Post Flow-Through Experiment Rock Core Characterization

The transport of radionuclides in the environment is a major environmental issue that needs to be understood when dealing with nuclear waste. The Nevada Test Site (NTS) was designated as the United States nuclear testing area and is the site of over 900 nuclear detonations. This experiment, conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, models radionuclide migration in rock core obtained from NTS. In short, a solution modeling the groundwater (in mineral composition and pH) from NTS was flowed over the rock core. The cores were examined by alpha-radiography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) in order to determine the location of the radionuclides remaining on the rock surface. The actinides were found to associate heavily with iron and manganese-rich minerals.

Autorentext

Justin Walensky received his B.A. in Chemistry at New College of Florida and performed the research described in this book at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In 2009, he obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine and is currently serving as a postdoctoral associate at Texas A&M University.