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Related Experiment Videos

Colloid formation at waste plume fronts.

Jiamin Wan1, Tetsu K Tokunaga, Eduardo Saiz

  • 1Earth Sciences and Material Science Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. jwan@lbl.gov

Environmental Science & Technology
|December 3, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Tank waste solution leakage causes significant mobile colloid formation at plume fronts, impacting contaminant transport. Understanding these processes is crucial for predicting radionuclide and toxic metal migration in subsurface environments.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Geochemistry
  • Subsurface Hydrology

Background:

  • U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities face challenges with saline and caustic tank waste solutions leaking into sediments.
  • Radionuclide and toxic metal migration in subsurface environments is often attributed to colloid transport.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate colloid formation during tank waste solution (TWS) leakage into sediments.
  • To understand the impact of colloid formation on contaminant transport at different temperatures.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory column experiments simulating TWS leakage at ambient and elevated (70°C) temperatures.
  • Analysis of colloid formation, particle size, and mineral phases at plume fronts.

Main Results:

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  • Maximum mobile colloid formation occurred at plume fronts, with concentrations up to 3 mass % and particle sizes from nanometers to micrometers.
  • Calcium carbonate was a dominant colloid phase, with other phases varying by pH and temperature.
  • Na+ replacement of sediment Ca2+/Mg2+ led to mineral precipitation and pH reduction at plume fronts.

Conclusions:

  • Colloid formation dynamics during TWS leakage significantly influence subsurface contaminant transport.
  • Laboratory column studies provide critical insights into colloid behavior that batch studies cannot replicate.
  • Understanding these mechanisms aids in predicting the fate of trace elements in leaked tank waste.