PH and microbial community determine the denitrifying activity in the presence of nitrate-containing radioactive waste.

ABSTRACT: An important fraction of the currently stored volume of long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste in Belgium contains large amounts of NaNO₃ homogeneously dispersed in a hard bituminous matrix. Geological disposal of this waste form in a water-saturated sedimentary formation such as Boom Clay will result in the leaching of high concentrations of NaNO₃, which could cause a geochemical perturbation of the surrounding clay, possibly affecting some of the favorable characteristics of the host formation. In addition, hyper-alkaline conditions are expected for thousands of years, imposed by the cementitious materials used as backfill material. Microbial nitrate reduction is a well-known process and can result in the accumulation of nitrite or nitrogenous gases. This c

SUBMITTER: Mijnendonckx K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9634998 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature