Waste Storage Facilities Research Articles

Gas discrimination by simultaneous sound velocity and attenuation measurements using uncoated capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers

Chemically functionalized or coated sensors are by far the most employed solution in gas sensing. However, their poor long term stability represents a concern in applications dealing with hazardous gases. Uncoated sensors are durable but their selectivity is poor or non-existent. In this study, multi-parametric discrimination is used as an alternative to selectivity for uncoated capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). This paper shows how measuring simultaneously the attenuation coefficient and the time of flight under different nitrogen mixtures allows to identify hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane from each other and determine their concentration along with identification of temperature and humidity drifts. Theoretical comparison and specific signal processing to deal with the issue of multiple reflections are also presented. Some potential applications are monitoring of refueling stations, vehicles and nuclear waste storage facilities.

The technologies for the removal of coal technogenic deposits in the form of highly concentrated hydro mixtures

An analysis of the existing beneficiation coal waste storage facilities was carried out and ecologically friendly ways of lowering the water level and removing man-made deposits in the form of highly concentrated aqueous mixtures were carried out. The methodology for calculating the parameters and regimes of transportation for the man-made deposits waste with a high content of pollutants in the form of highly concentrated aqueous mixtures was developed. Models of the processes that occur during the extraction and transportation of man-made deposits in the form of highly concentrated aqueous mixtures were developed taking into account promising technologies. In case of an aqueous mixture with the significant initial tangential stress value, the transport of a highly concentrated aqueous mixture model along a vertical pipeline using a screw conveyor was developed. In this case, it is assumed that the aquous mixture will be lifted up at a height that ensures a nonpressure flow to the levee, where the aqueous mixture will be liquefied and its further transportation by pressure transport, vehicles or railway transport. The model of the process of the pressure flow of a highly concentrated aqueous mixture through the horizontal pipeline, depending on the transportation distance, provides for the use of centrifugal type pumps or piston pumps. Depending on the relative radius value for the undisturbed core of flow, the model takes into account the three most probable flow modes of highly concentrated aqueous mixtures through a circular cross-section pipeline and allows to perform both design and verification calculations. When the gravity force is used to transport a highly concentrated aqueous mixture to the shore, a mathematical model of nonpressure flow process of an aqueous mixture along an inclined channel with a rectangular cross-section was developed. This model takes into account the channel inclination angle, its width and the rheological parameters of the aqueous mixture and allows to calculate the geometric parameters of the channel, which are necessary to ensure the predefined transportation distance with the required flow rate. The results of the study could be applied for coal beneficiation waste storage facilities when they are out of maintenance, which will contribute to the elimination of technogenic impact on the environment, while for waste storage facilities that operate, appliance of the proposed technologies is a way of their size containing. Keywords: coal beneficiation waste storage, man-made deposits, highly concentrated aqueous mixtures.

Why are concerned parties legitimized superiorly in NIMBY problems: Effects of the maximin principle and moral foundations on the right to decide on a high-level radioactive waste storage facility

Why are concerned parties legitimized superiorly in NIMBY problems: Effects of the maximin principle and moral foundations on the right to decide on a high-level radioactive waste storage facility

Modeling of Heat Transfers in Bioreactive Household Waste Storage Facilities: Spatial and Temporal Distributions

In order to enhance the production of biogas and to study the thermal behavior of waste, a numerical study of fluid flows and heat transfers within household waste was developed to predict the distributions of thermal fields. The mathematical model is based on the conservation of mass and energy equations. The resulting system of equations is discretized using the finite volume method and solved using the Thomas algorithm. The results of the model studied are compared with the numerical and site measurements results from other authors. The results have been found to be in good agreement. The results show that the mathematical model is able to reproduce the thermal behavior in anaerobic phase in landfills. The isotherms revealed that temperatures are lower in the upper part of the waste cell, very high in the core and decrease slightly in the bottom of the cell due to the biodegradation of waste.

Razmatranja prostorno-ekološkog aspekta bezbednosti nuklearnih objekata u Srbiji

The aspect of environmental protection and environmental security is significantly represented within spatial planning and is increasingly gaining importance. Environmental safety is part of overall safety and poses an absence of threats of harm and endangerment to the environment and population. Spatial and urban planning should be seen as an integrated and comprehensive process, in which all mutual conditions are considered and conflict situations in the space are addressed. The paper analyzed an example of the existing location of a radioactive waste storage facility at the Vinča complex, located only 12 km from the centre of Belgrade, posing a major security risk. International criteria and conditions for nuclear sites have been systematized and an overview of spatial conditions from the aspect of geological and hydrological conditions, protection of space, population sprawl, settlements and facilities, etc. The initial hypothesis has been proven that the Vinča site and its environment are not suitable for disposal of radioactive waste and that it is necessary to comply with general conditions related to spatial development of nuclear sites and radiation protection. The work provides recommendations for further spatial development and protection on the site Vinča and its immediate surroundings.

