Application of Polymers for the Long-Term Storage and Disposal of Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonin, Hugues W.; Walker, Michael W.; Bui, Van Tam

2004-01-15

Research carried out at the Royal Military College of Canada on the effects of mixed fields of radiation on high polymer adhesives and composite materials has shown that some polymers are quite resistant to radiation and could well serve in the fabrication of radioactive-waste disposal containers. A research program was launched to investigate the possibilities of using advanced polymers and polymer-based composites for high-level radioactive waste management on one hand and for intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste disposal on the other hand. Research was thus conducted in parallel on both fronts, and the findings for the later phase are presented.more » Thermoplastic polymers were studied for this application because they are superior materials, having the advantage over metals of not corroding and of displaying high resistance to chemical aggression. The experimental methods used in this research focused on determining the effects of radiation on the properties of the materials considered: polypropylene, nylon 66, polycarbonate, and polyurethane, with and without glass fiber reinforcement. The method involved submitting injection-molded tensile test bars to the mixed radiation field generated by the SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear reactor at the Royal Military College of Canada to accumulate doses ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 MGy. The physical, mechanical, and chemical effects of the various radiation doses on the materials were measured from density, tensile, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy tests.For each polymer, the test results evidenced predominant cross-linking of the polymeric chains severed by radiation. This was evident from observed changes in the mechanical and chemical properties of the polymers, typical of cross-linking. The mechanical changes observed included an overall increase in density, an increase in Young's modulus, a decrease in strain at break, and only minor changes in strength. The chemical changes included differences in chemical transition temperatures characteristic of radiation damage. All the changes in these properties are characteristic of the cross-linking phenomenon. For the glass-fiber-reinforced polymers, the results of the tests evidenced minor radiation degradation at the fiber/matrix interfaces. Based on these results, any of the investigated polymers could potentially be used for disposal containers due to their abilities to adequately resist radiation. This allowed proceeding one step further into determining a potential design framework for containers for the long-term storage and disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste.« less

Water, vapour and heat transport in concrete cells for storing radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carme Chaparro, M.; W. Saaltink, Maarten

2016-08-01

Water is collected from a drain situated at the centre of a concrete cell that stores radioactive waste at 'El Cabril', which is the low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal facility of Spain. This indicates flow of water within the cell. 2D numerical models have been made in order to reproduce and understand the processes that take place inside the cell. Temperature and relative humidity measured by sensors in the cells and thermo-hydraulic parameters from laboratory test have been used. Results show that this phenomenon is caused by capillary rise from the phreatic level, evaporation and condensation within the cell produced by temperature gradients caused by seasonal temperature fluctuations outside. At the centre of the cell, flow of gas and convection also play a role. Three remedial actions have been studied that may avoid the leakage of water from the drain.

Evaluation of Hydrogel Technologies for the Decontamination ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report This current research effort was developed to evaluate intermediate level (between bench-scale and large-scale or wide-area implementation) decontamination procedures, materials, technologies, and techniques used to remove radioactive material from different surfaces. In the event of such an incident, application of this technology would primarily be intended for decontamination of high-value buildings, important infrastructure, and landmarks.

The potential for using slags activated with near neutral salts as immobilisation matrices for nuclear wastes containing reactive metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Y.; Collier, N. C.; Milestone, N. B.; Yang, C. H.

2011-06-01

The UK currently uses composite blends of Portland cement and other inorganic cementitious material such as blastfurnace slag and pulverised fuel ash to encapsulate or immobilise intermediate and low level radioactive wastes. Typically levels up 9:1 blast furnace slag:Portland cement or 4:1 pulverised fuel ash:Portland cement are used. Whilst these systems offer many advantages, their high pH causes corrosion of various metallic intermediate level radioactive wastes. To address this issue, lower pH/weakly alkaline cementitious systems have to be explored. While the blast furnace slag:Portland cement system is referred to as a composite cement system, the underlying reaction is actually an indirect activation of the slag hydration by the calcium hydroxide generated by the cement hydration, and by the alkali ions and gypsum present in the cement. However, the slag also can be activated directly with activators, creating a system known as alkali-activated slag. Whilst these activators used are usually strongly alkaline, weakly alkaline and near neutral salts can also be used. In this paper, the potential for using weakly alkaline and near neutral salts to activate slag in this manner is reviewed and discussed, with particular emphasis placed on the immobilisation of reactive metallic nuclear wastes.

Radioactive fallout projections and arms control agreements: INF (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces) and START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shapiro, C.S.

1988-02-01

Projections of levels of radioactive fallout from a nuclear war are sensitive to assumptions about the structure of the nuclear stockpiles as well as the assumed scenarios for a nuclear war. Recent arms control proposals would change these parameters. This paper examines the implications of the proposed (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces) INF treaty and (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) START on fallout projections from a major nuclear war. We conclude that the INF reductions are likely to have negligible effects on estimates of global and local fallout, whereas the START reductions could result in reductions in estimates of local fallout that rangemore » from significant to dramatic, depending upon the nature of the reduced strategic forces. Should a major war occur, projections of total fatalities from direct effects of blast, thermal radiation, a nd fallout, and the phenomenon known as nuclear winter, would not be significantly affected by INF and START initiatives as now drafted. 14 refs.« less

Microbial impacts on 99mTc migration through sandstone under highly alkaline conditions relevant to radioactive waste disposal.

PubMed

Smith, Sarah L; Boothman, Christopher; Williams, Heather A; Ellis, Beverly L; Wragg, Joanna; West, Julia M; Lloyd, Jonathan R

2017-01-01

Geological disposal of intermediate level radioactive waste in the UK is planned to involve the use of cementitious materials, facilitating the formation of an alkali-disturbed zone within the host rock. The biogeochemical processes that will occur in this environment, and the extent to which they will impact on radionuclide migration, are currently poorly understood. This study investigates the impact of biogeochemical processes on the mobility of the radionuclide technetium, in column experiments designed to be representative of aspects of the alkali-disturbed zone. Results indicate that microbial processes were capable of inhibiting 99m Tc migration through columns, and X-ray radiography demonstrated that extensive physical changes had occurred to the material within columns where microbiological activity had been stimulated. The utilisation of organic acids under highly alkaline conditions, generating H 2 and CO 2 , may represent a mechanism by which microbial processes may alter the hydraulic conductivity of a geological environment. Column sediments were dominated by obligately alkaliphilic H 2 -oxidising bacteria, suggesting that the enrichment of these bacteria may have occurred as a result of H 2 generation during organic acid metabolism. The results from these experiments show that microorganisms are able to carry out a number of processes under highly alkaline conditions that could potentially impact on the properties of the host rock surrounding a geological disposal facility for intermediate level radioactive waste. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Underground Architecture and Layout for the Belgian High-Level and Long-Lived Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility- 12116

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Cotthem, Alain; Van Humbeeck, Hughes; Biurrun, Enrique

The underground architecture and layout of the proposed Belgian high-level (HLW) and long-lived, intermediate-level radioactive wastes (ILW-LL) disposal system (repository) is mainly based on lessons learned during the development and 30-year-long operation of an underground research laboratory (URL) ('HADES') located adjacent to the city of Mol at a depth of 225 m in a 100-m-thick, Tertiary clay formation; the Boom clay. The following main operational and safety challenges are addressed in the proposed architecture and layout: 1. Following excavation, the underground openings needed to be promptly supported to minimize the extent of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ). 2. The sizemore » and unsupported stand-up time at tunnel crossings/intersections also needed to be minimized to minimize the extent of the related EDZ. 3. Steel components had to be minimized to limit the related long-term (post-closure) corrosion and hydrogen production. 4. The shafts and all equipment had to go down through a 180-m-thick aquifer and handle up to 65-Ton payloads. 5. The shaft seals had to be placed in the underlying clay layer. The currently proposed layout minimizes the excavated volume based on strict long-term-safety criteria and optimizes operational safety. Operational safety is further enhanced by a remote-controlled waste-package-handling system transporting the waste packages from their respective surface location down to their respective disposal location with no intermediate operation. The related on-site preparation and thenceforth use of cement-based, waste package- transportation containers are integral operational-safety components. In addition to strengthening the waste packages and providing radiation protection, these containers also provide long-term corrosion protection of the internal 'primary' steel packages. (authors)« less

Corrosion susceptibility of steel drums to be used as containers for intermediate level nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farina, S.; Schulz Rodriguez, F.; Duffó, G.

2013-07-01

The present work is a study of the corrosion susceptibility of steel drums in contact with cemented ion-exchange resins contaminated with different types and concentrations of aggressive species. A special type of specimen was manufactured to simulate the cemented ion-exchange resins in the drum. The evolution of the corrosion potential and the corrosion rate of the steel, as well as the electrical resistivity of the matrix were monitored over a time period of 900 days. The aggressive species studied were chloride ions (the main ionic species of concern) and sulphate ions (produced during radiolysis of the cationic exchange-resins after cementation). The work was complemented with an analysis of the corrosion products formed on the steel in each condition, as well as the morphology of the corrosion products. When applying the results obtained in the present work to estimate the corrosion depth of the steel drumscontaining the cemented radioactive waste after a period of 300 years (foreseen durability of the Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste facility in Argentina) , it is found that in the most unfavourable case (high chloride contamination), the corrosion penetration will be considerably lower than the thickness of the wall of the steel drums.

Treatment of low level radioactive liquid waste containing appreciable concentration of TBP degraded products.

PubMed

Valsala, T P; Sonavane, M S; Kore, S G; Sonar, N L; De, Vaishali; Raghavendra, Y; Chattopadyaya, S; Dani, U; Kulkarni, Y; Changrani, R D

2011-11-30

The acidic and alkaline low level radioactive liquid waste (LLW) generated during the concentration of high level radioactive liquid waste (HLW) prior to vitrification and ion exchange treatment of intermediate level radioactive liquid waste (ILW), respectively are decontaminated by chemical co-precipitation before discharge to the environment. LLW stream generated from the ion exchange treatment of ILW contained high concentrations of carbonates, tributyl phosphate (TBP) degraded products and problematic radio nuclides like (106)Ru and (99)Tc. Presence of TBP degraded products was interfering with the co-precipitation process. In view of this a modified chemical treatment scheme was formulated for the treatment of this waste stream. By mixing the acidic LLW and alkaline LLW, the carbonates in the alkaline LLW were destroyed and the TBP degraded products got separated as a layer at the top of the vessel. By making use of the modified co-precipitation process the effluent stream (1-2 μCi/L) became dischargeable to the environment after appropriate dilution. Based on the lab scale studies about 250 m(3) of LLW was treated in the plant. The higher activity of the TBP degraded products separated was due to short lived (90)Y isotope. The cement waste product prepared using the TBP degraded product was having good chemical durability and compressive strength. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sequestration and disposal of dissolved Cs+ using zeolite 13X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, M.; Park, J.; Jeong, H. Y.

2017-12-01

Low-to-intermediate level liquid radioactive wastes (LILLW) typically contain high levels of radioactive 137Cs. Due to the great radiational and thermal stability as well as the high selectivity, zeolite has been commonly utilized to sequester radioactive isotopes from nuclear wastewater effluents. In this study, an Al-rich synthetic zeolite 13X was evaluated for the sorption capacity of Cs+ as a function of pH (4.0-10.5), ionic strength (0.05 and 0.2 M), and initial Cs+ concentration (1×10-6-5×10-3 M). For safe disposal, Cs+-exchanged 13X was both thermally and hydrothermally treated under different temperature and pressure. Subsequently, the resultant materials were examined for the phase transition by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the local coordination chemistry by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Our experimental results will detail the Cs+ sorption behavior by 13X under varying solution compositions. Also, the structural changes of Cs+-exchanged 13X upon thermal and hydrothermal treatment will be delineated to assess the stability of Cs+ in the treated materials.

Comparative Evaluation of Cutting Methods of Activated Concrete from Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning - 13548

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, HakSoo; Chung, SungHwan; Maeng, SungJun

2013-07-01

The amount of radioactive wastes from decommissioning of a nuclear power plant varies greatly depending on factors such as type and size of the plant, operation history, decommissioning options, and waste treatment and volume reduction methods. There are many methods to decrease the amount of decommissioning radioactive wastes including minimization of waste generation, waste reclassification through decontamination and cutting methods to remove the contaminated areas. According to OECD/NEA, it is known that the radioactive waste treatment and disposal cost accounts for about 40 percentage of the total decommissioning cost. In Korea, it is needed to reduce amount of decommissioning radioactivemore » waste due to high disposal cost, about $7,000 (as of 2010) per a 200 liter drum for the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW). In this paper, cutting methods to minimize the radioactive waste of activated concrete were investigated and associated decommissioning cost impact was assessed. The cutting methods considered are cylindrical and volume reductive cuttings. The study showed that the volume reductive cutting is more cost-effective than the cylindrical cutting. Therefore, the volume reductive cutting method can be effectively applied to the activated bio-shield concrete. (authors)« less

Biodegradation of the alkaline cellulose degradation products generated during radioactive waste disposal.

