Oceanic Disposal of Radioactive Wastes: Effects and Proposals

An investigation of the effects of radioactive waste disposal into the oceans pursued by an examination of the hazards involved, the present sources of radioactive wastes and future prospects. The longevity of many radioactive elements, coupled with the awesome consequences to which even a slight miscalculation may lead, are convincing arguments for the most conservative approach to the problem of disposal of radioactive wastes. Present day disposal of radioactive wastes in the oceans, while significant, have not yet had major discernible effects on man or marine life. However, with the worldwide explosion of electrical power demand and the increasing use of nuclear fission as a source of power, the accumulation of non-destructible radioactive wastes on land will tempt industrially crowded nations to turn to the sea as a receptacle for this unwanted material. It is not reasonable to assume that nations can store in perpetuity an ever increasing volume of long lived radioactive waste. Development of controlled nuclear fusion as a source of power, eliminating the generation of radioactive wastes, is urged. No international rules being in effect concerning radioactive pollution of the seas, greater international cooperation in development of controls is recommended

Maritime security and nuclear cargoes

Civilian nuclear operations entail the transportation of sometimes substantial quantities of radioactive material. These can range from large quantities of weakly radioactive fresh fuel for power reactors, with the corresponding removal of highly radioactive spent fuel and operational wastes, to the shipment of small quantities of radioactive isotopes (“sources”) for medical, industrial or research purposes and their subsequent disposal. In relation to the civilian nuclear fuel cycle, there may also be relatively large quantities of radioactive material produced by “back-end” activities, such as the reprocessing of spent fuel to recover plutonium and then create mixed oxide, or MOX, fuel.1 In between these extremes, there are occasional consignments of fresh and spent fuel to and from research reactors, together with the associated wastes. In many of these cases, circumstances will dictate that consignments are dispatched overland, or by air, but there are some cases where a substantial maritime component is entailed and where there will be particular security and safety concerns that arise from that. Traditionally, the focus of this concern has been on the possibility of accidents, which might result in environmental contamination or human harm, but more recently, and certainly since 11 September 2001, the locus of concern has somewhat shifted to risks that might arise from the activities of non-state armed groups, or terrorists (or even pirates). This is the focus of the present review

Biodegradation of the Alkaline Cellulose Degradation Products Generated during Radioactive Waste Disposal.

The anoxic, alkaline hydrolysis of cellulosic materials generates a range of cellulose degradation products (CDP) including α and β forms of isosaccharinic acid (ISA) and is expected to occur in radioactive waste disposal sites receiving intermediate level radioactive wastes. The generation of ISA's is of particular relevance to the disposal of these wastes since they are able to form complexes with radioelements such as Pu enhancing their migration. This study demonstrates that microbial communities present in near-surface anoxic sediments are able to degrade CDP including both forms of ISA via iron reduction, sulphate reduction and methanogenesis, without any prior exposure to these substrates. No significant difference (n = 6, p = 0.118) in α and β ISA degradation rates were seen under either iron reducing, sulphate reducing or methanogenic conditions, giving an overall mean degradation rate of 4.7×10−2 hr−1 (SE±2.9×10−3). These results suggest that a radioactive waste disposal site is likely to be colonised by organisms able to degrade CDP and associated ISA's during the construction and operational phase of the facility

Microbial Effects on Repository Performance

This report presents a critical review of the international literature on microbial effects in and around a deep geological repository for higher activity wastes. It is aimed at those who are familiar with the nuclear industry and radioactive waste disposal, but who are not experts in microbiology; they may have a limited knowledge of how microbiology may be integrated into and impact upon radioactive waste disposal safety cases and associated performance assessments (PA)

Exercising Police Powers to Control Spent Fuel and Other Radioactive Wastes

Tthe storage and disposal problem of radioactive materials urgently requires a resolution. Various methods have been pursued by states to control internal hazardous wastes. Additionally, states have sought to regulate out-of-state radioactive materials within their borders. This Comment will explore the controversy stemming from federal limitations upon state regulation of radioactive materials. When and how can a state control these wastes

Conceptual bases of design of information systems of accounting and control of radioactive wastes

This paper presents the conceptual basis of the automation of accounting and control of radioactive wastes in the framework of separately taken facility. Accounting and control of radioactive wastes is one of the primary measures aimed at ensuring the safety of radioactive waste management. The effectiveness of the accounting and control procedures can be significantly increased by implementation of specialized information system. System based on the concept of using of technology of automated data collection and processing allows to provide continuous accounting and control even in the case of facilities with complex infrastructure, to increase staff efficiency, to improve the accuracy of accounting and reporting data, to reduce the radiation exposure to staff. This work was performed as part of the development of information systems of accounting and control of radioactive wastes

Liquid Radioactive Wastes Treatment: A Review

Radioactive wastes are generated during nuclear fuel cycle operation, production and application of radioisotope in medicine, industry, research, and agriculture, and as a byproduct of natural resource exploitation, which includes mining and processing of ores, combustion of fossil fuels, or production of natural gas and oil. To ensure the protection of human health and the environment from the hazard of these wastes, a planned integrated radioactive waste management practice should be applied. This work is directed to review recent published researches that are concerned with testing and application of different treatment options as a part of the integrated radioactive waste management practice. The main aim from this work is to highlight the scientific community interest in important problems that affect different treatment processes. This review is divided into the following sections: advances in conventional treatment of aqueous radioactive wastes, advances in conventional treatment of organic liquid wastes, and emerged technological options

Semi-empirical control method of solid wastes of medium and high activity

Semi-empirical method has been developed to monitor medium and high level solid radioactive wastes based on direct measurement of wastes radioactivity and nuclide composition in lorry body. The energy range of measurements was from 80 tо 3000 keV. The radioactive waste activity was from 106 to 1012 Bq. The proposed method was certified and measurement of basic errors were determined that not exceeding 60 %

Study of pollution in the El Jadida-Safi Atlantic coastal zone (Morocco) by using PIXE and SSNTD methods

In this work PIXE experiments were performed for measuring heavy and light elements (ranging from aluminium to lead) concentrations inside various polluted and unpolluted soils as well as liquid samples collected from different phosphate factory sewers in the El Jadida-Safi Atlantic coastal region (Morocco). In addition, uranium (238U) and thorium (232Th) contents were evaluated in the same samples studied by using CR-39 and LR-115 type II solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). The influence of the phosphate industry wastes on the concentrations of both radioactive and non-radioactive elements of the samples studied was investigated

Space disposal of nuclear wastes. Volume 1: Socio-political aspects

The history and interpretation of radioactive waste management in the U.S., criteria for choosing from various options for waste disposal, and the impact of nuclear power growth from 1975 to 2000 are discussed. Preconditions for the existence of high level wastes in a form suitable for space disposal are explored. The role of the NASA space shuttle program in the space disposal of nuclear wastes, and the impact on program management, resources and regulation are examined