Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS)
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Browsing Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS) by Author "Botha, J. F."
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Item Open Access Analysis of a post-closure safety assessment methodology for radioactive waste disposal systems in South Africa(University of the Free State, 2000) Van Blerk, J. J.; Botha, J. F.𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 Radioactive waste in South Africa is generated through the nuclear fuel cycle and the application of radioactive materials in industry, science and medicine. The radioactive waste is presently disposed at Vaalputs in Bushmanland and Thabana at Pelindaba in near-surface disposal facilities. No strategy exists at present for the disposal of high level waste. The objective of radioactive waste management and its underlying principles is to ensure that human health and the environment are protected at all times, without imposing an undue burden on future generations. This implies that, before any long-term management strategy of radioactive waste disposal can be implemented, the impact of the disposed waste must be determined as a function of time-a procedure referred to as post-closure safety assessment. In this thesis, a methodology to perform post-closure safety assessments of radioactive waste disposal systems in South Africa and other parts of Africa is described. Not only will it contribute significantly to reassess the suitability of current waste disposal practices, but also lays the foundation for future disposal practices. The proposed methodology-an integrated approach to radioactive waste management-is aimed at: (a) ensuring the safety of the present public and future generations, (b) enhancing the public acceptance of the methodology, (c) keeping the expenditure associated with the implementation of the methodology at a minimum. The methodology recognises the interdependence between operational phase activities and the post-closure behaviour of the disposal system. It is an iterative process that considers site-specific, prospective evaluations of the post-closure phase to ensure that the disposal system will comply with internationally accepted criteria, within reasonable limits. Provision is therefore made to identify the data, design and other needs that will contribute towards the achievement of this objective. The first step in this procedure is to identify those internal and external features, events and processes that can be used to predict how radioactive material may escape from the disposal facility, along which paths will it migrate and how it may impact humans. Various conceptual and mathematical models that can be used to develop appropriate scenarios of these processes and to compare the results with site specific data are discussed in the thesis. The cost to develop a waste disposal system, the disposal of the waste and the pre- and post closure assessments of the system, or so-called nuclear liabilities, can be astronomically high. Combining the post-closure assessment of the system with the decision analysis framework discussed in the thesis can reduce these costs considerably. Post-closure assessments of radioactive waste disposal systems have in the past often been interpreted as an exercise to predict the exact behaviour of the system far into the future. However, as pointed out in the thesis this is not possible, even with the technology available today. The more pragmatic approach, advanced in the thesis, is that modem technology is able to demonstrate to reasonable members of the public that such a system will be safe. Nevertheless it is recognized that the methodology cannot be implemented without the active participation of the public. It is therefore envisaged that the proposed methodology will be implemented with the close co-operation of the public, particularly those living near the site where the disposal system will be implemented.Item Open Access Application of electroseismic techniques to geohydrological investigations in Karoo rocks(University of the Free State, 2003-11) Fourie, Francois Daniel; Botha, J. F.English: The possibility of using surface electroseismic (ES) methods for groundwater exploration in fractured Karoo rocks is studied by investigating the criteria of vertical and lateral resolution of surface ES data and the ES thin bed response. The ES Fresnel zones for monochromatic excitation are found to be larger than their seismic equivalents and the lateral resolution of surface ES data is consequently poorer. Seismic velocity increases with depth result in larger ES Fresnel zones and poorer lateral resolution. As in seismics, only a single Fresnel zone can be identified for broadband excitation. Higher dominant frequencies and broader bandwidth result in higher lateral resolution. Rayleigh's criterion for vertical resolution applied to ES data requires that the imbedded layer has a thickness of at least λ/2 to be deemed resolvable, where λ is the wavelength of the seismic wave under consideration. There are, however, two wavelengths to consider for ES phenomena − those of the Biot fast pressure and slow pressure waves. Since the wavelength of the slow pressure wave in saturated Karoo rocks may be a couple of orders of magnitude smaller than the wavelength of the fast pressure wave, the theoretical limit of resolution is determined by the slow pressure wave. This wave is, however, strongly dissipative and the practical limit of resolution seems to depend more strongly on the wavelength of the fast pressure wave. A simplified approach to examine the ES thin bed response suggests that imbedded layers with thicknesses smaller than λ/2, where λ is the wavelength of the fast pressure wave, may be classified as electroseismically thin. Investigations by means of a full waveform approach that simultaneously takes the influence of the different wave types into consideration, supports the above observation. The results of an ES field survey on a site where a localised fracture is known to occur, supports the idea, but does not conclusively proof, that the lateral and vertical resolution of surface ES data is insufficient to detect fractures with apertures in the millimetre to centimetre range. The