 1500 W/canister electrical heaters; the other four are filled with DHLW glass.

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