Safety Of Radioactive Waste Management Research Articles

Enhanced radioactive waste drum monitoring: A sensorized LoRa-based network for identification and integrity assessment

A reliable monitoring and oversight system is essential to guarantee the safe operation and eventual closure of radioactive waste disposal facilities. With recent technological advancements, there is now the capability to deploy distributed wireless sensor networks that are cost-effective and low in power consumption. Such networks are versatile, finding applications in several civil, environmental, and industrial sectors. This work presents a novel system and method for identifying and continuously monitoring the integrity of stored radioactive waste packages. The proposed approach, developed by the University of Pisa in the context of the H2020 European Project PREDIS, employs a network of wireless node devices, provided with solid-state micro-power radiation detectors tasked with the measurement of gamma-rays and thermal neutrons coming from within cemented waste drums. Collected data are automatically transmitted across the storage site via Long Range radio technology and forwarded to cloud-based or offline platforms, allowing for further visualization, data processing, and safe storage. The system highlights the feasibility of autonomously and passively gathering data from radioactive waste drums over extended distances (more than 250 m in non-line-of-sight conditions), decreasing the reliance on portable or automated scanning mechanisms. In line with its capability for autonomous, long-range data collection, the system satisfies the requirement for structural integrity, containment, and confinement of packaging throughout both interim and long-term disposal of radioactive wastes, thereby playing a key role in reinforcing the safe management of radioactive waste.

Regulatory and Legal Support of International Nuclear Law

Between the first regulatory and legal development of international nuclear law in 1957 and modern achievements, three main stages of this process can be distinguished.
 The first period of development of international nuclear law corresponds to the period of development of nuclear energy and guarantees of its peaceful use by all non-nuclear weapon states. This dual purpose was legally confirmed by the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1957 and the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1970.
 The first stage in the development of international nuclear law was complemented by a second growth phase aimed at increasing collective resilience to the dangers of nuclear energy. The Three Mile Island accident in 1979 and especially the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 triggered intense regulatory activity aimed at preventing nuclear accidents and better managing their consequences on an international scale.
 As a result, several international conventions have been adopted in this area: The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.
 Unlike the first-generation nuclear nonpro­liferation treaties, these norms do not violate the essential sovereignty of the states parties. By merging binding provisions and flexible legislation, a cooperative system was created for flexible and decentralized management of nuclear activities on an international scale.
 The third stage of the development of inter­national nuclear law, in which we are currently located, is characterized by both negative and positive elements.
 On the negative side, there are problems that affect the effectiveness of international nuclear law. The most alarming issue in this area is the independence of nuclear regulatory authorities in several countries, although it is regulated by Article 8 of the Convention on Nuclear Safety and Article 20 of the Joint Convention on Nuclear Safety.

Minimizing Radioactive Waste through Chemical Decontamination Techniques

"Effective decontamination is crucial for managing radioactive waste, and it is important to find optimal practices that consider factors such as ease of use, reduction in secondary waste, and hazardous nature of the material. The study evaluates a chemical decontamination gel effectiveness in removing radioactive materials from commonly used materials at IFIN-HH. Artificially contaminated materials were tested, and the gel decontamination factor was evaluated. The gel has advantages such as easy application, high decontamination factor, and minimal contamination of radioactive materials, making it a promising method for efficient and safe management of radioactive waste. "

Assessing the Scale of the Radioactive Waste Management Problem: A Review of European Union and International Reporting

