Calculated uranium solubility in groundwater: implications for nuclear fuel waste disposal

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Abstract
Uranium solubilities of the order of 10−10 M have been calculated for a range of conditions which are considered to be representative of those expected in a Canadian nuclear fuel waste disposal vault. Factors taken into consideration include the pH and Eh range expected for deep groundwaters, the projected temperature range near a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault, the effect of the composition of two representative groundwaters, the effect of non-ideality, and the effect of the stability of several uranium solids.The model used in these calculations is based on the assumption of chemical equilibrium. Calculations show that the most important factors influencing uranium solubility under the postulated conditions are pH and Eh.These results applied to an assessment of the nuclear fuel waste disposal program suggest that uranium concentrations will be very low in the disposal vault, and that the irradiated UO2 fuel matrix will remain relatively intact for long periods of time.

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