The Problem of Biological Obstacles in the Operation of Nuclear Power Plants (Illustrated by the Operation of Zaporizhzhya NPP Techno-Ecosystem)

Abstract

The article shows the research results on biological obstacles of the Zaporizhzhya NPP cooling pond, which may be harmful for the technological cycles of the plant or even cause emergency in the NPP.
 This problem is particular importance for cooling water reservoir of energy objects, since the increased temperature regime in such reservoirs creates favorable conditions for the mass development of certain types of hydrobionts, which hinder the operation of hydraulic structures.
 It was established that for the studied cooling water reservoir of Zaporizhzhya NPP all types of biological barriers that are found in technical reservoirs of nuclear power plants of Ukraine are characteristic.
 It has been established that all types of biological obstacles found in technical reservoirs of nuclear power plants of Ukraine are common for the researched reservoir.
 The most common are biological obstacles of bacterial, plant and animal origin. Plant biological obstacles are represented by the excessive growth of blue-green algae, which in the summer cause the "water blooming" of the cooling pond, and the filamentous algae that form thickets on the surfaces of concrete slabs and hydraulic structures. Animal biomarkers include the rapid spread of the mollusks of the Thiaridae family, which were accidentally inhabited into the water reservoir and caused massive fouling of the water development facilities of the NPP.
 One of the areas of biological control of biological barriers in a Zaporizhzhya NPP cooling water reservoir is ichthyomelioration – biomeliorative release the fish into the reservoir As fish occupy higher trophic levels in aquatic ecosystems, they accumulate organic matter from other trophic units and can inhibit the massive development of hydrobionts.
 The presented scientific results formed the basis of "Technological substantiation of the biological method of reducing the amount of phytoplankton and mollusks in the hydraulic engineering system of the ZNPP and conducting biomeliorative works using biomeliorative fish for the period2018-2022", the observance of which allows partial resolution of the problems of biological barriers caused by the mass development of certain species.