Harry
Reid Center for Environmental Studies
Chemistry Division
|
Chemistry Division
|
|
|
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies Chemistry Division Annual Report 2005
James Cizdziel, Ph.D. Division Director
Mission The Chemistry Group provides accurate and precise analytical measurements in support of environmental research and monitoring programs. We employ state-of-the-art instrumentation, experienced analysts, and an extensive quality assurance program.
Researchers Dr. James Cizdziel, Associate Research Professor and Division Director Scott Page, Hydrologic Monitoring Program Director Julie Bertoia, Research Chemist Amanda Brandt, Research Scientist Caixia Guo, Research Chemist Kaz Lindley, Research Chemist Tanya Jankovic, Research Chemist Nicole McGinnis, Research Technician
Summary The Chemistry Division had a number of accomplishments in 2005, including a major new funding award, the addition of new state-of-the-art instrumentation, and publication of several peer-reviewed articles. Our laboratory was once again certified by the state of Nevada for drinking water analysis. Our group continues to play a significant role in the Yucca Mountain Project spearheading several research projects and long-term monitoring studies. The following projects are funded through a cooperative agreement between the University and the U.S. Department of Energy and together brought in over $2,000,000 to the HRC during 2005. • Chemical Analysis in support of Yucca Mountain Studies • Groundwater level measurements in selected boreholes near the site of the proposed repository • Precipitation monitoring at Yucca Mountain • Bomb-pulse Chlorine-36 at the Proposed Yucca Mountain Repository Horizon: an Investigation of Previous Conflicting Results and Collection of New Data • Impact of Alteration Phase Formation and Microbial Activity on the Fate and Transport of the Actinides and Fission Products: Alteration Phase Analysis Other research projects include: • Measurement of mercury in sediment cores from northern Arizona reservoirs • Rapid analysis of air filter extracts for plutonium by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: in support of decommissioning and demolition of building at Rocky Flats
Organization of the Report The following report has three primary sections: Research, Teaching, and Service. The research section includes a summary of completed projects, publications & presentations, infrastructure (e.g., new instrumentation), and new proposals and funding. The teaching section presents the group’s activities in the area of student mentoring. The service section highlights endeavors that may enhance the reputation of the Center or University.
RESEARCH Completed Projects and Significant Events Plutonium (239Pu, 240Pu, 242Pu) and uranium (234U, 235U, 238U) were measured in 259 samples obtained from high volume air filters collected during the destruction of two Rocky Flats buildings (a former nuclear weapons complex). The work was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mercury was measured in 285 samples of sediment core collected from several northern Arizona reservoirs in support of a study of atmospheric metal deposition to the area. Lead isotopes were also measured on select samples. A final report was submitted to the funding agency and a journal article is in preparation. Forty-seven samples from the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) on the Nevada Test Site were analyzed for major anions and cations. In addition, seven groundwater samples were collected following a strict protocol from various locations in and around the Nevada Test Site as part of the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program. The samples were analyzed for pH, temperature, alkalinity, major anions, major cations, and trace elements, including rare earth elements. Most of the data for these samples have been technically and QA reviewed and are pending submittal to the Yucca Mountain Technical Data Archive (TDA). Four hydrologic tracer tests were conducted in 2005 in collaboration with the Nye County Nuclear Waste Repository Project Office. The field experiments are designed to shed light on a variety of hydrologic parameters, including flow paths and speed and water-rock geochemical interactions. Our group prepared the injectate solutions for the tracer tests, which involved the dissolution of several hundred kilograms of tracer in hundreds of liters of water. Over a thousand samples were analyzed for several inorganic and organic tracers by ion and liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The data for these samples have been technically and QA reviewed and their submittal to the TDA is pending. An additional tracer project was conducted inside the Yucca Mountain Tunnel (alcove 8/niche 3). The project involved analysis of monthly water samples for three inorganic and three organic tracers. All project notebooks have been technically and QA reviewed, closed out, and have been submitted to records. In addition two data sets have been submitted to the TDA. We recorded the largest ground water level rise (approximately 24 feet) ever recorded in any Yucca Mountain borehole at a well in upper Fortymile Wash during a series of wet winter storms between December 2004 and March 2005. We combined electronically-acquired water level data from this borehole with precipitation gauge measurements to assess likely causes of the rise. Our findings suggest that precipitation at higher elevations, regional scale runoff, and large-scale, unsaturated zone flow between alluvial horizons, rather than direct infiltration