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In order to assess sites for a deep geological repository for storing high-level nuclear waste safely in Germany, various numerical models and tools will be in use. For their interaction within one workflow, their reproducibility, and reliability version-controlled open-source solutions and careful documentation of model setups, results and verifications are of special value. However, spatially fully resolved models including all relevant physical and chemical processes are neither computationally feasible for large domains nor is the data typically available to parameterize such models. Thus, simplified models are crucial for the pre-assessment of possible sites to narrow down the list of suitable candidates for which detailed site investigations and fully resolved models will be done at a later stage. Still, the accuracy of these simplified models is of importance as the pre-assessment of suitable sites will be based on them. In this study, we compare the modelling capabilities of TransPyREnd, a one-dimensional transport code based on finite differences, specifically developed for the fast estimation of radionuclide transport by the German federal company for radioactive waste disposal (BGE), with OpenGeoSys, which is a modelling platform based on finite elements in up to three spatial dimensions. Both codes are used in the site selection procedure for the German nuclear waste repository. The comparison of the model results of TransPyREnd and OpenGeoSys is augmented by comparisons with an analytical solution for a homogeneous material. For the purpose of numerical benchmarking, we consider a geological profile located in southern Germany as an example where the hypothetical repository is located in a clay-stone formation. TransPyREnd and OpenGeoSys yield overall similar results. However, both codes use different discretizations which impact is the highest for strongly sorbing compounds, while the difference gets negligible for less sorbing and more diffusive compo

The SKB GroundWater Flow and Transport of Solutes Task Force is an international forum in the area of conceptual and numerical modeling of groundwater flow and solute transport in fractured rocks relevant for the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. Two in situ matrix diffusion experiments in crystalline rock (gneiss) were performed at POSIVA’s ONKALO underground facility in Finland. Synthetic groundwater containing several conservative and sorbing radiotracers was injected at one end of a borehole interval and flowed along a thin annulus toward the opposite end. Several teams performed predictive modeling of the tracer breakthrough curves using “conventional” modeling approaches (constant diffusion and sorption in the rock, no or minimum rock heterogeneity). Supporting information, derived from small-scale laboratory experiments, was provided. The teams were free to implement different concepts, use different codes, and apply the transport and retention parameters that they considered to be most suited (i.e., not a benchmark exercise). The main goal was the comparison of the different sets of results and the analysis of the possible differences for this relatively simple experimental setup with a well-defined geometry. Even though the experiment was designed to study matrix diffusion, the calculated peaks of the breakthrough curves were very sensitive to the assumed magnitude of dispersion in the borehole annulus. However, given the very different timescales for advection and matrix diffusion, the tails of the curves provided information concerning diffusion and retention in the rock matrix regardless of the magnitude of dispersion. In addition, although the task was designed to be a blind modeling exercise, the model results have also been compared to the measured experimental breakthroughs. Experimental results tend to show relatively small activities, wide breakthroughs, and early first arrivals, which are somewhat similar to model results using large, QC 20220608

Endocytosis of metals in plants is a growing field of study involving metal uptake from the rhizosphere. Uranium, which is naturally and artificially released into the rhizosphere, is known to be taken up by certain species of plant, such as Nicotiana tabacum, and we hypothesize that endocytosis contributes to the uptake of uranium in tobacco. The endocytic uptake of uranium was investigated in tobacco BY 2 cells using an optimized setup of culture in phosphate-deficient medium. A combination of methods in biochemistry, microscopy and spectroscopy, supplemented by proteomics, were used to study the interaction of uranium and the plant cell. We found that under environmentally relevant uranium concentrations, endocytosis remained active and contributed to 14% of the total uranium bioassociation. Proteomics analyses revealed that uranium induced a change in expression of the clathrin heavy chain variant, signifying a shift in the type of endocytosis taking place. However, the rate of endocytosis remained largely unaltered. Electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed an adsorption of uranium to cell surfaces and deposition in vacuoles. Our results demonstrate that endocytosis constitutes a considerable proportion of uranium uptake in BY 2 cells, and that endocytosed uranium is likely targeted to the vacuole for sequestration, providing a physiologically safer route for the plant than uranium transported through the cytosol.

Endocytosis of metals in plants is a growing field of study involving metal uptake from the rhizosphere. Uranium, which is naturally and artificially released into the rhizosphere, is known to be taken up by certain species of plant, such as Nicotiana tabacum, and we hypothesize that endocytosis contributes to the uptake of uranium in tobacco. The endocytic uptake of uranium was investigated in tobacco BY 2 cells using an optimized setup of culture in phosphate-deficient medium. A combination of methods in biochemistry, microscopy and spectroscopy, supplemented by proteomics, were used to study the interaction of uranium and the plant cell. We found that under environmentally relevant uranium concentrations, endocytosis remained active and contributed to 14% of the total uranium bioassociation. Proteomics analyses revealed that uranium induced a change in expression of the clathrin heavy chain variant, signifying a shift in the type of endocytosis taking place. However, the rate of endocytosis remained largely unaltered. Electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed an adsorption of uranium to cell surfaces and deposition in vacuoles. Our results demonstrate that endocytosis constitutes a considerable proportion of uranium uptake in BY 2 cells, and that endocytosed uranium is likely targeted to the vacuole for sequestration, providing a physiologically safer route for the plant than uranium transported through the cytosol.

