Articles & Issues
- Language
- English
- Conflict of Interest
- In relation to this article, we declare that there is no conflict of interest.
- Publication history
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Received August 21, 2025
Revised October 1, 2025
Accepted October 16, 2025
Available online June 25, 2026
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This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0) which permits
unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
All issues
Colloid-facilitated Radionuclide Transport in High-level Nuclear Waste Repository: A Review of Experimental Studies
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-025-00588-w
Abstract
This review highlights colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides as a critical factor in evaluating the long-term safety
of deep geological repositories (DGRs) for high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Colloids, originating from engineered
barriers such as bentonite and from natural geological formations, can remain mobile under certain hydrogeochemical conditions
and act as carriers for strongly sorbing radionuclides. This review synthesizes understanding of colloid generation,
stability, and transport mechanisms, drawing on laboratory- and field-scale studies. Laboratory investigations have elucidated
the roles of colloid size, water chemistry, and organic matter in governing stability and radionuclide interactions,
while field observations provide direct evidence of colloid-mediated transport under repository conditions. Comparisons
between controlled experiments and in-situ studies underscore the importance of fracture heterogeneity and transient geochemical
conditions in shaping transport behavior. Finally, key challenges are discussed, including extrapolating laboratory
findings to repository timescales and integrating colloid processes into performance assessment models.

