Radionuclide Solid:liquid partitioning in an aged, reducing-grout wasteform recovered from a disposal facility

The Saltstone Disposal Facility on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina disposes of Low-Level Waste in a reducing-grout waste form. Reducing grout is presently being evaluated as a subsurface disposal waste form at several other locations in the United States, as well as in Europe and Asia. The objective of this study was to collect core samples directly from the Saltstone Disposal Facility and measure desorption distribution coefficients (K_d; radionuclide concentration ratio of saltstone:liquid; (Bq/kg)/Bq/L)) and desorption apparent solubility values (k_sp; radionuclide aqueous concentration (moles/L)). An important attribute of this study was that these tests were conducted with actual aged, grout waste form materials, not small-volume simulants prepared in a laboratory. The reducing grout is comprised of blast furnace slag, Class F fly ash, ordinary portland cement, and a radioactive salt waste solution generated during nuclear processing. The grout sample used in this study underwent hydrolyzation in the disposal facility for 30 months prior to measuring radionuclide leaching. Leaching experiments were conducted either in an inert (no oxygen) atmosphere to simulate conditions within the saltstone monolith prior to aging (becoming oxidized) or they were exposed to atmosphere conditions to simulate conditions of an aged saltstone. Importantly, these experiments were designed not to be diffusion limited, that is, the saltstone was ground finely and the suspensions were under constant agitation during the equilibration period. Under oxidized conditions, measured Tc K_d values were 10 mL/g, which was appreciably greater than the historical best-estimate value of 0.8 mL/g. This difference is likely the result of a fraction of the Tc remaining in the less soluble Tc(IV) form, even after extensive oxidation during the experiment. Under oxidized and reducing conditions, the measured Ba and Sr (both divalent alkaline earth metals) K_d value were more than an order of magnitude greater than historical best-estimate values of 100 mL/g. The unexpectedly high Ba and Sr K_d values were attributed to these radionuclides having sufficient time to age (form strong bonds) in the sulfur-rich saltstone sample. Apparent k_sp values under reducing conditions were 10⁻⁹ mol/L Tc and 10⁻¹³ mol/L Pu, consistent with values measured with surrogate materials. Measured apparent Ba, Sr, and Th k_sp values were significantly greater than historical best-estimates. The implications of the generally greater K_d values and lower k_sp values in these measurements is that these cementitious waste forms have greater radionuclide retention than was previously estimated based on laboratory studies using surrogate materials. This work represents the first leaching study performed with an actual aged, reducing-grout sample and as such provides an important comparison to studies conducted with surrogate materials, and provides high pedigree data for other programs around the world evaluating reducing grouts as a wasteform for subsurface nuclear waste disposal.