Shuping Yi

Assessment of site conditions for disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes: A case study in southern China

Near surface disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes (LILW) requires evaluating the field conditions of the candidate site. However, assessment of the site conditions may be challenging due to the limited prior knowledge of some remote sites, and various multi-disciplinary data requirements at any given site. These situations arise in China as in the rest of the industrialized world, particularly since a regional strategy for LILW disposal has been implemented to protect humans and the environment. This paper presents a demonstration of the site assessment process through a case study focusing mainly on the geologic, hydrogeologic and geochemical characteristics of the candidate site. A joint on-site and laboratory investigation, supplemented by numerical modeling, was implemented in this assessment. Results indicate that no fault is present in the site area, although there are some minor joints and fractures, primarily showing a north-south trend. Most of the joints are filled with quartz deposits and would thus function hydraulically as impervious barriers. Investigation of local hydrologic boundaries has shown that the candidate site represents an essentially isolated hydrogeologic unit, and that little or no groundwater flow occurs across its boundaries on the north or east, or across the hilly areas to the south. Groundwater in the site area is recharged by precipitation and discharges primarily by evapo-transpiration and surface flow through a narrow outlet to the west. Groundwater flows slowly from the hilly area to the foot of the hills and discharges mainly into the inner brooks and marshes. Some groundwater circulates in deeper granite in a slower manner. The vadose zone in the site was investigated specially for their significant capability for restraining the transport of radionuclides. Results indicate that the vadose zone is up to 38m in thickness and is made up of alluvial clay soils and very highly weathered granite. The vadose zone has low saturated hydraulic conductivities on the order of 10(-5)cm/s and in this respect is well-suited for the disposal of LILW. The saturated formations are primarily made up of silt and moderately-to-slightly weathered granite, which exhibit even lower hydraulic conductivities, on the order of 10(-6)cm/s, also favorable for restraining the transport of radionuclides. Chemical analyses indicate that the groundwaters at the site are of the HCO(3)-Na · Ca and HCO(3) · SO(4)-Na · Ca types and are weakly corrosive to concrete and steel. Geochemical analyses indicate that the rock and soil materials (particularly weathered granite) at the site contain very small fractions of colloidal particles and exhibit low Cation Exchange Capacities (CEC), and would therefore have limited capacity for sorption of radionuclides. Groundwater flow and solute transport models of the candidate site have been developed using MODFLOW and MT3DMS, incorporating the data obtained during the assessment program. Calibration was based on the available measured groundwater level fluctuations and tracer concentrations from in situ dispersion tests. The longitudinal dispersion coefficient as determined in calibration is equal to 5.0 × 10(-3) m(2)/d. Numerical sensitivity analyses indicate that the hydraulic conductivity and the longitudinal dispersion coefficient are the key parameters controlling the transport of radionuclides, while the numerical model is not sensitive to changes in the effective porosity and the specific yield. Preliminary predictions have been performed with the calibrated model both for the natural setting of the site and the graded site in which the valleys of the site are backfilled with low permeable materials. Results indicate that the proposed site grading increases the safety of the site for disposal of LILW by reducing both the groundwater level and the hydraulic gradient and that radionuclide transport would not likely be a problem or cause groundwater contamination. Although there are some problems remaining to be addressed in future work, the conclusion of the assessment is that the conditions at this site are appropriate for LILW disposal. This study provides an example of the procedures necessary in an assessment of site conditions relevant to the safe disposal of LILW. Such an assessment is crucial to the site selection process and to subsequent environmental impact assessment.

A Preliminary Study on the Transport Behavior for a Potential Disposal Site of LILW in Southern China

Near surface disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW) requires a detailed site investigation of the potential sites, in which the transport behavior of solutes in the groundwater system is one of the key processes that needed to be addressed. An investigation is undertaking for the disposal of LILW at a potential site in Southern China. In-situ test have been conducted to study the hydrogeologic characteristics of the site. Firstly, tests including pit permeability tests, injecting tests, water pressure tests, pumping tests and laboratory permeability tests have been performed according to the specific field conditions. Hydraulic conductivities for different layers of rock and soils have been calculated and their recommended values have been presented. And then in-situ dispersion tests have been performed at an area adjacent to the disposal site with non-sorbed tracers. A numerical model has been developed for the site based on data obtained during the site investigation, and has been calibrated with available measured groundwater level and measured tracer concentrations in the dispersion tests. Calibrated results indicate that the longitudinal dispersion coefficient is equal to 5.0×10-3 m2/d. Preliminary predictions have been performed for the groundwater flow and solute advection-dispersion behavior according to the design of the site, in which the center valley will be backfilled with low permeable materials. Predicted results indicate that the groundwater exhibits a lower water table and a smaller hydraulic gradient under designed site condition than under natural condition. All the tracers remain underground in the site and transport slowly mainly through advection and dispersion. Finally, conclusions for the study have been presented and the key tasks for future work have been discussed. This study provides an insight understanding of the hydrogeology characteristics of the disposal site and is useful for the assessment of environment impacts of the site under disposal of LILW.

A single-site reactive transport model of Cs + for the in situ diffusion and retention (DR) experiment

In situ diffusion experiments are performed in underground research laboratories for understanding and quantifying radionuclide diffusion from underground radioactive waste repositories. The in situ diffusion and retention, DR, experiment was performed at the Mont Terri underground research laboratory, Switzerland, to characterize the diffusion and retention parameters of the Opalinus clay. Several tracers were injected instantaneously in the circulating artificial water and were then allowed to diffuse into the clay rock through two porous packed-off sections of a borehole drilled normal to the bedding of the clay formation. This paper presents a single-site multicomponent reactive transport model of Cs+, a tracer used in the DR experiment which sorbs onto Opalinus clay via cation exchange. The reactive transport model accounts for the diffusive-reactive transport of 11 primary species and 22 aqueous complexes, and the water–rock interactions for 5 cation exchange and 3 mineral dissolution/precipitation reactions. Most of the solutes except for Cs+ diffuse from the Opalinus clay formation into the injection interval because the concentrations in the initial Opalinus clay pore water are larger than those of the initial water in the circulation system. Calcite dissolves near the borehole while dolomite precipitates. Dissolved Cs+ sorbs by exchanging with Ca2+ in the exchange complex. The computed dilution curve of Cs+ in the circulating fluid is most sensitive to the effective diffusion, De, of the filter, the selectivity coefficient of Na+ to Cs+, KNa–Cs and De of the borehole disturbed zone. The apparent distribution coefficient of Cs+,

Numerical modeling of large-scale solid-source diffusion experiments in Callovo-Oxfordian clay

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Identifiability of diffusion and retention parameters of anionic tracers from the diffusion and retention (DR) experiment

Kda, in the formation varies in space and time from 100 to 165 L/kg due to the temporal changes in the water chemistry in the formation. The results of a sensitivity run in which the initial chemical composition of the Opalinus pore water is the same as the initial chemical composition of the water in the circulation system show that the changes in

A field-scale long-term study on radionuclide transport through weathered granites at a site in southern China

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