K setting approaches for rocks for the performance assessment of geological disposal; Application for granitic rocks

Tachi, Yukio  ; Suyama, Tadahiro*; Shibutani, Sanae*

For performance assessment (PA), the distribution coefficient (K) need to be determined taking into account the specific PA conditions, including geochemical variability or uncertainty. The K setting approach for rocks was developed by integrating three methods; (i) direct use of measured K data extracted from the sorption database, (ii) semi-quantitative estimation by scaling differences between experimental and PA conditions, and (iii) thermodynamic sorption models. This approach was tested for granitic rock by comparing K values and their uncertainties of Cs and Am. The results indicated that K can be quantitatively evaluated by all approaches when adequate data and models are available. The K dataset for safety-relevant 25 radionuclides was developed based on the direct use of measured data, and compared with the recent K dataset in European PA projects. This K setting approaches allowed to estimate the K values and their uncertainties under the expected site conditions.