Effect of High pH Found in Low-Level Radioactive Waste Leachates on the Antioxidant Depletion of a HDPE Geomembrane
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 21, Issue 1
Abstract
Antioxidant depletion from a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane with hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) immersed in three different high pHs solutions is examined over a 3-year period. The three solutions had the same concentration of inorganic salts but a range of pH (9.5, 11.5, and 13.5) likely to encompass those found in low-level radioactive waste leachate and other geoenvironmental applications. Increasing the pH from 9.5 to 13.5 increased the antioxidant depletion rates detected by both standard and high-pressure oxidative induction time tests (Std-OIT and HP-OIT) and also increased the residual HP-OIT values. Arrhenius modeling is used to predict the length antioxidant depletion stage for each solution.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for the development of the research infrastructure was provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Innovation Trust, the Ontario Research Fund Award, and Queen’s University under project 218983. The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Grant 1007). The support of the Killam Trust in the form of a Killam Fellowship to Dr. Rowe is gratefully acknowledged. This investigation into the long-term performance of geosynthetic liner systems was conducted in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Terrafix Geosynthetics Inc., Solmax International Inc., AECOM, AMEC Earth and Environmental, Golder Associates, and CTT Group. The authors gratefully acknowledge the value of many discussions with Dr. Y. G. Hsuan and the significant input regarding chemical characteristic of different leachates provided by Mr. R. McElroy and Drs. K. Lange, S. Rimal, and F.S. Barone. The authors also acknowledge the help of Mohamad Shoaib and Cory Mitchell in preparation of the high pH solutions examined. The support of all those listed is greatly appreciated; however the opinions expressed in the paper are solely those of the authors.
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Published In
Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 21 • Issue 1 • January 2017
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 16, 2014
Accepted: Nov 5, 2014
Published online: Jan 14, 2015
Discussion open until: Jun 14, 2015
Published in print: Jan 1, 2017
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