The Sorption of Niobium, Tin, Iodine and Chlorine onto Nirex Reference Vault Backfill

Abstract

UK Nirex Ltd is proposing to develop a deep underground repository for the disposal of solid low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the UK, and is currently investigating Sellafield in Cumbria as a possible site. The Nirex Safety Assessment Research Programme (NSARP) comprises scientific research to support the post-closure performance assessment of the repository. One of the investigations carried out by AEA Technology under the NSARP is the study of the sorption of radionuclides onto the backfill. Sorption is one of the key parameters determining the rate of release of radionuclides from the repository. The radionuclides present in the waste include⁹⁴Nb, ¹²⁶Sn, ¹²⁹I and³⁶Cl. This paper reports the measurement of the sorption of niobium, tin, iodine and chlorine onto the Nirex reference vault backfill at 20±5°C by the batch sorption method. The temperature dependence of tin sorption was investigated by carrying out additional experiments at 77±5°C. Experiments on niobium solubility and sorption were carried out under saline conditions to reflect the nature of the groundwater at Sellafield. Sorption coefficients (Rd) for niobium are within the range measured in other work, whereas for tin the results are a factor of ten lower than literature values. For iodine and chlorine, the results are consistent with the literature; they also show an incrase in Rd with decrasing initial inventory. The Rd values for niobium and tin are significantly higher than those for chlorine and iodine.