Interaction of Np(v) with borate in alkaline, dilute-to-concentrated, NaCl and MgCl2 solutions

The formation of sparingly soluble ternary Na/Mg–Np(v)–borate(s) solid phases in alkaline, dilute-to-concentrated, NaCl and MgCl₂ solutions is confirmed by a multimethod experimental approach.

Retention of neodymium by dolomite at variable ionic strength as probed by batch and column experiments

The results presented in this paper highlight the complexity of adsorption and incorporation processes of Nd with dolomite and significantly improve upon previous work investigating trivalent actinide and lanthanide interactions with dolomite. Both batch and mini column experiments were conducted at variable ionic strength. These data highlight the strong chemisorption of Nd to the dolomite surface (equilibrium K_d's > 3000 mL/g) and suggest that equilibrium adsorption processes may not be affected by ionic strength based on similar results at 0.1 and 5.0 M ionic strength in column breakthrough and equilibrium batch (>5 days) results. Mini column experiments conducted over approximately one year also represent a significant development in measurement of sorption of Nd in the presence of flow as previous large-scale column experiments did not achieve breakthrough likely due to the high loading capacity of dolomite for Nd (up to 240 μg/g). Batch experiments in the absence of flow show that the rate of Nd removal increases with increasing ionic strength (up to 5.0 M) with greater removal at greater ionic strength for a 24 h sampling point. We suggest that the increasing ionic strength induces increased mineral dissolution and re-precipitation caused by changes in activity with ionic strength that lead to increased removal of Nd through co-precipitation processes.

Migration of Radionuclides in Geologic Media: Fundamental Research Needs

An assessment of the fundamental research needs in understanding and predicting the migration of radionuclides in the subsurface is provided. Emphasis is on the following three technical areas: (1) aqueous speciation of radionuclides, (2) the interaction of radionuclides with substrates, and (3) intermediate-scale interaction studies. This research relates to important issues associated with environmental restoration and remediation of DOE sites contaminated with mixed radionuclide-organic wastes.

Preliminary Results of Laboratory Studies of Repository Chemistry for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

The design-basis, defense-related, transuranic (TRU) waste to be emplaced in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) could, if sufficient H2O and nutrients were present, produce as much as 1,500 moles of gas per drum of waste. Gas production could pressurize the repository to lithostatic pressure (150 atm) and perhaps higher.

Anoxic corrosion of Fe and Fe-base alloys and microbial degradation of cellulosics are the processes of greatest concern, but radiolysis of brine could also be important. The proposed backfill additives CaC03, CaO, CuSO4, KOH, and NaOH may remove or prevent the production of some of the expected gases. We describe these processes and present preliminary results of laboratory studies of anoxic corrosion and microbial activity.

Fate of Neptunium in an Anaerobic, Ethanogenic Microcosm

Neptunium is found predominantly as Np(IV) in reducing environments, but as Np(V) in aerobic environments. Currently, it is not known how the interplay between biotic and abiotic processes affects Np redox speciation in the environment. To evaluate the effect of anaerobic microbial activity on the fate of Np in natural systems, Np(V) was added to a microcosm inoculated with anaerobic sediments from a metal-contaminated freshwater lake. The consortium included metal-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic microorganisms, and acetate was supplied as the only exogenous substrate. Addition of more than 10−5M Np did not inhibit methane production. Total Np solubility in the active microcosm, as well as in sterilized control samples, decreased by nearly two orders of magnitude. A combination of analytical techniques, including VIS-NIR absorption spectroscopy and XANES, identified Np(IV) as the oxidation state associated with the sediments. The similar results from the active microcosm and the abiotic controls suggest that microbially produced Mn(II/III) and Fe(II) may serve as electron donors for Np reduction.

Bio-sorption of neptunium(V) by Pseudomonas fluorescens

The bio-sorption of neptunyl (NpO2 +) by Pseudomonas fluorescens was investigated. The overall goals of this research are to identify key interactions between neptunium and soil bacteria and to model these effects under subsurface-related conditions. Neptunyl, which is generally thought to be non-sorptive, was significantly sorbed under all conditions studied. At initial neptunyl concentrations of 4.75 µM and pH = 7, as much as 85% of the neptunium was sorbed under aerobic conditions. Kinetic studies show that neptunyl was sorbed rapidly within the first 15 minutes. The extent of sorption also increased with pH. In all cases, the sorbed neptunium was shown to be NpO2 + by X-ray absorption near edged spectroscopy (XANES) analysis, confirming that there was no reduction to Np(IV) under the conditions of our experiment. The sorption data were modeled using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. A comparison of the two approaches showed a significantly better fit for the Freundlich isotherm, and the Freundlich parameter values suggest interactions between sorbed NpO2 + molecules. These data show that bio-sorption, even for neptunyl, has a significant role in defining the speciation of neptunium and, hence, its overall mobility in the subsurface.

Radiotoxicity of plutonium in NTA-degrading Chelatobacter heintzii cell suspensions

The radiotoxicity of plutonium in NTA-degrading Chelatobacter heintzii cell suspensions was investigated as part of a more general study to establish the key interactions between actinide-organic complexes and microorganisms in the subsurface. The radiation tolerance of C. heintzii, based on 60Co gamma irradiation experiments, was 165 +/- 30 Gy. No bacteria survived irradiation doses greater than 500 Gy. In the presence of plutonium, where alpha particle decay was the primary source of ionizing radiation, the observed toxicity was predominantly radiolytic rather than chemical. This was evident by the greater effect of activity, rather than concentration, on the toxicity noted. Bioassociation of plutonium with C. heintzii was postulated to be an important and necessary step in the observed loss of cell viability since this was the best way to account for the observed death rate. The radiotoxicity of plutonium towards bacteria is a potentially important consideration in the bioremediation of sites contaminated with radionuclide-organic mixtures and the bioprocessing of nuclear waste.

Radiolytically-Induced Gas Production in Plutonium-Spiked Wipp Brine

Gas generation due to alpha particle deposition was investigated in four WIPP relevant brines; WIPP brine A, ERDA-6, DH-36 and G8-B. This was done by spiking each brine with plutonium-239 and periodically sampling the gas phase to determine the nature of the gaseous products and the rates of gas generation. The predominant gas generated radiolytically was hydrogen, with yields ranging from 0.6 to 1.5 molec/100 eV for the four brines tested. Plutonium (VI) was stable in two synthetic brines, WIPP brine A and ERDA-6 but was rapidly reduced in the underground collected brines DH-36 and G8-B, although most of the plutonium remained in solution.