Modelling Radionuclide Mobility of Spent Fuel in a Deep Geological Repository Located in a Clay Bedrock

Source term models are widely used to assess the behaviour of spent nuclear fuel after final disposal. However, most models do not take into account some phenomena which are expected to control the transport of radionuclides through the near field. Some uncertainties arise from this fact, thus making it difficult to obtain proper simulations of radionuclide behaviour in the near field. In this work, we have used a compartmental code to build up an integrated source term model in an attempt to overcome the abovementioned drawbacks. The model developed takes into account radiolytically-mediated matrix dissolution, radioactive decay chains, diffusive transport, and retardation by sorption and secondary phase precipitation, among other processes. In addition, this model has been used to estimate radionuclide mobility from spent fuel located in a conceptual clay geological repository.