Judicial policy of Russia and Kazakhstan: environmental disputes and regulatory and law enforcement mechanisms for their resolution

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the legislation of the Russian Federation and Republic of Kazakhstan in the sphere of environmental protection. The authors also describe the consideration of ecological disputes by courts of general jurisdiction and arbitrary courts of the Russian Federation in terms of judicial policy. The term of “harm inflicted upon the environment” prescribed by legislation of the Russian Federation and European Unity Directive, is analyzed. The authors pay attention to the fact that in the Russian Federation in 2020 it is possible that environmental tax will be introduced. Fees from this tax will be used to support eco-programs. Basing upon the Environmental Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan the authors explain changes in legislation which concern storage, placing, conversion, and burial of waste. It is noted that in 2011 the term of “placing of waste” was substituted by the term of “temporary waste storage facility” which brought particular clarity into judicial practice. The authors make demonstrative parallel between these terms by means of particular example from the materials of judicial practice. Attention is paid also to the Rules for the economic evaluation of damage from environmental pollution which don’t contain clear definition of criteria establishing the fact of natural object pollution. According to these rules harm inflicted upon the environment is subjective by nature and doesn’t deal with degradation of the objects. The authors of the article touch the disputable issue of respecting principles of equality and adversarial character of the parties when dealing with disputes about compensation for environmental damage. The authors conclude that qualified consideration and protection of rights in the sphere of environmental protection mostly depend on competent development and systematic character of judicial policy.

Оценка содержания изотопов плутония в почве в районе размещения хранилища радиоактивных отходов в городе Обнинске

One of the sources of radionuclides released into the environment are radioactive waste storage. The plutonium isotopes concentration in the soils of the territory adjacent to the former radioactive waste storage facility in Obninsk was estimated. The cause of pollution was the depressurization of one of the storage tanks and the release of radionuclides due to its overflow with surface and ground waters in the period from 1998 to 1999. Samples were analyzed by alpha spectrometry with preliminary radiochemical isolation with complete decomposition of soil samples. The Pu-239+240 content range in the surface soil layer was 3.7-9.6 Bq/kg, with an average value of 6.7 Bq/kg, which is an order of magnitude higher than the level of its global fallout. In some samples, significant amounts of Pu-238 are observed, the relative content of which is 10-50% of Pu-239+240, that exceeds the its relative content due to the global fallout which is 2-5%. The depth distribution of plutonium isotopes has been studied. It has been established those significant concentrations of plutonium are observed to the depth of 95 cm for this territory. There is no definite dependence of the distribution of plutonium isotopes along the vertical soil profile. The random distribution of plutonium to the soil depth indicates that the source of Pu-239+240 are groundwater. Elevated concentrations of plutonium isotopes in the soil surface of the territory under consideration, its significant concentrations at soil depth indicates that the contamination is a consequence of the leakage of plutonium isotopes from the radioactive waste storage facility in Obninsk. The same concentrations can be expected in the lowland of the adjacent territory.

Counteract Illegal Trafficking of Nuclear, Radioactive and Other Materials that Pose an Increased Danger

The article assesses the threats to the national security of the country associated with the use of nuclear, radioactive and other materials for terrorist purposes, including the use of modern information technologies. The classification of various types of terrorism is given, based on the analysis of the features that characterize this crime. Its criminal-legal characteristics are considered. The danger of religious, political and “state cyberterrorism”, which has been gaining popularity in recent times, is emphasized to destabilize the functioning of various critical infrastructure facilities, including arsenals of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear power plants, nuclear waste storage facilities, etc. A system of interdepartmental counteraction to the smuggling of potent, poisonous, explosive, radioactive substances, radiation sources, nuclear materials and other objects that can be used by intruders for criminal purposes. The exceptional importance of protecting the state and customs borders of the Russian Federation, as well as the entire Eurasian Economic Union, is noted in order to exclude the possible import into and export from the country of substances and materials intended for the manufacture of technical devices that pose an increased danger from the point of view of a terrorist threat. Particular attention is focused on the powers in this area of the customs authorities. It is concluded that within the framework of interstate cooperation in the fight against smuggling of nuclear, radioactive and other materials that pose an increased danger from the point of view of a terrorist threat, it is necessary to unify the criminal, criminal procedural and operational-search legislation of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Justification of the optimal base choice for the anti-filtration circuit during the reclamation of toxic waste storage facilities