PubMed

Rout, Simon P; Radford, Jessica; Laws, Andrew P; Sweeney, Francis; Elmekawy, Ahmed; Gillie, Lisa J; Humphreys, Paul N

2014-01-01

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.

Radiocarbon signal of a low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal facility in nearby trees.

PubMed

Janovics, R; Kelemen, D I; Kern, Z; Kapitány, S; Veres, M; Jull, A J T; Molnár, M

2016-03-01

Tree ring series were collected from the vicinity of a Hungarian radioactive waste treatment and disposal facility and from a distant control background site, which is not influenced by the radiocarbon discharge of the disposal facility but it represents the natural regional (14)C level. The (14)C concentration of the cellulose content of tree rings was measured by AMS. Data of the tree ring series from the disposal facility was compared to the control site for each year. The results were also compared to the (14)C data of the atmospheric (14)C monitoring stations at the disposal facility and to international background measurements. On the basis of the results, the excess radiocarbon of the disposal facility can unambiguously be detected in the tree from the repository site. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Study on the Interaction Between Contacting Barrier Materials for Containment of Radioactive Wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, W. H.; Chang, H. C.

2017-12-01

The disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes requires use of multi-barriers for isolation of the wastes from the biosphere. Typically, the engineered barriers are composed of a concrete vault, buffer and backfill materials. Zhishin clay and Black Hill bentonite were used as raw clay material in making buffer and backfill materials in this study. These clays were compacted to make buffer material, or mixed with Taitung area argillite to produce backfill material for potential application as barriers for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes. The interaction between concrete barrier and the buffer/backfill material is simulated by an accelerated migration test to investigate the effect of contacting concrete on the expected functions of buffer/backfill material. The results show buffer material close to the contact with concrete exhibits significant change in the ratio of calcium/sodium exchange capacity, due to the move of calcium ions released from the concrete. The shorter the distance from the contacting interface, the ratio of the calcium/sodium concentration in buffer/backfill materials increases. The longer the distance from the interface, the effect of the contact on alteration in clays become less significant. Also, some decreases in swelling capacity in the buffer/backfill material near the concrete-backfill interface are noted. Finally, a comparison is made between Zhisin clay and Balck Hill bentonite on the interaction between concrete and the two clays. Black Hill bentonite was found to be influenced more by the interaction, because of the higher content of montmorillonite. On the other hand, being a mixture of clay and sand, backfill material is less affected by the decalsification of concrete at the contact than buffer material.

Effects of cellulose degradation products on the mobility of Eu(III) in repositories for low and intermediate level radioactive waste.

PubMed

Diesen, Veronica; Forsberg, Kerstin; Jonsson, Mats

2017-10-15

The deep repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste SFR in Sweden will contain large amounts of cellulosic waste materials contaminated with radionuclides. Over time the repository will be filled with water and alkaline conditions will prevail. In the present study degradation of cellulosic materials and the ability of cellulosic degradation products to solubilize and thereby mobilise Eu(III) under repository conditions has been investigated. Further, the possible immobilization of Eu(III) by sorption onto cement in the presence of degradation products has been investigated. The cellulosic material has been degraded under anaerobic and aerobic conditions in alkaline media (pH: 12.5) at ambient temperature. The degradation was followed by measuring the total organic carbon (TOC) content in the aqueous phase as a function of time. After 173days of degradation the TOC content is highest in the anaerobic artificial cement pore water (1547mg/L). The degradation products are capable of solubilising Eu(III) and the total europium concentration in the aqueous phase was 900μmol/L after 498h contact time under anaerobic conditions. Further it is shown that Eu(III) is adsorbed to the hydrated cement to a low extent (<9μmol Eu/g of cement) in the presence of degradation products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiological environment within an NPP after a severe nuclear accident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andgren, Karin; Fritioff, Karin; Buhr, Anna Maria Blixt; Huutoniemi, Tommi

2017-09-01

The radiological environment following a severe nuclear accident can be visualised on building layouts. The direct radiation in an area (or room) can be visualized on the layout by a colouring scheme depending on the dose rate level (for example orange for high gamma dose rate level and purple for an intermediate gamma dose rate level). Following the Fukushima accident, a need for update of these layouts has been identified at the Swedish nuclear power plant of Forsmark. Shielding calculations for areas where access is desired for severe accident management have been performed. Many different sources of radiation together with different types of shielding material contribute to the dose that would be received by a person entering the area. External radiation from radioactivity within e.g. pipes and components is considered and also external radiation from radioactivity in the air (originating from diffuse leakage of the containment atmosphere). Results are presented as dose rates for relevant dose points together with a method for estimating the dose rate levels for each of the rooms of the reactor building.

Site characterization for LIL radioactive waste disposal in Romania

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Diaconu, D. R.; Birdsell, K. H.; Witkowski, M. S.

2001-01-01

Recent studies in radioactive waste management in Romania have focussed mainly on the disposal of low and intermediate level waste from the operation of the new nuclear power plant at Cernavoda. Following extensive geological, hydrological, seismological, physical and chemical investigations, a disposal site at Saligny has been selected. This paper presents description of the site at Saligny as well as the most important results of the site characterisation. These are reflected in the three-dimensional, stratigraphical representation of the loess and clay layers and in representative parameter values for the main layers. Based on these data, the simulation of the background,more » unsaturated-zone water flow at the Saligny site, calculated by the FEHM code, is in a good agreement with the measured moisture profile.« less

Design and Implementation of an International Training Program on Repository Development and Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vugrin, K.W.; Twitchell, Ch.A.

2008-07-01

Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) is an electric company in the Republic of Korea with twenty operational nuclear power plants and eight additional units that are either planned or currently under construction. Regulations require that KHNP manage the radioactive waste generated by their nuclear power plants. In the course of planning low, intermediate, and high level waste storage facilities, KHNP sought interaction with an acknowledged expert in the field of radioactive waste management and, consequently, contacted Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). KHNP has contracted with SNL to provide a year long training program on repository science. This papermore » discusses the design of the curriculum, specific plans for execution of the training program, and recommendations for smooth implementation of international training programs. (authors)« less

Gamma-ray spectrometry method used for radioactive waste drums characterization for final disposal at National Repository for Low and Intermediate Radioactive Waste--Baita, Romania.

PubMed

Done, L; Tugulan, L C; Dragolici, F; Alexandru, C

2014-05-01

The Radioactive Waste Management Department from IFIN-HH, Bucharest, performs the conditioning of the institutional radioactive waste in concrete matrix, in 200 l drums with concrete shield, for final disposal at DNDR - Baita, Bihor county, in an old exhausted uranium mine. This paper presents a gamma-ray spectrometry method for the characterization of the radioactive waste drums' radionuclides content, for final disposal. In order to study the accuracy of the method, a similar concrete matrix with Portland cement in a 200 l drum was used. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

Industrial Program of Waste Management - Cigeo Project - 13033

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butez, Marc; Bartagnon, Olivier; Gagner, Laurent

2013-07-01

The French Planning Act of 28 June 2006 prescribed that a reversible repository in a deep geological formation be chosen as the reference solution for the long-term management of high-level and intermediate-level long-lived radioactive waste. It also entrusted the responsibility of further studies and design of the repository (named Cigeo) upon the French Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), in order for the review of the creation-license application to start in 2015 and, subject to its approval, the commissioning of the repository to take place in 2025. Andra is responsible for siting, designing, implementing, operating the future geological repository, including operationalmore » and long term safety and waste acceptance. Nuclear operators (Electricite de France (EDF), AREVA NC, and the French Commission in charge of Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies (CEA) are technically and financially responsible for the waste they generate, with no limit in time. They provide Andra, on one hand, with waste packages related input data, and on the other hand with their long term industrial experiences of high and intermediate-level long-lived radwaste management and nuclear operation. Andra, EDF, AREVA and CEA established a cooperation agreement for strengthening their collaborations in these fields. Within this agreement Andra and the nuclear operators have defined an industrial program for waste management. This program includes the waste inventory to be taken into account for the design of the Cigeo project and the structural hypothesis underlying its phased development. It schedules the delivery of the different categories of waste and defines associated flows. (authors)« less

Performance assessment for low-level waste disposal in the UK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ashworth, A.B.

1995-12-31

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) operate a site for the disposal of Low Level Radioactive Waste at Drigg in West Cumbria, in North-West England. HMIP are responsible for the regulation of the site with regard to environmental discharges of radioactive materials, both operational and post-closure. This paper is concerned with post-closure matters only. Two post-closure performance assessments have been carried out for this site: one by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in 1987; and a subsequent one carried out on behalf of HMIP, completed in 1991. Currently, BNFL are preparing a Safety Case for continued operation of the Driggmore » site, and it expected that the core of this Case will comprise BNFL`s own analysis of post-closure performance. HMIP has developed procedures for the assessment of this Case, based upon experience of the previous Drigg assessments, and also upon the experience of similar work carried out in the assessment of Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) disposal at both deep and shallow potential sites. This paper describes the more important features of these procedures.« less

Le concept suédois pour stockage définitif des déchets nucléaires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedman, Tommy; Nyström, Anders; Thegerström, Claes

2002-10-01

The purpose of a disposal is to isolate the radioactive waste from man and the environment. If the isolation is broken, the leakage and transport of radioactive substances must be retarded. The package is one of several barriers, used to achieve these two main functions. For short-lived, low and intermediate level waste four standard containers of steel and concrete are used. Spent fuel will be placed in a canister consisting of a pressure-bearing insert of cast nodular iron and an outer corrosion barrier of copper before it is deposited in a deep geological repository. In particular, the development of a high integrity copper canister for the isolation of spent nuclear fuel is described in this paper. To cite this article: T. Hedman et al., C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 903-913.

Retardation of uranium and thorium by a cementitious backfill developed for radioactive waste disposal.

PubMed

Felipe-Sotelo, M; Hinchliff, J; Field, L P; Milodowski, A E; Preedy, O; Read, D

2017-07-01

The solubility of uranium and thorium has been measured under the conditions anticipated in a cementitious, geological disposal facility for low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Similar solubilities were obtained for thorium in all media, comprising NaOH, Ca(OH) 2 and water equilibrated with a cement designed as repository backfill (NRVB, Nirex Reference Vault Backfill). In contrast, the solubility of U(VI) was one order of magnitude higher in NaOH than in the remaining solutions. The presence of cellulose degradation products (CDP) results in a comparable solubility increase for both elements. Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) data suggest that the solubility-limiting phase for uranium corresponds to a becquerelite-type solid whereas thermodynamic modelling predicts a poorly crystalline, hydrated calcium uranate phase. The solubility-limiting phase for thorium was ThO 2 of intermediate crystallinity. No breakthrough of either uranium or thorium was observed in diffusion experiments involving NRVB after three years. Nevertheless, backscattering electron microscopy and microfocus X-ray fluorescence confirmed that uranium had penetrated about 40 μm into the cement, implying active diffusion governed by slow dissolution-precipitation kinetics. Precise identification of the uranium solid proved difficult, displaying characteristics of both calcium uranate and becquerelite. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) activity of a humanized anti Lewis-Y antibody: FACS-based assay versus the 'classical' radioactive method -- qualification, comparison and application of the FACS-based approach.

PubMed

Nechansky, A; Szolar, O H J; Siegl, P; Zinoecker, I; Halanek, N; Wiederkum, S; Kircheis, R

2009-05-01

The fully humanized Lewis-Y carbohydrate specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) IGN311 is currently tested in a passive immunotherapy approach in a clinical phase I trail and therefore regulatory requirements demand qualified assays for product analysis. To demonstrate the functionality of its Fc-region, the capacity of IGN311 to mediate complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) against human breast cancer cells was evaluated. The "classical" radioactive method using chromium-51 and a FACS-based assay were established and qualified according to ICH guidelines. Parameters evaluated were specificity, response function, bias, repeatability (intra-day precision), intermediate precision (operator-time different), and linearity (assay range). In the course of a fully nested design, a four-parameter logistic equation was identified as appropriate calibration model for both methods. For the radioactive assay, the bias ranged from -6.1% to -3.6%. The intermediate precision for future means of duplicate measurements revealed values from 12.5% to 15.9% and the total error (beta-expectation tolerance interval) of the method was found to be <40%. For the FACS-based assay, the bias ranged from -8.3% to 0.6% and the intermediate precision for future means of duplicate measurements revealed values from 4.2% to 8.0%. The total error of the method was found to be <25%. The presented data demonstrate that the FACS-based CDC is more accurate than the radioactive assay. Also, the elimination of radioactivity and the 'real-time' counting of apoptotic cells further justifies the implementation of this method which was subsequently applied for testing the influence of storage at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C ('stability testing') on the potency of IGN311 drug product. The obtained results demonstrate that the qualified functional assay represents a stability indicating test method.

