Pihong Zhao

Cesium migration in Hanford sediment: a multisite cation exchange model based on laboratory transport experiments

Cs+ transport experiments carried out in columns packed with uncontaminated Hanford formation sediment from the SX tank farm provide strong support for the use of a multisite, multicomponent cation exchange model to describe Cs+ migration in the Hanford vadose zone. The experimental results indicate a strong dependence of the effective Cs+ Kd on the concentrations of other cations, including Na+ that is present at high to extremely high concentrations in fluids leaking from the Hanford SX tanks. A strong dependence of the Cs+ Kd on the aqueous Cs+ concentration is also apparent, with retardation of Cs+ increasing from a value of 41 at a Cs+ concentration of 10(-4) M in the feed solution to as much as 282 at a Cs+ concentration of 5x10(-7) M, all in a background of 1 M NaNO3. The total cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the Hanford sediment was determined using 22Na isotopic equilibrium exchange in a flow-through column experiment. The value for the CEC of 120 microeq/g determined with this method is compatible with a value of 121.9 microeq/g determined by multi-cation elution. While two distinct exchange sites were proposed by Zachara et al. [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 66 (2002) 193] based on binary batch exchange experiments, a third site is proposed in this study to improve the fit of the Cs+-Na+ and Cs+-Ca+ exchange data and to capture self-sharpened Cs+ breakthrough curves at low concentrations of Cs+. Two of the proposed exchange sites represent frayed edge sites (FES) on weathered micas and constitute 0.02% and 0.22% of the total CEC. Both of the FES show a very strong selectivity for Cs+ over Na+ (K(Na-Cs)=10(7.22) and 10(4.93), respectively). The third site, accounting for over 99% of the total CEC, is associated with planar sites on expansible clays and shows a smaller Na+-Cs+ selectivity coefficient of 10(1.99). Parameters derived from a fit of binary batch experiments alone tend to under predict Cs+ retardation in the column experiments. The transport experiments indicate 72-90% of the Cs+ sorbed in experiments targeting exchange on FES was desorbed over a 10- and 24-day period, respectively. At high Cs+ concentrations, where sorption is controlled primarily by exchange on planar sites, 95% of the Cs+ desorption was desorbed. Most of the difficulty in desorbing Cs+ from FES is a result of the extremely high selectivity of these sites for Cs+, although truly irreversible sorption as high as 23% was suggested in one experiment. The conclusion that Cs+ exchange is largely reversible in a thermodynamic sense is supported by the ability to match Cs+ desorption curves almost quantitatively with an equilibrium reactive transport simulation. The model for Cs+ retardation developed here qualitatively explains the behavior of Cs+ in the Hanford vadose zone underneath a variety of leaking tanks with differing salt concentrations. The high selectivity of FES for Cs+ implies that future desorption and migration is very unlikely to occur under natural recharge conditions.

Stabilization of Plutonium Nano-Colloids by Epitaxial Distortion on Mineral Surfaces

The subsurface migration of Pu may be enhanced by the presence of colloidal forms of Pu. Therefore, complete evaluation of the risk posed by subsurface Pu contamination needs to include a detailed physical/chemical understanding of Pu colloid formation and interactions of Pu colloids with environmentally relevant solid phases. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to characterize Pu nanocolloids and interactions of Pu nanocolloids with goethite and quartz. We report that intrinsic Pu nanocolloids generated in the absence of goethite or quartz were 2-5 nm in diameter, and both electron diffraction analysis and HRTEM confirm the expected Fm3m space group with the fcc, PuO2 structure. Plutonium nanocolloids formed on goethite have undergone a lattice distortion relative to the ideal fluorite-type structure, fcc, PuO2, resulting in the formation of a bcc, Pu4O7 structure. This structural distortion results from an epitaxial growth of the plutonium colloid on goethite, leading to stronger binding of plutonium to goethite compared with other minerals such as quartz, where the distortion was not observed. This finding provides new insight for understanding how molecular-scale behavior at the mineral-water interface may facilitate transport of plutonium at the field scale.

