14 research outputs found
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Screening protocol for iodine-specific getters in YMP-related invert applications.
This document defines a standardized screening protocol for use in developing iodine ''getters'' for placement in the proposed YMP-repository invert. The work was funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), Office of Science and Technology International (S&T) during 2004-2005. First, the likely environmental conditions in the invert are reviewed as a basis for defining the thermal and geochemical regimes in which a getter must function. These considerations, then, served as the basis for laying out a hierarchy of materials screening tests (Table 1). An experimental design for carrying out these screening tests follows next. Finally, the latter half of the document develops methods for preparing test solutions with chemistries that relate to various aspects of the YMP-repository environment (or, at least to such representations as were available from program documents late in 2004). Throughout the document priority was given to defining procedures that would quickly screen out unpromising candidate materials with a minimum amount of labor. Hence, the proposed protocol relies on batch tests over relatively short times, and on a hierarchy of short pre-test conditioning steps. So as not to repeat the mistakes (and frustrations) encountered in the past (notably in preparing WIPP test brines) particular care was also given to developing standardized test solution recipes that could be prepared easily and reproducibly. This document is principally intended for use as a decision-making tool in evaluating and planning research activities. It is explicitly NOT a roadmap for qualifying getters for actual placement in the repository. That would require a comprehensive test plan and a substantial consensus building effort. This document is also not intended to provide a complete list of all the tests that individuals may wish to carry out. Various materials will have their own peculiar concerns that will call for additional specialized tests. In many cases additional research will also be needed to verify the exact nature of the chemical process responsible for scavenging the iodine from the test solutions
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Iodine waste form summary report (FY 2007).
This new program at Sandia is focused on Iodine waste form development for GNEP cycle needs. Our research has a general theme of 'Waste Forms by Design' in which we are focused on silver loaded zeolite waste forms and related metal loaded zeolites that can be validated for chosen GNEP cycle designs. With that theme, we are interested in materials flexibility for iodine feed stream and sequestration material (in a sense, the ability to develop a universal material independent on the waste stream composition). We also are designing the flexibility to work in a variety of repository or storage scenarios. This is possible by studying the structure/property relationship of existing waste forms and optimizing them to our current needs. Furthermore, by understanding the properties of the waste and the storage forms we may be able to predict their long-term behavior and stability. Finally, we are working collaboratively with the Waste Form Development Campaign to ensure materials durability and stability testing
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Desalination of brackish ground waters and produced waters using in-situ precipitation.
The need for fresh water has increased exponentially during the last several decades due to the continuous growth of human population and industrial and agricultural activities. Yet existing resources are limited often because of their high salinity. This unfavorable situation requires the development of new, long-term strategies and alternative technologies for desalination of saline waters presently not being used to supply the population growth occurring in arid regions. We have developed a novel environmentally friendly method for desalinating inland brackish waters. This process can be applied to either brackish ground water or produced waters (i.e., coal-bed methane or oil and gas produced waters). Using a set of ion exchange and sorption materials, our process effectively removes anions and cations in separate steps. The ion exchange materials were chosen because of their specific selectivity for ions of interest, and for their ability to work in the temperature and pH regions necessary for cost and energy effectiveness. For anion exchange, we have focused on hydrotalcite (HTC), a layered hydroxide similar to clay in structure. For cation exchange, we have developed an amorphous silica material that has enhanced cation (in particular Na{sup +}) selectivity. In the case of produced waters with high concentrations of Ca{sup 2+}, a lime softening step is included
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Summary of resources available to small water systems for meeting the 10 ppb arsenic drinking water limit.
With the lowering of the EPA maximum contaminant level of arsenic from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb, many public water systems in the country and in New Mexico in particular, are faced with making decisions about how to bring their system into compliance. This document provides detail on the options available to the water systems and the steps they need to take to achieve compliance with this regulation. Additionally, this document provides extensive resources and reference information for additional outreach support, financing options, vendors for treatment systems, and media pilot project results
Dynamical Principles of Emotion-Cognition Interaction: Mathematical Images of Mental Disorders
The key contribution of this work is to introduce a mathematical framework to understand self-organized dynamics in the brain that can explain certain aspects of itinerant behavior. Specifically, we introduce a model based upon the coupling of generalized Lotka-Volterra systems. This coupling is based upon competition for common resources. The system can be regarded as a normal or canonical form for any distributed system that shows self-organized dynamics that entail winnerless competition. Crucially, we will show that some of the fundamental instabilities that arise in these coupled systems are remarkably similar to endogenous activity seen in the brain (using EEG and fMRI). Furthermore, by changing a small subset of the system's parameters we can produce bifurcations and metastable sequential dynamics changing, which bear a remarkable similarity to pathological brain states seen in psychiatry. In what follows, we will consider the coupling of two macroscopic modes of brain activity, which, in a purely descriptive fashion, we will label as cognitive and emotional modes. Our aim is to examine the dynamical structures that emerge when coupling these two modes and relate them tentatively to brain activity in normal and non-normal states
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Yucca mountain project getter program results(year 1):I-129 and other anions of concern.