In order to facilitate the assessment of the safety and function of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, several models have been developed to describe water flow and transport of solutes in fractured crystalline rock. The rock around the repository is described and modelled as a network of water-bearing fractures. The first part of the work concerns analytical solutions of the mathematical models, first developed in the 1980s to describe nuclide transport with seeping water in the fractures where the nuclides can also diffuse in and out of the pores into the rock matrix. A new simple analytical solution is described in which the interaction between matrix diffusion and hydrodynamic dispersion could be decoupled, which makes the interaction between the processes visible while making the solution more manageable. In addition, another dispersion mechanism caused by the presence of independent transport paths is easily handled with the new model. This makes it possible to treat both dispersion mechanisms with the same formalism. This makes the new model more useful in interpreting field experiments with tracer as well as for long-term simulation of nuclide migration in rock. The second part of the work is about molecular diffusion in the rock matrix itself, which is a central mechanism in the model above. One way to measure diffusion and sorption in rock pieces is to force ions through the pores of the rock by means of electromigration. The method previously used has been improved by adding a potentiostat and a pH buffer. The experimental results become more stable. To better interpret the results, a general model for transport in the rock matrix was developed. The model includes electromigration, electroosmosis and dispersion in the pore system. The effective pore diffusivity and matrix formation factor can be determined from the experiments. The results show that the developed electromigration method can be used to provide high quality experimental dat, För att underlätta bedömning av säkerhet och funktion hos djupa geologiska förvar för radioaktivt avfall har flera modeller utvecklats för att beskriva vattenflöde och transport av lösta ämnen i kristallint berg med sprickor. Berget kring förvaret beskrivs och modelleras som ett nätverk av vattenförande sprickor. Den fösta delen av arbetet handlar om analytiska lösningar av de matematiska modellerna, utvecklades på 1980-talet för att beskriva nuklidtransport med sipprande vatten i sprickorna där nukliderna även kan diffundera in och ut ur porerna in bergmatrisen. En ny enkel analytisk lösning beskrivs i vilken samverkan mellan hydrodynamisk dispersion och matrisdiffusion kunnat frikopplas, vilket gör att samverkan mellan processerna synliggörs samtidigt som lösningen är mer hanterbar. Dessutom kan en annan dispersionsmekanism orsakad av närvaron av oberoende transportvägar med lätthet hanteras med den nya modellen. Detta gör det möjligt att behandla både dispersionsmekanismer med samma formalism. Detta gör den nya lösningen mer användbar vid tolkningen av fältförsök med spårämnen liksom för långsiktig simulering av nuklidspridning i berg. Den andra delen av arbetet handlar om molekylär diffusion i bergmatrisen vilket är en central mekanism i modellen ovan. Ett sätt att mäta diffusion och sorption i bergstycken bygger på att driva in joner i bergets porer av med hjälp elektromigration. Den tidigare använda metoden har förbättrats genom att lägga till en potentiostat och pH-buffert. De experimentella resultaten blir därvid mer stabila. För att bättre tolka resultaten utvecklades en generell modell för transport i bergmatrisen. Modellen inbegriper elektromigration, elektroosmos och dispersion i porsystemet. Den effektiva por-diffusiviteten och matrisens formationsfaktor kan bestämmas ur experimenten. Resultaten visar att den utvecklade elektromigreringsmetoden kan användas för att ge experimentella data av hög kvalitet., QC 2020-01-20

In order to facilitate the assessment of the safety and function of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, several models have been developed to describe water flow and transport of solutes in fractured crystalline rock. The rock around the repository is described and modelled as a network of water-bearing fractures. The first part of the work concerns analytical solutions of the mathematical models, first developed in the 1980s to describe nuclide transport with seeping water in the fractures where the nuclides can also diffuse in and out of the pores into the rock matrix. A new simple analytical solution is described in which the interaction between matrix diffusion and hydrodynamic dispersion could be decoupled, which makes the interaction between the processes visible while making the solution more manageable. In addition, another dispersion mechanism caused by the presence of independent transport paths is easily handled with the new model. This makes it possible to treat both dispersion mechanisms with the same formalism. This makes the new model more useful in interpreting field experiments with tracer as well as for long-term simulation of nuclide migration in rock. The second part of the work is about molecular diffusion in the rock matrix itself, which is a central mechanism in the model above. One way to measure diffusion and sorption in rock pieces is to force ions through the pores of the rock by means of electromigration. The method previously used has been improved by adding a potentiostat and a pH buffer. The experimental results become more stable. To better interpret the results, a general model for transport in the rock matrix was developed. The model includes electromigration, electroosmosis and dispersion in the pore system. The effective pore diffusivity and matrix formation factor can be determined from the experiments. The results show that the developed electromigration method can be used to provide high quality experimental dat, För att underlätta bedömning av säkerhet och funktion hos djupa geologiska förvar för radioaktivt avfall har flera modeller utvecklats för att beskriva vattenflöde och transport av lösta ämnen i kristallint berg med sprickor. Berget kring förvaret beskrivs och modelleras som ett nätverk av vattenförande sprickor. Den fösta delen av arbetet handlar om analytiska lösningar av de matematiska modellerna, utvecklades på 1980-talet för att beskriva nuklidtransport med sipprande vatten i sprickorna där nukliderna även kan diffundera in och ut ur porerna in bergmatrisen. En ny enkel analytisk lösning beskrivs i vilken samverkan mellan hydrodynamisk dispersion och matrisdiffusion kunnat frikopplas, vilket gör att samverkan mellan processerna synliggörs samtidigt som lösningen är mer hanterbar. Dessutom kan en annan dispersionsmekanism orsakad av närvaron av oberoende transportvägar med lätthet hanteras med den nya modellen. Detta gör det möjligt att behandla både dispersionsmekanismer med samma formalism. Detta gör den nya lösningen mer användbar vid tolkningen av fältförsök med spårämnen liksom för långsiktig simulering av nuklidspridning i berg. Den andra delen av arbetet handlar om molekylär diffusion i bergmatrisen vilket är en central mekanism i modellen ovan. Ett sätt att mäta diffusion och sorption i bergstycken bygger på att driva in joner i bergets porer av med hjälp elektromigration. Den tidigare använda metoden har förbättrats genom att lägga till en potentiostat och pH-buffert. De experimentella resultaten blir därvid mer stabila. För att bättre tolka resultaten utvecklades en generell modell för transport i bergmatrisen. Modellen inbegriper elektromigration, elektroosmos och dispersion i porsystemet. Den effektiva por-diffusiviteten och matrisens formationsfaktor kan bestämmas ur experimenten. Resultaten visar att den utvecklade elektromigreringsmetoden kan användas för att ge experimentella data av hög kvalitet., QC 2020-01-20