influence of porosity contrasts on ES reflection is studied by examining the change in the magnitude of the reflection coefficients when varying the porosity (and all porositydependent parameters, such as permeability) of a Karoo sandstone overlain by a Karoo mudstone. Increases in the sandstone porosity results in larger reflection coefficients, and consequently, stronger reflection. The possibility therefore exists to map porosity contrasts in a certain geological environment and thus identify zones more likely to be suitable as aquifers. The possibility of using ES techniques as a non-invasive means of obtaining information on the elastic properties of the rock matrix is investigated by examining the electroseismic and magnetoseismic transfer functions at positions in boreholes. The transfer functions are dependent on various physical and chemical parameters, including the elastic parameters and none of these parameters can be determined unambiguously from the evaluation of the different transfer functions. The shear modulus of the porous frame may be estimated from measurements of the shear wave velocity in a fluidsaturated porous system. Since an approximate linear relation exists between the shear and bulk moduli of the porous frame, the bulk modulus may be estimated once the shear modulus is known. Porosity changes due to aquifer deformation may lead to detectable changes in the transfer functions. The electroseismic transfer function of the fast pressure wave is insensitive to porosity changes in consolidated material. Although the electroseismic transfer function of the slow pressure wave is very sensitive to porosity changes, this wave is strongly dissipative and is notoriously difficult to measure. The magnetoseismic transfer function is sensitive to porosity changes and is likely to yield the most useful information on aquifer deformation.Item Open Access Assessment of the groundwater potential of the Middel Kop/Appleby aquifer, Stella District, Northwest Region(University of the Free State, 2001-08) Nel, Jacobus Marthinus; Botha, J. F.English: The importance of groundwater is strongly reflected in the new South African water policy and legislation. All water resources, including groundwater, are now seen as an indivisible asset, with the National Government as its custodian to ensure that the resources are protected, developed and managed properly. Groundwater is the sole source of potable water for the town of Stella in the Lower Vaal Water Management Area of the Northwest Province, but the existing well-field is barely able to supply the present demand. Previous attempts to supply the town with water from groundwater resources have failed, because of the low potential of the aquifers and the poor quality of the groundwater. The proposed resettlement of 2 000 people therefore has to be postponed until sufficient additional water resources can be found for the town. One possible source, not included in previous groundwater explorations of the area, is the granitic aquifer on the farm Middel Kop situated approximately 5 km south-east of Stella. Farmers have used this aquifer extensively since 1990 to irrigate 171 ha of agricultural land. It was consequently decided to investigate this aquifer as a possible additional source of water for Stella. However, farmers have already noticed a continuous decline in the water levels over the years. This meant that the focus of the investigation had to be changed from merely an exploration exercise to an evaluation of the aquifer and the development of a suitable management scheme for the aquifer, as described in this thesis. There are not enough data available to perform a detailed assessment of the aquifer at the moment, a deficiency that should be addressed in future investigations and management of the aquifer. The existing data, however, indicate that the aquifer may be able to sustain a yield of approximately 4 227 m3 d-I in the near future. This volume of water will be able to supply in the needs of the present population and the additional 2 000 resettled people, while allowing 73% of the current irrigated area approximately 8 000 m3 ha-I annually for irrigation. The latter figure can only be achieved if the farmers are allowed to produce one crop per year instead of the two, which is in some cases the practice. This reduction in the water allocated for irrigation may seem harsh, but the decline in the water levels over the last couple of years clearly indicate that the farmers cannot continue with the present practices for much longer. The groundwater quality of the Middel Kop aquifer can be rated as marginal for human consumption. This applies in particular to the relatively high concentrations of fluoride and nitrate in the water, which could affect the health of the population adversely if used untreated for long periods. The conclusion reached in the thesis is that the Middel Kop aquifer can only be used as a source of water for Stella on condition that a detailed monitoring scheme is introduced from the beginning and used to develop a suitable management scheme for the aquifer. This approach will ensure that any impacts on the resource can be properly evaluated and that the quality and quantity of the water can be preserved for future generations.Item Open Access Development of a numerical model for unsaturated/saturated hydraulics in ash/brine systems(University of the Free State, 2010-01) Menghistu, Mehari Tewolde; Botha, J. F.English: Vast quantities of coal combustion residues (ash) and effluents are produced simultaneously in the coal processing facilities of South African parastatals, Eskom and Sasol. The handling and disposal of saline effluents is a difficult and complex problem. The current practice used by these parastatals is to co-dispose the effluents with the ash in landfills; so-called ash dams. Although this practice provides a potentially elegant approach, at least from the viewpoint of the generator of both the ash and effluent, the co-disposal of ash and brine in a landfill could have dire consequences on the environment of the landfill site. This applies in particular to the release of environmentally deleterious and toxic constituents of the ash into the air, soil, surface and groundwater which can lead not only to environmental and land-use