2(HHH2 )2H2O2O22H2O8H2Oradiation2H2O26H2O2H2Oradiation2H2O2radiation2H2O2H2O2radiationEFFECTS OF RADIATION DOE-HDBK-1015/2-93Reactor Water ChemistryON WATER CHEMISTRY (SYNTHESIS)CH-03Rev. 0Page 4(3-8)(3-11)Net reaction:or(3-12)The net result of these reactions is simply the decomposition of water. If H and O are allowed22to escape from solution as gases, the reaction continues as written. If, however, the water iscontained in a closed system under pressure (as in a reactor coolant system), H and O are22confined, and an equilibrium state is reached because radiation also causes the reverse ofReaction (3-2) to take place. Primarily neutron and gamma radiation induce both thedecomposition of water and the recombination of H and O to form water. Thus, it is22appropriate to write Reaction (3-2) as a radiation-induced equilibrium reaction.(3-12)To arrive at the overall effect of radiation on water, the above process involved the assumptionthat only one reaction pathway is available to each reactive species. This was done primarilyfor convenience because inclusion of every possible reaction in the summation process becomesrather cumbersome. Even if all the reactions are taken into account, the net result is the sameas Reaction (3-12), which is reasonable because inspection of Reactions (3-3) through (3-11)shows that the only stable products are H , O , and H O (H O and OH combine to form water,2223+-and H O decomposes at high temperature). Perhaps not as obvious, more water is consumed22than is produced in these reactions, and the net result is the initial decomposition of water thatproceeds until equilibrium concentrations of H and O are established.22Before discussing the effects of radiation on other processes, chemical equilibrium in thepresence of ionizing radiation should be mentioned. Equilibrium processes in aqueous solutionsare discussed briefly in Module 1, which states that temperature influences the equilibrium.Ionizing radiation also influences the equilibrium of these solutions.
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