In order to facilitate the assessment of the safety and function of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, several models have been developed to describe water flow and transport of solutes in fractured crystalline rock. The rock around the repository is described and modelled as a network of water-bearing fractures. The first part of the work concerns analytical solutions of the mathematical models, first developed in the 1980s to describe nuclide transport with seeping water in the fractures where the nuclides can also diffuse in and out of the pores into the rock matrix. A new simple analytical solution is described in which the interaction between matrix diffusion and hydrodynamic dispersion could be decoupled, which makes the interaction between the processes visible while making the solution more manageable. In addition, another dispersion mechanism caused by the presence of independent transport paths is easily handled with the new model. This makes it possible to treat both dispersion mechanisms with the same formalism. This makes the new model more useful in interpreting field experiments with tracer as well as for long-term simulation of nuclide migration in rock. The second part of the work is about molecular diffusion in the rock matrix itself, which is a central mechanism in the model above. One way to measure diffusion and sorption in rock pieces is to force ions through the pores of the rock by means of electromigration. The method previously used has been improved by adding a potentiostat and a pH buffer. The experimental results become more stable. To better interpret the results, a general model for transport in the rock matrix was developed. The model includes electromigration, electroosmosis and dispersion in the pore system. The effective pore diffusivity and matrix formation factor can be determined from the experiments. The results show that the developed electromigration method can be used to provide high quality experimental dat, För att underlätta bedömning av säkerhet och funktion hos djupa geologiska förvar för radioaktivt avfall har flera modeller utvecklats för att beskriva vattenflöde och transport av lösta ämnen i kristallint berg med sprickor. Berget kring förvaret beskrivs och modelleras som ett nätverk av vattenförande sprickor. Den fösta delen av arbetet handlar om analytiska lösningar av de matematiska modellerna, utvecklades på 1980-talet för att beskriva nuklidtransport med sipprande vatten i sprickorna där nukliderna även kan diffundera in och ut ur porerna in bergmatrisen. En ny enkel analytisk lösning beskrivs i vilken samverkan mellan hydrodynamisk dispersion och matrisdiffusion kunnat frikopplas, vilket gör att samverkan mellan processerna synliggörs samtidigt som lösningen är mer hanterbar. Dessutom kan en annan dispersionsmekanism orsakad av närvaron av oberoende transportvägar med lätthet hanteras med den nya modellen. Detta gör det möjligt att behandla både dispersionsmekanismer med samma formalism. Detta gör den nya lösningen mer användbar vid tolkningen av fältförsök med spårämnen liksom för långsiktig simulering av nuklidspridning i berg. Den andra delen av arbetet handlar om molekylär diffusion i bergmatrisen vilket är en central mekanism i modellen ovan. Ett sätt att mäta diffusion och sorption i bergstycken bygger på att driva in joner i bergets porer av med hjälp elektromigration. Den tidigare använda metoden har förbättrats genom att lägga till en potentiostat och pH-buffert. De experimentella resultaten blir därvid mer stabila. För att bättre tolka resultaten utvecklades en generell modell för transport i bergmatrisen. Modellen inbegriper elektromigration, elektroosmos och dispersion i porsystemet. Den effektiva por-diffusiviteten och matrisens formationsfaktor kan bestämmas ur experimenten. Resultaten visar att den utvecklade elektromigreringsmetoden kan användas för att ge experimentella data av hög kvalitet., QC 2020-01-20