Introduction. Storage facilities, designated for the toxic production waste and located on the premises of the former Sredne-Volzhsky chemical plant in Chapayevsk, Samara Region, are sources of negative environmental impacts. The situation is aggravated by the lack of a reliable seepage prevention circuit at toxic waste storage facilities, enclosed by natural impermeable layers. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the choice of the optimal base for seepage prevention curtains along the perimeter of toxic waste storage facilities by clarifying the filtration characteristics of impervious soils using the interpretation of special experimental filtration works, followed by the testing of the effectiveness of engineering solutions using the developed geological filtration model.
 Materials and methods. Processing Modflow is the software designed for the 3D filtration and pollutant transport modeling. The input data for a geological filtration model included technical reports on engineering surveys conducted in 2013 on the premises of the former Sredne-Volzhsky chemical plant, as well as the results of special experimental and filtration works and plant site level observations interpreted using the ANSDIMAT software.
 Results. The filtration characteristics of the clay rocks of Upper Quaternary deposits were clarified as a result of the interpretation of special experimental and filtration works by the ANSDIMAT software through graphic analytical methods, and the application of a numerical model by the Processing Modflow software to imitate these works. The resulting characteristics confirmed the usability of this engineering geological element as the base for the designed anti-seepage curtains. The Processing Modflow software was applied to confirm the high efficiency of the filtration prevention circuit, which allowed to significantly reduce inflows in toxic waste storage facilities in the course of their reclamation.
 Conclusions. In the process of reclamation of the area, occupied by the former Sredne-Volzhsky chemical plant, the option, recommended for implementation, is the installation of anti-seepage curtains around the perimeter of the toxic waste storage facilities for the circuit to be enclosed by the clay rock of the Upper Quaternary deposits. The proposed engineering solution will allow the highly toxic filtrate to be concentrated inside the toxic waste storage facilities to prevent its penetration into the environment.

Pitfalls of Prioritizing the Decision of Concerned Parties in NIMBY Issues and How to Avoid Them: Multi-Polarization of Concerned Parties through “Who & Why Games” Regarding a High-level Radioactive Waste Storage Facility and a Nursery School

Pitfalls of Prioritizing the Decision of Concerned Parties in NIMBY Issues and How to Avoid Them: Multi-Polarization of Concerned Parties through “Who & Why Games” Regarding a High-level Radioactive Waste Storage Facility and a Nursery School

Перспективы использования скважинной концепции для удаления РАО в России

The paper evaluates the prospects of borehole disposal considering a number of solidified RW types generated at Russian enterprises, which was done based on analyzed world literature sources discussing the safety of radioactive waste storage facilities of mine and borehole types.

Effects of Moral Foundations on Unquestioning Judgements of “The Local Residents should be a Decision Maker” around Stigmatized Facilities: Inhibition of the Superior Legitimization of a Concerned Party in “Who & Why Games on the Web/The High-level Radioactive Waste Storage Facility”

Effects of Moral Foundations on Unquestioning Judgements of “The Local Residents should be a Decision Maker” around Stigmatized Facilities: Inhibition of the Superior Legitimization of a Concerned Party in “Who & Why Games on the Web/The High-level Radioactive Waste Storage Facility”

Justification of the methodology for monitoring of the state of coal processing waste storage facilities

Justification of the methodology for monitoring of the state of coal processing waste storage facilities

Implementasi Sensor Ultrasonik Dalam Mendeteksi Volume Limbah B3 Pada Tempat Sampah Berbasis Internet of Things

In the process of monitoring the capacity of the B3 waste storage facility at PT Fadira Teknik, the manual method is still used to determine whether the waste load is full (ready to be disposed) or not. Where in the process, workers must come and look directly at the B3 waste storage area. This will increase jobs for factory workers because they must always monitor the level of B3 waste before or after carrying out work. Apart from being harmful to humans, the B3 waste disposed of from the factory is in the form of small particles such as invisible dust which can be accidentally inhaled by the nose or into the eyes of the workers. Therefore the aim of this research is to create a smart trash can system that can monitor the volume of B3 waste in the trash, where the trash uses the IoT (Internet of Things) system by utilizing the Arduino Uno component as a microcontroller and ultrasonic sensor to detect the volume of waste then sends waste volume data to the Blynk application via the internet network to display information on the capacity of the trash. The research method used is the experimental method starting from system analysis, system design, system implementation, testing and evaluation. Testing on this smart trash system uses black box testing with the results of these tests being quite good where each test case is as expected.