Although high level nuclear wastes (HLW) contain a daunting array of radioisotopes, only a restricted number are long-lived enough to be problematic, and of these many are either effectively insoluble or are likely to be scavenged from solution by minerals indigenous to all aquifers. Those few constituents likely to travel significant distances through aquifers either form colloids (and travel as particulates) or anions--which are not sorbed onto the predominantly negatively charged mineral surfaces. Iodine ({sup 129}I) is one such constituent and may travel as either iodide (I{sup -}) or iodate (IO{sub 3}{sup -}) depending on whether conditions are mildly reducing or oxidizing. Conventionally, {sup 99}Tc (traveling as TcO{sub 4}{sup -}) is regarded as being of greater concern since it is both more abundant and has a shorter half life (e.g., has a higher specific activity). However, it is unclear whether TcO{sub 4}{sup -} will ever actually form in the mildly reducing environments thought likely within degrading HLW canisters. Instead, technetium may remain reduced as highly insoluble Tc(IV), in which case {sup 129}I might become a significant risk driver in performance assessment (PA) calculations. In the 2004-2005 time frame the US Department of Energy (DOE)--Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRUM), Office of Science and Technology International (S&T) funded a program to identify ''getters'' for possible placement in the invert beneath HLW packages in the repository being planned by the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). This document reports on progress made during the first (and only) year of this activity. The problem is not a new one and the project did not proceed in a complete vacuum of information. Potential leads came from past studies directed at developing anion getters for a near surface low-level waste facility at Hanford, which suggested that both copper-containing compounds and hydrotalcite-group minerals might be promising. Later work relating to closing HLW tanks (Hanford and Savannah River) added layered bismuth hydroxides to the list of candidates. In fact, even in the first year the project had considerable success in meeting its objectives (Krumhansl, et al., 2005). ''Batch Kd'' testing was used to screen a wide variety of materials from the above-mentioned groups. Some materials tested were, in fact, archived samples from prior studies but a significant amount of effort was also put into synthesizing new--and novel--phases. A useful rule of thumb in judging getter performance is that the ''Kd'', should exceed a value of roughly 1000 before it's placement can materially decrease the potential dose at a hypothetical (distant) point of compliance (MacNeil, et al., 1999). Materials from each of the groups met these criteria for both iodide and iodate (though, of course, the actual chemistry operating in ''batch Kd'' runs is unknown, which casts a rather long shadow over the meaning of such comparisons). Additionally, as a sideline, a few materials were also tested for TcO{sub 4}{sup -} and occasionally Kd values in excess of 10{sup 3} were also found for this constituent. It is to be stressed that the ''batch Kd'' test was used as a convenient screening tool but in most cases nothing is known about the chemical processes responsible for removing iodine from the test solutions. It follows that the real meaning of such tests is just as a relative measure of iodine scavenging ability, and they may say nothing about sorption processes (in which case evaluating a Kd is irrelevant). Numerous questions also remain regarding the longevity and functionality of materials in the diverse environments in, and around, the proposed YMP repository. Thus, although we had a highly successful first year, we are still far from being able to either qualify any material for placement in the repository, or quantify a getter's performance for use in PA assessments
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Performance evaluation of ALCAN-AASF50-ferric coated activated alumina and granular ferric hydroxide (GFH) for arsenic removal in the presence of competitive ions in an active well :Kirtland field trial - initial studies.
This report documents a field trial program carried out at Well No.15 located at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, to evaluate the performance of two relatively new arsenic removal media, ALCAN-AASF50 (ferric coated activated alumina) and granular ferric hydroxide (US Filter-GFH). The field trial program showed that both media were able to remove arsenate and meet the new total arsenic maximum contaminant level (MCL) in drinking water of 10 {micro}g/L. The arsenate removal capacity was defined at a breakthrough effluent concentration of 5 {micro}g/L arsenic (50% of the arsenic MCL of 10 {micro}g/L). At an influent pH of 8.1 {+-} 0.4, the arsenate removal capacity of AASF50 was 33.5 mg As(V)/L of dry media (29.9 {micro}g As(V)/g of media on a dry basis). At an influent pH of 7.2 {+-} 0.3, the arsenate removal capacity of GFH was 155 mg As(V)/L of wet media (286 {micro}g As(V)/g of media on a dry basis). Silicate, fluoride, and bicarbonate ions are removed by ALCAN AASF50. Chloride, nitrate, and sulfate ions were not removed by AASF50. The GFH media also removed silicate and bicarbonate ions; however, it did not remove fluoride, chloride, nitrate, and sulfate ions. Differences in the media performance partly reflect the variations in the feed-water pH between the 2 tests. Both the exhausted AASF50 and GFH media passed the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test with respect to arsenic and therefore could be disposed as nonhazardous waste
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Inherently safe in situ uranium recovery.
Expansion of uranium mining in the United States is a concern to some environmental groups and sovereign Native American Nations. An approach which may alleviate some problems is to develop inherently safe in situ uranium recovery ('ISR') technologies. Current ISR technology relies on chemical extraction of trace levels of uranium from aquifers that, once mined, can still contain dissolved uranium and other trace metals that are a health concern. Existing ISR operations are few in number; however, high uranium prices are driving the industry to consider expanding operations nation-wide. Environmental concerns and enforcement of the new 30 ppb uranium drinking water standard may make opening new mining operations more difficult and costly. Here we propose a technological fix: the development of inherently safe in situ recovery (ISISR) methods. The four central features of an ISISR approach are: (1) New 'green' leachants that break down predictably in the subsurface, leaving uranium, and associated trace metals, in an immobile form; (2) Post-leachant uranium/metals-immobilizing washes that provide a backup decontamination process; (3) An optimized well-field design that increases uranium recovery efficiency and minimizes excursions of contaminated water; and (4) A combined hydrologic/geochemical protocol for designing low-cost post-extraction long-term monitoring. ISISR would bring larger amounts of uranium to the surface, leave fewer toxic metals in the aquifer, and cost less to monitor safely - thus providing a 'win-win-win' solution to all stakeholders