The influence of Fe(II) competition on the sorption and migration of Ni(II) in MX-80 bentonite

Abstract

► We model the diffusion of Ni(II) through bentonite using different sorption models. ► We examine sorption competition of Fe(II) and Ni(II) at different concentrations. ► Ni(II) breakthrough is 15 times earlier with Fe(II) sorption competition. ► Ni(II) sorption is non-linear and depends on the Fe(II) concentration levels. ► Sorption competition is important and has to be modelled by reactive transport codes. The results from batch sorption experiments on montmorillonite systems have demonstrated that bivalent transition metals compete with one another for sorption sites. For safety analysis studies of high level radioactive waste repositories with compacted bentonite near fields, the importance of competitive sorption on the migration of radionuclides needs to be evaluated. Under reducing conditions, the bentonite porewater chosen has a Fe(II) concentration of ∼5.3 × 10 −5 M through saturation with siderite. The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence of such high Fe(II) concentrations on the transport of Ni(II) through compacted bentonite, Ni(II) was chosen as an example of a bivalent transition metal. The one-dimensional calculations were carried out at different Ni(II) equilibrium concentrations at the boundary (Ni(II) EQBM ) with the reactive transport code MCOTAC incorporating the two site protolysis non electrostatic surface complexation/cation exchange sorption model, MCOTAC-sorb. At a Ni(II) EQBM level of 10 −7 M without Fe(II) competition, the reactive transport calculations using a constant K d approach and the MCOTAC-sorb calculation yielded the same breakthrough curves. At higher Ni(II) EQBM (10 −5 M), the model calculations with MCOTAC-sorb indicated a breakthrough which was shifted to later times by a factor of ∼5 compared with the use of the constant K d approach. When sorption competition was included in the calculations, the magnitude of the influence depended on the sorption characteristics of the two competing sorbates and their respective concentrations. At background Fe(II) concentrations of 5.3 × 10 −5 M, and a Ni(II) EQBM level of 10 −7 M, the Ni(II) breakthrough time was ∼15 times earlier than in the absence of competition. At such Fe(II) concentrations the Ni(II) breakthrough curves at all source concentrations less than 3.5 × 10 −5 M (fixed by the NiCO 3,S solubility limit) are the same i.e. Ni(II) exhibits linear (low) sorption. Competitive sorption effects can have significant influences on the transport of radionuclides through compacted bentonite i.e. reduce the migration rates. Since, for the case considered here, the Fe(II) concentration in the near field of a high-level radioactive waste repository may change in time and space, the transport of bivalent transition metal radionuclides can only be properly modelled using a multi-species reactive transport code which includes a sorption model.