In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Iran Radioactive Waste Company, AEOI, Postcode: 1439955931, Tehran - Iran

2 Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 11365-8486, Tehran-Iran

3 Application Radiation Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 11365-3486, Tehran-Iran

Abstract

Calculation of distribution coefficients is one of the essential provisions in the safety assessment of radioactive waste repository and safe management of radioactive waste. Due to the importance and characteristics of thorium radionuclide in radioactive waste inventory, the distribution coefficient of thorium in the alluvium soil of Anarak Radioactive Waste Repository was determined by the Batch method two parameters of thorium concentration and soil granulation were studied. Also, the Flow-Through method studied the adsorption behavior of thorium has investigated the effect of thorium concentration and soil height. The average value of thorium distribution coefficient in Anarak soil was calculated 110960 L/kg using the Batch method. The study of adsorption behavior by the Flow-Through method demonstrated high uptake of thorium in the soil due to the strong bond created between the ion and the adsorbent. The results showed that the distribution coefficient increases with the decrease of soil particle size. Regarding the effect of concentration on the thorium distribution coefficient, first, an increasing trend and a decreasing trend were observed in the test range. The results obtained in this study were compared with the results of other studies on thorium radionuclide, which showed a good agreement with other studies.

Highlights

1. Environmental Protection Agency, Understanding Variation in Partitioning Coefficients, Kd Values: VolumeI: The Kd Model, Methods Of Measurement, And, Application Of chemical Reaction Codes. Washington : Office Of Air and Radiation (1999).

 

2. R. Testoni, et al., Analysis on distribution coefficients of Strontium and Cesium for safety assessment studies, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 312, 305–316 (2017).

 

3. International Atomic Energy Agency, Extent of Environmental contamination by Naturally Occuring Radioactive Material (NORM) and Technological Options For Remediation. s.l.: International Atomic Energy Agency (2003).

 

4. International Atomic Energy Agency, Derivation of activity limits for the disposal of radioactive waste in near surface disposal facilities, IAEA-TECDOC-1380. IAEA, Austria (2003).

 

5. Radiation Protection Series Publication No. 15, Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), (2008).

 

6. Environmental Protection Agency, Site Characterization for Subsurface Remediation. EPA/625/4-91/026, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio (1991).

 

7. ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials). 1987. “24-hour Batch-Type Measurement of Contaminant Sorption by Soils and Sediments.” In Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Water and Environmental Technology, Volume 11.04, 163-167, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

 

8. D.H. Thibault, et al, A critical compilation and review of default soil solid/liquid partition coefficients, Kd, for use in environmental assessments. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, AECL-10125 (1990).

 

9. H. Vandenhove, et al., New best estimates for radionuclide solid–liquid distribution coefficients in soils. Part 2. Naturally occurring radionuclides, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 100, 697-703 (2009).

 

10. D. Isherwood, Geoscience Data Base Handbook for Modeling a Nuclear Waste Repository, NUREG/CR-0912, Vols. 1 and 2, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.(1981).

 

11. C. Yu, User’s Manual for RESRAD Version 6. U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Scientific and Technical Information (2001).

 

12. Environmental Protection Agency, Understanding Variation in Partitioning Coefficients, Kd Values: Volume II: Review of Geochemistry and Available Kd Values for Cadmium, Cesium, Chromium, Lead, Plutonium, Radon, Strontium, Thorium, Tritium (3H), and Uranium Washington: Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (1999).

 

13. ASTM D4972-19, Standard Test Methods for pH of Soils, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2019), www.astm.org.

 

14. P. Shah, D. Singh, A Simple Methodology For Determining Electrical Conductivity of Soils, J. ASTM Int. 1, 1-11 (2004).

 

15. ASTM D7263-21, Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Density and Unit Weight of Soil Specimens, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2021), www.astm.org.

 

16. ASTM D422-63(2007)e2, Standard Test Method for Particle-Size Analysis of Soils (Withdrawn 2016), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2007), www.astm.org.

 

17. ASTM D7503-18, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Exchange Complex and Cation Exchange Capacity of Inorganic Fine-Grained Soils, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2018), www.astm.org.

 

18. ASTM D2974-20e1, Standard Test Methods for Determining the Water (Moisture) Content, Ash Content, and Organic Material of Peat and Other Organic Soils, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2020), www.astm.org.

