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Injection and sampling of 133Xe in shallow boreholes in alluvium

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Abstract

We present an overview of a small-scale tracer migration experiment that was carried out in July 2018 at the Nevada National Security Site. This experiment involved the injection of 133Xe into the bottom of a shallow borehole with multiple sampling intervals. Sampling was then conducted in the injection borehole and in a second borehole located 17 m from the injection site. A simple system for measurement of the 133Xe activity in whole air was utilized onsite. Though many samples were well below MDC, cross-hole tracer transport was observed. Along with experimental results, additional insights gained from numerical modeling are presented.

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Fig. 1

(Modified from Huckins-Gang and Drellack [16])

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the National Nuclear Security Administration, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (NNSA DNN R&D), and the Underground Nuclear Explosion Signatures Experiment, a multi-year research and development project sponsored by NNSA DNN R&D and collaboratively executed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mission Support and Test Services, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. The authors also wish to thank Heather Huckins-Gang, Maggie Townsend, Veraun Chipman, and others from MSTS for their assistance in making the experiment a success.

This work was performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory under award number DE-AC05-76RL01830.

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  1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA

    Christine M. Johnson, Xiao Luo, Michael F. Mayer, Justin D. Lowrey, Dustin T. Clelland, James E. Fast, Brad G. Fritz, Justin I. McIntyre, Mark L. Rockhold, Khiloni A. Shah & Signe K. White

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Correspondence to Justin D. Lowrey.

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Johnson, C.M., Luo, X., Mayer, M.F. et al. Injection and sampling of 133Xe in shallow boreholes in alluvium. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 331, 5173–5183 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08584-8

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