Effects of gamma Radiation on Groundwater Chemistry and Glass Reaction in a Saturated Tuff Environment

摘要

The Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations project has completed a series of experiments that provide insight into groundwater chemistry and glass waste form performance in the presence of a gamma radiation field at 90 sup 0 C. Results from experiments done at 1 x 10 sup 3 and O R/hr are presented and compared to similar experiments done at 2 x 10 sup 5 and 1 x 10 sup 4 R/hr. The major effect of radiation is to lower the groundwater pH to a value near 6.4. The addition of glass to the system results in slightly more basic final pH, both in the presence and absence of radiation. However, there is essentially no difference in the extent of glass reaction, as measured by elemental release, as a function of dose rate or total dose, for reaction periods up to 278 days. (ERA citation 12:015413)