A study of the homogenization of soils
In accordance with US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) regulations, areas of land that have been contaminated must be returned to an environmental condition that permits less restrictive forms of use. In anticipation of being listed as an EPA Superfund Site, the United States Department of Energy`s (US DOE) Nevada Test Site (NTS) is evaluating existing the technologies, and supporting the development of new technologies, for the removal of plutonium contaminants from soils. During the 1950s, DOE conducted a series of tests on the NTS wherein attempts were made to detonate nuclear weapons by igniting charges of high explosives packed around the weapons` warheads. While the warheads never achieved criticality, each test disseminated particulate plutonium over several square miles, principally in Area 11 of the NTS.DOE`s Nevada Operations Office has committed to a Plutonium In Soils Integrated Demonstration Project (PuID) to evaluate existing and developmental technologies for the safe removal of plutonium contamination from soils. It is DOE`s intention to provide approximately one ton of Area 11 soil, traced with a non-radioactive plutonium surrogate, to each of several companies with expertise in the removal of soil contaminants. These companies have expressed an interest in contracting with DOE for remediation of NTS soils. DOE wishes to evaluate each company`s process in an unbiased and statistically justifiable manner. For this reason, DOE must provide to each company a large sample of soil for prototype testing. The soil must be homogenized such that the representativeness of each split is well documented and defensible. The process of uniformly mixing large volumes of soil has not been addressed, to our knowledge, in the hydrogeologic, soil science or mining literature. Several mixing devices are currently being evaluated by DOE for use in the PuID. This report describes the results of some initial experimentation with a small cement mixer.
- Research Organization:
- Nevada Univ., Las Vegas, NV (United States). Water Resources Center
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC08-90NV10845
- OSTI ID:
- 10165757
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/NV/10845-18; ON: DE93017132
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jun 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Calendar Year 2005
FY 1992 work plan and technical progress reports
Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
NEVADA TEST SITE
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS
DECONTAMINATION
SAMPLING
US EPA
REGULATIONS
COMPLIANCE
PLUTONIUM
MIXING
MIXERS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
REMOVAL
540230
540250
450200
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AND EXPLOSIVES