An Analysis of Diffusional Ion Transport in Ocean Sediments: Subseafloor Disposal of Radioactive Waste

Diffusion-controlled transport of radioactive ions through seabed sediments is analyzed to determine the rates of transport between a buried canister releasing radioactive waste and the ocean floor. The general solution of the unsteady-state diffusion problem is obtained for an arbitrary release rate from the canister, and analytical solutions are obtained for two special cases:

1. instantaneous release of the ionic species
2. a constant discharge rate.

The former case for a material with an infinite half-life represents the worst case condition. The analytical expressions for the ion concentration distributions, ionic flux to the ocean floor, total release rate to the ocean floor, and bio-loading show that the sediment thickness, canister depth, effective diffusivity, and ion half-life affect the transport rates, but the rates are insensitive to sediment porosity and bulk density over the narrow ranges in which they might,be expected to vary.