The mobility of radionuclides in the subsurface environment is governed by a interaction of radioactivity characteristics and geochemical conditions with adsorption reactions playing a critical role. This study investigates the characteristics and mechanisms of radionuclides adsorption on site media in viewpoint of nuclear safety, particularly focusing on the potential effect of seawater infiltration in coastal site near nuclear power plant. Seawater intrusion alters the chemistry in groundwater, including parameters such as pH, redox potential, and ionic strength, thereby affecting the behavior of radionuclides. To assess the safety of site near nuclear power plant and the environmental implications of nuclide leakage, this research conducted various experiments to evaluate the behavior of radionuclides in the subsurface environment. High distribution coefficients (50-2,500 ml/g) were observed at 10 mg/L Co, with montmorillonite > hydrobiotite > illite > kaolinite. It decreased with competing cations (Ca2+) and was found to decrease significantly by 90% with a decrease in pH to 4. It is believed that the adsorption capacity of cationic radionuclides decreases significantly as the clay mineral surface becomes less negatively charged. For Cs, the distribution coefficient (180-560 ml/g) was higher for montmorillonite > hydrobiotite > illite > kaolinite. Compared to Co, it was found to be less influenced by pH and more influenced by competing cations. For Sr, the distribution coefficient (100-380 ml/g) was higher in the order of hydrobiotite > montmorillonite > illite > kaolinite. Compared to Cs, it was found to be less affected by pH and also less affected by the effect of competing cations compared to Cs. Seawater samples from Gampo and Uljin site near Nuclear Power Plant in Korea were analyzed to determine their chemical composition, which was subsequently used in adsorption experiments. Additionally, the seawater-infiltrated groundwater was synthesized in laboratory according to previous literature. The study focused on the adsorption and behavior of three key radionuclides such as cesium, strontium, and cobalt onto four low permeability media (clay minerals) such as kaolinite, illite, hydrobiotite, and montmorillonite known for their high adsorption capacity at a site of nuclear power plant. At concentrations of 5 and 10 mg/L, the adsorption coefficients followed the order of cobalt > cesium > strontium for each radionuclide. Notably, the distribution coefficient (Kd) values exhibited higher values in seawater-infiltrated groundwater environments compared to seawater with relatively high ionic strength. Cobalt exhibited a substantial adsorption coefficient, with a marked decrease in Kd values in seawater conditions due to elevated ionic strength. In contrast, cesium displayed less dependency on seawater compared to other radionuclides, suggesting distinct adsorption mechanisms, possibly involving fractured edge sites (FES) in clay. Strontium exhibited a significant reduction in adsorption in seawater compared to groundwater in all Kd sorption experiments. The adsorption data of cobalt, cesium, and strontium on clay minerals in contact with seawater and seawater-infiltrated solutions offer valuable insights for assessing radioactive contamination of groundwater beneath coastal site near nuclear power plant sites. This research provides a foundation for enhancing the safety assessment protocols of nuclear power plant sites, considering the potential effects of seawater infiltration on radionuclide behavior in the subsurface environment.

1997년 2월부터 1998년 7월까지 총 33회에 걸쳐 시화호내 11개 정점에서 배수갑문 개·폐에 따른 용존산소와 pH의 변화를 파악하였다. 해수유입이 없었던 1997년 3월부터 1997년 5월까지의 용존산소 분포는 대부분의 수층에서 10mg/l이상을 보이고 l1m 이하의 수심에서 5mg/l 이하를 나타냈다. 1997년 6월에 수심 6m 이하에서 무산소층이 나타났다. 강우기동안 배수만 실시했을 경우, 무산소층이 수심 8m에서 6m 이하로 증가하였다. 또한 해수유입 직후의 시화호 내에 잔존하는 무산소층이 해수에 포함된 용존산소를 급격히 소모시키는 특징을 나타냈다. 이러한 현상은 pH7.8∼8.2의 해수와 pH7.4이하의 저층수가 만나게 되어 산화작용을 촉진시켰기 때문인 것으로 해석된다. 해수유입이 크게 증가된 1998년 1월에는 전 수층의 용존산소가 10mg/l 이상을 나타냈다. 결론적으로 시화호 배수갑문 운용에 따른 수질개선을 위해서는 여름철에는 염분약층이 생성되지 않도록 해수의 유출량과 유입량을 늘리는 것이 효과적일 것으로 판단된다.

This study provides experimental results of pH restoration of acidified desulfurization seawater by the addition of the alkalinity enhanced seawater and additives (limestone and fly ash). The conservative seawater desulfurization processes use chemical solutions such as caustic soda (NaOH) or calcium hydroxide(Ca(OH)2). The method proposed in this study was aimed at reducing usage of chemicals. A control test was conducted to simulate the existing process without addition of the alkalinity-enhanced seawater and additives (limestone and fly ash). The pH of desulfurized seawater was increased by pH 5.84 through the conservative restoration process (i.e., adding raw seawater and NaOH solution followed by aeration). The 20%, 50%, and 80% of added raw seawater was replaced by the alkalinity-enhanced seawater. From the experimental result, 0.28, 0.89, and 1.05 m3/hr of 48% NaOH solution could be saved when applying the proposed method of the alkalinity enhanced seawater addition. When desulfurized seawater with pH 3.5 was mixed with raw seawater at a ratio of 1:1, the pH of seawater was increased up to pH 6. Therefore, the seawater restoration goal was set as pH 3.5. Experiments were conducted to increase pH of desulfurized seawater to pH 3.5 using additives (fly ash and limestone). Based on these results, the addition of fly ash and limestone to seawater was proved effective for pH restoration of desulfurized seawater.

오염 원인 물질의 해양 내 거동에 대한 파악은 환경 변화에 따른 부영양화 등 해양 수질 오염에 대한 예측 및 대응 방안 선정을 위한 전제 조건이다. 본 연구에서는 부영양화 원인 물질인 인의 해양퇴적물에서 해수로의 용출 특성을 조사하였다. 검토된 환경 조건은 pH 7-9, 온도 10-20℃, 용존 산소 농도(dissolved oxygen, DO) 0.7-7.0 mg/L 였다. 생물학적 요인을 배제한 조건에서 회분식 실험을 통해 구해진인 용출 자료는 1차 반응식으로 해석되었으며, 환경 조건의 영향은 통계학적 방법을 통해 정량화 되었다. 해양 퇴적물로부터 해수로의 인 용출은 pH와 온도가 높고 DO가 낮을수록 증가하였다. 1차 반응 평형 농도 기준으로 검토된 범위의 pH 증가, 온도 증가, DO 감소는 각각 인용출을 2-3배 증가시켰다.