In order to facilitate the assessment of the safety and function of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, several models have been developed to describe water flow and transport of solutes in fractured crystalline rock. The rock around the repository is described and modelled as a network of water-bearing fractures. The first part of the work concerns analytical solutions of the mathematical models, first developed in the 1980s to describe nuclide transport with seeping water in the fractures where the nuclides can also diffuse in and out of the pores into the rock matrix. A new simple analytical solution is described in which the interaction between matrix diffusion and hydrodynamic dispersion could be decoupled, which makes the interaction between the processes visible while making the solution more manageable. In addition, another dispersion mechanism caused by the presence of independent transport paths is easily handled with the new model. This makes it possible to treat both dispersion mechanisms with the same formalism. This makes the new model more useful in interpreting field experiments with tracer as well as for long-term simulation of nuclide migration in rock. The second part of the work is about molecular diffusion in the rock matrix itself, which is a central mechanism in the model above. One way to measure diffusion and sorption in rock pieces is to force ions through the pores of the rock by means of electromigration. The method previously used has been improved by adding a potentiostat and a pH buffer. The experimental results become more stable. To better interpret the results, a general model for transport in the rock matrix was developed. The model includes electromigration, electroosmosis and dispersion in the pore system. The effective pore diffusivity and matrix formation factor can be determined from the experiments. The results show that the developed electromigration method can be used to provide high quality experimental dat, För att underlätta bedömning av säkerhet och funktion hos djupa geologiska förvar för radioaktivt avfall har flera modeller utvecklats för att beskriva vattenflöde och transport av lösta ämnen i kristallint berg med sprickor. Berget kring förvaret beskrivs och modelleras som ett nätverk av vattenförande sprickor. Den fösta delen av arbetet handlar om analytiska lösningar av de matematiska modellerna, utvecklades på 1980-talet för att beskriva nuklidtransport med sipprande vatten i sprickorna där nukliderna även kan diffundera in och ut ur porerna in bergmatrisen. En ny enkel analytisk lösning beskrivs i vilken samverkan mellan hydrodynamisk dispersion och matrisdiffusion kunnat frikopplas, vilket gör att samverkan mellan processerna synliggörs samtidigt som lösningen är mer hanterbar. Dessutom kan en annan dispersionsmekanism orsakad av närvaron av oberoende transportvägar med lätthet hanteras med den nya modellen. Detta gör det möjligt att behandla både dispersionsmekanismer med samma formalism. Detta gör den nya lösningen mer användbar vid tolkningen av fältförsök med spårämnen liksom för långsiktig simulering av nuklidspridning i berg. Den andra delen av arbetet handlar om molekylär diffusion i bergmatrisen vilket är en central mekanism i modellen ovan. Ett sätt att mäta diffusion och sorption i bergstycken bygger på att driva in joner i bergets porer av med hjälp elektromigration. Den tidigare använda metoden har förbättrats genom att lägga till en potentiostat och pH-buffert. De experimentella resultaten blir därvid mer stabila. För att bättre tolka resultaten utvecklades en generell modell för transport i bergmatrisen. Modellen inbegriper elektromigration, elektroosmos och dispersion i porsystemet. Den effektiva por-diffusiviteten och matrisens formationsfaktor kan bestämmas ur experimenten. Resultaten visar att den utvecklade elektromigreringsmetoden kan användas för att ge experimentella data av hög kvalitet., QC 2020-01-20

In order to facilitate the assessment of the safety and function of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, several models have been developed to describe water flow and transport of solutes in fractured crystalline rock. The rock around the repository is described and modelled as a network of water-bearing fractures. The first part of the work concerns analytical solutions of the mathematical models, first developed in the 1980s to describe nuclide transport with seeping water in the fractures where the nuclides can also diffuse in and out of the pores into the rock matrix. A new simple analytical solution is described in which the interaction between matrix diffusion and hydrodynamic dispersion could be decoupled, which makes the interaction between the processes visible while making the solution more manageable. In addition, another dispersion mechanism caused by the presence of independent transport paths is easily handled with the new model. This makes it possible to treat both dispersion mechanisms with the same formalism. This makes the new model more useful in interpreting field experiments with tracer as well as for long-term simulation of nuclide migration in rock. The second part of the work is about molecular diffusion in the rock matrix itself, which is a central mechanism in the model above. One way to measure diffusion and sorption in rock pieces is to force ions through the pores of the rock by means of electromigration. The method previously used has been improved by adding a potentiostat and a pH buffer. The experimental results become more stable. To better interpret the results, a general model for transport in the rock matrix was developed. The model includes electromigration, electroosmosis and dispersion in the pore system. The effective pore diffusivity and matrix formation factor can be determined from the experiments. The results show that the developed electromigration method can be used to provide high quality experimental dat, För att underlätta bedömning av säkerhet och funktion hos djupa geologiska förvar för radioaktivt avfall har flera modeller utvecklats för att beskriva vattenflöde och transport av lösta ämnen i kristallint berg med sprickor. Berget kring förvaret beskrivs och modelleras som ett nätverk av vattenförande sprickor. Den fösta delen av arbetet handlar om analytiska lösningar av de matematiska modellerna, utvecklades på 1980-talet för att beskriva nuklidtransport med sipprande vatten i sprickorna där nukliderna även kan diffundera in och ut ur porerna in bergmatrisen. En ny enkel analytisk lösning beskrivs i vilken samverkan mellan hydrodynamisk dispersion och matrisdiffusion kunnat frikopplas, vilket gör att samverkan mellan processerna synliggörs samtidigt som lösningen är mer hanterbar. Dessutom kan en annan dispersionsmekanism orsakad av närvaron av oberoende transportvägar med lätthet hanteras med den nya modellen. Detta gör det möjligt att behandla både dispersionsmekanismer med samma formalism. Detta gör den nya lösningen mer användbar vid tolkningen av fältförsök med spårämnen liksom för långsiktig simulering av nuklidspridning i berg. Den andra delen av arbetet handlar om molekylär diffusion i bergmatrisen vilket är en central mekanism i modellen ovan. Ett sätt att mäta diffusion och sorption i bergstycken bygger på att driva in joner i bergets porer av med hjälp elektromigration. Den tidigare använda metoden har förbättrats genom att lägga till en potentiostat och pH-buffert. De experimentella resultaten blir därvid mer stabila. För att bättre tolka resultaten utvecklades en generell modell för transport i bergmatrisen. Modellen inbegriper elektromigration, elektroosmos och dispersion i porsystemet. Den effektiva por-diffusiviteten och matrisens formationsfaktor kan bestämmas ur experimenten. Resultaten visar att den utvecklade elektromigreringsmetoden kan användas för att ge experimentella data av hög kvalitet., QC 2020-01-20

