Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2011
The chemistry of near field, i.e. the pH, Eh and potential complexing ions, determines the solubility of radionuclides from a waste source. It is often assumed that outside the repository this chemistry is that of the appropriate groundwater. However, the chemical environment around the repository itself is perturbed both by the near field components, e.g. wasteform, backfill etc., and by the act of building the repository.