Model of colloidal transportation of radionuclides by groundwater

• Published in: Doklady earth sciences Vol. 470; no. 1; pp. 942 - 945
• Main Authors: Malkovsky, V. I., Yudintsev, S. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.09.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Fluid dynamics; Geochemistry; Groundwater; Groundwater flow; Groundwater pollution; Liquid wastes; Radioactive materials; Radioactive pollution; Radioactive wastes; Radioisotopes; Theoretical analysis
• ISSN: 1028-334X; 1531-8354
• DOI: 10.1134/S1028334X16090051

The transportation of colloidal radionuclides by groundwater was subject to theoretical analysis. The far field of radioactive contamination of the underground environment (liquid waste pumping sites or storage of solidified waste) is dominated by pseudocolloids, i.e., colloidal particles of natural origin contaminated with radionuclides upon contact of groundwater with radioactive materials. Properties of real pseudocolloids were analyzed at sites of radioactive contamination of the underground environment. Based on a probabilistic approach, we developed a mathematical model of pseudocolloid transportation by groundwater, taking into account the difference in size of colloidal particles and the occurrence of nonradioactive natural particles with a similar composition in the groundwater. It is proved that nonuniform dimensions of the particles considerably affect the water transportation rate.