problems, but also jeopardize the health of organisms living in the surrounding ecosystem. The question therefore arises as to how Eskom and Sasol better manage their ash dams, to not only satisfy all legal requirements and possible pressure from social awareness groups, but also more importantly, prevent, or at least limit, pollution of the natural environment. The present investigation arose from a request by Eskom and Sasol to provide them with a detailed proposal for a framework with a view to increasing the competency of both organizations in the management of the co-disposal of ash and brine and the dissemination of knowledge with regard to the impacts of the sites. Two sites were selected by the organizations for this purpose: the Tutuka Power Station and the Secunda Synthetic Fuel Plant. The application of geohydrological models to assess the behaviour of a waste disposal site has historically often been viewed as an attempt to predict the future behaviour of the site. However, this would require information on relational parameters and known interactions whose behaviour far into the future cannot be determined with certainty. A geohydrological model should therefore never be viewed as an attempt to predict the future of a given waste site, but rather as an aid to assess how effectively the site is managed and controlled. The best way to achieve this is to investigate the waste site systematically, preferably utilizing wellestablished and accepted international methodology. Unfortunately, at this time, no documents exist that describe such a methodology, its implications and the steps necessary to implement it in practice in a way that can also be understood by interested members of the public. A two-dimensional transient model for flow through saturated/unsaturated porous ash dump media has been developed. This model numerically solves the governing partial differential equations, which are highly non-linear. The model code uses quadrilateral finite elements for the geometrical assembly: the bilinear Galerkin interpolation for the spatial integration, and the Gaussian elimination for the solution of the resulting matrix equations. In addition to the usual constant-flux and constanthead boundary conditions, the code is capable of applying pressure-dependent boundary conditions at the ground surface. Thus, infiltration into, or seepage from, this surface may be simulated. Each element may be assigned different material properties that allow the investigation of layered geologic formations. The results discussed in this work are all based on conclusions derived from a generic model for the Tutuka ash dumpsites. While such a model can provide valuable insight into the physical behaviour of such a study area, it can never replace field observations. Field observations and models must complement each other. An attempt was also made to provide guidelines for the development of site-specific data investigation methodology, based on the ISAM Safety Assessment Methodologies for Near Surface Disposal Facilities.Item Open Access Tracing water and nitrate movement through soils with bromide(University of the Free State, 2003-01) Zeleke, Ketema Tilahun; Botha, J. F.; Bennie, A. T. P.English: The pollution of surface and subsurface water is a serious problem worldwide. To clean up a once polluted groundwater source is very difficult and costly, if not impossible. Almost all the sources responsible for groundwater pollution originate in the vadose zone of the subsurface. A better understanding of the movement of chemicals in the vadose zone under different conditions can therefore contribute significantly to prevent the pollution of groundwater resources. One particularly important pollutant of groundwater sources in agricultural areas is nitrogen. However, it is very difficult to study the movement of this chemical in agricultural soils, because of its complex and interdependent transformations in the soil. The major aim of this thesis was to compare the movement of bromide and nitrogen in the Bainsvlei soil of South Africa and a soil of Ethiopia, under steady state, transient state and cropped soil conditions, with the view to use bromide as a substitute tracer for nitrogen. The hydraulic properties of the Bainsvlei soil were determined in situ. Different simplified models were used to determine the hydraulic conductivity of the soil, and the performance of the models was evaluated. A steady state experiment was conducted using bromide tracer and a rainfall simulator to determine solute transport parameters using deterministic and stochastic models. Parameters determined from the deterministic convective-dispersive equation and the stochastic stream tube model were similar. It was observed that this soil did not exhibit preferential flow. From the experiments conducted to determine the effect of intensity and continuity of water application on solute transport, it was observed that increasing the intensity and continuity of rainfall/irrigation increases leaching in this soil. The experiments conducted on a bare plot under natural rainfall conditions suggested the leaching of a fertilizer could be minimized if the fertiliser is not applied in batch mode at the beginning of the growing season of a crop, but split over the growing season of the crop. The study of the movement of bromide and nitrate was repeated with the alluvial sandy loam of Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Two sets of plots were used for this purpose. One set was left bare and the other planted with maize. No clear conclusions could be reached from this study because of the high natural background nitrate concentration of the soil, which obscured the positions of the concentration peaks. Nevertheless, the experiment did show that the maize uptake attenuated the movement of both chemicals in the soil and that the rate at which maize plants take up nitrogen depends on the vegetative stage of the plants. When combined with the results of the leaching experiment on the bare plot, these results indicate that it would be more economical, and environmental friendly, if a farmer applies the fertilizer not in batch mode at the beginning of the growing season, but split it over the growing season, dependent on the vegetative phase of the crop and weather conditions.