Np(V) and Pu(V) Ion Exchange and Surface-Mediated Reduction Mechanisms on Montmorillonite

Due to their ubiquity and chemical reactivity, aluminosilicate clays play an important role in actinide retardation and colloid-facilitated transport in the environment. In this work, Pu(V) and Np(V) sorption to Na-montmorillonite was examined as a function of ionic strength, pH, and time. Np(V) sorption equilibrium was reached within 2 h. Sorption was relatively weak and showed a pH and ionic strength dependence. An approximate NpO(2)(+) → Na(+) Vanselow ion exchange coefficient (Kv) was determined on the basis of Np(V) sorption in 0.01 and 1.0 M NaCl solutions at pH < 5 (Kv ~ 0.3). In contrast to Np(V), Pu(V) sorption equilibrium was not achieved on the time-scale of weeks. Pu(V) sorption was much stronger than Np(V), and sorption rates exhibited both a pH and ionic strength dependence. Differences in Np(V) and Pu(V) sorption behavior are indicative of surface-mediated transformation of Pu(V) to Pu(IV) which has been reported for a number of redox-active and redox-inactive minerals. A model of the pH and ionic strength dependence of Pu(V) sorption rates suggests that H(+) exchangeable cations facilitate Pu(V) reduction. While surface complexation may play a dominant role in Pu sorption and colloid-facilitated transport under alkaline conditions, results from this study suggest that Pu(V) ion exchange and surface-mediated reduction to Pu(IV) can immobilize Pu or enhance its colloid-facilitated transport in the environment at neutral to mildly acidic pHs.

Pu(V) and Pu(IV) Sorption to Montmorillonite

Plutonium (Pu) adsorption to and desorption from mineral phases plays a key role in controlling the environmental mobility of Pu. Here we assess whether the adsorption behavior of Pu at concentrations used in typical laboratory studies (≥10(-10) [Pu] ≤ 10(-6) M) are representative of adsorption behavior at concentrations measured in natural subsurface waters (generally <10(-12) M). Pu(V) sorption to Na-montmorillonite was examined over a wide range of initial Pu concentrations (10(-6)-10(-16) M). Pu(V) adsorption after 30 days was linear over the wide range of concentrations studied, indicating that Pu sorption behavior from laboratory studies at higher concentrations can be extrapolated to sorption behavior at low, environmentally relevant concentrations. Pu(IV) sorption to montmorillonite was studied at initial concentrations of 10(-6)-10(-11) M and was much faster than Pu(V) sorption over the 30 day equilibration period. However, after one year of equilibration, the extent of Pu(V) adsorption was similar to that observed for Pu(IV) after 30 days. The continued uptake of Pu(V) is attributed to a slow, surface-mediated reduction of Pu(V) to Pu(IV). Comparison between rates of adsorption of Pu(V) to montmorillonite and a range of other minerals (hematite, goethite, magnetite, groutite, corundum, diaspore, and quartz) found that minerals containing significant Fe and Mn (hematite, goethite, magnetite, and groutite) adsorbed Pu(V) faster than those which did not, highlighting the potential importance of minerals with redox couples in increasing the rate of Pu(V) removal from solution.

The partitioning of uranium and neptunium onto hydrothermally altered concrete

Partition coefficients (Kd) of U(VI) and Np(V) on untreated and hydrothermally altered concrete were measured in 0.01 M NaCl and 0.01 M NaHCO3 solutions as functions of concentration of the radionuclides, pH, and time. The partition coefficients for both U(VI) and Np(V) on hydrothermally altered concrete are significantly lower than those on untreated concrete. The partition of both U(VI) and Np(V) are pH dependent, although the pH dependence does not appear to reflect precipitation of U and Np-bearing phases. Both sorption and precipitation are likely processes controlling partitioning of U to concrete; sorption is the most likely process controlling the partitioning of Np to concrete. The presence of 0.01 M carbonate species in solution decreases Kd of U(VI) for both hydrothermally altered and untreated concrete from ≥ 104 mL/g to ~400 to 1000 mL/g indicating a significant impact on U(VI) sorption. In contrast, the presence of carbonate only reduced the Kdof Np(V) by one order of magnitude or less. X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of U/concrete mixtures at different pHs and times indicate that uranyl ions are partitioned as monomeric species on untreated concrete, but oligomeric species on hydrothermally altered concrete. Similar analysis of Np/concrete mixtures shows that about half of the partitioned Np(V) is reduced to Np(IV) over a period of 6 months.

Plutonium sorption and precipitation in the presence of goethite at 25 and 80 ∘ C

Abstract We have examined the sorption of aqueous Pu(IV) and intrinsic Pu colloids to goethite across a Pu concentration range that spans the solubility of Pu(IV) hydrous oxide, at 25 and 80 ℃, and after equilibration for over 100 days. The strong affinity of aqueous Pu(IV) for the goethite surface is explained by the epitaxial growth of bcc Pu4O7 nano-particles on goethite. The 3–5 nm Pu4O7 nano-particles are strictly associated with goethite, widely dispersed across the goethite surface, and stable over the timescale of months at both 25 and 80 ℃. There is no indication that the sorbed Pu4O7 nano-particles alter to PuO2 over time. Intrinsic Pu colloids were identified by TEM as 3–5 nm PuO2 nano-particles. They exhibit a weaker association with the goethite surface. Aggregation of PuO2 nano-particles was observed. There is no indication that the PuO2 nano-particles, once formed, will alter to Pu4O7 on goethite. Based on supernatant Pu concentrations, PuO2 nano-particle aggregation behavior is consistent with Pu(IV) hydrous oxide precipitation.

