Waste storage in the vadose zone affected by water vapor condensation and leaching [electronic resource].

Published: Washington, D.C : United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Energy Research, 1990.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Physical Description: Pages: (8 pages) : digital, PDF file
Additional Creators: Pacific Northwest Laboratory, United States. Department of Energy. Office of Energy Research, and United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Access Online

www.osti.gov

Availability

Finding items...

Restrictions on Access

Free-to-read Unrestricted online access

Summary

One of the major concerns associated with waste storage in the vadose zone is that toxic materials may somehow be leached and transported by advecting water down to the water table and reach the accessible environment through either a well or discharge to a river. Consequently, care is taken to provide barriers over and around the storage sites to reduce contact between infiltrating water and the buried waste form. In some cases, it is important to consider the intrusion of water vapor as well as water in the liquid phase. Water vapor diffuses through porous material along vapor pressure gradients. A slightly low temperature, or the presence of water-soluble components in the waste, favors water condensation resulting in leaching of the waste form and advection of water-soluble components to the water table. A simple analysis is presented that allows one to estimate the rate of vapor condensation as a function of waste composition and backfill materials. An example using a waste form surrounded by concrete and gravel layers is presented. The use of thermal gradients to offset condensation effects of water-soluble components in the waste form is discussed. Thermal gradients may be controlled by design factors that alter the atmospheric energy exchange across the soil surface or that interrupt the geothermal heat field. 7 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

Report Numbers

E 1.99:pnl-sa-18137
E 1.99: conf-9011116--7
conf-9011116--7
pnl-sa-18137

Subject(s)

Other Subject(s)

Note

Published through SciTech Connect.
08/01/1990.
"pnl-sa-18137"
" conf-9011116--7"
"DE91005618"
14. nuclear waste management conference, Boston, MA (USA), 26-29 Nov 1990.
Gee, G.W.; Cary, J.W.; Whyatt, G.A.

Funding Information

AC06-76RL01830

View MARC record | catkey: 14148457