 

19. ASTM D2216-19, Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2019), www.astm.org.

 

20. K.G. Varshney, et al., Radiation stability of some thermally stable inorganic ion exchangers, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 82, 299–308 (1984).

 

21. S. Sheppard, et al., Solid/liquid partition coefficients (Kd) for selected soils and sediments at Forsmark and Laxemar-Simpevarp. ECOMatters Inc, Canada (2009).

 

22. S. Mishra, et al, Estimation of distribution coefficient of natural radionuclides in soil around uranium mines and its effect with ionic strength of water, Radiat Prot Dosimetry, 152, 229-233 (2012).

Keywords

1. Environmental Protection Agency, Understanding Variation in Partitioning Coefficients, Kd Values: VolumeI: The Kd Model, Methods Of Measurement, And, Application Of chemical Reaction Codes. Washington : Office Of Air and Radiation (1999).
 
2. R. Testoni, et al., Analysis on distribution coefficients of Strontium and Cesium for safety assessment studies, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 312, 305–316 (2017).
 
3. International Atomic Energy Agency, Extent of Environmental contamination by Naturally Occuring Radioactive Material (NORM) and Technological Options For Remediation. s.l.: International Atomic Energy Agency (2003).
 
4. International Atomic Energy Agency, Derivation of activity limits for the disposal of radioactive waste in near surface disposal facilities, IAEA-TECDOC-1380. IAEA, Austria (2003).
 
5. Radiation Protection Series Publication No. 15, Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), (2008).
 
6. Environmental Protection Agency, Site Characterization for Subsurface Remediation. EPA/625/4-91/026, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio (1991).
 
7. ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials). 1987. “24-hour Batch-Type Measurement of Contaminant Sorption by Soils and Sediments.” In Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Water and Environmental Technology, Volume 11.04, 163-167, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
 
8. D.H. Thibault, et al, A critical compilation and review of default soil solid/liquid partition coefficients, Kd, for use in environmental assessments. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, AECL-10125 (1990).
 
9. H. Vandenhove, et al., New best estimates for radionuclide solid–liquid distribution coefficients in soils. Part 2. Naturally occurring radionuclides, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 100, 697-703 (2009).
 
10. D. Isherwood, Geoscience Data Base Handbook for Modeling a Nuclear Waste Repository, NUREG/CR-0912, Vols. 1 and 2, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.(1981).
 
11. C. Yu, User’s Manual for RESRAD Version 6. U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Scientific and Technical Information (2001).
 
12. Environmental Protection Agency, Understanding Variation in Partitioning Coefficients, Kd Values: Volume II: Review of Geochemistry and Available Kd Values for Cadmium, Cesium, Chromium, Lead, Plutonium, Radon, Strontium, Thorium, Tritium (3H), and Uranium Washington: Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (1999).
 
13. ASTM D4972-19, Standard Test Methods for pH of Soils, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2019), www.astm.org.
 
14. P. Shah, D. Singh, A Simple Methodology For Determining Electrical Conductivity of Soils, J. ASTM Int. 1, 1-11 (2004).
 
15. ASTM D7263-21, Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Density and Unit Weight of Soil Specimens, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2021), www.astm.org.
 
16. ASTM D422-63(2007)e2, Standard Test Method for Particle-Size Analysis of Soils (Withdrawn 2016), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2007), www.astm.org.
 
17. ASTM D7503-18, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Exchange Complex and Cation Exchange Capacity of Inorganic Fine-Grained Soils, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2018), www.astm.org.
 
18. ASTM D2974-20e1, Standard Test Methods for Determining the Water (Moisture) Content, Ash Content, and Organic Material of Peat and Other Organic Soils, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2020), www.astm.org.
 
19. ASTM D2216-19, Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, (2019), www.astm.org.
 
20. K.G. Varshney, et al., Radiation stability of some thermally stable inorganic ion exchangers, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 82, 299–308 (1984).
 
21. S. Sheppard, et al., Solid/liquid partition coefficients (Kd) for selected soils and sediments at Forsmark and Laxemar-Simpevarp. ECOMatters Inc, Canada (2009).
 
22. S. Mishra, et al, Estimation of distribution coefficient of natural radionuclides in soil around uranium mines and its effect with ionic strength of water, Radiat Prot Dosimetry, 152, 229-233 (2012).