Mechanisms and modelling of waste-cement and cement-host rock interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-06-01

Safe and sustainable disposal of hazardous and radioactive waste is a major concern in today's industrial societies. The hazardous waste forms originate from residues of thermal treatment of waste, fossil fuel combustion and ferrous/non-ferrous metal smelting being the most important ones in terms of waste production. Low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste is produced in the course of nuclear applications in research and energy production. For both waste forms encapsulation in alkaline, cement-based matrices is considered to ensure long-term safe disposal. Cementitious materials are in routine use as industrial materials and have mainly been studied with respect to their evolution over a typical service life of several decades. Use of these materials in waste management applications, however, requires assessments of their performance over much longer time periods on the order of thousands to several ten thousands of years.

Updating irradiated graphite disposal: Project 'GRAPA' and the international decommissioning network.

PubMed

Wickham, Anthony; Steinmetz, Hans-Jürgen; O'Sullivan, Patrick; Ojovan, Michael I

2017-05-01

Demonstrating competence in planning and executing the disposal of radioactive wastes is a key factor in the public perception of the nuclear power industry and must be demonstrated when making the case for new nuclear build. This work addresses the particular waste stream of irradiated graphite, mostly derived from reactor moderators and amounting to more than 250,000 tonnes world-wide. Use may be made of its unique chemical and physical properties to consider possible processing and disposal options outside the normal simple classifications and repository options for mixed low or intermediate-level wastes. The IAEA has an obvious involvement in radioactive waste disposal and has established a new project 'GRAPA' - Irradiated Graphite Processing Approaches - to encourage an international debate and collaborative work aimed at optimising and facilitating the treatment of irradiated graphite. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large-Scale In-situ Experiments to Determine Geochemical Alterations and Microbial Activities at the Geological Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choung, S.; Francis, A. J.; Um, W.; Choi, S.; Kim, S.; Park, J.; Kim, S.

2013-12-01

The countries that have generated nuclear power have facing problems on the disposal of accumulated radioactive wastes. Geological disposal method has been chosen in many countries including Korea. A safety issue after the closure of geological repository has been raised, because microbial activities lead overpressure in the underground facilities through gas production. In particular, biodegradable organic materials derived from low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes play important role on microbial activities in the geological repository. This study performed large scale in-situ experiments using organic wastes and groundwater, and investigated geochemical alteration and microbial activities at early stage (~63 days) as representative of the period, after closure of the geological repository. The geochemical alteration controlled significantly the microorganism types and populations. Database of the biogeochemical alteration facilitates prediction of radionuclides' mobility and establishment of remedial strategy against unpredictable accidents and hazards at early stage right after closure of the geological repository.

Microbial fouling and corrosion of carbon steel in deep anoxic alkaline groundwater.

PubMed

Rajala, Pauliina; Bomberg, Malin; Vepsäläinen, Mikko; Carpén, Leena

2017-02-01

Understanding the corrosion of carbon steel materials of low and intermediate level radioactive waste under repository conditions is crucial to ensure the safe storage of radioactive contaminated materials. The waste will be in contact with the concrete of repository silos and storage containers, and eventually with groundwater. In this study, the corrosion of carbon steel under repository conditions as well as the microbial community forming biofilm on the carbon steel samples, consisting of bacteria, archaea, and fungi, was studied over a period of three years in a groundwater environment with and without inserted concrete. The number of biofilm forming bacteria and archaea was 1,000-fold lower, with corrosion rates 620-times lower in the presence of concrete compared to the natural groundwater environment. However, localized corrosion was detected in the concrete-groundwater environment indicating the presence of local microenvironments where the conditions for pitting corrosion were favorable.

Radioactive waste management in France: safety demonstration fundamentals.

PubMed

Ouzounian, G; Voinis, S; Boissier, F

2012-01-01

The main challenge in development of the safety case for deep geological disposal is associated with the long periods of time over which high- and intermediate-level long-lived wastes remain hazardous. A wide range of events and processes may occur over hundreds of thousands of years. These events and processes are characterised by specific timescales. For example, the timescale for heat generation is much shorter than any geological timescale. Therefore, to reach a high level of reliability in the safety case, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the sequence of events and processes likely to occur over the lifetime of the repository. It then becomes possible to assess the capability of the repository to fulfil its safety functions. However, due to the long periods of time and the complexity of the events and processes likely to occur, uncertainties related to all processes, data, and models need to be understood and addressed. Assessment is required over the lifetime of the radionuclides contained in the radioactive waste. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Safety-relevant hydrogeological properties of the claystone barrier of a Swiss radioactive waste repository: An evaluation using multiple lines of evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gautschi, Andreas

2017-09-01

In Switzerland, the Opalinus Clay - a Jurassic (Aalenian) claystone formation - has been proposed as the first-priority host rock for a deep geological repository for both low- and intermediate-level and high-level radioactive wastes. An extensive site and host rock investigation programme has been carried out during the past 30 years in Northern Switzerland, comprising extensive 2D and 3D seismic surveys, a series of deep boreholes within and around potential geological siting regions, experiments in the international Mont Terri Rock Laboratory, compilations of data from Opalinus Clay in railway and motorway tunnels and comparisons with similar rocks. The hydrogeological properties of the Opalinus Clay that are relevant from the viewpoint of long-term safety are described and illustrated. The main conclusions are supported by multiple lines of evidence, demonstrating consistency of conclusions based on hydraulic properties, porewater chemistry, distribution of natural tracers across the Opalinus Clay as well as small- and large-scale diffusion models and the derived conceptual understanding of solute transport.

The French Radioactive Waste Disposal System: Which Discussions for Which Decisions?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baillet, J.P.; Ouzounian, G.

2008-07-01

Over the last 20 years or so, radioactive-waste management has undergone remarkable developments in France. The Law of 30 December 1991 prescribed that Parliament would convene once again at the end of a 15-year research period. In 2005, the government asked the National Commission on Public Debate to organise a public debate on radioactive-waste management. Hence, for the first time, such an event was held in accordance with a national policy and not on a specific project. The debate took place between 12 September 2005 and 13 January 2006. Although the debate remained mostly a discussion among experts and opposedmore » most frequently pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear activists, it still provided an opportunity to define and clarify challenges. Following the public debate and in the light of the assessment of investigation results, Parliament adopted on 28 June 2006 a new Planning Act on the Management of Radioactive Waste, which applies to all radioactive residues, irrespective of their activity level, and prescribes specific procedures and deadlines, such as the commissioning of a disposal facility for radium-bearing and graphite waste by 2013 and of a deep geological repository for high-level and intermediate-level long-lived waste by 2025. In the latter case, the Planning Act renews the assessment system for Andra's studies and investigations by a committee of experts and by the OPECST over and above the review of the future licence application by the Nuclear Safety Authority. In addition, a new law will set up the reversibility conditions of the repository before the government may grant any authorisation. At the local level, the act reinforces the prerogatives of the Local Information and Oversight Committee, which is responsible for public information and consultation issues; furthermore, it prescribes that a public debate and a public inquiry be held as a prerequisite to the delivery of any authorisation. Hence, ANDRA is taking all necessary means in order to meet deadlines by involving communities as early as possible in the development process of the repository project. In its activities, the Agency relies on the CLIS and local elected officials, and particularly on mayors. It benefits from some experience in the field, since it has already commissioned two disposal facilities, both located in the Aube District, one in 1992 for low-level and intermediate-level short-lived waste (CSFMA), and the other in 2003 for very-low-level waste (CSTFA). Beyond statutory institutional deadlines, frequent information meetings in relevant local town halls have provided all the more opportunities to explain at length what the projects involved as they advanced. People need precise information in order to be reassured and to share it with their families and friends. It also appeared desirable to create as rapidly as possible the Local Information Committee (CLI) in order to organise a sound dialogue with local populations. Lastly, disposal facilities and disposal-facility projects are not independent from each other. The quality of the implementation and operation of disposal structures in surface facilities, such as the CSFMA and the CSTFA, represents an outstanding showcase for Andra's know-how and aims at reinforcing confidence in more ambitious projects, such as the deep geological repository. (author)« less

The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis VIII. The Role of Malic Acid

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Bassham, James A.; Benson, Andrew A.; Calvin, Melvin

1950-01-25

Malonate has been found to inhibit the formation of malic acid during short periods of photosynthesis with radioactive carbon dioxide. This result, together with studies which show the photosynthetic cycle to be operating normally at the same time, indicates that malic acid is not an intermediate in photosynthesis but is probably closely related to some intermediate of the cycle. Absence of labeled succinic and fumaric acids in these experiments, in addition to the failure of malonate to inhibit photosynthesis, precludes the participation of these acids as intermediates in photosynthesis.

Preparation and Characterization of a Calcium Phosphate Ceramic for the Immobilization of Chloride-containing Intermediate Level Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Metcalfe, Brian; Donald, Ian W.; Scheele, Randall D.

2003-12-01

Attention has recently been given to the immobilization of special categories of radioactive wastes, some of which contain high concentrations of actinide chlorides. Although vitrification in phosphate glass has been proposed, this was rejected because of the high losses of chloride. On the basis of non-radioactive and, more recently, radioactive studies, we have shown that calcium phosphate is an effective host for immobilizing the chloride constituents [1]. In this instance, the chlorine is retained as chloride, rather than evolved as a chlorine-bearing gas. The immobilized product is in the form of a free-flowing, non-hygroscopic powder, in which the chlorides aremore » chemically combined within the mineral phases chlorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3Cl] and spodiosite [Ca2(PO4)Cl]. Data from studies on non-radioactive simulated waste consisting of a mixture of CaCl2 and SmCl3, and radioactive simulated waste composed of CaCl2 with PuCl3 or PuCl3 and AmCl3, are presented and compared. The XRD data confirm the presence of chlorapatite and spodiosite in the non-radioactive and radioactive materials. The durability of all specimens was measured with a modified MCC-1 test. Releases of Cl after 28 days were 1.6 x 10-3 g m-2 for the non-radioactive specimens and 7 x 10-3 g m-2 for the Pu-bearing specimens. Releases of Ca after 28 days were 0.3 x 10-3 and 2.0 x 10-3 g m-2 for the non-radioactive composition and the Pu composition, respectively, whilst release of Pu from the radioactive specimens was lower for the mixed Pu/Am specimen at 1.2 x 10-5g m-2. The release of Am from the mixed Pu/Am composition was exceptionally low at 2.4 x 10-7 g m-2. Overall, the release rate data suggest that the ceramics dissolve congruently, followed by precipitation of Sm, Pu and Am as less soluble phases, possibly oxides or phosphates. The differences in behaviour noted between non-radioactive and radioactive specimens are interpreted in terms of the crystal chemistry of the individual systems.« less

International Approaches for Nuclear Waste Disposal in Geological Formations: Report on Fifth Worldwide Review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faybishenko, Boris; Birkholzer, Jens; Persoff, Peter

2016-08-01

An important issue for present and future generations is the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Over the past over forty years, the development of technologies to isolate both spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and other high-level nuclear waste (HLW) generated at nuclear power plants and from production of defense materials, and low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste (LILW) in underground rock and sediments has been found to be a challenging undertaking. Finding an appropriate solution for the disposal of nuclear waste is an important issue for protection of the environment and public health, and it is a prerequisite for the futuremore » of nuclear power. The purpose of a deep geological repository for nuclear waste is to provide to future generations, protection against any harmful release of radioactive material, even after the memory of the repository may have been lost, and regardless of the technical knowledge of future generations. The results of a wide variety of investigations on the development of technology for radioactive waste isolation from 19 countries were published in the First Worldwide Review in 1991 (Witherspoon, 1991). The results of investigations from 26 countries were published in the Second Worldwide Review in 1996 (Witherspoon, 1996). The results from 32 countries were summarized in the Third Worldwide Review in 2001 (Witherspoon and Bodvarsson, 2001). The last compilation had results from 24 countries assembled in the Fourth Worldwide Review (WWR) on radioactive waste isolation (Witherspoon and Bodvarsson, 2006). Since publication of the last report in 2006, radioactive waste disposal approaches have continued to evolve, and there have been major developments in a number of national geological disposal programs. Significant experience has been obtained both in preparing and reviewing cases for the operational and long-term safety of proposed and operating repositories. Disposal of radioactive waste is a complex issue, not only because of the nature of the waste, but also because of the detailed regulatory structure for dealing with radioactive waste, the variety of stakeholders involved, and (in some cases) the number of regulatory entities involved.« less

Semi-Tomographic Gamma Scanning Technique for Non-Destructive Assay of Radioactive Waste Drums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Weiguo; Rao, Kaiyuan; Wang, Dezhong; Xiong, Jiemei

2016-12-01

Segmented gamma scanning (SGS) and tomographic gamma scanning (TGS) are two traditional detection techniques for low and intermediate level radioactive waste drum. This paper proposes one detection method named semi-tomographic gamma scanning (STGS) to avoid the poor detection accuracy of SGS and shorten detection time of TGS. This method and its algorithm synthesize the principles of SGS and TGS. In this method, each segment is divided into annual voxels and tomography is used in the radiation reconstruction. The accuracy of STGS is verified by experiments and simulations simultaneously for the 208 liter standard waste drums which contains three types of nuclides. The cases of point source or multi-point sources, uniform or nonuniform materials are employed for comparison. The results show that STGS exhibits a large improvement in the detection performance, and the reconstruction error and statistical bias are reduced by one quarter to one third or less for most cases if compared with SGS.

