Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory SFA

The Subsurface Biogeochemistry of Actinides Scientific Focus Area (SFA) led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is focused on advancing understanding of subsurface actinide behavior to provide a scientific basis for remediation and long-term stewardship of DOE legacy sites and, more broadly, increase understanding of transport phenomena in environmental system science. Key knowledge gaps addressed by the LLNL SFA include:

• Mechanisms driving surface-mediated Pu and Np reduction.
• Formation of stable natural organic matter coatings on mineral surfaces and their effect on Pu and Np redox transformations and sorption reactions.
• Factors controlling the stability of intrinsic actinide colloids.
• Natural organic matter ligands and functional groups responsible for biologically mediated Pu redox transformations.
• Mechanisms responsible for observed Pu transport behavior in the field.

Laboratory and Field Data Provide a Comprehensive View of Plutonium Migration Rates at the Nevada National Security Site.

The project is supported by DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), within DOE’s Office of Science, as part of BER’s Subsurface Biogeochemical Research (SBR) program.