BORIS will use data and samples from the Russian deep borehole injection sites for liquid radioactive waste at Tomsk-7 and/or Krasnoyarsk-26 to further understanding of the chemical behaviour and migration of radionuclides in the geological environment, and thereby build scientific and societal confidence in radioactive waste disposal safety assessments and the deep disposal concept. At the Russian sites, it is possible to study radionuclide geochemical behaviour at similar depths to those envisaged for a deep geological repository for radioactive wastes. Models of radionuclide solubility, speciation and transport over a wide range of pH and Eh will be tested and corroborated. BORIS will demonstrate the ability of Western PA models to assess a "real-world" example of radionuclide migration in the deep geological environment, and will evaluate the extent to which the new data can be used to build confidence in geosphere performance.
BORIS Phase I made use of the unique dataset available at the Russian sites describing the environmental behaviour of a wide range of radionuclides, developed a sampling strategy for rock and water samples, and documented the relevance of the sites for Western repository PA studies. Information collected at the borehole injection sites over the last 30 years, including data describing the injection process, inventory, and migration of the waste component within the reservoir horizons has been compiled into an electronic database and analysed. New water samples were obtained from existing monitoring and test boreholes. Contaminated samples were examined in Russian laboratories, and preliminary geochemical investigations of samples were made, including radioanalysis, trace and major element analysis and colloid quantification. Filtered groundwater samples were transported to Germany for microbiological analysis in FZR laboratories. Rock samples from Krasnoyarsk-26 were transported to UPC, Spain, and to IPC and IEM, Moscow, for experimental sorption studies. These preliminary studies were used to check the accuracy of some of the Russian data, and to plan and prioritise activities for BORIS Phase II. The potential application of the project data in PA was evaluated. A working plan for a subsequent phase of BORIS (BORIS Phase II), including a targeted experimental and modelling programme, was developed. Project outputs were disseminated within the project, and to relevant stakeholders, via a project Web Site and an electronic newsletter.