Lokaliseringens betydelse vid deponering av avfall på stort djup : Ett exempel med slutförvar för kvicksilverhaltigt avfall

• Main Author: Dolk, Ellen
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: Swedish
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Life Earth Science; Bio- och geovetenskaper; kvicksilver; djupförvar; lokalisering; gruva; berggrundens egenskaper; hydrogeologi; grundvatten; vattenbalans; flödesväg; genombrottstid; förorening; Fennoscandian
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-53952

Many of the different substances used in our society today can be classified as harmful and dangerous. Mercury is one of the most dangerous toxins in our environment. In Sweden, decisions have been taken to stop all use of mercury and that the mercury existing in the Swedish society shall be collected and deposited in a safe way. The safest alternative for a final storage of mercury is considered to be a deep repository in the Fennoscandian bedrock. This also opens the possibility to use existing facilities such as a mine. The aim of this thesis is to illuminate what localization factors influence the functionality of a deep repository, mainly from a hydrogeological perspective. No direct demands has been set by the Swedish EPA that a deep repository must fulfil, instead the overall solution should be taken into account. Boliden Mineral AB’s plan for a deep repository for waste containing mercury and its two possible locations is used as an example. Boliden Mineral AB has large quantities of waste containing mercury at their smelting plant at Rönnskär. The company also has access to existing mines and they have the knowledge and the technology to build facilities deep in the bedrock. The main alternative is to build a repository deep in the bedrock under Rönnskär. The second alternative is to use the existing logistic facilities at the mine called Åkullagruvan, northeast of the community of Boliden, where plans exist to mine a new ore deposit. The best suitable alternative is the alternative with the least impact on the environment. The impact of the repository is dependent both on the size of the emission and the sensitivity of the environment where the emission surfaces. ercury is leached out of the waste by ground water seeping through the repository and then transported with the ground water until it reaches the surface. Where the contaminated ground water reaches the surface depends on the flow path of the ground water which in turn depends on the hydraulic conductivity and the hydraulic gradient. ...