Numerical Analysis of an Unsaturated Capillary Barrier Cover System

Inclined multi-layered barriers can be used to protect underlying waste storage facilities. The intended barriers can be used to confine the infiltration through implementation of the capillary barrier effect. In this study, the effect of rainfall, evaporation, and transpiration on the hydraulic properties of inclined covers was assessed by performing a series of simulations using HYDRUS-2D numerical models. The material of the intended layers included clay loam soil as a seepage control layer, sandy soil as a moisture retention layer, and gravel as a capillary break layer. Based on the key results of numerical analyses, Lateral diversion in the interface between the seepage control layer and moisture retention layer occurred as a result of the significant slope of said layers and the low permeability of the moisture retention layer. At the reduced degree of saturation, water did not move easily from the seepage control layer to the moisture retention layer as well as from the moisture retention layer to the capillary break layer due to the low hydraulic conductivity. The negative pressure head in the seepage control layer had minimal effect on the water content in the moisture retention layer. Hence, the performance of this protective earthen cover can, then, be guaranteed due to the current climatological conditions.

STUDY OF TRITIUM MIGRATION AND RETENTION MECHANISMS IN THE GEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT (BY THE EXAMPLE OF THE KYIV RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE FACILITY)

Radioactive waste storage facilities (RWSF) are a potential source of tritium in the biosphere. Engineered concrete constructions are not sufficiently reliable forasmuch as water leaks contaminated with tritium from the storage facilities into the geological environment has been detected. The barrier properties of the natural environment at the storage sites are determined by the ability to absorb and retain heavy isotopes of hydrogen during a considerable period of time and thus exclude its circulation in the biosphere. Various elements of the natural ecosystem take part in the absorption of tritium – the geological environment, soil organic matter, annual and perennial vegetation, micro- and macrobiota. A certain part of tritium in the gaseous and aerosol form is released into the air. The highest concentrations of tritium are recorded in the area close to the concrete radioactive waste (RW) storage facilities, where the vapor-gas emanation plume is least dispersed. With distance from the storage facilities, the tritium concentration in the soil humus layer significantly decreases due to the spatial dispersion of the tritium in the atmospheric plume. Tritium from the air enters the soil with the atmospheric precipitation and is partially retained in the humified layer of the soil. Most of the tritium from the atmospheric precipitation is transported by the vertical infiltration flow through the sedimentary layers represented by loess sandy loams and loams, where it is finally retained. In the area close to RWSFs, the concentration of heavy hydrogen isotope in pore, interstitial and film water (1 fraction) is up to 87 % of its total content in an elementary block. In the more tightly bound forms (2 and 3 fractions), it is 9 % and 4 %, respectively. Farther from the RW storage facilities in the predominant air flow direction, the tritium concentration in free water decreases to 75 %. In this area, more intensive redistribution of tritium between the structural sites is observed. At the more distant monitoring points (wells), from 25 % to 37 % of the total tritium amount in the soils is retained in more tightly bound forms in the structure of rock-forming, mainly clay minerals

Public Reaction to Disaster Reconstruction Policy: Case Studies of the Fukushima and Chernobyl Nuclear Accidents

This study analyzes survey responses of those affected by the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plant accidents, evaluating issues such as recovery, compensation policy, decontamination, welfare, and overall government response. We apply an ordinal logit model to the issues of compensation, decontamination, and repatriation. We found that the people of Bryansk Oblast and those with ongoing health problems were more likely to support continued compensation and victim support programs. Another key finding was the perceived inadequacy of the Japanese government’s reconstruction policy for Fukushima. Monitoring and forestry safety measures were considered insufficient, and agricultural safety measures were particularly disappointing for those with children. More generally, there was support for planting rapeseed as a biofuel and for opening up the site as a tourist spot. Mega-solar farms or nature reserves were also seen as feasible alternatives to agricultural activities. Those who continued to see nuclear energy as a viable energy source supported the construction of waste treatment and storage facilities. Among the Chernobyl respondents, some supported a return to agricultural land use, citing scientific reports suggesting it was safe. Many said that there should be further investment in scientific research in the area. Fukushima respondents viewed social welfare provision and improved information for victims and residents as important issues. A key lesson for the Japanese government from the Chernobyl experience is the legal regime that was established there, clearly defining the affected areas and people and clarifying the measures required.

