Abstract
High-level radioactive waste (HLW) results from spent reactor fuel and reprocessed nuclear material. Since 1957 the scientific consensus is that deep geologic disposal constitutes the safest means for isolating HLW for long timescales. Nuclear power is becoming significant for the Arab Gulf countries as a way to diversify energy sources and drive economic developments. Hence, it is of interest to the UAE to examine the geologic environments currently considered internationally to guide site selection. Sweden and Finland are proceeding with deep underground repositories mined in bedrock at depths of 500m, and 400m, respectively. Equally, Canada’s proposals are deep burial in the plutonic rock masses of the Canadian Shield. Denmark and Switzerland are considering disposal of their relative small quantities of HLW into crystalline basement rocks through boreholes at depths of 5,000m. In USA, the potential repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada lies at a depth of 300m in unsaturated layers of welded volcanic tuffs. Disposal of low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes, as well as the German HLW repository favour structurally-sound layered salt stata and domes. Our article provides a comprehensive review of the current concepts regarding HLW disposal together with some preliminary analysis of potentially appropriate geologic environments in the UAE.
Highlights
IntroductionThe first and most important is the geologic setting, which is selected so that it would facilitate the operation of the disposal facility and in case the engineering measures fail it will contain or retard the spread of radioactive waste
Two lines of defense are always used for land disposal of radioactive waste
The initial 1957 proposal by the National Research Council of the US National Academy of Sciences favored disposal in structurally-sound layered salt strata and domes, or abandoned salt mines because very little water passes through salt, and fractures are selfhealing due to the creep of salt, which is plastic [3]. Such locations have been in use in many countries for the disposal of low- (LLW) and intermediate-level (ILW) radioactive wastes, and this is the environment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in USA for the disposal of defense transuranic wastes, 650m below ground level
Summary
The first and most important is the geologic setting, which is selected so that it would facilitate the operation of the disposal facility and in case the engineering measures fail it will contain or retard the spread of radioactive waste. Site selection includes low seismicity and low volcanic activity, geologic environments that would exclude faults or extensive fracturing, geochemical conditions that would hinder or retard the corrosion of containers, hydrologic setups of low precipitation and deep water table that would minimize water infiltration and fluid transport of the waste in case of failure, etc. Engineered barrier systems are constructed in order to: (a) isolate the waste from the biosphere for extremely long periods of time, (b) ensure that in case of failure contaminants migrating from the waste canisters will be of low concentration compared to natural background levels, and (c) provide assurance that any risk from inadvertent human intrusion would be minimal. Ensuring that engineered barrier systems will perform according to design criteria requires integration of site characterization data, waste and engineering properties’ characteristics, in situ and laboratory testing, and modeling [1]
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