Natural Radionuclides in Hanford Site Ground Waters

1987 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Smith ◽  
J. C. Laul ◽  
V. G. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Geologic Repository ◽  
Hanford Site ◽  
Ground Waters ◽  
Stable Element ◽  
Confined Aquifers

AbstractUranium, Th, Ra, Rn, Pb and Po radionuclide concentrations in ground waters from the Hanford Site indicate that U, Th, and Ra are highly jorbed. Relative to Rn, these radionuclides are low by factors of 10−3 to 10−6. Uranium sorption is likely due to its reduction from the +6 state, where it is introduced via surface waters, to the +4 state found in the confined aquifers. The distribution of radionuclides is very similar in all of the confined aquifers and significantly different from the distribution observed in the unconfined and surface waters. Barium correlates well with Ra over three orders of magnitude indicating that stable element analogs may be useful for inferring the behavior of radioactive waste radionuclides in this candidate geologic repository.

scholarly journals Landslide-Induced Mass Transport of Radionuclides along Transboundary Mailuu-Suu River Networks in Central Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengqing Li ◽  
Isakbek Torgoev ◽  
Damir Zaredinov ◽  
Marina Li ◽  
Bekhzod Talipov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transport ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
River Basin Management ◽  
River Networks ◽  
Pollution Dispersion ◽  
Continuous Release ◽  
Political Conflicts ◽  
Exposure Pathway ◽  
Analysis System

Seismically triggered landslides are a major hazard and have caused severe secondary losses. This problem is especially important in the seismic prone Mailuu-Suu catchment in Kyrgyzstan, as it hosts disproportionately sensitive active or legacy uranium sites with deposited radioactive extractive wastes. These sites show a quasi-continuous release of radioactive contamination into surface waters, and especially after natural hazards, a sudden and massive input of pollutants into the surface waters is expected. However, landslides of contaminated sediments into surface waters represent a substantial exposure pathway that has not been properly addressed in the existing river basin management to date. To fill this gap, satellite imagery was massively employed to extract topography and geometric information, and the seismic Scoops3D and the one-dimensional numerical model, Hydrologic Engineering Centre, River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), were chosen to simulate the landslide-induced mass transport of total suspended solids (TSS) and natural radionuclides (Pb-210 as a proxy for modeling purposes) within the Mailuu-Suu river networks under two earthquake and two hydrological scenarios. The results show that the seismically vulnerable areas dominated in the upstream areas, and the mass of landslides increased dramatically with the increase of earthquake levels. After the landslides, the concentrations of radionuclides increased suddenly and dramatically. The peak values decreased along the longitudinal gradient of river networks, with the concentration curves becoming flat and wide in the downstream sections, and the transport speed of radionuclides decreased along the river networks. The conclusions of this study are that landslides commonly release a significant amount of pollutants with a relatively fast transport along river networks. Improved quantitative understanding of waterborne pollution dispersion across national borders will contribute to better co-ordination between governments and regulatory authorities of riparian states and, consequently, to future prevention of transnational political conflicts that have flared up in the last two decades over alleged pollution of transboundary water bodies.

scholarly journals Review of the Scientific Understanding of Radioactive Waste at the U.S. DOE Hanford Site

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reid A. Peterson ◽  
Edgar C. Buck ◽  
Jaehun Chun ◽  
Richard C. Daniel ◽  
Daniel L. Herting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Scientific Understanding ◽  
Hanford Site ◽  
The U.S

Disposal in the deep sea: analogue of nature or faux ami?