Development of a sorption data base for the cementitious near-field of a repository for radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieland, E.; Bradbury, M. H.; van Loon, L.

2003-01-01

The migration of radionuclides within a repository for radioactive waste is retarded due to interaction with the engineered barrier system. Sorption processes play a decisive role in the retardation of radionuclides in the repository environment, and thus, the development of sorption data bases (SDBs) is an important task and an integral part of performance assessment. The methodology applied in the development of a SDB for the cementitious near-field of a repository for long-lived intermediate-level waste is presented in this study. The development of such a SDB requires knowledge of the chemical conditions of the near-field and information on the uptake process of radionuclides by hardened cement paste. The principles upon which the selection of the “best available” laboratory sorption values is based are outlined. The influence of cellulose degradation products, cement additives and cement-derived colloids on the sorption behaviour of radionuclides is addressed in conjunction with the development of the SDB.

The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis XII. Some Temperature Effects

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Ouellet, C.

1951-06-25

The photosynthetic assimilation of radioactive carbon dioxide for two-minute periods by Scenedesmus has bee studied at temperatures ranging from 25? to 44? C. All labeled intermediates cease to be formed at about 45? C. With rising temperature, the radioactivity reaching the sugar phosphate reservoirs decreases regularly while there is a sharp maximum in sucrose at 37? C. and a less pronounced one in malic and aspartic acids about 40? C. A tentative interpretation of these effects is offered.

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, Tadafumi

1994-01-01

A method for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, Tadafumi.

1994-08-23

A method is described for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, T.

1992-01-01

This report describes a method for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Development of integrated radioactive waste packaging and conditioning solutions in the UK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sibley, Peter; Butter, Kevin; Zimmerman, Ian

2013-07-01

In order to offer a more cost effective, safer and efficient Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) management service, EnergySolutions EU Ltd. and Gesellschaft fur Nuklear-Service mbH (GNS) have been engaged in the development of integrated radioactive waste retrieval, packaging and conditioning solutions in the UK. Recognising the challenges surrounding regulatory endorsement and on-site implementation in particular, this has resulted in an alternative approach to meeting customer, safety regulator and disposability requirements. By working closely with waste producers and the organisation(s) responsible for endorsing radioactive waste management operations in the UK, our proposed solutions are now being implemented. By combining GNS' off-the-shelf,more » proven Ductile Cast Iron Containers (DCICs) and water removal technologies, with EnergySolutions EU Ltd.'s experience and expertise in waste retrieval, safety case development and disposability submissions, a fully integrated service offering has been developed. This has involved significant effort to overcome technical challenges such as onsite equipment deployment, active commissioning, conditioning success criteria and disposability acceptance. Our experience in developing such integrated solutions has highlighted the importance of working in collaboration with all parties to achieve a successful and viable outcome. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure reliable, safe and effective delivery of waste management solutions. (authors)« less

Occupational exposure to natural radioactivity in a zircon sand milling plant.

PubMed

Ballesteros, Luisa; Zarza, Isidoro; Ortiz, Josefina; Serradell, Vicente

2008-10-01

Raw zirconium sand is one of the substances (naturally occurring radioactive material, NORM) which is widely used in the ceramic industry. This sand contains varying concentrations of natural radionuclides: mostly U-238 but also Th-232 and U-235, together with their daughters, and therefore may need to be regulated by Directive 96/29/EURATOM. This paper describes the method used to perform the radiological study on a zircon sand milling plant and presents the results obtained. Internal and external doses were evaluated using radioactivity readings from sand, airborne dust, intermediate materials and end products. The results on total effective dose show the need for this type of industry to be carefully controlled, since values near to 1 mSv were obtained.

Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

In the United States, low-level radioactive waste is disposed by shallow-land burial. Low-level radioactive waste generated by non-Federal facilities has been buried at six commercially operated sites; low-level radioactive waste generated by Federal facilities has been buried at eight major and several minor Federally operated sites (fig. 1). Generally, low-level radioactive waste is somewhat imprecisely defined as waste that does not fit the definition of high-level radioactive waste and does not exceed 100 nCi/g in the concentration of transuranic elements. Most low-level radioactive waste generated by non-Federal facilities is generated at nuclear powerplants; the remainder is generated primarily at research laboratories, hospitals, industrial facilities, and universities. On the basis of half lives and concentrations of radionuclides in low-level radioactive waste, the hazard associated with burial of such waste generally lasts for about 500 years. Studies made at several of the commercially and Federally operated low-level radioactive-waste repository sites indicate that some of these sites have not provided containment of waste nor the expected protection of the environment.

Postoperative radioactive iodine-131 ablation is not necessary among patients with intermediate-risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a population-based study.

PubMed

Zhang, Hong; Cai, Yuechang; Zheng, Li; Zhang, Zhanlei; Jiang, Ningyi

2017-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation among patients with intermediate-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) following surgery. This population based study obtained information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program Research Data (1973-2013). National Cancer Institute, DCCPS, Surveillance Research Programme, Surveillance Systems Branch, released April 2016, based on the November 2015 submission. A total of 93,530 patients with primary thyroid cancer were identified in the SEER database during the period of 2004-2013 and focused on patients with DTC post-operatively treated or not treated with radioactive iodine (RAI). From these 9,127 patients were selected who had intermediate-risk DTC. A total of 8,601 patients were included in this study. For the overall population, the mean age of the population was 47.3 years and the majority were female (70.5%). Kaplan-Meier analysis found the mean overall survival time (os) for subjects with no radiation therapy which was 112.9 months and 114.9 months for those who received RAI ablation treatment (P<0.001). However, thyroid cancer-specific survival was not significantly different between treatment groups (117.7 vs. 118.0 months, log-rank test P=0.164). Overall survival and thyroid cancer-specific 1 year, 5 years, and 10-years survival rates were ≥89.8% and were similar between both treated groups. Multivariate analysis found age, gender, histologic type, and degree of lymph node metastases to be associated with OS, and age, gender, degree of lymph node metastasis and extra-thyroid tumor spread were independent factors for cancer-specific survival. In DTC patients with intermediate cancer risk multivariate analysis found that RAI was associated with a reduced risk of mortality compared with no radiation therapy (HR=0.710, 95% CI: 0.562-0.897, P=0.004) but no significant difference was seen in cancer-specific survival, either based on whole study population or on tumor size category. In DTC patients with intermediate cancer risk although postoperative RAI ablation following surgery showed a benefit in overall survival, no significant difference was seen in cancer-specific survival, either based on whole study population or on tumor size category.

Preliminary safety analysis of the Baita Bihor radioactive waste repository, Romania

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Little, Richard; Bond, Alex; Watson, Sarah

2007-07-01

A project funded under the European Commission's Phare Programme 2002 has undertaken an in-depth analysis of the operational and post-closure safety of the Baita Bihor repository. The repository has accepted low- and some intermediate-level radioactive waste from industry, medical establishments and research activities since 1985 and the current estimate is that disposals might continue for around another 20 to 35 years. The analysis of the operational and post-closure safety of the Baita Bihor repository was carried out in two iterations, with the second iteration resulting in reduced uncertainties, largely as a result taking into account new information on the hydrologymore » and hydrogeology of the area, collected as part of the project. Impacts were evaluated for the maximum potential inventory that might be available for disposal to Baita Bihor for a number of operational and postclosure scenarios and associated conceptual models. The results showed that calculated impacts were below the relevant regulatory criteria. In light of the assessment, a number of recommendations relating to repository operation, optimisation of repository engineering and waste disposals, and environmental monitoring were made. (authors)« less

International Approaches for Nuclear Waste Disposal in Geological Formations: Geological Challenges in Radioactive Waste Isolation—Fifth Worldwide Review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faybishenko, Boris; Birkholzer, Jens; Sassani, David

The overall objective of the Fifth Worldwide Review (WWR-5) is to document the current state-of-the-art of major developments in a number of nations throughout the World pursuing geological disposal programs, and to summarize challenging problems and experience that have been obtained in siting, preparing and reviewing cases for the operational and long-term safety of proposed and operating nuclear waste repositories. The scope of the Review is to address current specific technical issues and challenges in safety case development along with the interplay of technical feasibility, siting, engineering design issues, and operational and post-closure safety. In particular, the chapters included inmore » the report present the following types of information: the current status of the deep geological repository programs for high level nuclear waste and low- and intermediate level nuclear waste in each country, concepts of siting and radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management in different countries (with the emphasis of nuclear waste disposal under different climatic conditions and different geological formations), progress in repository site selection and site characterization, technology development, buffer/backfill materials studies and testing, support activities, programs, and projects, international cooperation, and future plans, as well as regulatory issues and transboundary problems.« less

40 CFR 227.30 - High-level radioactive waste.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-level radioactive waste. 227.30 Section 227.30 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) OCEAN DUMPING...-level radioactive waste. High-level radioactive waste means the aqueous waste resulting from the...

Radioactivity in fossils at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument.

PubMed

Farmer, C Neal; Kathren, Ronald L; Christensen, Craig

2008-08-01

Since 1996, higher than background levels of naturally occurring radioactivity have been documented in both fossil and mineral deposits at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in south-central Idaho. Radioactive fossil sites occur primarily within an elevation zone of 900-1000 m above sea level and are most commonly found associated with ancient river channels filled with sand. Fossils found in clay rich deposits do not exhibit discernable levels of radioactivity. Out of 300 randomly selected fossils, approximately three-fourths exhibit detectable levels of natural radioactivity ranging from 1 to 2 orders of magnitude above ambient background levels when surveyed with a portable hand held Geiger-Muller survey instrument. Mineral deposits in geologic strata also show above ambient background levels of radioactivity. Radiochemical lab analysis has documented the presence of numerous natural radioactive isotopes. It is postulated that ancient groundwater transported radioactive elements through sand bodies containing fossils which precipitated out of solution during the fossilization process. The elevated levels of natural radioactivity in fossils may require special precautions to ensure that exposures to personnel from stored or displayed items are kept as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).

ASSESSMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS FOUND IN LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE STREAMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

R.H. Little, P.R. Maul, J.S.S. Penfoldag

2003-02-27

This paper describes and presents the findings from two studies undertaken for the European Commission to assess the long-term impact upon the environment and human health of non-radioactive contaminants found in various low level radioactive waste streams. The initial study investigated the application of safety assessment approaches developed for radioactive contaminants to the assessment of nonradioactive contaminants in low level radioactive waste. It demonstrated how disposal limits could be derived for a range of non-radioactive contaminants and generic disposal facilities. The follow-up study used the same approach but undertook more detailed, disposal system specific calculations, assessing the impacts of bothmore » the non-radioactive and radioactive contaminants. The calculations undertaken indicated that it is prudent to consider non-radioactive, as well as radioactive contaminants, when assessing the impacts of low level radioactive waste disposal. For some waste streams with relatively low concentrations of radionuclides, the potential post-closure disposal impacts from non-radioactive contaminants can be comparable with the potential radiological impacts. For such waste streams there is therefore an added incentive to explore options for recycling the materials involved wherever possible.« less

Degradation and metabolic profiling for benzene kresoxim-methyl using carbon-14 tracing.

