Abstract
Author(s): Soler, JM; Steefel, CI; Gimmi, T; Leupin, OX; Cloet, V | Abstract: Solute diffusion in compacted clays depends on ionic strength through its control on the thickness of the electrical double layer (EDL) on the charged clay surfaces. In the DR-A field experiment (Mont Terri, Switzerland), synthetic porewater was circulated through a borehole for 189 days, leading to the out-diffusion of a variety of tracers into the Opalinus Clay. The borehole solution was then replaced with a higher-salinity solution for an additional 540 days, leading to the diffusion of Cs+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Sr2+ back into the borehole and to an increase in the out-diffusion of anions (I-, Br-) and 3H. The experimental results were interpreted using the CrunchClay code, which includes a mean electrostatic potential model for the EDL. The EDL corresponds to a second continuum in addition to bulk electrically neutral porewater. Species-specific diffusion (Nernst-Planck equation) occurs through both domains. A 1D radial model considered a single pore diffusion coefficient (Dp = 10-9 m2/s) for cations and 3H in the bulk porosity, and a smaller Dp (3 × 10-10 m2/s) for anions. Dp values in the EDL were smaller (10-11 m2/s), except for Cs+ and K+ (5 × 10-10 and 2 × 10-10 m2/s, respectively). The model reproduced well the experimental results and showed the capability to consider temporal changes in geochemical conditions affecting the transport and retention of potentially important radionuclide contaminants (e.g., 137Cs+, 90Sr2+, 129I-) in underground geological nuclear waste repositories. Coupled multicomponent diffusion together with the electrostatic properties of the charged surfaces are essential in the development of predictive models for ion transport in clays.
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