INTEGRATED PROTECTIVE GEOCHEMICAL PROPERT IES OF THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT ON THE UPPER REACHES OF THE TECHA RIVER

Several rock characteristics were measured as integrated hydrochemical properties. They include: pH and Eh of the stationary equilibrium bet ween various rocks and aqueous solutions (in hermetically sealed water -saturated pastes); values of the neutralization and reducing capaciti es (by potentiometric titration); the cation-exchange capacity (by rep lacement with ammonium chloride); the sorption ability of rocks and it s selectivity with respect to such typical pollutants of the undergrou nd water as Sr, Cs, and U (by determining the distribution coefficient s of these elements between the solution and the rock at the contamina tion front of radioactive waste and its dispersion haloes. Based on th ese characteristics, we established that the sorption-reducing propert ies of the geologic environment provide the principal mechanism for co nstraining the migration of the most dangerous long-lived radioactive pollutants.