Laboratory and Field Studies Related to Radionuclide Migration at the Nevada Test Site in Support of the Underground Test Area Program and Hydrologic Resources Management Project October 1, 1999-September 30, 2000 PDF Download
Are you looking for read ebook online? Search for your book and save it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Download Laboratory and Field Studies Related to Radionuclide Migration at the Nevada Test Site in Support of the Underground Test Area Program and Hydrologic Resources Management Project October 1, 1999-September 30, 2000 PDF full book. Access full book title Laboratory and Field Studies Related to Radionuclide Migration at the Nevada Test Site in Support of the Underground Test Area Program and Hydrologic Resources Management Project October 1, 1999-September 30, 2000 by . Download full books in PDF and EPUB format.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Get Book Here
Book Description
This report details the work of Chemistry Division personnel from Los Alamos National Laboratory in FY 2000 for the US Department of Energy/Nevada Operations Office under their Defense Programs and Environmental Restoration Divisions. Los Alamos is one of a number of agencies collaborating in an effort to describe the present and future movement of radionuclides in the underground environment of the Nevada Test Site. This fiscal year we collected and analyzed water samples from a number of expended test locations at the Nevada Test Site. We give the results of these analyses and summarize the information gained over the quarter century that we have been studying several of these sites. We find that by far most of the radioactive residues from a nuclear test are contained in the melt glass in the cavity. Those radionuclides that are mobile in water can be transported if the groundwater is moving due to hydraulic or thermal gradients. The extent to which they move is a function of their chemical speciation, with neutral or anionic materials traveling freely relative to cationic materials that tend to sorb on rock surfaces. However, radionuclides sorbed on colloids may be transported if the colloids are moving. Local conditions strongly influence the distribution and movement of radionuclides, and we continue to study sites such as Almendro, which is thermally quite hot, and Bilby where radionuclides do not appear to have moved a short distance from the cavity. We have begun field use of a tool that allows us to measure important groundwater properties in situ. We conclude our report by noting document reviews and publications produced in support of this program.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Get Book Here
Book Description
This report details the work of Chemistry Division personnel from Los Alamos National Laboratory in FY 2000 for the US Department of Energy/Nevada Operations Office under their Defense Programs and Environmental Restoration Divisions. Los Alamos is one of a number of agencies collaborating in an effort to describe the present and future movement of radionuclides in the underground environment of the Nevada Test Site. This fiscal year we collected and analyzed water samples from a number of expended test locations at the Nevada Test Site. We give the results of these analyses and summarize the information gained over the quarter century that we have been studying several of these sites. We find that by far most of the radioactive residues from a nuclear test are contained in the melt glass in the cavity. Those radionuclides that are mobile in water can be transported if the groundwater is moving due to hydraulic or thermal gradients. The extent to which they move is a function of their chemical speciation, with neutral or anionic materials traveling freely relative to cationic materials that tend to sorb on rock surfaces. However, radionuclides sorbed on colloids may be transported if the colloids are moving. Local conditions strongly influence the distribution and movement of radionuclides, and we continue to study sites such as Almendro, which is thermally quite hot, and Bilby where radionuclides do not appear to have moved a short distance from the cavity. We have begun field use of a tool that allows us to measure important groundwater properties in situ. We conclude our report by noting document reviews and publications produced in support of this program.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 36
Get Book Here
Book Description
