Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T16:27:30.713Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of Mineralogy, Exchange Capacity, Surface Area and Grain Size on Lithium Sorption to Zeolitic Alluvium near Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Enid J. Sullivan ,
Paul W. Reimus ,
Steve J. Chipera  and
Dale Counce
Enid J. Sullivan*
Affiliation:
MS J599, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
Paul W. Reimus
Affiliation:
MS J514, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
Steve J. Chipera
Affiliation:
MS D469, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
Dale Counce
Affiliation:
MS D469, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
*
*E-mail address of corresponding author: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The Li+ ion is used frequently as an environmentally acceptable surrogate for sorbing radionuclides in field tracer tests, and experiments using Li are an important part of assessing the potential transport of radionuclides in saturated alluvium south of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the site of a proposed nuclear waste repository. Equilibrium partition constants (Li+ Kds) were measured using batch studies incorporating a wide range of Li+ concentrations and two different grain-size fractions of alluvium samples from multiple depth intervals in two wells. Cation exchange capacity, surface area, bulk mineralogy from quantitative X-ray powder diffraction, and trace Mn- and Fe-oxyhydroxide mineralogy from extractive studies were evaluated as predictors for linearized Li+ Kd values (K1in) in the alluvium. Many of the predictor variables are correlated with each other and this was considered in the analysis. Linearized Kd values were consistently higher for fine particle-size fractions than for coarse fractions. Single and multivariate linear regression analyses indicated that the clinoptilolite + smectite content, taken together as a combined variable, was the best predictor for Li+ sorption in the alluvium, although clinoptilolite content was clearly a better predictor when the two variables were considered separately in simple linear regressions. Even so, Li+ Klin predictions based on clinoptilolite and smectite abundance were accurate only to within about ±100%. This uncertainty suggests that there is either a high inherent variability in Li+ Klin values or that additional alluvium characteristics not measured or evaluated here may play an important role in simple Li+ cation exchange in the alluvium.

Keywords

ClinoptiloliteKdLinearized IsothermLithium SorptionReactive TracerYucca Mountain
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 51 , Issue 6 , December 2003 , pp. 634 - 643
Copyright
Copyright © 2003, The Clay Minerals Society

References

Anghel, I. Turin, H.J. and Reimus, P.W., (2002) Lithium sorption to Yucca Mountain tuffs Applied Geochemistry 17 819–824 10.1016/S0883-2927(02)00041-0.Google Scholar
ASTM, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, V 04.08, Soil and Rock(1): D420-D4914 (1999) West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania American Society of Testing and Materials 8–17.Google Scholar
Bowman, R.S. Urquhart, N.S. and O’Connor, G.A., (1984) Statistical evaluation of sorption isotherm data Soil Science 137 360–369 10.1097/00010694-198405000-00009.Google Scholar
Brunauer, S. Emmet, P.H. and Teller, E., (1938) Adsorption of gases in multimolecular layers Journal of the American Chemical Society 60 309–319 10.1021/ja01269a023.Google Scholar
Chipera, S.J. and Bish, D.L., (1995) Multireflection RIR and intensity normalizations for quantitative analyses: Applications to feldspars and zeolites Powder Diffraction 10 47–55 10.1017/S0885715600014305.Google Scholar
Chung, F.H., (1974) Quantitative interpretation of X-ray diffraction patterns of mixtures. I. Matrix-flushing method for quantitative multicomponent analysis Journal of Applied Crystallography 7 519–525 10.1107/S0021889874010375.Google Scholar
Daniels, W.R., Wolfsberg, K., Rundberg, R.S., Ogard, A.E., Kerrisk, J.F. and Duffy, C.J. (1982) Summary report on the Geochemistry of Yucca Mountain and Environs. Los Alamos National Laboratory Report LA-9328-MS, (December), 364 pp., New Mexico.Google Scholar
Draper, N.R. and Smith, H., (1981) Applied Regression Analysis 2nd New York John Wiley & Sons 709 pp.Google Scholar
Gambrell, R.P. and Sparks, D.L., (1996) Manganese Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 3 — Chemical Methods Madison, Wisconsin Soil Science Society of America, Inc. 665–670 1390 pp.Google Scholar
Loeppert, R.H. Inskeep, W.P. and Sparks, D.L., (1996) Iron Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 3 — Chemical Methods Inc., Madison, Wisconsin Soil Science Society of America 639–664 1390 pp.Google Scholar
Ming, D.W. and Dixon, J.B., (1995) Quantitative determination of clinoptilolite in soils by a cation-exchange capacity method Clays and Clay Minerals 35 463–468 10.1346/CCMN.1987.0350607.Google Scholar
Newman, B.D. Fuentes, H.R. and Polzer, W.L., (1991) An evaluation of lithium sorption isotherms and their application to ground-water transport Ground Water 29 818–824 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1991.tb00567.x.Google Scholar
Sposito, G., (1980) Derivation of the Freundlich equation for ion exchange reactions in soils Soil Science Society of America Journal 44 652–654 10.2136/sssaj1980.03615995004400030045x.Google Scholar
Sullivan, E.J. Reimus, P.W. and Counce, D.A., (2003) Transport of a reactive tracer in saturated alluvium described using a three-component cation-exchange model Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 62–63 675–694 10.1016/S0169-7722(02)00182-1.Google Scholar
Triay, I.R. and Rundberg, R., (1989) Deconvolution of multivalent cation-exchange isotherms Journal of Physical Chemistry 93 5617–5623 10.1021/j100351a056.Google Scholar
Triay, I.R. Meijer, A. Conca, J.L. Kung, K.S. Rundberg, R.S. Strietelmeier, B.A. Tait, C.D. Clark, D.L. Neu, M.P. and Hobart, D.E., (1997) Summary and synthesis report on radionuclide retardation for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project New Mexico Los Alamos National Laboratory.Google Scholar
US Department of Energy (1988) Site characterization plan, V. I, Part A: Yucca Mountain Site, Nevada Research and Development Area, Nevada. DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. DOE/RW-0199, pp. (1–58)–(1-70).Google Scholar
van Genuchten, M.T. Wierenga, P.J. and O’Connor, G.A., (1977) Mass transfer studies in sorbing porous media: III. Experimental evaluation with 2,4,5-T Soil Science Society of America Journal 41 278–285 10.2136/sssaj1977.03615995004100020023x.Google Scholar