Information on the management of radioactive waste (RW), including inventory, can be obtained from several sources, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Commission. The IAEA is collecting voluntary national profiles through the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. The European Commission is requiring reports from Member States in accordance with Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom, which establishes a framework for the safe and responsible management of spent fuel and radioactive waste. The findings from these reports are published by the IAEA and EC every three years and provide comparable information on RW policies, frameworks, and programs, with a significant focus on waste and spent fuel inventories and associated practices and technologies. This paper reviews the latest available reports from the Commission and the IAEA, focusing on the RW inventory and disposal status. The paper presents some findings on the overall situation in the European Union (EU) and the comparison of inventories between EU Member States, as well as a comparison with the reporting from the IAEA regarding the global situation. The presentation of the radioactive waste and spent fuel inventories is normalized per person and land area, with the intention of improving understanding of the scale of the RW management problem. The relative scale of the problem is also demonstrated by comparison with hazardous waste inventories. There is a total of 264,000 tons of spent fuel worldwide, equivalent to concentration of 2 g/km2 or 0.04 g/capita. The total amount of all categories of radioactive waste is 37.6 million m3, equivalent to 290 l/km2 or 5 l/capita. The majority of RW (92%) is very low or low level, and 81% has already been disposed of. In comparison, ten times more hazardous waste is produced worldwide each year (~50 kg/capita/year). These numbers indicate that the amounts of RW are relatively small. The status reports, with a high percentage of RW disposed of, show that RW is routinely manageable, including the management of high-level RW. This is also demonstrated by the fact that Finland is soon to open a permanent disposal site, with several other countries following suit.

Chemically Stable and Heteroatom Containing Porous Organic Polymers for Efficient Iodine Vapor Capture and its Storage

The uses of nuclear reactions are gaining importance in energy and medical therapy applications. Production and safe management of radioactive waste is a major operational challenge. Proper treatment and storage of nuclear waste are important while considering nuclear energy for various applications. While reprocessing used nuclear fuel (UNF), handling of volatile radioactive wastes (e.g., radioisotopes of iodine: 129I/131I) requires special attention. Iodine is present in off-gas streams as either molecular iodine (I2) or organic iodides. 129I is less radioactive than 131I, but has an extremely long half-life. Both are highly toxic, and their nearly quantitative retention from off-gas streams requires packing of iodine filters with efficient adsorbents. Thus, there is a need to develop materials with efficient iodine vapor capture/storage capabilities. Herein, a set of four porous organic polymers are presented that are rich in heteroatoms and possess abundant π-arene motifs with which p-orbitals on iodine can interact effectively via charge-transfer complexations. To mimic the conditions of a UNF reprocessing facility, gas-phase iodine capture experiments were performed under various conditions (dry/humid conditions and at 75 °C/25 °C). The maximum iodine uptake capacity of one of the materials (HPOP-4: 6.25 g/g at 75 °C and 4.35 g/g at 25 °C) is higher than several other iodine vapor adsorbents reported to date. The retention of trapped iodine by HPOPs at 25 °C is also quite remarkable with only 2–3% weight loss from iodine-loaded HPOPs, which makes HPOPs potential material for the storage/transportation of captured radioiodine. The results confirm desirable properties in HPOPs such as facile synthesis, high physiochemical stabilities, good moisture tolerance, rapid adsorption kinetics, and efficient reusability with low compromise in capture performance upon regeneration. These benefits render HPOPs as strong contenders for packing filters used for retaining radioiodine during cleaning either off-gas streams or annulus exhaust air (during “loss of coolant accident”).

On the Sustainable Utilization of Geopolymers for Safe Management of Radioactive Waste: A Review

The application of geopolymers for the safe management of radioactive waste has not been implemented on a large scale, where they are tirelessly examined with the purpose of facilitating the practicality and feasibility of the actual application towards the sustainable performance of these materials. This review therefore compiles the findings of the utilization of geopolymers as sorbents for removal of radio-contaminants from aqueous waste streams and as immobilization matrices for the containment of different radioactive wastes. The investigated geopolymer base materials encompass a wide range of reactive aluminosilicate precursor sources that include natural materials, industrial wastes, and chemicals. This work introduces to the reader the scientific interest in the field of geopolymer studies, their sustainability analysis, and their application in the nuclear industry, in particular in radioactive waste treatment and immobilization. The geopolymer classification, radiation stability, and structural characterizations were summarized with special reference to the characterization of the structure alteration due to the inclusion of functional materials or radioactive wastes. The effect of the application of metakaolin-based materials, fly ash-based materials and other base materials, and their blend on radio-contaminant removal from aqueous solutions and the immobilization of different problematic radioactive waste streams were reviewed and analyzed to identify the gaps in the sustainable performance of these materials. Finally, perspectives on geopolymer sustainability are presented, and the identified gaps in sustainable application included the need to investigate new areas of application, e.g., in pretreatment and membrane separation. The reusability and the regeneration of the geopolymer sorbents/exchangers need to be addressed to reduce the material footprints of this application. Moreover, there is a need to develop durability tests and standards based on the record of the application of the geopolymers.

