Geochemical Aspects of Radioactive Waste Disposal, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1984

There is an extremely voluminous literature on radioactive waste and its disposal, much in the form of government-sponsored research reports. To wade through this mountain of literature is indeed a tedious task, and it is safe to speculate that very few, if any, individuals have the time to examine each report that has been issued during the preceding ten years. This book attempts to summarize much of this literature. Further, many workers in the geosciences have not received training in the nuclear sciences, and many nuclear scientists could be better versed in geology. In this book an attempt is made to cover some background material on radioactive wastes and geotoxicity that may not be an integral part of a geologist's training, and background material on geology and geochemistry for the nuclear scientist. The geochemical material is designed for both the geoscientist and the nuclear scientist. There is no specific level for this book. Certainly, it should be useful to advanced undergraduates and graduates studying geology and nuclear science. It does not pretend to cover a tremendous amount of detail in all subjects, yet the references cited provide the necessary source materials for follow-up study. It is my intention that the reader of this book will have a better, broader understanding of the geochemical aspects of radioactive waste disposal than is otherwise available in anyone source.

1. Introduction.- 2. Radioactive Waste Management.- Objectives of the National Waste Terminal Storage Program.- International Programs.- 3. Natural Radiation in the Geochemical Environment.- Geochemical Environment.- Background Radiation.- Some Comments.- 4. Types of Radioactive Waste and the Multibarrier System.- Radioactive Wastes.- The Multibarrier Concept.- Uncertainties and Their Resolution.- Criticality.- Summary.- 5. Geochronology and Radwaste.- The Importance of Radiometric Age Determinations.- Uranium-Lead.- Thorium-Lead.- Potassium-Argon.- Rubidium-Strontium.- Uranium-Ruthenium Age Determination.- Importance of Combined U-Pb, Th-Pb, K-Ar, and Rb-Sr Ages.- Some Examples.- HLW-TRU Radionuclide Behavior in Rock Systems: Evidence from Oklo and Other Sources.- Some Conclusions.- 6. Geologic Sites: Generic Cases.- Geologic Disposal of Radioactive Wastes.- Bedded Salt and Salt Dome Deposits.- Granites.- Shale.- Basalt.- Tuffaceous Rocks.- Geohydrologic Considerations.- Concluding Statement.- 7. Geologic Repositories: Specific Sites.- The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site.- Geochronologic Studies.- Groundwater Hydrologic Studies.- Fate of Radionuclides Released from Hypothetical Critical Assemblies of Actinides.- Formation of Secondary Minerals.- Near Field Effects: Canister Metals plus Uranium.- Metal-Oxyhalide Reactions and Naturally Occurring Halides and Oxyhalides.- Other Reactions.- The Basalt Waste Isolation Plant Site.- The Climax Granite of the Nevada Test Site.- Tuffaceous Rocks of the Nevada Test Site.- Bedded Salts of the Paradox Basin Area.- Salt Domes of the Gulf Coastal Region.- Some Conclusions.- 8. Alternate Plans for Waste Disposal.- Subseabed Disposal.- Other Alternate Waste Disposal Proposals.- Very Deep Hole Waste Disposal.- Rock Melt Disposal.- Island Disposal.- Ice Sheet Disposal.- Well Injection Disposal.- Transmutation.- Space Disposal.- Conclusions.- 9. Low Level Radioactive Wastes and Their Siting.- Low-Level Radioactive Wastes.- LLW Handling and Treatment.- Use of Poisoned Land/Inland Seas for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal.- Transportation.- Decommissioning.- Interim Storage of Commercial Low-Level Radioactive Waste.- Conclusions.- 10. Uranium Milling and Mill Talings.- Uranium Milling.- Acid Leaching.- Alkaline Leaching.- Recovery Processes.- Other Stripping Methods.- Recovery of Uranium from Phosphates.- Uranium Mill Tailings.- Other Emissions.- Controlling Impacts of Milling Operations.- Uranium Mill Tailings Disposal Programs.- Radon Risk.- Other Toxic and Hazardous Species.- Risks to Uranium Mill Workers.- Inactive Mill Sites.- Conclusions.- 11. Natural Analogs.- Eh-pH Diagrams.- Stability Limits of Water: 25°C to 200°C.- Reference Diagrams for Uranium.- Americium.- Curium.- Neptunium.- Plutonium.- Concluding Statements.- Oklo Studies.- Behavior of Specific Elements at Oklo.- Fissiogenic Elements at Oklo: Elements from Z-34 to Z-71.- Nonfissiogenic Elements at Oklo.- Comments on Oklo Studies.- Concluding Statements on Oklo.- Studies of the Eldora-Bryan Stock: Idaho Springs Formation, Colorado.- Rb-Sr Geochronology.- REE Distribution Patterns.- Other Studies.- Concluding Statements on the Eldora-Idaho Springs Problem.- Alamosa River Stock-Platoro Complex Studies.- Other Analogs.- Conclusions.- 12. Waste Forms.- Glasses.- Crystalline Waste Forms.- Cement.- Cermet.- Calcine.- Composite Waste Forms.- Synroc.- Properties of Waste-Form Materials.- Leaching.- Conclusions.- 13. Engineered Backfill and Canisters.- Engineered Backfill.- Canister and Other Corrosion-Resistant Structural Components.- Conclusions.- 14. Toxicity.- Geotoxicity Index.- Data for GHI Calculations.- Concluding Statements.- 15. Conclusions.- References.