PubMed

Wang, Likun; Zhao, Jinhao; Delgado-Moreno, Laura; Cheng, Jingli; Wang, Yichen; Zhang, Sufen; Ye, Qingfu; Wang, Wei

2018-10-01

Benzene kresoxim-methyl (BKM) is an effective strobilurin fungicide for controlling fungal pathogens but limited information is available on its degradation and metabolism. This study explored the degradation and metabolic profiling for BKM in soils by carbon-14 tracing and HPLC-TOF-MS 2 analyzing. Results indicated that 88%-98% of 14 C-BKM remained as parent or incomplete intermediates after 100 days. Three main radioactive metabolites (M1 to M3, ≥90%) and three subordinate radioactive metabolites (Ma to Mc, ≤2%) were observed, along with a non-radioactive metabolite M4. The main intermediates were further confirmed by self-synthesizing their authentic standards, and BKM was proposed to degrade via pathways including: 1) the oxidative cleavage of the acrylate double bond to give BKM-enol (M1); 2) the hydrolysis of the methyl ester to give BKM acid (M2); 3) the cleavage of M1 and M2 to yield Mc, which could be decarboxylated to give M3; and 4) the ether cleavage between aromatic rings to form M4. This study builds a solid metabolic profiling method for strobilurins and gives a deeper insight into the eventual fate of BKM by demonstrating its transformation pathways for the first time, which may also be beneficial for understanding the risks of other analogous strobilurins. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low-lying structure and shape evolution in neutron-rich Se isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, S.; Doornenbal, P.; Obertelli, A.; Rodríguez, T. R.; Authelet, G.; Baba, H.; Calvet, D.; Château, F.; Corsi, A.; Delbart, A.; Gheller, J.-M.; Giganon, A.; Gillibert, A.; Lapoux, V.; Motobayashi, T.; Niikura, M.; Paul, N.; Roussé, J.-Y.; Sakurai, H.; Santamaria, C.; Steppenbeck, D.; Taniuchi, R.; Uesaka, T.; Ando, T.; Arici, T.; Blazhev, A.; Browne, F.; Bruce, A. M.; Caroll, R.; Chung, L. X.; Cortés, M. L.; Dewald, M.; Ding, B.; Flavigny, F.; Franchoo, S.; Górska, M.; Gottardo, A.; Jungclaus, A.; Lee, J.; Lettmann, M.; Linh, B. D.; Liu, J.; Liu, Z.; Lizarazo, C.; Momiyama, S.; Moschner, K.; Nagamine, S.; Nakatsuka, N.; Nita, C. R.; Nobs, C.; Olivier, L.; Orlandi, R.; Patel, Z.; Podolyak, Zs.; Rudigier, M.; Saito, T.; Shand, C.; Söderström, P.-A.; Stefan, I.; Vaquero, V.; Werner, V.; Wimmer, K.; Xu, Z.

2017-04-01

Neutron-rich 88,90,92,94Se isotopes were studied via in-beam γ -ray spectroscopy after nucleon removal reactions at intermediate energies at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. Based on γ -γ coincidence analysis, low-lying excitation level schemes are proposed for these nuclei, including the 21+, 41+ states and 22+ states at remarkably low energies. The low-lying 22+ states, along with other features, indicate triaxiality in these nuclei. The experimental results are in good overall agreement with self-consistent beyond-mean-field calculations based on the Gogny D1S interaction, which suggests both triaxial degree of freedom and shape coexistence playing important roles in the description of intrinsic deformations in neutron-rich Se isotopes.

Critically safe vacuum pickup for use in wet or dry cleanup of radioactive materials

DOEpatents

Zeren, Joseph D.

1994-01-01

A vacuum pickup of critically safe quantity and geometric shape is used in cleanup of radioactive materials. Collected radioactive material is accumulated in four vertical, parallel, equally spaced canisters arranged in a cylinder configuration. Each canister contains a filter bag. An upper intake manifold includes four 90 degree spaced, downward facing nipples. Each nipple communicates with the top of a canister. The bottom of each canister communicates with an exhaust manifold comprising four radially extending tubes that meet at the bottom of a centrally located vertical cylinder. The top of the central cylinder terminates at a motor/fan power head. A removable HEPA filter is located intermediate the top of the central cylinder and the power head. Four horizontal bypass tubes connect the top of the central cylinder to the top of each of the canisters. Air enters the vacuum cleaner via a hose connected to the intake manifold. Air then travels down the canisters, where particulate material is accumulated in generally equal quantities in each filter bag. Four air paths of bag filtered air then pass radially inward to the bottom of the central cylinder. Air moves up the central cylinder, through the HEPA filter, through a vacuum fan compartment, and exits the vacuum cleaner. A float air flow valve is mounted at the top of the central cylinder. When liquid accumulates to a given level within the central cylinder, the four bypass tubes, and the four canisters, suction is terminated by operation of the float valve.

10 CFR 72.128 - Criteria for spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., reactor-related greater than Class C waste, and other radioactive waste storage and handling. 72.128... STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design Criteria § 72.128 Criteria for spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, reactor...

10 CFR 72.128 - Criteria for spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., reactor-related greater than Class C waste, and other radioactive waste storage and handling. 72.128... STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design Criteria § 72.128 Criteria for spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, reactor...

Derivation of the Korean radwaste scaling factor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kwang Yong Jee; Hong Joo Ahn; Se Chul Sohn

2007-07-01

The concentrations of several radionuclides in low and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW) drums have to be determined before shipping to disposal facilities. A notice, by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the Korean Government, related to the disposal of LILW drums came into effect at the beginning of 2005, with regards to a radionuclide regulation inside a waste drum. MOST allows for an indirect radionuclide assay using a scaling factor to measure the inventories due to the difficulty of nondestructively measuring the essential {alpha} and {beta}-emitting nuclides inside a drum. That is, a scaling factor calculated throughmore » a correlation of the {alpha} or {beta}-emitting nuclide (DTM, Difficult-To-Measure) with a {gamma}-emitting nuclide (ETM, Easy-To-Measure) which has systematically similar properties with DTM nuclides. In this study, radioactive wastes, such as spent resin and dry active waste which were generated at different sites of a PWR and a site of a PHWR type Korean NPP, were partially sampled and analyzed for regulated radionuclides by using radiochemical methods. According to a reactor type and a waste form, the analysis results of each radionuclide were classified. Korean radwaste scaling factor was derived from database of radionuclide concentrations. (authors)« less

Strong effects of ionizing radiation from Chernobyl on mutation rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Møller, Anders Pape; Mousseau, Timothy A.

2015-02-01

In this paper we use a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between radiation and mutation rates in Chernobyl across 45 published studies, covering 30 species. Overall effect size of radiation on mutation rates estimated as Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient was very large (E = 0.67; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.59 to 0.73), accounting for 44.3% of the total variance in an unstructured random-effects model. Fail-safe calculations reflecting the number of unpublished null results needed to eliminate this average effect size showed the extreme robustness of this finding (Rosenberg's method: 4135 at p = 0.05). Indirect tests did not provide any evidence of publication bias. The effect of radiation on mutations varied among taxa, with plants showing a larger effect than animals. Humans were shown to have intermediate sensitivity of mutations to radiation compared to other species. Effect size did not decrease over time, providing no evidence for an improvement in environmental conditions. The surprisingly high mean effect size suggests a strong impact of radioactive contamination on individual fitness in current and future generations, with potentially significant population-level consequences, even beyond the area contaminated with radioactive material.

Strong effects of ionizing radiation from Chernobyl on mutation rates.

PubMed

Møller, Anders Pape; Mousseau, Timothy A

2015-02-10

In this paper we use a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between radiation and mutation rates in Chernobyl across 45 published studies, covering 30 species. Overall effect size of radiation on mutation rates estimated as Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient was very large (E = 0.67; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.59 to 0.73), accounting for 44.3% of the total variance in an unstructured random-effects model. Fail-safe calculations reflecting the number of unpublished null results needed to eliminate this average effect size showed the extreme robustness of this finding (Rosenberg's method: 4135 at p = 0.05). Indirect tests did not provide any evidence of publication bias. The effect of radiation on mutations varied among taxa, with plants showing a larger effect than animals. Humans were shown to have intermediate sensitivity of mutations to radiation compared to other species. Effect size did not decrease over time, providing no evidence for an improvement in environmental conditions. The surprisingly high mean effect size suggests a strong impact of radioactive contamination on individual fitness in current and future generations, with potentially significant population-level consequences, even beyond the area contaminated with radioactive material.

Whole-body tissue distribution of total radioactivity in rats after oral administration of [¹⁴C]-bilastine.

PubMed

Lucero, María Luisa; Patterson, Andrew B

2012-06-01

This study evaluated the tissue distribution of total radioactivity in male albino, male pigmented, and time-mated female albino rats after oral administration of a single dose of [¹⁴C]-bilastine (20 mg/kg). Although only 1 animal was analyzed at each time point, there were apparent differences in bilastine distribution. Radioactivity was distributed to only a few tissues at low levels in male rats, whereas distribution was more extensive and at higher levels in female rats. This may be a simple sex-related difference. In each group and at each time point, concentrations of radioactivity were high in the liver and kidney, reflecting the role of these organs in the elimination process. In male albino rats, no radioactivity was measurable by 72 hours postdose. In male pigmented rats, only the eye and uveal tract had measurable levels of radioactivity at 24 hours. Measureable levels of radioactivity were retained in these tissues at the final sampling time point (336 hours postdose), indicating a degree of melanin-associated binding. In time-mated female rats, but not in albino or pigmented male rats, there was evidence of low-level passage of radioactivity across the placental barrier into fetal tissues as well as low-level transfer of radioactivity into the brain.

Glasses for immobilization of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laverov, N. P.; Omel'yanenko, B. I.; Yudintsev, S. V.; Stefanovsky, S. V.; Nikonov, B. S.

2013-03-01

Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) for recovery of fissionable elements is a precondition of long-term development of nuclear energetics. Solution of this problem is hindered by the production of a great amount of liquid waste; 99% of its volume is low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW). The volume of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), which is characterized by high heat release, does not exceed a fraction of a percent. Solubility of glasses at an elevated temperature makes them unfit for immobilization of HLW, the insulation of which is ensured only by mineral-like matrices. At the same time, glasses are a perfect matrix for LILW, which are distinguished by low heat release. The solubility of borosilicate glass at a low temperature is so low that even a glass with relatively low resistance enables them to retain safety of under-ground LILW depositories without additional engineering barriers. The optimal technology of liquid confinement is their concentration and immobilization in borosilicate glasses, which are disposed in shallow-seated geological repositories. The vitrification of 1 m3 liquid LILW with a salt concentration of ˜300 kg/m3 leaves behind only 0.2 m3 waste, that is, 4-6 times less than by bitumen impregnation and 10 times less than by cementation. Environmental and economic advantages of LILW vitrification result from (1) low solubility of the vitrified LILW in natural water; (2) significant reduction of LILW volume; (3) possibility to dispose the vitrified waste without additional engineering barriers under shallow conditions and in diverse geological media; (4) the strength of glass makes its transportation and storage possible; and finally (5) reliable longterm safety of repositories. When the composition of the glass matrix for LILW is being chosen, attention should be paid to the factors that ensure high technological and economic efficiency of vitrification. The study of vitrified LILW from the Kursk nuclear power plant with high-power channel reactors (HPCR; equivalent Russian acronym, RBMK) and the Kalinin nuclear power plant with pressurized water reactors (PWR; equivalent Russian acronym VVER) after their 14-yr storage in the shallow-seated repository at the MosNPO Radon testing ground has confirmed the safety of repositories ensured by confinement properties of borosilicate matrix. The most efficient vitrification technology is based on cold crucible induction melting. If the content of a chemical element in waste exceeds its solubility in glass, a crystalline phase is formed in the course of vitrification, so that the glass ceramics become a matrix for such waste. Vitrified waste with high Fe; Na and Al; Na, Fe, and Al; Na and B is characterized. The composition of frit and its proportion to waste depends on waste composition. This procedure requires careful laboratory testing.

10 CFR 72.108 - Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor... RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Siting Evaluation Factors § 72.108 Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste transportation. The...

10 CFR 72.108 - Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor... RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Siting Evaluation Factors § 72.108 Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste transportation. The...

Borehole Disposal and the Cradle-To-Grave Management Program for Radioactive Sealed Sources in Egypt

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cochran, J.R.; Carson, S.D.; El-Adham, K.