On radiation protection and climate change – a summary

planned for construction as well as those at proposal stage. However, the ethics of nuclear power is increasingly under challenge due to the incidents at the Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants, and concerns over radioactive discharges, safe management of radioactive waste and lack of an operational repository for spent nuclear fuel. Central to these concerns is the perceived unique radiological risk of nuclear power. But in a world where Climate Change presents a threat to the entire planet, is nuclear power and the associated radiological risk not ethical? Exploring the interplay between climate change ethics and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)’s System of Radiological Protection, we consider the major contribution that new nuclear power stations can make to climate change mitigation, through decarbonisation of power systems, and finally unpick the case for nuclear power in this new world of climate change ethics.

Significant legal developments concerning “independent” regulatory agencies in the United States and what it could mean for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Multiple sources of international nuclear law, including binding instruments such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS)1 and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Joint Convention),2 stress the importance of the independence of the regulator, as well as the effective separation of that regulatory body from others tasked with the promotion or utilisation of nuclear energy. Since its creation in 1974, the United States (US) Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been characterised as an “independent agency” within the US government. One of the hallmarks of this independence is that, by law, members of the Commission cannot be removed at will by the President over policy disagreements. However, recent decisions by the US Supreme Court have declared that restrictions on the President’s ability to remove the heads of certain agencies are incompatible with the nation’s constitutional structure and are therefore invalid and unenforceable. As of this writing, these decisions have been limited to independent regulatory agencies headed by a single administrator, not multi-member boards or commissions such as the NRC. However, the Court’s legal reasoning sweeps broadly, and if the holding of these decisions were to be applied to multi-member regulatory bodies (as legal scholars predict), it would shake the organisational bedrock upon which the Commission has rested since its creation. It may also risk transforming the Agency’s public image into that of a political or promotional actor, whose activities are closely overseen by the President who is also responsible for setting energy-related national priorities and goals.

Adsorption Studies of Radionuclides by Turkish Minerals: A Review

Hazardous radionuclides are produced during normal operation of nuclear power plants and research facilities. They can also spread to the environment due to fallout from nuclear accidents and nuclear weapon tests. The removal of hazardous radionuclides and the safe management of radioactive waste are of vital necessity. Natural minerals have been widely used for the removal of heavy metals and radionuclides because of their low cost, high capacity and radiation resistance properties. Turkey has an abundant natural mineral deposits. These deposits include clinoptilolite, bentonite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, vermiculite, illite, red clay, sepiolite, diatomite, perlite and volcanic tuff. Within the scope of this review, Turkish minerals were classified as three main groups as; zeolites, clay minerals and other minerals. The review consists of sections on the general properties of natural minerals such as zeolites and clays, the characteristics of Turkish minerals, and the adsorption performance of these minerals against some radionuclide ions (Sr, Cs, U, Th and Po).

Stronsiyum gideriminde sentetik inorganik iyon değiştiricilerin kullanımı

Strontium-90 is the most dangerous radioactive isotope of strontium, which is formed during the operation of nuclear reactors. It can also spread to the environment due to fallout from nuclear accidents and nuclear weapons tests. Removal of hazardous radionuclides and safe management of radioactive waste is a vital necessity. Ion exchange has been one of the most used methods in the management of liquid radioactive waste. Inorganic ion exchangers stand out for their thermal, chemical and radiation resistance. They show selectivity for certain cations. This review focused on removal of 90Sr by synthetic inorganic ion exchangers such as zeolites, titanates, titanosilicates, other acid salts, hydrous oxides and metal sulfides. Overall, more than 100 publications are reviewed and detailed data on strontium removal using inorganic ion exchangers are presented.

О представлении Шестого национального доклада Российской Федерации о выполнении обязательств, вытекающих из Объединенной конвенции о безопасности обращения с отработавшим топливом и о безопасности обращения с радиоактивными отходами

The article evaluates the presentation of the Sixth National Report of the Russian Federation on the fulfillment of obligations arising from the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management at the Sixth Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties held in June 2022.