An essential task of performance assessment of radioactive waste repositories is to predict radionuclide release into the environment. For such a quantitative assessment, the Channel Network Model and the corresponding computer program, CHAN3D, have been used to simulate radionuclide transport in crystalline bedrocks. Recent studies suggest, however, that the model may tend to underestimate the rock retarding capability, because it ignores the presence of stagnant water zones, STWZs, situated in the fracture plane. Once considered, the STWZ can provide additional surface area over which radionuclides diffuse into the rock matrix and thereby contribute to their retardation. The main objective of this paper is to extend the Channel Network Model and its computer implementation to account for diffusion into STWZs and their adjacent rock matrices. In the first part of the paper, the overall impact of STWZs in retarding radionuclide transport is investigated through a deterministic calculation of far-field releases at Forsmark, Sweden. Over the time-scale of the repository safety assessments, radionuclide breakthrough curves are calculated for increasing STWZ width. It is shown that the presence of STWZs enhances the retardation of most long-lived radionuclides except for 36Cl and 129I. The rest of the paper is devoted to the probabilistic calculation of radionuclide transport in fractured rocks. The model that is developed for transport through a single channel is embedded into the Channel Network Model and new computer codes are provided for the CHAN3D. The program is used to (I) simulate the tracer test experiment performed at Äspö HRL, STT-1 and (II) investigate the short- and long-term effect of diffusion into STWZs. The required data for the model are obtained from detailed hydraulic tests in boreholes intersecting the rock mass where the tracer tests were made. The simulation results fairly well predict the release of the sorbing tracer 137Cs. It is found that ove, QC 20170926

Radionuclide transport in fractured crystalline rocks is a process of interest in evaluating long term safety of potential disposal systems for radioactive wastes. Given their numerical efficiency and the absence of numerical dispersion, Lagrangian methods (e.g. particle tracking algorithms) are appealing approaches that are often used in safety assessment (SA) analyses. In these approaches, many complex geochemical retention processes are typically lumped into a single parameter: the distribution coefficient (Kd). Usually, the distribution coefficient is assumed to be constant over the time frame of interest. However, this assumption could be critical under long-term geochemical changes as it is demonstrated that the distribution coefficient depends on the background chemical conditions (e.g. pH, Eh, and major chemistry). In this work, we provide a computational framework that combines the efficiency of Lagrangian methods with a sound and explicit description of the geochemical changes of the site and their influence on the radionuclide retention properties., QC 20230630

We present the Laplace-transformed analytical solution (LTAS) to the one-dimensional radionuclide transport equation for an arbitrary length decay-chain through an arbitrary combination of multiply fractured and porous transport segments subject to an arbitrary time-dependent release mode at the entrance point to the series of transport segments. The LTAS may be numerically inverted to obtain the time-dependent concentration of the radionuclides of interest at an arbitrary down gradient location. For a special case, where the source function is defined as the band release with a single radionuclide without precursors, the Laplace inverse transformation could be performed analytically, yielding a closed-form analytical solution. A computer code, TTBX, has been developed by implementing the LTAS, and benchmarked against the closed-form analytical solution. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the utility of these solutions and the importance of increased fidelity in the transport pathway for reliable performance assessment for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuels. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We present the Laplace-transformed analytical solution (LTAS) to the one-dimensional radionuclide transport equation for an arbitrary length decay-chain through an arbitrary combination of multiply fractured and porous transport segments subject to an arbitrary time-dependent release mode at the entrance point to the series of transport segments. The LTAS may be numerically inverted to obtain the time-dependent concentration of the radionuclides of interest at an arbitrary down gradient location. For a special case, where the source function is defined as the band release with a single radionuclide without precursors, the Laplace inverse transformation could be performed analytically, yielding a closed-form analytical solution. A computer code, TTBX, has been developed by implementing the LTAS, and benchmarked against the closed-form analytical solution. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the utility of these solutions and the importance of increased fidelity in the transport pathway for reliable performance assessment for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuels. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In long-term safety assessments for nuclear waste repositories in deep formations, geological time scales have to be considered. Possible future climatic changes are expected to alter the boundary conditions, the flow regime and the geochemical environment in the aquifers. The codes d³f (distributed density-driven flow) and r³t (radionuclides, reaction, retardation, and transport) are being developed to simulate contaminant transport in large heterogeneous areas over long periods in time, considering hydrogeochemical interactions and radioactive decay. A new methodology to use temporally and spatially variant sorption coefficients depending on the geochemical environment is being developed by introducing the transport of relevant components in solution and a pre-computed matrix of sorption coefficients with values being dependent on these components. In Germany, the Gorleben salt dome is being investigated as a potential site for a nuclear waste repository. A sea water inundation will lead to a decrease of the flow velocities and a horizontal salinity-dependent stratification of the groundwater, while permafrost formation in the upper aquifer and an inflow of glacial meltwater into the lower aquifer will lead to low salinities and high flow velocities in unfrozen zones. Transport simulations employing conventional sorption coefficients are the basis for future analyses employing the new methodology.