2006-07-01

The Integrated Management Program for Radioactive Sealed Sources (IMPRSS) is greatly improving the management of radioactive sealed sources (RSSs) in Egypt. When completed, IMPRSS will protect the people and the environment from another radioactive incident. The Government of Egypt and Sandia National Laboratories are collaboratively implementing IMPRSS. The integrated activities are divided into three broad areas: the safe management of RSSs in-use, the safe management of unwanted RSSs, and crosscutting infrastructure. Taken together, these work elements comprise a cradle-to-grave program. To ensure sustainability, the IMPRSS emphasizes such activities as human capacity development through technology transfer and training, and development ofmore » a disposal facility. As a key step in the development of a disposal facility, IMPRSS is conducting a safety assessment for intermediate-depth borehole disposal in thick arid alluvium in Egypt based on experience with the U.S.'s Greater Confinement Disposal boreholes. This safety assessment of borehole disposal is being supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through an IAEA Technical Cooperation Project. (authors)« less

Monte-Carlo Application for Nondestructive Nuclear Waste Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carasco, C.; Engels, R.; Frank, M.; Furletov, S.; Furletova, J.; Genreith, C.; Havenith, A.; Kemmerling, G.; Kettler, J.; Krings, T.; Ma, J.-L.; Mauerhofer, E.; Neike, D.; Payan, E.; Perot, B.; Rossbach, M.; Schitthelm, O.; Schumann, M.; Vasquez, R.

2014-06-01

Radioactive waste has to undergo a process of quality checking in order to check its conformance with national regulations prior to its transport, intermediate storage and final disposal. Within the quality checking of radioactive waste packages non-destructive assays are required to characterize their radio-toxic and chemo-toxic contents. The Institute of Energy and Climate Research - Nuclear Waste Management and Reactor Safety of the Forschungszentrum Jülich develops in the framework of cooperation nondestructive analytical techniques for the routine characterization of radioactive waste packages at industrial-scale. During the phase of research and development Monte Carlo techniques are used to simulate the transport of particle, especially photons, electrons and neutrons, through matter and to obtain the response of detection systems. The radiological characterization of low and intermediate level radioactive waste drums is performed by segmented γ-scanning (SGS). To precisely and accurately reconstruct the isotope specific activity content in waste drums by SGS measurement, an innovative method called SGSreco was developed. The Geant4 code was used to simulate the response of the collimated detection system for waste drums with different activity and matrix configurations. These simulations allow a far more detailed optimization, validation and benchmark of SGSreco, since the construction of test drums covering a broad range of activity and matrix properties is time consuming and cost intensive. The MEDINA (Multi Element Detection based on Instrumental Neutron Activation) test facility was developed to identify and quantify non-radioactive elements and substances in radioactive waste drums. MEDINA is based on prompt and delayed gamma neutron activation analysis (P&DGNAA) using a 14 MeV neutron generator. MCNP simulations were carried out to study the response of the MEDINA facility in terms of gamma spectra, time dependence of the neutron energy spectrum, neutron flux distribution. The validation of the measurements simulations with Mont-Carlo transport codes for the design, optimization and data analysis of further P&DGNAA facilities is performed in collaboration with LMN CEA Cadarache. The performance of the prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) for the nondestructive determination of actinides in small samples is investigated. The quantitative determination of actinides relies on the precise knowledge of partial neutron capture cross sections. Up to today these cross sections are not very accurate for analytical purpose. The goal of the TANDEM (Trans-uranium Actinides' Nuclear Data - Evaluation and Measurement) Collaboration is the evaluation of these cross sections. Cross sections are measured using prompt gamma activation analysis facilities in Budapest and Munich. Geant4 is used to optimally design the detection system with Compton suppression. Furthermore, for the evaluation of the cross sections it is strongly needed to correct the results to the self-attenuation of the prompt gammas within the sample. In the framework of cooperation RWTH Aachen University, Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Siemens AG will study the feasibility of a compact Neutron Imaging System for Radioactive waste Analysis (NISRA). The system is based on a 14 MeV neutron source and an advanced detector system (a-Si flat panel) linked to an exclusive converter/scintillator for fast neutrons. For shielding and radioprotection studies the codes MCNPX and Geant4 were used. The two codes were benchmarked in processing time and accuracy in the neutron and gamma fluxes. Also the detector response was simulated with Geant4 to optimize components of the system.

76 FR 58543 - Draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-21

...-Level Radioactive Waste Management AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Reopening of comment... for public comment a draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management that updates the 1981 Policy Statement on Low-Level Waste Volume Reduction. The revised Policy...

77 FR 25760 - Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management and Volume Reduction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-01

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2011-0183] Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management and Volume.... Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is revising its 1981 Policy Statement on Low-Level..., the NRC staff issued SECY-10-0043, ``Blending of Low-Level Radioactive Waste'' (ADAMS Accession No...

Ground-water flow near two radioactive-waste-disposal areas at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, Cattaraugus County, New York; results of flow simulation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergeron, M.P.; Bugliosi, E.F.

1988-01-01

Two adjacent burial areas were excavated in a clay-rich till at a radioactive waste disposal site near West Valley in Cattaraugus County, N.Y.: (1) which contains mainly low-level radioactive wastes generated onsite by a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, has been in operation since 1966; and (2) which contains commercial low-level radioactive wastes, was operated during 1963-75. Groundwater below the upper 3 meters of till generally moves downward through a 20- to 30-meter thick sequence of tills underlain by lacustrine and kame-delta deposits of fine sand and silt. Groundwater in the weathered, upper 3 meters of till can move laterally for several meters before either moving downward into the kame-delta deposits or discharging to the land surface. A two-dimensional finite-element model that simulates two vertical sections was used to evaluate hydrologic factors that control groundwater flow in the till. Conditions observed during March 1983 were reproduced accurately in steady-state simulations that used four isotropic units of differing hydraulic conductivity to represent two fractured and weathered till units near land surfaces, an intermediate group of isolated till zones that contain significant amounts of fine sand and silt, and a sequence of till units at depths that have been consolidated by overburden pressure. Recharge rates used in the best-fit simulation ranged from 1.4 cm/yr along smooth, sloping or compacted surfaces to 3.8 cm/yr near swampy areas. Values of hydraulic conductivity and infiltration used in the calibrated best-fit model were nearly identical to values used in a previous model analysis of the nearby commercial-waste burial area. Results of the model simulations of a burial pit assumed to be filled with water indicate that water near the bottom of the burial pit would migrate laterally in the shallow, weathered till for 5 to 6 meters before moving downward into the unweathered till, and water near the top of the pit would move laterally less than 20 meters before moving downward into the unweathered till. These results indicate that subsurface migration of radionuclides in groundwater to points of discharge to land surface is unlikely as long as the water level does not rise into the reworked cover material. (Author 's abstract)

Hydrogeologic factors in the selection of shallow land burial sites for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, John N.

1986-01-01

In the United States, low-level radioactive waste is disposed of by shallow land burial. Commercial low-level radioactive waste has been buried at six sites, and low-level radioactive waste generated by the Federal Government has been buried at nine major and several minor sites. Several existing low-level radioactive waste sites have not provided expected protection of the environment. These shortcomings are related, at least in part, to an inadequate understanding of site hydrogeology at the time the sites were selected. To better understand the natural systems and the effect of hydrogeologic factors on long-term site performance, the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted investigations at five of the six commercial low-level radioactive waste sites and at three Federal sites. These studies, combined with those of other Federal and State agencies, have identified and confirmed important hydrogeologic factors in the effective disposal of low-level radioactive waste by shallow land burial. These factors include precipitation, surface drainage, topography, site stability, geology, thickness of the host soil-rock horizon, soil and sediment permeability, soil and water chemistry, and depth to the water table.

Kansas State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-07-01

The Kansas State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Kansas. The profile is the result of a survey of radioactive material licensees in Kansas. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developedmore » through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may affect waste management practices in Kansas.« less

Maine State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-08-01

The Maine State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and Federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Maine. The profile is the result of a survey of radioactive material licensees in Maine. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested partices including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developedmore » through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant goverment agencies and activities, all of which may impact management practices in Maine.« less

Levels of radioactivity in Qatar

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Thani, A.A.; Abdul-Majid, S.; Mohammed, K.

The levels of natural and man-made radioactivity in soil and seabed were measured in Qatar to assess radiation exposure levels and to evaluate any radioactive contamination that may have reached the country from fallout or due to the Chernobyl accident radioactivity release. Qatar peninsula is located on the Arabian Gulf, 4500 km from Chernobyl, and has an area of {approximately}11,600 km{sup 2} and a population of {approximately}600,000.

76 FR 35137 - Vulnerability and Threat Information for Facilities Storing Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-16

... High-Level Radioactive Waste AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Public meeting... Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Radioactive Waste, and Reactor-Related Greater Than Class C Waste,'' and 73... Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) storage facilities. The draft regulatory...

10 CFR 140.84 - Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... or substantial radiation levels offsite. 140.84 Section 140.84 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION... § 140.84 Criterion I—Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels... radioactive material offsite, or that there have been substantial levels of radiation offsite, when, as a...

10 CFR 140.84 - Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... or substantial radiation levels offsite. 140.84 Section 140.84 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION... § 140.84 Criterion I—Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels... radioactive material offsite, or that there have been substantial levels of radiation offsite, when, as a...

10 CFR 62.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... Emergency access means access to an operating non-Federal or regional low-level radioactive waste disposal... regional low-level radioactive waste disposal facility or facilities for a period not to exceed 180 days... waste. Non-Federal disposal facility means a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility that is...

10 CFR 1800.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.10 Purpose and scope. Pursuant to Articles IV.i.(1), (7), (15), and VII.e. of the Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact...

10 CFR 1800.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.10 Purpose and scope. Pursuant to Articles IV.i.(1), (7), (15), and VII.e. of the Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact...

75 FR 76054 - Detroit Edison Company Fermi, Unit 2; Exemption

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... licensee anticipates using rail to ship radioactive waste. From the licensee's experience with radioactive..., section III.E, to investigate and file a report to the NRC if shipments of low-level radioactive waste are... exemption would extend the time period that can elapse during shipments of low-level radioactive waste...

Safety assessment of borehole disposal of unwanted radioactive sealed sources in Egypt using Goldsim.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cochran, John Russell; Mattie, Patrick D.

2004-10-01

A radioactive sealed source is any radioactive material that is encased in a capsule designed to prevent leakage or escape of the radioactive material. Radioactive sealed sources are used for a wide variety of applications at hospitals, in manufacturing and research. Typical uses are in portable gauges to measure soil compaction and moisture or to determine physical properties of rocks units in boreholes (well logging). Hospitals and clinics use radioactive sealed sources for teletherapy and brachytherapy. Oil exploration and medicine are the largest users. Accidental mismanagement of radioactive sealed sources each year results in a large number of people receivingmore » very high or even fatal does of ionizing radiation. Deliberate mismanagement is a growing international concern. Sealed sources must be managed and disposed effectively in order to protect human health and the environment. Effective national safety and management infrastructures are prerequisites for efficient and safe transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal. The Integrated Management Program for Radioactive Sealed Sources in Egypt (IMPRSS) is a cooperative development agreement between the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), Egyptian Ministry of Health (MOH), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the University of New Mexico (UNM), and Agriculture Cooperative Development International (ACDI/VOCA). The EAEA, teaming with SNL, is conducting a Preliminary Safety Assessment (PSA) of an intermediate-depth borehole disposal in thick arid alluvium in Egypt based on experience with the U.S. Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD). Goldsim has been selected for the preliminary disposal system assessment for the Egyptian GCD Study. The results of the PSA will then be used to decide if Egypt desires to implement such a disposal system.« less

Recent Improvement Of The Institutional Radioactive Waste Management System In Slovenia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sueiae, S.; Fabjan, M.; Hrastar, U.