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Tyler
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Hydrothermal Vents ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Turbidity Currents ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
Seabed Sediment ◽  
Dredge Spoil

The deep sea is the world's largest ecosystem by volume and is assumed to have a high assimilative capacity. Natural events, such as the sinking of surface plant and animal material to the seabed, sediment slides, benthic storms and hydrothermal vents can contribute vast amounts of material, both organic and inorganic, to the deep ocean. In the past the deep sea has been used as a repository for sewage, dredge spoil and radioactive waste. In addition, there has been interest in the disposal of large man-made objects and, more recently, the disposal of industrially-produced carbon dioxide. Some of the materials disposed of in the deep sea may have natural analogues. This review examines natural processes in the deep sea including the vertical flux of organic material, turbidity currents and benthic storms, natural gas emissions, hydrothermal vents, natural radionuclides and rocky substrata, and compares them with anthropogenic input including sewage disposal, dredge spoil, carbon dioxide disposal, chemical contamination and the disposal of radioactive waste, wrecks and rigs. The comparison shows what are true analogues and what are false friends. Knowledge of the deep sea is fragmentary and much more needs to be known about this large, biologically-diverse system before any further consideration is given to its use in the disposal of waste.

Investigation of Radionuclide Sorption on Peat

2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 342-346
Author(s):  
A. Abramenkovs ◽  
M. Klavins ◽  
J. Rudzitis ◽  
A. Popelis
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Research Reactor ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Waste Waters ◽  
Emission Process ◽  
Radionuclide Sorption ◽  
Low Emission ◽  
Radioactive Water ◽  
Radionuclide Composition ◽  
Technical Considerations

Organic sorbents like peat can be successfully used for the purification of radioactive waste waters and are favoured by economical and technical considerations. The peat filters are also friendlier to the environment, since the manufacturing of such filters is a low emission process. This study examined the sorption of radionuclides 137Cs, 55Fe, 63Ni and 14C on peat samples. The initial radioactivity of the peat samples was studied before the experiments. Peat samples were taken from different bogs. Radionuclide solutions were prepared using deionised water and appropriate radionuclide composition from the Salaspils research reactor stock water. It was found that in all cases of peat samples, the main natural radionuclides were 210Pb, 40K and 214Bi. The artificial radionuclides 152Eu, 137Cs and 60Co were also found in the peat samples. Radionuclide sorption studies indicated that the initial radioactivity of the solution decreased in the case of radionuclides 63Ni, 14C, 55Fe and 137Cs. This confirmed that peat samples can effectively remove the radionuclides from radioactive water solutions.

scholarly journals Impact of the 1988 Forest Fires on the Chemistry of Ground Water in Yellowstone National Park

1992 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 199-205
Author(s):  
Mary Siders ◽  
Donald Runnells
Keyword(s):  
Ground Water ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Solute Content ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Impact Surface ◽  
Ground Waters ◽  
The Impact

To determine the character and extent of possible changes in the chemistry of non-thermal ground waters in Yellowstone National Park that may have occurred as a result of the 1988 forest fires, a two-year program of sampling and analysis was begun in August, 1989. Samples from ground-water wells for which pre-fire chemical data could be obtained were selected for this study. The influx of ground water into surface waters (as baseflow) presents a possible pathway for ash­ derived components to impact surface waters in the Park. Data from a recent study of a silicic, non­carbonate aquifer system suggest even small amounts of ground water can significantly affect the chemical balance of dilute lake waters (Kenoyer and Bowser 1992a, 1992b). Because of the dilute nature of non­thermal waters in the Park and the unknown effects that the fire may have had on the solute content of the ground water, this study was commissioned by the National Park Service (NPS) to examine possible fire-induced changes in the chemistry of shallow ground-waters in the Park. Results of this study may allow the NPS to anticipate any future impact upon the chemistry of surface waters in Yellowstone, in addition to identifying any deleterious effects of the fire on quality of non-thermal ground water in the Park. Due to the geochemical, biological and hydrological processes that modify infiltrating precipitation, it was anticipated that the impact of the forest fires on the chemistry of ground-water would be of lesser magnitude than the chemical and physical effects of fire on surface waters in the Park. Samples of soil water and ground water were collected and analyzed to evaluate the impact of the fires on the shallow, non thermal ground waters in the Park. For detailed study sites and methodology see Runnells and Siders (1992).

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