near the site, are the factors most likely contributing to present-day ground water recharge near Yucca Mountain. During 2005, we reported seismically-induced water level fluctuations in three regularly monitored boreholes resulting from the Indonesian earthquake of December 26, 2004. The seismic wave reached these boreholes approximately 20 minutes after the initial shock in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake is the most distant seismic event from Yucca Mountain ever known to have produced ground water fluctuations in boreholes on the YM network; the quake epicenter was about 8000 miles (14,500 kilometers) away. Earlier large magnitude earthquakes that have produced such fluctuations measured under this task have occurred in interior Alaska, Aleutian Islands, and offshore Mexico. Automation of the well network with digital pressure transducers continued in 2005 with water levels in 9 of approximately 33 regularly measured boreholes continuously measured at hourly intervals. We participated in a new technology/equipment demonstration provided by In-Situ, Inc., the current vendor for our continuous monitoring digital pressure transducers. During 2005 approximately 70,000 Q-Level measurements were taken on ground water levels at Yucca Mountain boreholes. This data archive now includes months and in some cases years of synoptic data that records fluctuations in carbonate, volcanic, and alluvial flow systems in the immediate Yucca Mountain area. We revised the calibration procedure for manually-acquired ground water level measurements; each measurement is now reported with a statistically-based level of confidence for the entire depth-to-water range of approximately 600 to 2500 feet. We believe this reporting method will produce more scientifically defensible data. For the current calibration of the manual equipment, mean accuracy was found to be better than 99% when compared to the reference standard length. Reliable precipitation data is of primary importance in any hydrologic, environmental or climatic analysis. The Yucca Mountain precipitation monitoring network, which has been managed by our Division since 2001, provides a continuous record of rain and snowfall in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain. Data generated by this activity have been used to support several higher-level reports and modeling efforts including site characterization, infiltration studies and regional climate models. During 2005, the network was expanded to include two new stations at the north end of the Yucca Mountain crest and the northern reaches of the Forty Mile Wash. The new stations include a low-power drain heated snow gauge, barometric pressure sensor, and air temperature sensor. These additional stations address spatial gaps in the network, and provide supporting information for groundwater level monitoring. Outdated equipment was replaced as needed to insure continued availability of a high quality dataset. A series of Fortran-based algorithms were developed to process and analyze precipitation data by storm event, providing support for Yucca Mountain infiltration model verification. Several new and revised Implementing Procedures were written as part of the YM QA Program. In addition, the chemistry group cooperated in a U.S. Department of Energy initiated quality assurance audit. There were no major findings and personnel were complemented on their work and attention to quality assurance procedures.
Publications and Presentations Gremillion, P., Cizdziel, J.V., (2005) “Caudal fin mercury as a predictor of fish-muscle mercury”, Environmental Chemistry 2:96-99. Cizdziel, J.V., Zhou, X. (2005) “Sources and concentrations of Hg and Se in compartments within the Las Vegas Wash during a period of rapid change” Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 107:81-99. Cizdziel, J.V., Farmer, D., Hodge, V., Lindley, K., Stetzenbach, K. (2005) “234U/238U isotope ratios in springs and groundwater from southern Nevada: a comparison of alpha counting and magnetic sector ICP-MS”, Science of the Total Environment 350:248-260. Kimura, H, Azmy, K, Yamamuro, M, Zhi-Wen, J, Cizdziel, J.V. (2005) ‘Integrated stratigraphy of the upper Neoproterozoic succession in Yunnan Province of South China: re-evaluation of global correlation and carbon cycle”, Precambrian Research 138:1-36. Page, S., Brandt, A. (2005) “Rapid Ground Water Level Rise Near Yucca Mountain Following Storm Events: Localized Infiltration or Regional Runoff?”, Devil’s Hole Workshop, Death Valley National Park. Cizdziel, J.V. (2005) “A new study of bomb-pulse Cl-36 at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository horizon: a brief update”, Devil’s Hole Workshop, Death Valley National Park. Cizdziel, J.V. (2005) “Direct analysis of caudal fin clippings for mercury: a non-lethal measure and predictor of fish-muscle mercury”, Arizona/Nevada Academy of Science, annual meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada. Page, S., Brandt, A. (in review) “Ground Water Level Rise Near Yucca Mountain Following Storm Events: Scenes From a Wetter World?” submitted to Southwest Hydrology. Cizdziel, J.V., Guo C., Johannesson K., (accepted) “Rare Earth Elements in Seep and Leachates of Rock from Yucca Mountain”, 2006 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectroscopy, Tucson, Arizona. Cizdziel, J.V., Wei, Y., Gremillion, P., (accepted) “High Precision Mercury Isotope Ratios by MC-ICP-MS using an Automatic (Combustion) Mercury Analyzer as a Sample Preparation Tool”, 2006 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectroscopy, Tucson, Arizona.