This report details the work of Chemistry Division personnel from Los Alamos National Laboratory in FY 2001 for the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office (NNSA/NV) under its Defense Programs and Environmental Restoration divisions. Los Alamos is one of a number of agencies collaborating in an effort to describe the present and future movement of radionuclides in the underground environment of the Nevada Test Site. This fiscal year we collected and analyzed water samples from a number of expended test locations at the Nevada Test Site. We give the results of these analyses and summarize the information gained over the quarter century that we have been studying several of these sites. We find that by far most of the radioactive residues from a nuclear test are contained in the melt glass in the cavity. Those radionuclides that are mobile in water can be transported if the groundwater is moving due to hydraulic or thermal gradients. The extent to which they move is a function of their chemical speciation, with neutral or anionic materials traveling freely relative to cationic materials that tend to sorb on rock surfaces. However, radionuclides sorbed on colloids may be transported if the colloids are moving. Local conditions strongly influence the distribution and movement of radionuclides, and we continue to study sites such as Almendro, which is thermally quite hot, and Nash and Bourbon, where radionuclides had not been measured for 8 years. We collected samples from three characterization wells in Frenchman Flat to obtain baseline radiochemistry data for each well, and we analyzed eight wells containing radioactivity for 237Np, using our highly sensitive ICP/MS. We have again used our field probe that allows us to measure important groundwater properties in situ. We conclude our report by noting document reviews and publications produced in support of this program.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 30
Get Book Here
Book Description
In this report the author describes his research in FY 1999 at the Nevada Test Site regarding the movement of radionuclides in groundwater. This work is funded by the US Department of Energy/Nevada Operations Office through their Defense Programs and Environmental Restorations divisions. Significant accomplishments include upgrading a spectrometer used to characterize groundwater colloids, acquisition of a probe to allow in situ measurement of groundwater parameters, and purchase of pumps for use in small-diameter access tubing. He collected water samples from a number of nuclear test sites during the past year. Samples from the chimney horizon at the Camembert site show that only volatile radionuclides are present there, as expected. Groundwater from the cavity region at the Cheshire site shows evidence of fission product leaching or desorption from melt glass or rock surfaces. Colloids present in this water were found to be remarkably stable during storage for many years. The colloid content of groundwater at the Cambric site and at UE-5n was found to be low relative to that in groundwater on Pahute Mesa. This, coupled with the apparent lack of groundwater flow in the alluvial rock at the Cambric site, suggests that radionuclide movement underground in this area is relatively minimal. He continued the yearly monitoring of the thermally hot cavity fluids at the Almendro site. He concludes this report by listing documents reviewed and presentations and publications generated by the program.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 5
Get Book Here
Book Description
In this report, we describe the work done in FY 1998 at Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of the Hydrologic Resources Management Program (HRMA) funded by the Nevada Operations Office of the US Department of Energy (DOE/NV). The major part of our research effort was to measure radionuclides present in water or soil samples collected from near nuclear tests. We report our measurements for materials collected in both saturated and unsaturated horizons adjacent to nuclear test cavities or collapse chimneys and from within several cavities. Soil samples collected from above the cavities formed by the Halfbeak, Jerboa, and Bobac tests contained no radioactivity, although a test similar to Bobac in the same area had been contaminated with 137Cs. Water samples from near the Shoal test contained no measurable radionuclides, whereas those from near Faultless and Aleman had concentrations similar to previous measurements. Water from the Tybo-Benham site was similar to earlier collections at that site; this year, we added 241Am to the list of radionuclides measured at this location. Two Bennett pumps in tandem were used to extract water from the piezometer tube in the cavity of the Dalhart event. This extraction is a significant achievement in that it opens the possibility of purging similar tubes at other locations on the NTS. The Cheshire post shot hole was reconfigured and pumped from two horizons for the first time since mid-1980. We are especially interested in examining water from the level of the working point to determine the hydrologic source term in a cavity filled with groundwater for over 20 years. We devoted much time this year to examining the colloid content of NTS groundwater. After developing protocols for collecting, handling, and storing groundwater samples without altering their colloid content, we analyzed water from the Tybo-Benham and from the Cheshire sites. Whereas the colloid concentration did not vary much with depth at Tybo-Benham, there were 20 times more colloids in groundwater from the Cheshire cavity than were found a few hundred meters higher. Electron micrographs show the wide variety of colloid sizes and shapes present in NTS groundwater. Our experiences with filtration of groundwater samples illustrate the difficulties of colloid size characterization using this methodology. Our report ends with a description of our consultative and educational activities and a list of recent publications.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 27
