Hanford Site Sorption Studies for the Control of Radioactive Wastes: a Review

Past sorption studies evolved with time from generic, to waste specific, to empirical waste-specific/site-specific studies. Current sorption studies are site specific based on a radionuclide transport soil prop erties model (PERCOL). Radionuclide sorption is treated in the model PERCOL by the use of labora tory developed empirical/statistical equations that predict sorption as a function of groundwater chem istry. Analyses involve average sorption equations measured for 21 identified Hanford Separation Areas sediment types. Statistical analysis of ⁹⁰Sr, ^I37Cs, and ⁶⁰Co sorption for the 21 sediment types required 63 sorption equations.