Plutonium(IV) and (V) Sorption to Goethite at Sub-Femtomolar to Micromolar Concentrations: Redox Transformations and Surface Precipitation

Pu(IV) and Pu(V) sorption to goethite was investigated over a concentration range of 10(-15)-10(-5) M at pH 8. Experiments with initial Pu concentrations of 10(-15) - 10(-8) M produced linear Pu sorption isotherms, demonstrating that Pu sorption to goethite is not concentration-dependent across this concentration range. Equivalent Pu(IV) and Pu(V) sorption Kd values obtained at 1 and 2-week sampling time points indicated that Pu(V) is rapidly reduced to Pu(IV) on the goethite surface. Further, it suggested that Pu surface redox transformations are sufficiently rapid to achieve an equilibrium state within 1 week, regardless of the initial Pu oxidation state. At initial concentrations >10(-8) M, both Pu oxidation states exhibited deviations from linear sorption behavior and less Pu was adsorbed than at lower concentrations. NanoSIMS and HRTEM analysis of samples with initial Pu concentrations of 10(-8) - 10(-6) M indicated that Pu surface and/or bulk precipitation was likely responsible for this deviation. In 10(-6) M Pu(IV) and Pu(V) samples, HRTEM analysis showed the formation of a body centered cubic (bcc) Pu4O7 structure on the goethite surface, confirming that reduction of Pu(V) had occurred on the mineral surface and that epitaxial distortion previously observed for Pu(IV) sorption occurs with Pu(V) as well.

Np and Pu Sorption to Manganese Oxide Minerals

Manganese oxide minerals are a significant component of the fracture lining mineralogy at Yucca Mountain (Carlos et al., 1993) and within the tuff-confining unit at Yucca Flat (Prothro, 1998), Pahute Mesa (Drellack et al., 1997), and other locations at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Radionuclide sorption to manganese oxide minerals was not included in recent Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) hydrologic source term (HST) models which attempt to predict the migration behavior of radionuclides away from underground nuclear tests. However, experiments performed for the Yucca Mountain Program suggest that these minerals may control much of the retardation of certain radionuclides, particularly Np and Pu (Triay et al., 1991; Duff et al., 1999). As a result, recent HST model results may significantly overpredict radionuclide transport away from underground nuclear tests. The sorption model used in HST calculations performed at LLNL includes sorption to iron oxide, calcite, zeolite, smectite, and mica minerals (Zavarin and Bruton 2004a; 2004b). For the majority of radiologic source term (RST) radionuclides, we believe that this accounts for the dominant sorption processes controlling transport. However, for the case of Np, sorption is rather weak to all but the iron and manganese oxides (Figure 1). Thus, we can expect to significantly reduce predicted Np transport by accounting for Np sorption to manganese oxides. Similarly, Pu has been shown to be predominantly associated with manganese oxides in Yucca Mountain fractured tuffs (Duff et al., 1999). Recent results on colloid-facilitated Pu transport (Kersting and Reimus, 2003) also suggest that manganese oxide coatings on fracture surfaces may compete with colloids for Pu, thus reducing the effects of colloid-facilitated Pu transport (Figure 1b). The available data suggest that it is important to incorporate Np and Pu sorption to manganese oxides in reactive transport models. However, few data are available for inclusion in our model. A survey of published data found only single-point (Triay et al., 1991; Kersting and Reimus, 2003; Keeney-Kennicutt and Morse, 1984; 1985) and qualitative (Duff et al., 1999; Dyer et al., 2000a; 2000b) Np and Pu sorption information. This report describes recent experiments that quantified the sorption and desorption of Np(V) and Pu(IV) onto three manganese oxide minerals as a function of pH and time. The three manganese oxides (pyrolusite, birnessite, and hollandite) have all been observed on fracture surfaces at Yucca Mountain and are likely to predominate at the NTS. Pyrolusite, birnessite, and hollandite comprise both a range of manganese oxide structure (framework, layered, and tunnel, respectively) and composition and a range of observed manganese oxide mineralogies. The pH range of 3-10 used in these experiments covers the range of pH observed in NTS groundwater (Rose et al., 1997).

International inter-comparison exercise on \({}^{153}\hbox {Sm}\)

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