• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.847-870
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• 2023

The safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste requires accurate predictions of the long-term geochemical behavior of radionuclides. To achieve this, the present study was conducted to model geochemical behaviors of uranium (U), plutonium (Pu), and palladium (Pd) under different hydrogeochemical conditions that represent deep groundwater in Korea. Geochemical modeling was performed for five types of South Korean deep groundwater environment: high-TDS saline groundwater (G1), low-pH CO₂-rich groundwater (G2), high-pH alkaline groundwater (G3), sulfate-rich groundwater (G4), and dilute (fresh) groundwater (G5). Under the pH and Eh (redox potential) ranges of 3 to 12 and ±0.2 V, respectively, the solubility and speciation of U, Pu, and Pd in deep groundwater were predicted. The result reveals that U(IV) exhibits high solubility within the neutral to alkaline pH range, even in reducing environment with Eh down to -0.2 V. Such high solubility of U is primarily attributed to the formation of Ca-U-CO₃ complexes, which is important in both G2 located along fault zones and G3 occurring in granitic bedrocks. On the other hand, the solubility of Pu is found to be highly dependent on pH, with the lowest solubility in neutral to alkaline conditions. The predominant species are Pu(IV) and Pu(III) and their removal is predicted to occur by sorption. Considering the migration by colloids, however, the role of colloid formation and migration are expected to promote the Pu mobility, especially in deep groundwater of G3 and G5 which have low ionic strengths. Palladium (Pd) exhibits the low solubility due to the precipitation as sulfides in reducing conditions. In oxidizing condition, anionic complexes such as Pd(OH)₃^-, PdCl₃(OH)₂^-, PdCl₄^2-, and Pd(CO₃)₂^2- would be removed by sorption onto metal (hydro)oxides. This study will improve the understanding of the fate and transport of radionuclides in deep groundwater conditions of South Korea and therefore contributes to develop strategies for safe high-level radioactive waste disposal.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 1999

Solid scintillation proximity membranes were prepared for measuring the amount of radioactivity in laboratories contaminated by the radionuclide of $^3H$-cortisol. The membranes, consisting of polysulfone as a polymer matrix and cerium activated yttrium silicate as a fluor, were used to monitor the amount of radioactivity without the aid of a scintillation cocktail required for the conventional wipe test. The test results of the cocktail-free wipe test showed that the prepared membranes were efficient to monitor radionuclide-contaminated areas with the good counting ability as well as with the decrease of overall production of radioactive waste. On the other hand, solvent treatment of the prepared membranes could induce a significant variation of membrane morphology, but the counting efficiency of the solvent-treated membranes was not improved than that of the untreated one.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.120-131
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• 1988

A souce term model describes mathematically the source of radionuclides as they begin slow migration and decay in deep groundwater. Various source term models based on mass-transfer analysis and measurement-based source term models are reviewed. Ganerally, two processes are involved in leaching or dissolution: (1) chemical reactions and (2) mass transfer by diffusion. The chemical reaction controls the dissolution rates only during the early stage of exposure to groundwater. The exterior-field mass transfer may control the long term dissolution rates from the waste solid in a geologic repository. Mass-transfer analyses re3y on detailed and careful application of the governing equations that describe the mechanistic processes of transport of material between and within phases. If used correctly, source term models based on mass-transfer theory are valuable and necessary tools for developing reliable predictions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.05b
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• pp.677-682
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• 1998

영광원전주변 해양에서 조사된 환경방사능 조사결과를 토대로 Cs-137과 Sr-90 방사성물질의 해수와 부유물에서 분포특성과 해양생물로의 전이.농축특성을 분석하였다. 방사성물질의 분포특성 분석은 해양에서 방사성물질의 용해성과 부유물에의 흡착성 평가뿐 아니라 방사성물질의 해양확산을 평가하는데 필수적 요소이다. 지금까지는 방사성물질의 해양확산 평가시 완전 용해성으로 가정하여 단순한 해수유동 특성만을 고려하여 평가하였으나, 흡착성 등 물리화학적 거동특성을 평가함으로써 좀더 사실적인 해양확산을 평가할 수 있다. 평가결과 Cs-137과 Sr-90의 분포특성을 나타내는 분배계수가 각각 8.1$\pm$1.4E-4, 7.4$\pm$2.3E-5 로 나타났다. 이는 두 핵종 모두 용해성이 높고 흡착성이 낮음을 보여준다. 그리고 Cs-137과 Sr-90에 비해 상대적으로 흡착성이 높게 나타나고 있다. 또 전이.농축특성 분석결과는 김에서 Cs-137과 Sr-90의 전이.농축계수가 66과 3, 서대와 병어에서는 122.5와 6, 패류에서는 Sr-90의 전이.농축계수가 6으로 나타났다. Sr-90은 전반적으로 전이.농축계수가 낮게 나타나 생물체에유입되더라도 쉽게 배출돼 축적경향이 매우 낮음을 보여준다. 반면 Cs-137은 Sr-90에 비해 상대적으로 농축특성이 높게 나타나고 있다. 향후 이를 토대로 해역의 고유 환경특성에 맞는 방사성물질의 해양중 거동특성을 고려한 해양확산평가 및 해양감시가 이뤄져야할 것이다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.315-325
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• 1990

