title: Effect of precipitation, sorption and stable of isotope on maximum release rates of radionuclides from engineered barrier system (EBS) in deep repository.
abstract: The basic function of the engineered barrier system (EBS) in geological disposal is to prevent or limit the release of radionuclides into the underground environment. For this purpose, the vitrified waste is contained in an overpack to isolate it from contact with groundwater for a certain initial period of time. However, it is impossible to ensure complete containment for all time. Therefore, the eventual release of nuclides must be minimized after the overpack fails (AEC, 1984. Radioactive waste processing and disposal measures; JNC, 2000a. Project to establish the scientific and technical basis for HLW disposal in Japan--first progress report-H3. Geological Environment in Japan, JNC TN1410 2000-002; JNC, 2000b. H12: project to establish the scientific and technical basis for HLW disposal in Japan--repository design and engineering technology, JNC TN1410 2000-003.). Low-permeability buffer material is installed between the overpack and the host rock to ensure that radionuclide release from the vitrified waste is limited by diffusive transport rather than advective transport in groundwater. Nuclides released from the waste form precipitate when their concentrations in the porewater result in their elemental solubility limits being exceeded. This limits the concentrations of many nuclides in the buffer and thus limits the release rates to the surrounding rock. High sorption coefficients act to delay the transport of certain nuclides during their migration through the buffer (PNC, development and management of the technical knowledge base for the geological disposal of HLW. Supporting report 2: repository engineering technology). The presence of isotopes of the same element has the effect of reducing the effective solubility of some nuclides; a lower nuclide concentration is required for precipitation to occur if the presence of any isotopes of the same element is taken into account. The calculated release rates of radionuclides from the EBS (per waste package) are shown that the concentrations of the following radionuclides are limited by solubility and precipitate around the waste and buffer: U, Np, Ra, Sm, Zr, Se, Tc, and Pd. The Sensitivity of maximum release rates in case precipitation shows that some nuclides such as Cs-135, Nb-94, Nb-93 m, Zr-93, Sn-126, Th-230, Pu-240, Pu-242, Pu-239, Cm-245, Am-243, Cm-245, U-233, Ac-227, Pb-210, Pa-231 and Th-229 are very little changed in case the maximum release rate from EBS corresponding to eliminate precipitation in buffer material. Some nuclides such as Se-79, Tc-99, Pd-107, Th-232, U-236, U-233, Ra-226, Np-237 U-235, U-234, and U-238 are virtually changed in the maximum release rate compared to case that taking account precipitation. In Sensitivity of maximum release rates in case to taking account stable isotopes (according to the table of inventory) there are only some nuclides with their stable isotopes in the vitrified waste. And calculation shows that Pd-107 and Se-79 are very increase in case eliminate stable isotope. The Sensitivity of maximum release rates in case retardation with sorption shows that some nuclides such as Pu-240, Pu-241, Pu-239, Cm-245, Am-241, Cm-246, and Am-243 are increased in some time in case maximum release rate from EBS corresponding to eliminate retardation in buffer material. Some nuclides such as U-235, U-233 and U-236 have a little decrease in case maximum release because their parents have short live and before decay to their daughter will released from the EBS. If the characteristic time taken for a nuclide to diffuse across the buffer exceeds its half-life, then the release rate of that nuclide from the EBS will be attenuated by radioactive decay. Thus, the retardation of the diffusion process due to sorption tends to reduce the release rates of short-lived nuclides more effectively than for the long-lived ones. For example, release rates of Pu-240, Cm-246 and Am-241, which are relatively short-lived and strongly sorbing, are very small, whereas that of Zr-93, which is also strongly sorbing but long-lived, is significantly higher.
authors.affiliation: Moscow Power Engineering Institute (Technical University), Krasnokazarmennaya st., 17T Aviamatorhaya, Moscow, Russian Federation. malekifarsani@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malekifarsani
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Skachek
mesh_terms: D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste; D011868:Radioisotopes