Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
In performance assessment of geological disposal systems for High LevelRadioactive Waste (HLW), the change of environment over the long-term mustbe considered. Therefore, it is necessary to consider a wide range ofparameters concerned with radionuclides migration, especially the dependenceof solubility on geochemical environment. In this study, assuming that therelease rate of the nuclides from buffer material is limited by inventoryultimately, the relationship between the initial inventory and thesolubility that produces a solubility-invariant maximum release rate fromthe buffer is examined by using a simple steady-state analytical solutionwithout decay. As the result, the threshold of “effective” solubility in theperformance assessment of the geological disposal systems for HLW isobtained as a function of initial inventory, distribution coefficient (Kd),diffusion coefficient, and thickness, porosity and density of the buffer.Also, the threshold of “effective” steady dissolution rate corresponding tothe threshold of “effective” solubility is obtained.