2008-07-01

The task of managing institutional radioactive waste was assigned to the Slovenian National Agency for Radwaste Management by the Governmental Decree of May 1999. This task ranges from the collection of waste at users' premises to the storage in the Central Storage Facility in (CSF) and afterwards to the planned Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LILW) repository. By this Decree ARAO also became the operator of the CSF. The CSF has been in operation since 1986. Recent improvements of the institutional radioactive waste management system in Slovenia are presented in this paper. ARAO has been working on the reestablishment ofmore » institutional radioactive waste management since 1999. The Agency has managed to prepare the most important documents and carry out the basic activities required by the legislation to assure a safe and environmentally acceptable management of the institutional radioactive waste. With the aim to achieve a better organized operational system, ARAO took the advantage of the European Union Transition Facility (EU TF) financing support and applied for the project named 'Improvement of the management of institutional radioactive waste in Slovenia via the design and implementation of an Information Business System'. Through a public invitation for tenders one of the Slovenian largest software company gained the contract. Two international radwaste experts from Belgium were part of their project team. The optimization of the operational system has been carried out in 2007. The project was executed in ten months and it was divided into two phases. The first phase of the project was related with the detection of weaknesses and implementation of the necessary improvements in the current ARAO operational system. With the evaluation of the existing system, possible improvements were identified. In the second phase of the project the software system Information Business System (IBS) was developed and implemented by the group of IT experts. As a software development life-cycle methodology the Waterfall methodology was used. The reason for choosing this methodology lied in its simple approach: analyze the problem, design the solution, implement the code, test the code, integrate and deploy. ARAO's institutional radioactive waste management process was improved in the way that it is more efficient, better organized, allowing traceability and availability of all documents and operational procedures within the field of institutional radioactive waste. The tailored made IBS system links all activities of the institutional radioactive waste management process: collection, transportation, takeover, acceptance, storing, treatment, radiation protection, etc. into one management system. All existing and newly designed evidences, operational procedures and other documents can be searched and viewed via secured Internet access from different locations. (authors)« less

10 CFR 2.1027 - Sua sponte.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Applicable to Proceedings for the Issuance of Licenses for the Receipt of High-Level Radioactive Waste at a... construction authorization for a high-level radioactive waste repository at a geologic repository operations...-level radioactive waste at a geologic repository operations area under parts 60 or 63 of this chapter...

The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis XVII. Phosphorus Compounds as Intermediates in Photosynthesis

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Buchanan, J. G.; Bassham, J. A.; Benson, A. A.; Bradley, D. F.; Calvin, M.; Daus, L. L.; Goodman, M.; Hayes, P. M.; Lynch, V. H.; Norris, L. T.; Wilson, A. T.

1952-07-08

Studies of carbon dioxide fixation in green plants using the C{sup 14} isotope have shown that in very short times phosphoglyceric acid contains most of the radioactivity. The tracer is present almost entirely in the carboxyl group. The importance of organic phosphates in the subsequent metabolism of phosphoglyceric acid can be seen from the accompanying photographs.

10 CFR 961.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ENERGY STANDARD CONTRACT FOR DISPOSAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND/OR HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE General... means any person who has title to spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste. Purchaser means... (42 U.S.C. 2133, 2134) or who has title to spent nuclear fuel or high level radioactive waste and who...

10 CFR 961.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... STANDARD CONTRACT FOR DISPOSAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND/OR HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE General § 961.1... fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) as provided in section 302 of the Nuclear Waste... title to, transport, and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and/or high-level radioactive waste delivered to...

Use of strategic environmental assessment in the site selection process for a radioactive waste disposal facility in Slovenia.

PubMed

Dermol, Urška; Kontić, Branko

2011-01-01

The benefits of strategic environmental considerations in the process of siting a repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) are presented. The benefits have been explored by analyzing differences between the two site selection processes. One is a so-called official site selection process, which is implemented by the Agency for radwaste management (ARAO); the other is an optimization process suggested by experts working in the area of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and land-use (spatial) planning. The criteria on which the comparison of the results of the two site selection processes has been based are spatial organization, environmental impact, safety in terms of potential exposure of the population to radioactivity released from the repository, and feasibility of the repository from the technical, financial/economic and social point of view (the latter relates to consent by the local community for siting the repository). The site selection processes have been compared with the support of the decision expert system named DEX. The results of the comparison indicate that the sites selected by ARAO meet fewer suitability criteria than those identified by applying strategic environmental considerations in the framework of the optimization process. This result stands when taking into account spatial, environmental, safety and technical feasibility points of view. Acceptability of a site by a local community could not have been tested, since the formal site selection process has not yet been concluded; this remains as an uncertain and open point of the comparison. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low-level radioactive waste management handbook series: Low-level radioactive waste management in medical and biomedical research institutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1987-03-01

Development of this handbook began in 1982 at the request of the Radhealth Branch of the California Department of Health Services. California Assembly Bill 1513 directed the DHS to ''evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of (1) reducing the volume, reactivity, and chemical and radioactive hazard of (low-level radioactive) waste and (2) substituting nonradioactive or short-lived radioactive materials for those radionuclides which require long-term isolation from the environment. A contract awarded to the University of California at Irvine-UCI (California Std. Agreement 79902), to develop a document focusing on methods for decreasing low-level radioactive waste (LLW) generation in institutions was amore » result of that directive. In early 1985, the US Department of Energy, through EG and G Idaho, Inc., contracted with UCI to expand, update, and revise the California text for national release.« less

76 FR 54808 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

... the Independent Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Radioactive Waste and Reactor-Related... receive, transfer, package and possess power reactor spent fuel, high-level waste, and other radioactive..., package, and possess power reactor spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste, and other associated...

75 FR 15423 - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Technical Evaluation Report for the Phase 1 Decommissioning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-29

... DOE to carry out a high-level radioactive waste management demonstration project at the Western New... solidification of high-level radioactive waste for disposal in a Federal repository for permanent disposal. The... and other facilities where the solidified high-level radioactive waste was stored, the facilities used...

75 FR 70707 - Detroit Edison Company; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-18

... extend the time period that can elapse during shipments of low-level radioactive waste before the... extend the time period for the licensee to receive acknowledgment that the low-level radioactive waste...-level radioactive waste are not acknowledged by the intended recipient within 20 days after transfer to...

10 CFR 62.12 - Contents of a request for emergency access: General information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... EMERGENCY ACCESS TO NON-FEDERAL AND REGIONAL LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES Request for a Commission... the person(s) or company(ies) generating the low-level radioactive waste for which the determination...) Certification that the radioactive waste for which emergency access is requested is low-level radioactive waste...

A brief review of intermediate controlled nuclear syntheses (ICNS) without harmful radiations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lanjewar, R. B.

Hadronic mechanics gave birth to new magnecular fuels. The present day demand is of clean energy source that is cheap and abundant. Clean energy can be obtained by harnessing renewable energy sources like solar, wind etc. Nuclear energy conventionally produced by fission reactions emits hazardous radiation and radioactive waste. The requirements of clean and safe energy gets fulfilled by novel fuel that achieved by elevating the traditional quantum mechanics to hadronic mechanics and to hadronic chemistry. In the present paper, a comprehensive review on both the theoretical and experimental aspect of the Intermediate Controlled Nuclear Synthesis (ICNS) as developed bymore » Italian American Scientist Professor R. M. Santilli.« less

Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management in the United States: What Have We Wrought? The Richard S. Hodes, M.D. Honor Lecture Award - 12222

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobi, Lawrence R.

2012-07-01

In 1979, radioactive waste disposal was an important national issue. State governors were closing the gates on the existing low-level radioactive waste disposal sites and the ultimate disposition of spent fuel was undecided. A few years later, the United States Congress thought they had solved both problems by passing the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1981, which established a network of regional compacts for low-level radioactive waste disposal, and by passing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to set out how a final resting place for high-level waste would be determined. Upon passage of the acts, State, Regionalmore » and Federal officials went to work. Here we are some 30 years later with little to show for our combined effort. The envisioned national repository for high-level radioactive waste has not materialized. Efforts to develop the Yucca Mountain high-level radioactive waste disposal facility were abandoned after spending $13 billion on the failed project. Recently, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future issued its draft report that correctly concludes the existing policy toward high-level nuclear waste is 'all but completely broken down'. A couple of new low-level waste disposal facilities have opened since 1981, but neither were the result of efforts under the act. What the Act has done is interject a system of interstate compacts with a byzantine interstate import and export system to complicate the handling of low-level radioactive waste, with attendant costs. As this paper is being written in the fourth-quarter of 2011, after 30 years of political and bureaucratic turmoil, a new comprehensive low-level waste disposal facility at Andrews Texas is approaching its initial operating date. The Yucca Mountain project might be completed or it might not. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is commencing a review of their 1981 volume reduction policy statement. The Department of Energy after 26 years has yet to figure out how to implement its obligations under the 1985 amendments to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act. But, the last three decades have not been a total loss. A great deal has been learned about radioactive waste disposal since 1979 and the efforts of the public and private sector have shaped and focused the work to be done in the future. So, this lecturer asks the question: 'What have we wrought?' to which he provides his perspective and his recommendations for radioactive waste management policy for the next 30 years. (author)« less

Concrete and cement composites used for radioactive waste deposition.

PubMed

Koťátková, Jaroslava; Zatloukal, Jan; Reiterman, Pavel; Kolář, Karel

2017-11-01

This review article presents the current state-of-knowledge of the use of cementitious materials for radioactive waste disposal. An overview of radwaste management processes with respect to the classification of the waste type is given. The application of cementitious materials for waste disposal is divided into two main lines: i) as a matrix for direct immobilization of treated waste form; and ii) as an engineered barrier of secondary protection in the form of concrete or grout. In the first part the immobilization mechanisms of the waste by cement hydration products is briefly described and an up-to date knowledge about the performance of different cementitious materials is given, including both traditional cements and alternative binder systems. The advantages, disadvantages as well as gaps in the base of information in relation to individual materials are stated. The following part of the article is aimed at description of multi-barrier systems for intermediate level waste repositories. It provides examples of proposed concepts by countries with advanced waste management programmes. In the paper summary, the good knowledge of the material durability due to its vast experience from civil engineering is highlighted however with the urge for specific approach during design and construction of a repository in terms of stringent safety requirements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choung, Sungwook; Um, Wooyong; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Permanent disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the subterranean environment has been the preferred method of many countries, including Korea. A safety issue after the closure of a geological repository is that biodegradation of organic materials due to microbial activities generates gases that lead to overpressure of the waste containers in the repository and its disintegration with the release of radionuclides. As part of an ongoing large-scale in situ experiment using organic wastes and groundwater to simulate geological radioactive waste repository conditions, we investigated the geochemical alteration and microbial activities at an early stage (~63 days) intended tomore » be representative of the initial period after repository closure. The increased numbers of both aerobes and facultative anaerobes in waste effluents indicate that oxygen content could be the most significant parameter to control biogeochemical conditions at very early periods of reaction (<35 days). Accordingly, the values of dissolved oxygen and redox potential were decreased. The activation of anaerobes after 35 days was supported by the increased concentration to ~50 mg L-1 of ethanol. These results suggest that the biogeochemical conditions were rapidly altered to more reducing and anaerobic conditions within the initial 2 months after repository closure. Although no gases were detected during the study, activated anaerobic microbes will play more important role in gas generation over the long term.« less

A role for glucose in hypothermic hamsters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Resch, G. E.; Musacchia, X. J.

1976-01-01

Hypothermic hamsters at a rectal temperature of 7 C showed a fivefold increase in survival times from 20 to 100.5 hr when infused with glucose which maintained a blood level at about 45 mg/100 ml. A potential role for osmotic effects of the infusion was tested and eliminated. There was no improvement in survival of 3-O-methylglucose or dextran 40-infused animals. The fact that death eventually occurs even in the glucose-infused animal after about 4 days and that oxygen consumption undergoes a slow decrement in that period suggests that hypothermic survival is not wholly substrate limited. Radioactive tracer showed that localization of the C-14 was greatest in brain tissue and diaphragm, intermediate in heart and kidney, and lowest in skeletal muscle and liver. The significance of the label at sites important to respiration and circulation was presented.

The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis XV. Ribulose and Sedoheptulose

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Benson, A. A.; Bassham, J. A.; Calvin, M.; Hall, A. G.; Hirsch, H.; Kawaguchi, S.; Lynch, V.; Tolbert, N. E.

1952-01-01

The intermediates of carbon dioxide reduction by plants include phosphorylated derivatives of hydroxy acids and sugars. Their identification became possible when the use of labeled carbon dioxide permitted discrimination between the earliest products and the many other components of photosynthetic tissues. A number of compounds were identified by virtue of the chemical and physical properties of the radioactive compounds in tracer amounts and by direct comparison of these properties with those of suspected known metabolic intermediates. It became apparent that several labeled compounds found in short exposures to radioactive carbon dioxide were not substances previously identified as metabolic intermediates. Two phosphate esters in particular were observed in the products of the first few seconds of steady-state photosynthesis by all the photosynthetic microorganisms and higher plants examined in this laboratory. These esters have been isolated by paper chromatography in tracer quantities and enzymatically hydrolyzed to give two sugars, ribulose and sedoheptulose. This paper contains a description of the chemical identification of these sugars and some observations and suggestions regarding the function of their esters. The general importance of these compounds in photosynthesis was summarized before their identification. The products of photosynthesis with C{sup 14}O{sub 2} by each plant included phosphate esters of the same two then unknown compounds in addition to those of the expected glucose, fructose, dihydroxyacetone and glyceric acid. As the time of steady-state photosynthesis in C{sup 14}O{sub 2} decreased, the fractions of total fixed radiocarbon in the esters of the two unidentified compounds increased.