Analytical method for determination of 41Ca in radioactive concrete

The analysis of 41Ca in concrete generated from the nuclear facilities decommissioning is critical for ensuring the safe management of radioactive waste. An analytical method for the determination of 41Ca in concrete is described. 41Ca is a neutron-activated long radionuclide, and hence, for accurate analysis, it is necessary to completely extract Ca from the concrete sample where it exists as the predominant element. The decomposition methods employed were the acid leaching, microwave digestion, and alkali fusion. A comparison of the results indicated that the alkali fusion is the most suitable way for the separation of Ca from the concrete sample. Several processes of hydroxide and carbonate precipitation were employed to separate 41Ca from interferences. The method relies on the differences in the solubility of the generated products. The behavior of Ca and the interfering elements such as Fe, Ni, Co, Eu, Ba, and Sr is examined at each separation step. The purified 41Ca was measured by a liquid scintillation counter, and the quench curve and counting efficiency were determined by using a certified reference material of known 41Ca activity. The recoveries in this study ranged from 56 to 68%, and the minimum detectable activity was 50 mBq g−1 with 0.5 g of concrete sample.

The Power of Place

Investigating the role of geographical location in public engagement with science we examine the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) Partnership’s undertaking of one of the most extensive local public engagements with environmental risk science in the UK. The case study highlights the transformative impacts of this three-year long local engagement on both science and the public. Differently from other invited public engagements, organised as experiments controlled by scientists in spaces set aside from the everyday, the Partnership’s lay members led a process unfolding in the place that was potentially at risk. The Partnership had the authority to demand that scientists addressed issues of local interest. We frame the analysis with the notions ‘re-situating technoscience' and ‘re-assembling the public' to illuminate how scientific knowledge claims were modified and a new local public emerged, at the intersection of public engagement with science and public participation in environmental risk governance.

Thermal treatment for radioactive waste minimisation

Safe management of radioactive waste is challenging to waste producers and waste management organisations. Deployment of thermal treatment technologies can provide significant improvements: volume reduction, waste passivation, organics destruction, safety demonstration facilitation, etc. The EC-funded THERAMIN project enables an EU-wide strategic review and assessment of the value of thermal treatment technologies applicable to Low and Intermediate Level waste streams (ion exchange media, soft operational waste, sludges, organic waste, and liquids). THERAMIN compiles an EU-wide database of wastes, which could be treated by thermal technologies and documents available thermal technologies. Applicability and benefits of technologies to the identified waste streams will be evaluated through full-scale demonstration tests by project partners. Safety case implications will also be assessed through the study of the disposability of thermally treated waste products. This paper will communicate the strategic aims of the ongoing project and highlight some key findings and results achieved to date.

Nuclear liability conventions and decommissioning: exclusion provisions revisited

Neither the Paris Convention on Nuclear Third Party Liability of 1960, nor the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage of 1963 specifically addressed the issue of decommissioning nuclear installations in their provisions. The lack of explicit provisions concerning these activities in the liability conventions is due to the fact that, when these instruments were drafted, the development of nuclear energy was in its infancy, and there was little concern about activities at the back end of the fuel cycle. Since the 1980s, problems arose from the decommissioning of nuclear installations again raised questions concerning applicability of the liability regime of these liability conventions on various stages of decommissioning. Since the post-Chernobyl period, the issue of decommissioning was addressed in the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management of 1997. Consequently, the Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage in 1997 and in the Protocol to Amend the Paris Convention on Nuclear Third Party Liability of 2004 also raised the issue.