The analytical repository source term (REPS) computer code is developed for the safety assessment of radioactive waste geologic repository. For reliable prediction of the leach rates for various radionuclides, degradation of concrete structures, corrosion rate of waste container, degree of corrosion on the container surface, and the characteristics of radionuclides are considered in this REPS code. For the validation of the radionuclide leach rates predicted by the REPS model, the calculated leach rates of Cs-137, Sr-85, and Co-60 are compared with two reported leaching test results. Cesium and strontium leach congruently, and the leaching test results of these species can be reproduced by the congruent leaching model included in the REPS model. In case of cobalt, the solid diffusion model is in good agreement with the leaching test results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.54-59
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• 2003

Several radionuclides are considered as an object of the assesment to develop a scaling factor and a periodical verification method which are needed for the evaluation of radionuclide inventory of various radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants in Korea. A selective separation of $^{55}Fe$, $^{90}FSr$ 및 $^{94}Nb$ which should be recovered individually for the radiochemical analysis was described in detail. Sorption and desorption behaviours of ion exchange and extraction chromatographic resins for Fe, Sr, Nb and co-existing metal ions were Investigated using an artificial waste solution simulated of chemical composition of real radioactive wastes. Separation conditions available for the sequential recovery of these metal ions from a single sample were optimized to minimize a discharge of radioactive wastes produced through the analytical process and a radiation exposure to analysts. Their recovery yields were measured with reliability.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.161-170
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• 2012

To provide domestic values of input parameters in a safety assessment of radioactive waste disposal under domestic deep underground environments, various kinds of experiments have been carried out under KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) conditions. The input parameters were classified, and some of them were selected for this study by the criteria of importance. The domestic experimental data under KURT environments were given top priority in the data review process. Foreign data under similar conditions to KURT were also gathered. The collected data were arranged and the statistical calculations were processed. The properties and distribution of the data were explained and compared to foreign values in view of their validity. The following parameters were analysed: failure time and early time failure rate of a container, solubility of nuclides, porosity and density of the buffer, and distribution coefficients of nuclides in the geomedia, hydraulic conductivity, diffusion depth of nuclides, groundwater flow rate, fracture aperture, length of internal fracture, and width of faulted rock mass in the host rock.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2008

Long-term degradation of coment barrier by diffusion was studied with reactive transport modeling. The result of modeling showed that cement barrier was altered about 30cm thickness after 50,000 years. The pH decreased from 13.0 to 11.9 because of depletion of alkali ions, and dissolution/precipitation of portlandite and CSH (Calcium Silicate Hydrate). In addition, porosity increased about 0.3 because of dissolution of portlandite and $CSH2.0(Ca_2SiO_3(OH)_2:0.17H_2O)$. The solubility of uranium also increased with the increase of pe value The results of this study indicate that long-term degradation of comet can enhance the transport of nuclide by changing pH, pe, porosity in barrier.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2007

Inventories of soluble elements in the gap and grain boundaries of domestic used PWR fuel pellets were measured to estimate the quantities of radionuclides that are liable to be rapidly released into the groundwater of a disposal site. The gap inventory of cesium for the pellets in the used fuel with a burn-up range of 45 to 66 GWD/MTU showed 0.85 to 1.7% of its total inventory, which was close to 1/6 to 1/3 of the fission gas release fraction (FGRF). However, the amounts of cesium released from the gaps of the pellets below 40 GWD/MTU of a burn-up and less than 1% FGRF were so erratic that the gap inventory could not be defined by ie FGRF. Strontium inventories in the gap and grain boundaries of the pellets in the same rod were not significantly varied, and the iodine inventory in the gap of the used PWR fuels was estimated to be less than or the same as the FGRF.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2012

The long-lived fission products $^{79}Se$ and $^{99}Tc$ have been considered as the major concern nuclides for the disposal of radioactive waste because of their high solubilities and the existence of anionic species in natural water. In this study, the solubilities of $FeSe_2(s)$ and $TcO_2(s)$, known as respective Solubility Limiting Solid Phase (SLSP) of selenium and technetium, were measured in the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) groundwater under various pH and redox conditions. And their solubilities and major species were also calculated using geochemical codes under conditions similar to experimental solutions. Experimental results and calculation for $FeSe_2$ show that the solubility of selenium was found to be below $1{\times}10^{-6}mol/L$ under the condition of pH 8~9.5 and Eh=-0.3~-0.4 V while the dominant species was identified as $HSe^-$. For $TcO_2$, the solubility of technetium was found to be $5{\times}10^{-8}{\sim}1{\times}10^{-9}mol/L$ in the solutions of pH 6~9.5 and Eh<-0.1 V, while the dominant species was $TcO(OH)_2$. However, when the Eh of the solution is -0.35 V, $TcO(OH)_3^-$ and $TcO_4^-$ are calculated as the dominant species at pH 10.5~12 and pH>12, respectively.