The Secret of the Copper Box: public experiments and the prospects of living archives of Swedish nuclear waste

Abstract. This paper approaches the question of nuclear safety in relation to the prospects of living archives, and in particular, it explores two public events where sociocultural aspects of nuclear waste management in Sweden were enacted. Drawing on an ongoing research collaboration with the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB), the paper examines (1) a grass-roots play entitled Kopparkistans hemlighet (or The Secret of the Copper Box), and (2) a drawing competition hosted by schools located near a nuclear waste storage facility in the Östhammar municipality, considering how these events help reproduce certain kinds of social and cultural responsibility. Contributing to critical debates in the social sciences and humanities intersecting questions of memory preservation, nuclear waste, and post-nuclear natures, we consider how the forms of responsibility produced through these public experiments inform important, albeit unconventional, modes of nuclear waste management insofar as they suggest how long-lived nuclear waste sites might become living archives without assuming a narrow notion of heritage and human memory preservation for all time and space. To conclude, we evaluate how the legacy of the two events might be incorporated into wider strategies of nuclear waste management.

Specificity of hydrogeological monitoring of industrial waste storage facilities

Currently, a large number of waste storage facilities (primarily ash dumps), designed and built more than 20-30 years ago, are located within residential areas of major cities. Considering the large area of the facilities, their remoteness from the industrial sites of power plants and the low hazard class of the stored waste, only the installation of barriers at the main entrances is used as protective measures, which is not a significant obstacle for the population or domestic animals. Thus, the active inclusion of ash dumps in the sphere of industrial and recreational interests of residents of nearby areas becomes an objective reality. At the same time, since dumps are potentially dangerous objects, a system for monitoring the safety of their operation is of particular importance. This paper is devoted to the problem of the quality of monitoring the technical condition and environmental safety of industrial waste storage facilities, taking into account their active anthropogenic use. Based on the analysis of the data of field observations at the operating ash dumps, the main problems characteristic for the hydrogeological maintenance of dumps in contemporary conditions, and their influence on the quality of the work performed, are highlighted. The results of the study can be used in assessing the technical condition of test equipment networks and the reliability of the measured indicators, as well as in the development of measures to improve the quality of hydrogeological monitoring of the geological environment on the territory of industrial sites, operating and inactive storage tanks.

КОММУНАЛЬНЫЕ СТОКИ В ОПЫТАХ ПО РЕКУЛЬТИВАЦИИ ОТХОДОВ ОБОГАЩЕНИЯ ЛОПАРИТОВЫХ РУД

Introduction. This paper discusses the effectiveness of using clarified municipal wastewater (CMW) and wastewater sludge (WS) to form stable phytocenoses at the waste storage facilities of the rare metal industry in Murmansk Region. The restoration of the vegetation cover at tailing dumps is limited by the low content of organic matter and associated nitrogen, and the low bioavailability of plant nutrients (K, Ca, Mg, P). The use of WS and other ameliorants of organic nature is a type of chemical amelioration aimed primarily at improving the edaphic properties of man-made soils. Methods. We examined the loparite ore dressing tailings sampled in the operating field of the tailing dump of a rare metal industry enterprise in the center of the Kola Peninsula. In the course of the study, we determined the suitability of the man-made soil for reclamation. To form seeded phytocenosis in a laboratory experiment, seeds of meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) were used. The laboratory experiment involved the introduction of CMW, WS, a mixture of WS with silica clay into the soil, and a check. Analysis of the soil and plants was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The quality of seeded cenosis was assessed according to the following parameters: green biomass, plant height, and projective cover. Results. The preliminary assessment of the man-made soil suitability for reclamation showed the following: the loparite ore dressing tailings have unfavorable characteristics both for the natural regeneration of the vegetation cover and biological reclamation. The introduction of ameliorants had a stimulating effect on the growth of terrestrial biomass during the formation of phytocenosis under laboratory conditions. The results of leaf analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the surface application of organic additives with regard to the loparite ore dressing tailings. Conclusion. In the laboratory experiment with the simulation of surface application, the stimulating effect of unconventional ameliorants (clarified municipal wastewater, wastewater sludge, and its mixture with silica clay) on the supply of nutrients to the reclaimed loparite ore dressing tailings was confirmed. The investigated ameliorants can be recognized as suitable for the biological reclamation of the dressing tailings of the rare metal industry, which does not require costly earthing and the application of protective polymer coatings.