Long-term climate and surface environment changes can influence the geological subsurface environment evolution. In this context, a fluid flow pathway developing and connection possibility can be increased between the near-surface zone and deep depth underground. Thus, it is necessary to identify and prepare for the overall fluid flow at the entire geological system to minimize uncertainty on the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) disposal safety. The fluid flow outside the subsurface environment is initially penetrated through the surface and then the unsaturated area. Thus, the previously proved reports, POSIVA in Finland, suggested that sequential research about the fluid infiltration experiment (INEX) and the investigation is necessary. Characterizing the unsaturated zone can help predict changes and ensure the safety of SNFs according to geological long-term evolution. For example, the INEX test was conducted at the upper part of ONKALO, about 50 to 100 m depth, to understand the geochemical evolution of the groundwater through the unsaturated zone, to evaluate the main flow of groundwater that can approach the SNF disposal reservoir, and to estimate the decreasing progress of the buffering capacity along the pathway through the deep geological disposal. In the present study, a preliminary test was performed in the UNsaturated-zone In-situ Test (UNIT) facility near the KAERI underground research tunnel to design and establish a methodology for infiltration experiments consistent with the regional characteristics. The results represented the methodological application is possible for characterizing unsaturated-zone to perform infiltration experiments. The scale of the experiment will be expanded sequentially, and continuous research will be conducted for the next application.

특정 구획으로 유입된 오염물질이 해당 구획 내부에 순간적으로 균일하게 분포한다는 구획모델에 대한 기본가정의 한계로 인해, 전통적인 단일구획모델로는 불포화대에서 오염물질의 이동현상을 적절하게 예측할 수 없다. 한편 물리적으로 동일한 불포화대를 여러 개의 구획으로 구분한 다중구획모델링 기법은 실제 불포화대에서의 오염물질 이동 지연효과를 적절하게 설명할 수 있으나, 지금까지 일반적인 해석해가 보고된 바 없으며 고려하는 구획의 개수가 증가할수록 모델링에 많은 시간이 소요되는 등의 한계가 있다. 이러한 문제점을 해결하기 위하여, 이류가 지배적인 조건 하에서 불포화대의 오염물질 이동현상에 대한 다중구획모델을 수립하고 이를 해석적인 방법으로 계산할 수 있는 일반해를 유도한 후, 다중구획모델을 단일구획모델로 근사할 수 있는 수학적 제약조건을 도출하였다. 단순화된 근사방법론의 유효성은 가상적인 조건 하에서 간단한 수치해석적 방법을 통해 검증하였다. 물리적으로 동일한 특성을 갖는 불포화대를 단일 구획으로 가정할 경우, 불포화대로부터 포화대로 유입되는 오염물질의 전이율은 상수가 아닌 시간 종속적인 명목전이율로 표현할 수 있음을 증명하였다. 또한 명목전이율은 불포화대 구획간 전이율에 민감하며 오염층으로부터의 전이율에 대한 민감도는 미미한 것으로 나타났다. 이 연구에서 개발된 단순화된 근사방법론은 많은 시간이 요구되는 다중구획 모델링을 통하지 않고 불포화대 오염물질 이동현상을 신속하고 합리적으로 예측하기 위한 목적으로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Environmental contamination by organic compounds are not only restricted to water, but extends to soil and groundwater as well. However, highly oxidized compounds, such as halogenated organics and nitro-compounds, can be detoxified employing reducing methods. Permeable reactive barrier is one of the representative technologies where zero-valent metals (ZVMs) are employed for groundwater remediation. However, organics contaminates often contaminate the unsaturated zone above the groundwater. Despite the availability of technologies like soil vapor extraction and bioremediation, removing organic compounds from this zone represents several challenges. In this study, the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline was achieved using zero-valent iron (ZVI) under unsaturated conditions. Results indicated that the water content was an important variable in this reaction. Under dry conditions (water content = 0.2%), the reduction reaction was inhibited; however, when the water content was between 10% and 25% (saturated condition), ZVI can reduce nitrobenzene. Palladized iron (Pd/Fe) can be used to reduce nitrobenzene when the water content is between 2.5% and 10%. The reaction was evaluated over a wide range of temperatures (10 – 40 °C), and the results indicated that increasing the temperature resulted in increased reaction rates under unsaturated conditions.