Performance Improvement of Liquid Waste Management System for APR1400

The Liquid Waste Management System (LWMS) is a radioactive waste storage and treatment facility equipped in the nuclear power plants to ensure the safe management of radioactive waste generated in the process of operation. New and improved materials and processes are continuously under consideration and development in various countries to reduce waste generation and to minimize costs. To meet the increasing pressure to reduce the release of radioactive into the environment, this study discusses the possible performance improvements of the existing liquid waste management system of APR1400 without additional equipment installation or design changes of the system. This study proposes three possible items for improvement of the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) liquid waste management system which are chemical additions, increasing ion exchange (I.X.) selectivity and optimal operation conditions to reduce the radioactivity concentration in the effluent and solid waste generation. The results of off-site dose calculated by ENDOS-L shows that maximum individual dose is reduced by 12.7% from original values. And the reduction of solid waste generation from the extended replacement period of the membrane is expected to reduce the annual disposal cost by 16.7% from original cost. Improvements do not involve equipment modification so these can be easily applied to currently operating NPPs. It will be helpful to reduce the offsite public dose and operating cost of Nuclear Power Plants(NPPs).

Study on Developing Safety Infrastructure for Mineral Processing Waste (NORM Waste) and Contamination Monitoring at the TINT Rare Earth Research & Development Center, Khlong 5, Pathumthani, Thailand

The objective of this study is to prepare all technical and administrative actions leading to the release of the disused radiological facilities from regulatory control and safe management of radioactive waste. In the first phase, the study covers: the preliminary site characterization, waste characterization, the preparation for authorization of the foreseen strategy and activities. The first phase study shows that several areas of the TINT’s Rare Earth Research & Development Center are contaminated, such as the U/Th extraction, monazite processing and NORM residues storage.

ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL ACTIVITY FOR EXECUTING THE JOINT CONVENTION ON THE SAFETY OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

Analysis of the results of the activity of the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" and the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision for preparing the Russian Federation reports at meetings of the contracting parties to fulfil the obligations arising from the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management was performed.The main content of the report refers to the fourth national report of the Russian Federation submitted to the IAEA in May 2015. The main results of the activity for the formation of a unified state system for RW management were considered. Analysis of the questions of the Member States of the Joint Convention to the content of the national report was performed. A review of the activities of the FSUE "RosRAO" in terms of solving the basic problems for the safe management of radioactive waste was presented.

Normal and second derivative spectrophotometric determination of niobium using solid phase extraction technique

This paper describes a rapid method for niobium preconcentration, separation and determination by using solid phase extraction (SPE). The activity level of 94Nb is still very low in the environment. However, on account of its long half life, 94Nb would be one of the important isotopes in the near future for the safe management of radioactive waste. SPE method using freshly precipitated microcrystalline naphthalene as an adsorbent has been developed to separate and preconcentrate trace amount of niobium from aqueous samples for the detection by normal and second derivative spectrophotometry. The influence of some analytical parameters on the quantitative recoveries of the Nb(V) was investigated by batch technique. The complex extracted on naphthalene has an absorption maximum at 380 nm. The optimum pH range for the sorption is 7–8. The molar absorptivity is 1.40 × 104 L/(mol cm), the sensitivity being 0.0066 µg/cm2 of niobium. Derivative spectrophotometry in conjunction with extractive pre-concentration of Nb(V) with SPE is used for determining Nb(V) at concentration levels down to 25 ppb in initial sample. The foreign ions interference has been studied and the optimized conditions developed were utilized successfully for the trace determination of niobium in alloy steel, environmental and wastewater samples.

Korean Status and Prospects for Radioactive Waste Management

The safe management of radioactive waste is a national task required for sustainable generation of nuclear power and for energy self-reliance in Korea. Since the initial introduction of nuclear power to Korea in 1978, rapid growth in nuclear power has been achieved. This large nuclear power generation program has produced a significant amount of radioactive waste, both low- and intermediate-level waste (LILW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF); and the amount of waste is steadily growing. For the management of LILW, the Wolsong LILW Disposal Center, which has a final waste disposal capacity of 800,000 drums, is under construction, and is expected to be completed by June 2014. Korean policy about how to manage the SNF has not yet been decided. In 2004, the Atomic Energy Commission decided that a national policy for SNF management should be established considering both technological development and public consensus. Currently, SNF is being stored at reactor sites under the responsibility of plant operator. The at-reactor SNF storage capacity will run out starting in 2024. In this paper, the fundamental principles and steps for implementation of a Korean policy for national radioactive waste management are introduced. Korean practices and prospects regarding radioactive waste management are also summarized, with a focus on strategy for policy-making on SNF management.