Deep Burn Modular High Temperature Rectors (DBMHR) have been proposed as a means to reuse the transuranic (TRU) content of commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF). By fissioning greater than 60% of the initial TRU load DBMHR's transmute much of the fuel inventory into shorter-lived fission products. This use of a DBMHR to recycle CSNF offers remarkable benefits including the extraction of additional electricity without the need for additional raw fuel materials, added proliferation resistance by utilizing up to 99% of the 239Pu content in the initial load, and a reduction of the radiotoxicity of the subsequent spent fuel. Two central features of the DBMHR design are the TRISO fuel particles and the all graphite core This is important from a repository perspective because pure graphite is reported to be "one of the most chemically inert materials" known, and offers the potential to serve as an ultra-durable matrix for the sequestration of radionuclides (over geologic time periods) generated as a result of the nuclear fuel cycle. In this study we evaluate the performance of DBMHR spent fuel (DBSF) for final geological disposition. The Yucca Mountain geological repository (YMR) is used as the environment for this study because of the completeness of the data sets necessary to conduct this investigation and because the regulations associated with the YMR provide a clear basis for evaluating the performance of the DBSF. A study of DBMHR fuel cycles shows a radiotoxicity benefit from the recycling CSNF in a DBMHR. Additionally, models developed to evaluate the release and transport of radionuclides from TRISO fuel particles and DBSF in a geological repository environment, including a novel model for the transport of an arbitrary length decay chain through an arbitrary combination of fractured and porous transport segments, demonstrate the efficacy of the DBMHR fuel cycle in reducing the environmental impact from the geological disposition of DBSF relative to CSNF. Calculatio

Deep Burn Modular High Temperature Rectors (DBMHR) have been proposed as a means to reuse the transuranic (TRU) content of commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF). By fissioning greater than 60% of the initial TRU load DBMHR's transmute much of the fuel inventory into shorter-lived fission products. This use of a DBMHR to recycle CSNF offers remarkable benefits including the extraction of additional electricity without the need for additional raw fuel materials, added proliferation resistance by utilizing up to 99% of the 239Pu content in the initial load, and a reduction of the radiotoxicity of the subsequent spent fuel. Two central features of the DBMHR design are the TRISO fuel particles and the all graphite core This is important from a repository perspective because pure graphite is reported to be "one of the most chemically inert materials" known, and offers the potential to serve as an ultra-durable matrix for the sequestration of radionuclides (over geologic time periods) generated as a result of the nuclear fuel cycle. In this study we evaluate the performance of DBMHR spent fuel (DBSF) for final geological disposition. The Yucca Mountain geological repository (YMR) is used as the environment for this study because of the completeness of the data sets necessary to conduct this investigation and because the regulations associated with the YMR provide a clear basis for evaluating the performance of the DBSF. A study of DBMHR fuel cycles shows a radiotoxicity benefit from the recycling CSNF in a DBMHR. Additionally, models developed to evaluate the release and transport of radionuclides from TRISO fuel particles and DBSF in a geological repository environment, including a novel model for the transport of an arbitrary length decay chain through an arbitrary combination of fractured and porous transport segments, demonstrate the efficacy of the DBMHR fuel cycle in reducing the environmental impact from the geological disposition of DBSF relative to CSNF. Calculatio

Travel time distributions obtained from advective transport in multiple realizations of realistic discrete fracture network simulations are analyzed using the truncated one-sided stable distribution, which has previously been shown to generalize both the advectiondispersion solution as well as one-sided stable distributions. Using this model, it is shown that the Fickian assumption inherent in the advection-dispersion equation generally fails, despite the first two moments of travel time essentially scaling linearly with distance. It is also observed that the equally probable realizations drawn from the ensemble can produce a wide range of behavior under the current configuration, such that Fickian conditions are almost obtained in some cases for increasing scales. On the basis of a small-scale calibration against particle breakthrough, the model is then shown to successfully predict limiting bounds of transport for a one order of magnitude increase in scale. Correlation in particle velocity is explicitly shown to be significant for scales close to the characteristic Lagrangian segment length. The network configuration is obtained from extensive site characterization data at the Laxemar region in Sweden and represents a block-scale domain of reasonably sparse background fractures.

