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Near-Field Chemical Composition of Porewaters in a Near-Surface Low-Level Radioactive Waste Vault

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

F. Caron ,
M. K. Haas ,
G. Manni  and
J. Torok
F. Caron
Affiliation:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Environmental Research Branch, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, ON, KOJ 1J0, Caronf@aecl.ca.
M. K. Haas
Affiliation:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Environmental Research Branch, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, ON, KOJ 1J0, Caronf@aecl.ca.
G. Manni
Affiliation:
CANDU Operations, Sheridan Park 2285 Speakman Dr. Mississauga, ON, L5K 1B2
J. Torok
Affiliation:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Waste technology, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, ON, KOJ 1J0, Caronf@aecl.ca.
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Abstract

A long-term waste degradation experiment has been performed with actual low-level radioactive wastes (LLRW) at the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL), to support the licensing and modelling efforts for near-surface disposal. The wastes consist of paper, mop heads, paper towels, used clothing, etc. The wastes were compacted into bales and sealed into separate steel containers, which were connected to leachate collection systems for sampling. The leachates collected had a composition typical of landfill leachates. The major inorganic ions were Na, Ca, Cl, and Fe, and the ionic strength was ∼0.05 M. The relative distribution of inorganic ions in the leachates was remarkably similar between bales. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) were the major species of dissolved organic carbon (DOC, total DOC up to 7000 mg/L). A typical composition of leachates is proposed, which can be used in geochemical and source term modelling.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 465: Symposium II – Scienfific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XX , 1996 , 925
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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References

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