Infrastructure The Chemistry Division acquired two new state-of-the-art instruments significantly expanding our research capabilities: an inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ICP-TOFMS) and a laser ablation (LA) system. The laser ablation (LA) unit uses a light to directly sample a solid, allowing elemental and isotope ratio analysis on a micrometer scale. In addition, depth-profile information can be collected. The ICP-TOFMS is capable of measuring a full mass spectrum in fast transient signals and is ideally suited for the pulses generated by LA. The system has numerous potential applications, particularly in the analysis of geological and biological materials. During 2005 we added a second 3,000 foot motorized Power Reel (PET-2) for deep ground water level measurements. This new unit adds backup capability to the existing PET-1 power reel for boreholes between 600 and 2500 feet deep. In addition, we obtained a level TROLL 700 digital pressure transducer unit for evaluation from In-Situ, Inc. This unit was deployed in the UE29 a1 borehole in upper Fortymile Wash along with an existing miniTROLL transducer.
New Proposals/Funding Dr. Cizdziel was awarded $278,570 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science and Technology International for a project titled “Determining the Redox Properties of Yucca Mountain-Related Groundwater Using Trace Element Speciation for Predicting the Mobility of Nuclear Waste”. The project is will continue through 2006. Dr. Cizdziel submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy titled “The sorption and transport of selected radionuclides through miniature waste packages and uranium (VI) oxide under controlled environmental conditions”. Although the $254,000 proposal was not funded it received relatively high marks from reviewers. Dr. Cizdziel submitted an Institutional Research Grant Proposal to the American Cancer Society titled “Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Biological Tissues: Establishing a State-of-the-Art Capability for UNLV Cancer Researchers”.
TEACHING Dr. Cizdziel, adjunct faculty with the Water Resource Management Program, provided a presentation and laboratory demonstration on the Harry Reid Center’s Groundwater Research to the Program’s students. Dr. Cizdziel served on a thesis defense committee for a chemistry graduate student. He is currently serving on two other student research committees: one in Geoscience and the other in Environmental Studies. The Division employs several students providing financial support and rich-learning experience.
SERVICE Dr. Cizdziel served as Chair for the American Chemical Society (ACS) Southern Nevada Section (SNS) and Mr. Kaz Lindley served as Treasurer. During the past year the Professional Society held a number of chemistry-related seminars, including one by the ACS President, in conjunction with the UNLV Chemistry Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Other events held at UNLV include Earth Day and National Chemistry Week in which chemical demonstrations were conducted to the delight of dozens of middle school students. The society also held its annual award ceremony at UNLV recognizing the achievements of top chemistry students and mentors from local high schools, CCSN and UNLV. Dr. Cizdziel reviewed several articles for various environmental-chemistry journals as part of the peer-review process. Scott Page assisted with preparation of hand-out materials for the UNLV Xeric Garden at the Barrick Museum of Natural History, including descriptions of common resident and wintering hummingbirds. Scott Page prepared and submitted a number of high-resolution color close-up photographs of in-flight of Black-chinned and Costa’s Hummingbirds for UNLV Arboretum and Xeric Garden publications. These birds occur regularly on campus and in the garden area. Dr. Cizdziel served on the board of the HRC executive committee. He also participated on a search committee for a research chemist at the Center.
|
Send mail to
jacobyg@unlv.edu with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
