A containment and disposition strategy for tritium-contaminated groundwater at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, United States

Hitchcock, Daniel R.; Barton, Christopher D.; Rebel, Karin T.; Singer, J. H.; Seaman, John C.; Strawbridge, J.D.; Riha, Susan J.; Blake, J. P.

doi:10.1306/eg.04120404020

Cited by 9 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Irrigation water was uniformly applied to 28 blocks, using a grid of evenly spaced sprinklers (1 per 30 m 2 ) (Blake, 1999). The phytoremediation project is described in more detail by Hitchcock et al (2005)…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vapor samplers consisted of a polyvinyl chloride well pipe screened over a 15‐cm span at the base. Soil pore water was collected by pulling a small vacuum on the well pipe at the surface and condensing the water vapor (Hitchcock et al, 2005). This technique proved to be effective in yielding sufficient pore water for tritium analysis, regardless of the soil moisture conditions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An objective of this study was to determine if subsurface lateral flow at a sand–clay interface impacts tritium uptake by mixed forest vegetation. To understand and predict tritium uptake at a tritium phytoremediation site (Hitchcock et al, 2005; Rebel et al, 2005), is it sufficient to apply several one‐dimensional models located over space (Rebel et al, 2005), or do we need to apply a spatially explicit, semi‐three‐dimensional model? To test this hypothesis, we developed and applied a water and solute balance model to simulate both vertical and lateral water and solute fluxes, including water and solute uptake by the vegetation.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…We ran this model with and without the lateral flow algorithm, and compared the results. The model was applied to the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, where a forest has been irrigated with tritium‐enriched water (Hitchcock et al, 2005). The spatially explicit water and solute model was used to predict the mass of tritium transpired by the vegetation in comparison to the mass of tritium that leached below the rooting zone (potentially contaminating groundwater), moved laterally offsite (potentially contaminating an uncontaminated area), or was being retained in the soil with time.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Simulating Tritium Fluxes in the Vadose Zone under Transient Saturated Conditions

Rebel

Riha

Karssenberg

et al. 2007

Vadose Zone Journal

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S imulation of solute fl uxes in complex terrain typically fails to account for subsurface lateral movement of solutes under transient saturated conditions. This type of solute fl ux could be important in phytoremediation (the use of plants to remove or neutralize contaminants in polluted soil or water), and more generally in evaluating the fate of solutes applied to soil. Solutes could move laterally and remain within the root zone, and thus could be taken up by the vegetation rather than leaching or moving offsite.A number of catchment-scale models have been developed that simulate transient saturated conditions in the vadose zone. The Variable Source Area (VSA) approach recognized that some areas within a catchment contribute to surface and subsurface runoff more than others, and that these areas change with time, expanding and contracting as a function of rain events and antecedent moisture (Hewlett and Hibbert, 1967). Simple assumptions have been made to represent VSA processes in models: declining saturated hydraulic conductivity with depth, steadystate catchment water table response, topographically defi ned water fl ow paths, and linear wetting and drying from the valley bottom upward to the ridge; examples of such models are the Soil Moisture Routing model (SMR) (Frankenberger et al., 1999) and TOPMODEL (Beven and Kirkby, 1979). The SMR represents the vadose zone using a water balance approach, where subsurface lateral fl ow is simulated using a simplifi ed Richards equation. TOPMODEL uses geographic similarity (i.e., contributing area and slope of soil surface) as a basis for modeling saturated zone catchment response; Shaman et al. (2002) added simulation of subsurface lateral fl ow using the same TOPMODEL assumptions. Band et al. (1993) coupled TOPMODEL and the ecosystem model BIOME-BGC to account for the impact of lateral fl uxes on ecological processes. In this coupled model, simulated water and solute fl uxes occur in the saturated zone rather than in the vadose zone. Wigmosta et al. (1994) introduced DHSVM, a semi-three-dimensional hydrology vegetation model that includes canopy interception, evaporation, transpiration, and snow accumulation. Whereas TOPMODEL was not spatially explicit, DHSVM was one of the fi rst spatially explicit models that simulated transient saturated conditions in the vadose zone.A phytoremediation project was established at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (South Carolina) to reduce fl uxes of tritium-contaminated groundwater to surface waters. Contaminated groundwater was collected in a pond and applied by spray irrigation to a catchment of mixed forest on Atlantic Coastal Plain soils. The objectives of this research project were to simulate tritium uptake by the vegetation and to determine if subsurface lateral fl ow at the sand-clay interface impacts tritium uptake by forest vegetation. To simulate water and tritium fl uxes within the catchment, we developed a spatially explicit water and solute transport model. Vertical water fl ow was simulated with...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Simulating Tritium Fluxes in the Vadose Zone under Transient Saturated Conditions

Rebel

Riha

Karssenberg

et al. 2007

Vadose Zone Journal

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“…The resulting pond, with an average tritium concentration around 520 Bq/mL, is used to irrigate a neighboring 8.9-hectare hardwood/pine forest, known as the Mixed Waste Management Facility (MWMF). The initial operation of the irrigation facility has reduced the concentration of tritium being released into Fourmile Branch by 60% (Blake, 2000;Hitchcock et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rodents as receptor species at a tritium disposal site

Kelsey-Wall

Seaman

Jagoe

et al. 2005

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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Tritium: Radionuclide

Galeriu¹,

Melintescu²

2005

Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry

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Tritium is the heavy isotope of hydrogen and can therefore participate directly in a wide range of biological functions. It is formed through natural processes but is also generated through human activity in nuclear reactors, fusion, and weapons. In addition, it has some commercial applications. Its occurrence, chemical and physical properties, and speciation are unique in comparison to other radionuclides. This article summarizes what is currently known about tritium with regard to the isotope's occurrence, chemistry, speciation, remediation, separation, and the analytical techniques used for its detection and quantification. The potential impact of tritium on human health is also described.

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A containment and disposition strategy for tritium-contaminated groundwater at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, United States

Cited by 9 publications

References 7 publications

Simulating Tritium Fluxes in the Vadose Zone under Transient Saturated Conditions

Simulating Tritium Fluxes in the Vadose Zone under Transient Saturated Conditions

Rodents as receptor species at a tritium disposal site

Tritium: Radionuclide

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