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Paradis, C. J., Hoss, K. N., Meurer, C. E., Hatami, J. L., Dangelmayr, M. A., Tigar, A. D., et al. (2022). Elucidating mobilization mechanisms of uranium during recharge of river water to contaminated groundwater. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 251, 104076.
Abstract: The recharge of stream water below the baseflow water table can mobilize groundwater contaminants, particularly redox-sensitive and sorptive metals such as uranium. However, in-situ tracer experiments that simulate the recharge of stream water to uranium-contaminated groundwater are lacking, thus limiting the understanding of the potential mechanisms that control the mobility of uranium at the field scale. In this study, a field tracer test was conducted by injecting 100 gal (379 l) of oxic river water into a nearby suboxic and uranium-contaminated aquifer. The traced river water was monitored for 18 days in the single injection well and in the twelve surrounding observation wells. Mobilization of uranium from the solid to the aqueous phase was not observed during the tracer test despite its pre-test presence being confirmed on the aquifer sediments from lab-based acid leaching. However, strong evidence of oxidative immobilization of iron and manganese was observed during the tracer test and suggested that immobile uranium was likely in its oxidized state as U(VI) on the aquifer sediments; these observations ruled out oxidation of U(IV) to U(VI) as a potential mobilization mechanism. Therefore, desorption of U(VI) appeared to be the predominant potential mobilization mechanism, yet it was clearly not solely dependent on concentration as evident when considering that uranium-poor river water (\textless0.015 mg/L) was recharged to uranium-rich groundwater (≈1 mg/L). It was possible that uranium desorption was limited by the relatively higher pH and lower alkalinity of the river water as compared to the groundwater; both factors favor immobilization. However, it was likely that the immobile uranium was associated with a mineral phase, as opposed to a sorbed phase, thus desorption may not have been possible. The results of this field tracer study successfully ruled out two common mobilization mechanisms of uranium: (1) oxidative dissolution and (2) concentration-dependent desorption and ruled in the importance of advection, dispersion, and the mineral phase of uranium.
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Klock, H., Külls, C., & Udluft, P. (2000). Estimation of relative recharge values for the northern Kalahari catchment, Namibia. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 30(4), 47–48.
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Gunkel, A. K., C. (2006). Towards agent-based modelling of stakeholder behaviour – a pilot study on drought vulnerability of decentral water supply in NE Brazil. International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Sofware, .
Abstract: 3rd International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Sofware – Burlington, Vermont
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Külls, C., & Bittner, A. (2013). Passive barriers for long-term containment of Uranium and Vanadium.
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Külls, C., Bittner, A., & Marx, V. (2013). Strategic Assessment of Water Resources for the Erongo Uranium Province.
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Klock, H., Külls, C., & Udluft, P. (2001). Estimating recharge values using hydrochemical and geological data: a case study from the. In Impact of Human Activity on Groundwater Dynamics: Proceedings of an International Symposium (Symposium S3) Held During the Sixth Scientific Assembly of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) at Maastricht, The Netherlands, from 18 t (25).
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Külls, C., Leibundgut, C., Schwarz, U., & Schick, A. P. (1995). Channel infiltration study using dye tracers. IAHS Publications-Series of Proceedings and Reports-Intern Assoc Hydrological Sciences, 232, 429–436.
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Külls, C., Adar, E. M., & Udluft, P. (2000). Tracer Studies and Modelling of Regional Groundwater Systems-Resolving patterns of groundwater flow by inverse hydrochemical modelling in a semiarid Kalahari basin. IAHS Publications-Series of Proceedings and Reports-Intern Assoc Hydrological Sciences, 262, 447–452.
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Klock, H., Külls, C., & Udluft, P. (2001). Quantification of Groundwater Recharge-Estimating recharge values using hydrochemical and geological data: A case study from the semiarid Kalahari catchment of northern Namibia. IAHS Publications-Series of Proceedings and Reports-Intern Assoc Hydrological Sciences, 269, 25–32.
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Baram, S., Ronen, Z., Kurtzman, D., Külls, C., & Dahan, O. (2013). Desiccation-crack-induced salinization in deep clay sediment. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 17(4), 1533.
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