Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.2343/geochemj.1.0069
Titel (primär) Modeling the competition between solid solution formation and cation exchange on the retardation of aqueous radium in an idealized bentonite column
Autor Shao, H. ORCID logo ; Kulik, D.A.; Berner, U.; Kosakowski, G.; Kolditz, O. ORCID logo
Quelle Geochemical Journal
Erscheinungsjahr 2009
Department ENVINF
Band/Volume 43
Heft 6
Seite von E37
Seite bis E42
Sprache englisch
Keywords reactive transport; solid solutions; cation exchange; bentonite; radioactive waste repository; montmorillonite; OpenGeoSys; GEM-Selector
Abstract Clays and clay rocks are considered viable geotechnical barriers in radioactive waste disposal. One reason for this is the propensity for cation exchange reactions in clay minerals to retard the migration of radionuclides. Although another retardation mechanism, namely the incorporation of radionuclides into sulfate or carbonate solid solutions, has been known for a long time, only recently has it been examined systematically. In this work, we investigate the competitive effect of both mechanisms on the transport of radium (Ra) in the near-field of a low- and intermediate level nuclear waste repository. In our idealized geochemical model, numerical simulations show that barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) needed for Ra sulfate solid solutions also partition to the cation exchange sites of montmorillonite (Mont), which is the major mineral constituent of bentonite that is used for tunnel backfill. At high Mont content, most Ra tends to attach to Mont, while incorporation of Ra in sulfate solid solutions is more important at low Mont content. To explore the effect of the Mont content on the transport of radium, a multi-component reactive transport model was developed and implemented in the scientific software OpenGeoSys-GEM. It was found that a decrease of fixation capacity due to low Mont content is compensated by the formation of solid solutions and that the migration distance of aqueous Ra is similar at different Mont/water ratios.
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=10528
Shao, H., Kulik, D.A., Berner, U., Kosakowski, G., Kolditz, O. (2009):
Modeling the competition between solid solution formation and cation exchange on the retardation of aqueous radium in an idealized bentonite column
Geochem. J. 43 (6), E37 - E42 10.2343/geochemj.1.0069