Challenges Associated with Apatite Remediation of Uranium in the 300 Area Aquifer

摘要

Sequestration of uranium as insoluble phosphate phases appears to be a promising alternative for treating the uranium-contaminated groundwater at the Hanford 300 Area. The proposed approach involves both the direct formation of autunite by the application of a polyphosphate mixture, as well as the formation of apatite in the aquifer as a continuing source of phosphate for long-term treatment of uranium. After a series of bench-scale tests, a field treatability test was conducted in a well at the 300 Area. The objective of the treatability test was to evaluate the efficacy of using polyphosphate injections to treat uranium-contaminated groundwater in situ. A test site consisting of an injection well and 15 monitoring wells was installed in the 300 Area near the process trenches that had previously received uranium-bearing effluents. The results indicated that while the direct formation of autunite appears to have been successful, the outcome of the apatite formation of the test was more limited. Two separate overarching issues impact the efficacy of apatite remediation for uranium sequestration within the 300 Area: 1) the efficacy of apatite for sequestering uranium under the present geochemical and hydrodynamic conditions, and 2) the formation and emplacement of apatite via polyphosphate technology. This paper summarizes these issues.