Core characterization showed only 4 out of 13 core liner samples were intact samples and that the others were slough material. The intact samples showed typical Ringold Unit E characteristics such as being dominated by gravel and sand. Moderately reducing conditions are inferred in some core from borehole C4299. This reducing condition was caused by the hard tool process used to drill the wells. One core showed significant presence of ferric iron oxide/clay coatings on the gravels. There were no highly contaminated sediments found in the cores from the three new boreholes in UP-1 operable unit, especially for uranium. The presence of slough and “flour” caused by hard tooling is a serious challenge to obtaining field relevant sediments for use in geochemical experiments to determine the adsorption-desorption tendencies of redox sensitive elements such as uranium. The adsorption of COCs on intact Ringold Formation sediments and Fe/clay coatings showed that most of the anionic contaminants [Tc(VII), Se(VI), U(VI), Cr(VI), and I(-I)] did not adsorbed very well compared to cationic [Np(V), Sr(II), and Cs(I)] radionuclides. The high hydrous iron oxide content in Fe/clay coatings caused the highest Kd values for U and Np, suggesting these hydrous oxides are the key solid adsorbent in the sediments. Enhanced adsorption behavior for Tc, and Cr and perhaps Se on the sediments was considered an “artifact” result caused by the induced reducing conditions from the hard tool drilling. Additional U(VI) adsorption Kd studies were performed on Ringold Formation sediments to develop more robust Kd data base for U. The
Revised: March 16, 2006 |
Published: November 16, 2005