Get Book Here
Book Description
In this report we describe the work done at Los Alamos National Laboratory in FY 1995 for the Hydrologic Resources Management Program funded by the US Department of Energy/Nevada Operations office. Budgetary cuts have required us to scale back our activities, particularly field work at the Nevada Test Site. We have collaborated with a number of government agencies and universities in work related to radionuclide migration through geologic media. In cooperation with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we have demonstrated the utility of high-sensitivity gamma logging and have successfully improved the design of a bailer routinely used for water sampling. We analyzed a suite of side-wall samples from the BASEBALL drill-back and have interpreted the distribution pattern of test-related radionuclides. Though heterogeneously distributed, they show a general separation of volatile and refractory fractions. The distribution pattern suggests that there has been little movement of radioactive material within this cavity, which is 13 years old and below the static water level. This characterization of the BASEBALL cavity/chimney complex may have important implications for radionuclide migration elsewhere at the Nevada Test Site.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 40
Get Book Here
Book Description
This annual report describes research conducted in FY 1990 by Los Alamos National Laboratory for the Hydrology/Radionuclide Migration Project. This multi-agency project measures the underground movement of radionuclides related to nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. This project continues the long-term experiment at the site of the Cambric nuclear test. Water pumped from a well adjacent to the explosion cavity continues to show decreasing amounts of tritium and Krypton 85 but no Cesium 139. Analyses of drillback debris shows a distinction between refractory and volatile materials in respect to both their location in the test cavity and their leachability with groundwater. We surveyed materials used during nuclear testing to evaluate any post-test hazard; we concluded that most such materials pose a minimal hazard. The Los Alamos drilling program provided an opportunity for us to sample a collapsed zone above the cavity of a test, which was fired 2 years ago. We continue our research in colloid characterization and in detection of low levels of Technetium 99 in Nevada Test Site water. During FY 1990, we drilled a new hole in the Yucca Flat area to study radionuclide migration. This report also describes Los Alamos management and planning activities in support of this project. 20 refs., 2 figs., 14 tabs.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Get Book Here
Book Description
This report highlights the results of FY 2000 technical studies conducted by the Analytical and Nuclear Chemistry Division (ANCD) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in support of the Hydrology and Radionuclide Migration Program (HRMP) and Underground Test Area (UGTA) Project. This is the latest in a series of annual reports published by LLNL-ANCD to document recent investigations of radionuclide migration and transport processes at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The HRMP is sponsored by Defense Programs (DP) at the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOENV), and supports DP operations at the NTS through studies of radiochemical and hydrologic processes that are relevant to the DP mission. Other organizations that support the HRMP include Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Desert Research Institute (DRI) of the University of Nevada, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPS), and Bechtel Nevada (BN). The UGTA Project is sponsored by the Environmental Management (EM) program at DOENV; its goal is to determine the extent of radionuclide contamination in groundwater resulting from underground nuclear testing at the NTS. The project strategy follows guidelines set forth in a Federal Facilities Agreement and Consent Order between the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the State of Nevada. Participating contractors include LLNL (both ANCD and the Energy and Environmental Sciences Directorate), LANL, USGS, DRI, BN, and IT Corporation (with subcontract support from Geotrans Inc.).