Time-domain random-walk (TDRW) algorithms are efficient methods for simulating solute transport along one-dimensional pathways. New extensions of the TDRW algorithm accommodate decay and ingrowth of radionuclides in a decay chain and time-dependent transport velocities. Tests using equilibrium sorption and matrix diffusion retention models demonstrate that the extended TDRW algorithm is accurate and computationally efficient. When combined with stochastic simulation of transport properties, the resulting algorithm, Particle on Random Streamline Segment (PORSS), also captures the effects of random spatial variations in transport velocities, including the effects of very broad velocity distributions. When used in combination with discrete fracture network simulations, the PORSS algorithm provides an accurate and practical method for simulating radionuclide transport at the geosphere scale without invoking the advection-dispersion equation., International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference Location: Las Vegas, NV Date: APR 30-MAY 04, 2006

We consider colloid facilitated radionuclide transport by steady groundwater flow in a heterogeneous porous formation. Radionuclide binding on colloids and soil-matrix is assumed to be kinetically/equilibrium controlled. All reactive parameters are regarded as uniform, whereas the hydraulic log-conductivity is modelled as a stationary random space function (RSF). Colloid-enhanced radionuclide transport is studied by means of spatial moments pertaining to both the dissolved and colloid-bounded concentration. The general expressions of spatial moments for a colloid-bounded plume are presented for the first time, and are discussed in order to show the combined impact of sorption processes as well as aquifer heterogeneity upon the plume migration. For the general case, spatial moments are defined by the aid of two characteristic reaction functions which cannot be expressed analytically. By adopting the approximation for the longitudinal fluid trajectory covariance valid for a flow parallel to the formation bedding suggested by Dagan and Cvetkovic [Dagan G, Cvetkovic V. Spatial Moments of Kinetically Sorbing Plume in a Heterogeneous Aquifers. Water Resour Res 1993;29:4053], we obtain closed form solutions. For illustrative purposes, we consider the case when sorption/desorption between solution and moving colloids is a linear non-equilibrium process, whereas sorption onto the soil-matrix is a linear equilibrium process. Based on the flow and transport parameters pertaining to the alluvial aquifer at the Yucca Mountain Site (Nevada), we investigate the potential enhancing role of colloidal particles by comparing radionuclide spatial moments with and without colloids, and mainly investigate the sensitivity to the reverse rate parameter. The most potentially significant effects are obtained when radionuclide attachment to colloidal particles is irreversible. The simplicity of our results makes them suitable for quick assessments of the potential impact of colloids on contam, QC 20100525

Water flowrates and flow directions may change over time in the subsurface for a number of reasons. In fractured rocks flow takes place in channels within fractures. Solutes are carried by the advective flow. In addition, solutes may diffuse in and out of stagnant waters in the rock matrix and other stagnant water regions. Sorbing species may sorb on fracture surfaces and on the micropore surfaces in the rock matrix. We present a method by which solute particles can be traced in flowing water undergoing changes in flowrate and direction in a complex channel network where the solutes can also interact with the rock by diffusion in the rock matrix. The novelty of this paper is handling of diffusion in the rock matrix under transient flow conditions. The diffusive processes are stochastic and it is not possible to follow a particle deterministically. The method therefore utilises the properties of a probability distribution function for a tracer moving in a fracture where matrix diffusion is active. The method is incorporated in a three dimensional channel network model. Particle tracking is used to trace out a multitude of flowpaths, each of which consists of a large number of channels within fractures. Along each channel the aperture and velocity as well as the matrix sorption properties can vary. An efficient method is presented whereby a particle can be followed along the variable property flowpath. For stationary flow conditions and a network of channels with advective flow and matrix diffusion, a simple analytical solution for the residence time distribution along each pathway can be used. Only two parameter groups need to be integrated along each path. For transient flow conditions, a time stepping procedure that incorporates a stochastic Monte-Carlo like method to follow the particles along the paths when flow conditions change is used. The method is fast and an example is used for illustrative purposes. It is exemplified by a case where land rises due to glaci, QC 20100525

Model predictions of solute transport in a wetland were compared with tracer experimental data to illustrate that the number of compartments in a compartmental model should be selected according to certain rules to accurately describe the transport process. If the input pulse is short, the model structure affects the output significantly. The temporal moments of the residence time distribution was obtained from a general solution of the compartmental model in the Laplace domain derived with an arbitrary inflow pollutograph. The variance of the residence time can be used as a useful tool to analyse the effect of model structure and long-term inflow pollutograph on the response of the model predictions., QC 20120118

Model predictions of solute transport in a wetland were compared with tracer experimental data to illustrate that the number of compartments in a compartmental model should be selected according to certain rules to accurately describe the transport process. If the input pulse is short, the model structure affects the output significantly. The temporal moments of the residence time distribution was obtained from a general solution of the compartmental model in the Laplace domain derived with an arbitrary inflow pollutograph. The variance of the residence time can be used as a useful tool to analyse the effect of model structure and long-term inflow pollutograph on the response of the model predictions., QC 20120118

Model predictions of solute transport in a wetland were compared with tracer experimental data to illustrate that the number of compartments in a compartmental model should be selected according to certain rules to accurately describe the transport process. If the input pulse is short, the model structure affects the output significantly. The temporal moments of the residence time distribution was obtained from a general solution of the compartmental model in the Laplace domain derived with an arbitrary inflow pollutograph. The variance of the residence time can be used as a useful tool to analyse the effect of model structure and long-term inflow pollutograph on the response of the model predictions., QC 20120118

Model predictions of solute transport in a wetland were compared with tracer experimental data to illustrate that the number of compartments in a compartmental model should be selected according to certain rules to accurately describe the transport process. If the input pulse is short, the model structure affects the output significantly. The temporal moments of the residence time distribution was obtained from a general solution of the compartmental model in the Laplace domain derived with an arbitrary inflow pollutograph. The variance of the residence time can be used as a useful tool to analyse the effect of model structure and long-term inflow pollutograph on the response of the model predictions., QC 20120118

