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Section 6: Groundwater Pollution by Radionuclides |
Territorial Centre ‘Tomsk Geomonitoring’, Sovpartshkolny 13, Tomsk 634009, Russia
This paper considers the potential impact of the deep injection of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) on the continued operation of the Tomsk public groundwater supply. The close proximity of the LRW injection polygons to the wellfield creates a geoenvironmental conflict, due to the possibility of migration of radionuclides and other toxic components of LRW from the Cretaceous aquifer system used for LRW injection to the Palaeogene aquifer complex used for water supply. Although a significant argillaceous aquitard and a non-utilized buffer aquifer horizon lie between the aquifer systems, there are indications that such inter-aquifer migration may take place, either due to sandy windows in the aquitard or to inadequately sealed well annuli. A major groundwater monitoring network, based on the co-operative use of automated information systems and GIS technologies, has been established. In order to simulate contaminant migration scenarios, the use of variably scaled numerical hydrogeomigrational models is recommended. These would allow prognostic estimations and form a basis for administrative decision-making to minimize damage to the geological environment.