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Get Book Here
Book Description
This report presents the results from fiscal year (FY) 1999 technical studies conducted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as part of the Hydrology and Radionuclide Migration Program (HRMP) and Underground Test Area (UGTA) work-for-others project. This report is the latest in a series of annual reports published by LLNL to document the migration of radionuclides and controls of radionuclide movement at the Nevada Test Site. The FY 1999 studies highlighted in this report are: (1) Chapter 1 provides the results from flow-through leaching of nuclear melt glasses at 25 C and near-neutral pH using dilute bicarbonate groundwaters. (2) Chapter 2 reports on a summary of the size and concentration of colloidal material in NTS groundwaters. (3) Chapter 3 discusses the collaboration between LLNL/ANCD (Analytical and Nuclear Chemistry Division) and the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS) to develop a technique for analyzing NTS groundwater for 99-Technicium (99Tc) using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Since 99Tc is conservative like tritium in groundwater systems, and is not sorbed to geologic material, it has the potential for being an important tool for radionuclide migration studies. (4) Chapter 4 presents the results of secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements of the in-situ distribution of radionuclides in zeolitized tuffs from cores taken adjacent to nuclear test cavities and chimneys. In-situ measurements provide insight to the distribution of specific radionuclides on a micro-scale, mineralogical controls of radionuclide sorption, and identification of migration pathways (i.e., matrix diffusion, fractures). (5) Chapter 5 outlines new analytical techniques developed in LLNL/ANCD to study hydrologic problems at the NTS using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). With costs for thermal-ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) increasing relative to sample preparation time and facility support, ICP-MS technology provides a means for rapidly measuring dilute concentrations of radionuclides with precision and abundance sensitivity comparable to TIMS. (6) Chapter 6 provides results of a characterization study of alluvium collected from the U-1a complex approximately 300 meters below ground surface in Yucca Flat. The purpose of this investigation was to provide information on particle size, mineralogical context, the proportion of primary and secondary minerals, and the texture of the reactive surface area that could be used to accurately model radionuclide interactions within Nevada Test Site alluvial basins (i.e., Frenchman Flat and Yucca Flat).
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 53
Get Book Here
Book Description
Effective management of available groundwater resources and strategies for remediation of water impacted by past nuclear testing practices depend on knowledge about the migration of radionuclides in groundwater away from the sites of the explosions. A primary concern is to assess the relative mobilities of the different radionuclide species found near sites of underground nuclear tests and to determine the concentration, extent, and speed of this movement. Ultimately the long term transport behavior of radionuclides with half-lives long enough that they will persist for decades, their interaction with groundwater, and the resulting flux of these contaminants is of paramount importance. As part of a comprehensive approach to these assessments, more than three decades of site-specific sites studies have been undertaken at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) which have focused on the means responsible for the observed or suspected movement of radionuclides away from underground nuclear tests (RNM, 1983). More recently regional and local models of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport have been developed as part of a federal and state of Nevada program to assess the long-term effects of underground nuclear testing on human health and environment (e.g., U.S. DOE/NV, 1997a; Tompson et al., 1999; Pawloski et al., 2001). Necessary to these efforts is a reliable measure of the hydrologic source term which is defined as those radionuclides dissolved in or otherwise transported by groundwater (Smith et al., 1995). Measurement of radionuclides in waters sampled near the sites of underground nuclear test provides arguably the best opportunity to bound the hydrologic source term. This empirical approach was recognized early and concentration data has been collected annually since mid-1970's. Initially three sites were studied at the NTS; over the years the program has been expanded to include more than fifteen study locations. As part of various field programs, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory have annually returned water samples from wells in near-field locations at the NTS for radiochemical analyses. This report makes the distinction between samples taken in the near-field and the far field. The near-field includes the area extending radially (almost equal to)300 meters from surface ground zero (the firing point of an underground nuclear test projected upwards on ground surface). Over the years this sampling program has also been refereed to as the ''hot-well monitoring program'' because these water samples contained concentrations of tritium above natural background (tritium concentrations in southern Nevada precipitation are 0.5 to 2.0 Bq/L, Farmer et al., 1998). A majority of the hot wells contain tritium in excess of the 741 Bq/L (20,000 pCi/L) drinking water standard (Smith et al., 1996a; Smith et al., 1997). The sites which comprise our current hot well sampling network are plotted on a map of the NTS in Figure 1.
