Leaching Savahhanh River Plant nuclear waste glass in a saturated tuff environment

Samples of SRP glass containing either simulated or actual radioactive waste were leached at 900C under conditions simulating a saturated tuff repository environment. The leach vessels were fabricated of tuff and actual tuff groundwater was used. Thus, the glass was leached only in the presence of those materials (including the Type 304L stainless steel canister material) that would be in the actual repository. Tests were performed for time periods up to 6 months at a SA/V ratio of 100 m-1. Results with glass containing simulated waste indicated that stainless steel canister material around the glass did not significantly affect the leaching. Based on Li and B (elements not in significant concentrations in the tuff or tuff groundwater), glass containing simulated waste leached identically to glass containing actual radioactive waste. The tuff buffered the pH so that only a slight increase was observed as a result of leaching. Results with glass containing actual radioactive waste indicated that tuff reduced the concentrations of Cs-137, Sr-90, and Pu-238 in the free ground water in the simulated repository by 10 to 100X. Also, radiolysis of the groundwater by the glass (approximately 100 rad/hr) did not significantly affect the ph in the presence of tuff. Measured normalized mass losses in the presence of tuff for the glass based on Cs-137, Sr-90, and Pu-238 in the free groundwater were extremely low, nominally 0.02, 0.02, and 0.005 g/m2, respectively, indicating that the glass-tuff system retained radionuclides well. 9 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs