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Environmental Engineering Research 2001;6(1): 17-27.
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EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPACTED CLAY AS A BARRIER TO RETARD CONTAMINANT RELEASE FROM THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPOSITORY |
Won-Jin Cho†, Jae-Owan Lee, and Chul-Hyung Kang |
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon 305-606, Korea |
Corresponding Author:
Won-Jin Cho ,Tel: +82-42-868-2852, Fax: +82-42-868-8850, Email: wjcho@nanum.kaeri.re.kr |
Received: November 6, 2000; Accepted: January 7, 2001. |
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ABSTRACT |
It is intended to evaluate the possible use of compacted bentonite to prevent the contaminant release from the radioactive waste repository. The hydraulic conductivity and radionuclide diffusion coefficients in a domestic bentonite were measured. The mathematical modeling and numerical analysis were performed to show how effectively the compacted bentonite barrier would retard the release of contaminants. The hydraulic conductivity of a compacted domestic bentonite is sufficiently low to avoid the possibility of contaminant transport by advection,. And the radionuclide diffusion coefficients in the compacted bentonite are very low. The results of numerical assessment for radionuclide release from the repository show that if the compacted bentonite is used as a buffer in the radioactive waste repository, most radio¬nuclides would be retained in the buffer, and the release into the surrounding environment would be minimal. |
Keywords:
bentonite | buffer material | diffusion coefficient | disposal safety | hydraulic conductivity | radionuclide release |
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