Model predictions of solute transport in a wetland were compared with tracer experimental data to illustrate that the number of compartments in a compartmental model should be selected according to certain rules to accurately describe the transport process. If the input pulse is short, the model structure affects the output significantly. The temporal moments of the residence time distribution was obtained from a general solution of the compartmental model in the Laplace domain derived with an arbitrary inflow pollutograph. The variance of the residence time can be used as a useful tool to analyse the effect of model structure and long-term inflow pollutograph on the response of the model predictions., QC 20120118

An approach is described for hydrological, geochemical, and ecological process modeling in assessing the migration pathways of radionuclides from a repository for radioactive waste in crystalline bedrock back to the surface environment where dose to individual humans can occur. The approach is based on the characterization residence times in geologic media of a unit pulse of Cs-135 released from the repository. Performance assessment modeling of geosphere transport processes generally focuses on the properties of the host rock (crystalline bedrock in this case). Our approach includes a detailed representation of the quaternary deposits that overlie the bedrock. Although water residence times in quaternary deposits can be short, geochemical reactions, predominantly sorption, can increase solute residence times significantly. Moreover, the quaternary deposits govern the pathways to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and are of utmost importance for the assessment of doses to individual humans., QC 20100525

The U.S. Department of Energy is actively investigating the technical feasibility of permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste in a repository to be situated in the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the transport of radioactive solutes and colloids under ambient conditions from the potential repository horizon to the water table and to determine processes and geohydrologic features that significantly affect radionuclide transport. The radionuclide transport model considers the site hydrology and the effects of the spatial distribution of hydraulic and transport properties in the fractured rock units of the YM subsurface. Several radionuclides (solutes and colloids) with varying properties are investigated. The results of the study indicate that the most important factors affecting radionuclide transport are the subsurface geology and site hydrology, i.e., the presence of faults (they dominate and control transport), fractures (the main migration pathways), and the relative distribution of zeolitic and vitric tuffs. Radioactive decay, diffusion from the fractures into the matrix, and subsequent sorption (for solutes) or filtration (for colloids) onto, are the main retardation processes. For solutes, arrival times at the watertable increase with the sorption distribution coefficients of the various species, and may have to account for contributions from the decay daughters of certain radionuclides. Changes in future climatic conditions can have a significant effect on transport, as increasing infiltration leads to faster transport to the water table. The transport of colloids is strongly influenced by their size (as it affects diffusion into the matrix, straining at hydrogeologic unit interfaces, and transport velocity) and by the fracture attributes.

The Dutch national research programme into the feasibility of retrievable storage of radioactive waste (CORA Programme Phase I; CORA: Comite Opslag Radioactief Afval = Committee on Radioactive Waste Disposal) examined the suitability of Tertiary clay deposits for such storage. Long-term isolation - up to 1 million years - of high-level radioactive waste under varying conditions is essential. A key concern is the hydro-mechanical response of the clay deposits in which radioactive waste might possibly be stored, in particular during glacial climate conditions as has happened repeatedly in the Netherlands during the Pleistocene. To evaluate this possibility hydro-mechanical computer simulations and mechanical laboratory experiments have been performed to analyse the effects of glacial loading by a thousand-metre-thick ice sheet on the permeability characteristics, fluid flow rates and the associated migration of radio-nuclides both within and out of Tertiary clays. Glacial loading causes the expulsion of pore water from deeply buried clay deposits into adjoining aquifers. The rates and duration of the consolidation-driven outflow of water from the clay deposit, are very sensitive to the permeability of the clay and the dynamics of the advancing ice sheet. The maximum outflow rate of pore water is 1 mm per year. This rate is approximately three times faster than the flow rate of water in clay prior to ice loading. These preliminary simulation studies also indicate that cyclic loading can result in more rapid migration of radio-nuclides in clays. In clay deposits that are covered by a thick ice sheet, the contribution of dispersed transport relative to the total transport by diffusion amounts to 14%, assuming that there is no absorption of radio-nuclides by the clays and a longitudinal dispersivity of 50 m.

The U.S. Department of Energy is actively investigating the technical feasibility of permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste in a repository to be situated in the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the transport of radioactive solutes and colloids under ambient conditions from the potential repository horizon to the water table and to determine processes and geohydrologic features that significantly affect radionuclide transport. The radionuclide transport model considers the site hydrology and the effects of the spatial distribution of hydraulic and transport properties in the fractured rock units of the YM subsurface. Several radionuclides (solutes and colloids) with varying properties are investigated. The results of the study indicate that the most important factors affecting radionuclide transport are the subsurface geology and site hydrology, i.e., the presence of faults (they dominate and control transport), fractures (the main migration pathways), and the relative distribution of zeolitic and vitric tuffs. Radioactive decay, diffusion from the fractures into the matrix, and subsequent sorption (for solutes) or filtration (for colloids) onto, are the main retardation processes. For solutes, arrival times at the watertable increase with the sorption distribution coefficients of the various species, and may have to account for contributions from the decay daughters of certain radionuclides. Changes in future climatic conditions can have a significant effect on transport, as increasing infiltration leads to faster transport to the water table. The transport of colloids is strongly influenced by their size (as it affects diffusion into the matrix, straining at hydrogeologic unit interfaces, and transport velocity) and by the fracture attributes.