New Jersey State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The New Jersey state Briefing Book is one of a series of State briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in New Jersey. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in New Jersey. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in New Jersey.« less

Mississippi State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

The Mississippi State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state an federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Mississippi. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Mississippi. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Mississippi.« less

North Carolina State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The North Carolina State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in North Carolina. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in North Carolina. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in North Carolina.« less

Wyoming State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Wyoming State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Wyoming. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Wyoming. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Wyoming.« less

Topic I: Induced changes in hydrology at low-level radioactive waste repository sites: A section in Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings (Circular 1036)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Engineering practices, including the excavation of trenches, placement of waste, nature of waste forms, backfilling procedures and materials, and trench-cover construction and materials at low-level radioactive-waste repository sites greatly affect the geohydrology of the sites. Engineering practices are dominant factors in eventual stability and isolation of the waste. The papers presented relating to Topic I were discussions of the hydrogeologic setting at existing low-level radioactive-waste repository sites and changes in the hydrology induced by site operations. Papers summarizing detailed studies presented at this workshop include those at sites near Sheffield, Ill.; Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn.; West Valley, N.Y.; Maxey Flats, Ky.; Barnwell, S.C.; and Beatty, Nev. 

Puerto Rico State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Puerto Rico State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Puerto Rico. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Puerto Rico. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Puerto Rico.« less

Ohio State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Ohio State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Ohio. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Ohio. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Ohio.« less

Massachusetts State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-03-12

The Massachusetts State Briefing Book is one of a series of State briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist State and Federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Massachusetts. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Massachusetts. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Massachusetts.« less

Vermont State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-07-01

The Vermont State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Vermont. The profile is the result of a survey of Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensees in Vermont. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment wasmore » developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may affect waste management practices in Vermont.« less

Development of RadRob15, A Robot for Detecting Radioactive Contamination in Nuclear Medicine Departments.

PubMed

Shafe, A; Mortazavi, S M J; Joharnia, A; Safaeyan, Gh H

2016-09-01

Accidental or intentional release of radioactive materials into the living or working environment may cause radioactive contamination. In nuclear medicine departments, radioactive contamination is usually due to radionuclides which emit high energy gamma photons and particles. These radionuclides have a broad range of energies and penetration capabilities. Rapid detection of radioactive contamination is very important for efficient removing of the contamination without spreading the radionuclides. A quick scan of the contaminated area helps health physicists locate the contaminated area and assess the level of activity. Studies performed in IR Iran shows that in some nuclear medicine departments, areas with relatively high levels of activity can be found. The highest contamination level was detected in corridors which are usually used by patients. To monitor radioactive contamination in nuclear medicine departments, RadRob15, a contamination detecting robot was developed in the Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation Protection Research Center (INIRPRC). The motor vehicle scanner and the gas radiation detector are the main components of this robot. The detection limit of this robot has enabled it to detect low levels of radioactive contamination. Our preliminary tests show that RadRob15 can be easily used in nuclear medicine departments as a device for quick surveys which identifies the presence or absence of radioactive contamination.

Geochemical Data Package for Performance Assessment Calculations Related to the Savannah River Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaplan, Daniel I.

The Savannah River Site (SRS) disposes of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and stabilizes high-level radioactive waste (HLW) tanks in the subsurface environment. Calculations used to establish the radiological limits of these facilities are referred to as Performance Assessments (PA), Special Analyses (SA), and Composite Analyses (CA). The objective of this document is to revise existing geochemical input values used for these calculations. This work builds on earlier compilations of geochemical data (2007, 2010), referred to a geochemical data packages. This work is being conducted as part of the on-going maintenance program of the SRS PA programs that periodically updates calculationsmore » and data packages when new information becomes available. Because application of values without full understanding of their original purpose may lead to misuse, this document also provides the geochemical conceptual model, the approach used for selecting the values, the justification for selecting data, and the assumptions made to assure that the conceptual and numerical geochemical models are reasonably conservative (i.e., bias the recommended input values to reflect conditions that will tend to predict the maximum risk to the hypothetical recipient). This document provides 1088 input parameters for geochemical parameters describing transport processes for 64 elements (>740 radioisotopes) potentially occurring within eight subsurface disposal or tank closure areas: Slit Trenches (ST), Engineered Trenches (ET), Low Activity Waste Vault (LAWV), Intermediate Level (ILV) Vaults, Naval Reactor Component Disposal Areas (NRCDA), Components-in-Grout (CIG) Trenches, Saltstone Facility, and Closed Liquid Waste Tanks. The geochemical parameters described here are the distribution coefficient, Kd value, apparent solubility concentration, k s value, and the cementitious leachate impact factor.« less

Feasibility of recycling thorium in a fusion-fission hybrid/PWR symbiotic system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Josephs, J.M.

1980-12-31

A study was made of the economic impact of high levels of radioactivity in the thorium fuel cycle. The sources of this radioactivity and means of calculating the radioactive levels at various stages in the fuel cycle are discussed and estimates of expected levels are given. The feasibility of various methods of recycling thorium is discussed. These methods include direct recycle, recycle after storage for 14 years to allow radioactivity to decrease, shortening irradiation times to limit radioactivity build up, and the use of the window in time immediately after reprocessing where radioactivity levels are diminished. An economic comparison ismore » made for the first two methods together with the throwaway option where thorium is not recycled using a mass energy flow model developed for a CTHR (Commercial Tokamak Hybrid Reactor), a fusion fission hybrid reactor which serves as fuel producer for several PWR reactors. The storage option is found to be most favorable; however, even this option represents a significant economic impact due to radioactivity of 0.074 mills/kW-h which amounts to $4 x 10/sup 9/ over a 30 year period assuming a 200 gigawatt supply of electrical power.« less

Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis III.

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Benson, A. A.; Calvin, M.

1948-06-01

Although the overall reaction of photosynthesis can be specified with some degree of certainty (CO{sub 2} + H{sub 2}O + light {yields} sugars + possibly other reduced substances), the intermediates through which the carbon passes during the course of this reduction have, until now, been largely a matter of conjecture. The availability of isotopic carbon, that is, a method of labeling the carbon dioxide, provides the possibility of some very direct experiments designed to recognize these intermediates and, perhaps, help to understand the complex sequence and interplay of reactions which must constitute the photochemical process itself. The general design of such experiments is an obvious one, namely the exposure of the green plant to radioactive carbon dioxide and light under a variety of conditions and for continually decreasing lengths of time, followed by the identification of the compounds into which the radioactive carbon is incorporated under each condition and time period. From such data it is clear that in principle, at least, it should be possible to establish the sequence of compounds in time through which the carbon passes on its path from carbon dioxide to the final products. In the course of shortening the photosynthetic times, one times, one ultimately arrives at the condition of exposing the plants to the radioactive carbon dioxide with a zero illumination time, that is, in the dark. Actually, in the work the systematic order of events was reversed, and they have begun by studying first the dark fixation and then the shorter photosynthetic times. The results of the beginnings of this sort of a systematic investigation are given in Table I which includes three sets of experiments, namely a dark fixation experiment and two photosynthetic experiments, one of 30 seconds duration and the other of 60 seconds duration.

The safe disposal of radioactive wastes

PubMed Central

Kenny, A. W.

1956-01-01

A comprehensive review is given of the principles and problems involved in the safe disposal of radioactive wastes. The first part is devoted to a study of the basic facts of radioactivity and of nuclear fission, the characteristics of radioisotopes, the effects of ionizing radiations, and the maximum permissible levels of radioactivity for workers and for the general public. In the second part, the author describes the different types of radioactive waste—reactor wastes and wastes arising from the use of radioisotopes in hospitals and in industry—and discusses the application of the maximum permissible levels of radioactivity to their disposal and treatment, illustrating his discussion with an account of the methods practised at the principal atomic energy establishments. PMID:13374534

10 CFR 72.24 - Contents of application: Technical information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C... radioactive waste, and/or reactor-related GTCC waste as appropriate, including how the ISFSI or MRS will be... of spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and/or reactor-related GTCC waste as appropriate for...

Review and Implementation of Technology for Solid Radioactive Waste Volume Reduction

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-10-15

were shifted to Project 1.1 for spent nuclear fuel cask development to accelerate that project. Those funds should be repaid to Project 1.3 in the... transported between the shipyards such as Nerpa, and other intermediate storage sites such as Gremikha and Andreeva Bay. At these sites the largest...waste source and allow pretreatment unit operations using commercially available technologies of contaminant assaying, cutting/shearing, sorting

Precursors to radiopharmaceutical agents for tissue imaging

DOEpatents

Srivastava, Prem C.; Knapp, Jr., Furn F.

1988-01-01

A class of radiolabeled compounds to be used in tissue imaging that exhibits rapid brain uptake, good brain:blood radioactivity ratios, and long retention times. The imaging agents are more specifically radioiodinated aromatic amines attached to dihydropyridine carriers, that exhibit heart as well as brain specificity. In addition to the radiolabeled compounds, classes of compounds are also described that are used as precursors and intermediates in the preparation of the imaging agents.

Production of spin-polarized radioactive ion beams via projectile fragmentation reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kameda, D.; Ueno, H.; Yoshimi, A.

2008-02-06

Spin-polarized radioactive ion beams are produced in the projectile fragmentation reaction induced by intermediate-energy heavy ion beams. The degree of spin polarization shows characteristic dependence on the outgoing momentum of the projectile fragment in the magnitude around 1{approx}10%. The qualitative behavior is well described by the kinematical model of the fragmentation process. Recently, we have successfully produced spin-polarized beams of aluminum isotopes in the mass A{approx}30 region via the fragmentation of 95 MeV/u {sup 40}Ar projectiles. The magnetic moments of {sup 30}Al and {sup 32}Al and the electric quadrupole moments of {sup 31}Al and {sup 32}Al have been measured usingmore » the {beta}-NMR technique with the polarized RI beams of the Al isotopes.« less

Technical Aspects Regarding the Management of Radioactive Waste from Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dragolici, F.; Turcanu, C. N.; Rotarescu, G.

2003-02-25

The proper application of the nuclear techniques and technologies in Romania started in 1957, once with the commissioning of the Research Reactor VVR-S from IFIN-HH-Magurele. During the last 45 years, appear thousands of nuclear application units with extremely diverse profiles (research, biology, medicine, education, agriculture, transport, all types of industry) which used different nuclear facilities containing radioactive sources and generating a great variety of radioactive waste during the decommissioning after the operation lifetime is accomplished. A new aspect appears by the planning of VVR-S Research Reactor decommissioning which will be a new source of radioactive waste generated by decontamination, disassemblingmore » and demolition activities. By construction and exploitation of the Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant (STDR)--Magurele and the National Repository for Low and Intermediate Radioactive Waste (DNDR)--Baita, Bihor county, in Romania was solved the management of radioactive wastes arising from operation and decommissioning of small nuclear facilities, being assured the protection of the people and environment. The present paper makes a review of the present technical status of the Romanian waste management facilities, especially raising on treatment capabilities of ''problem'' wastes such as Ra-266, Pu-238, Am-241 Co-60, Co-57, Sr-90, Cs-137 sealed sources from industrial, research and medical applications. Also, contain a preliminary estimation of quantities and types of wastes, which would result during the decommissioning project of the VVR-S Research Reactor from IFIN-HH giving attention to some special category of wastes like aluminum, graphite and equipment, components and structures that became radioactive through neutron activation. After analyzing the technical and scientific potential of STDR and DNDR to handle big amounts of wastes resulting from the decommissioning of VVR-S Research Reactor and small nuclear facilities, the necessity of up-gradation of these nuclear objectives before starting the decommissioning plan is revealed. A short presentation of the up-grading needs is also presented.« less

Influence of climate on landscape characteristics in safety assessments of repositories for radioactive wastes.

PubMed

Becker, J K; Lindborg, T; Thorne, M C

2014-12-01

In safety assessments of repositories for radioactive wastes, large spatial and temporal scales have to be considered when developing an approach to risk calculations. A wide range of different types of information may be required. Local to the site of interest, temperature and precipitation data may be used to determine the erosional regime (which may also be conditioned by the vegetation characteristics adopted, based both on climatic and other considerations). However, geomorphological changes may be governed by regional rather than local considerations, e.g. alteration of river base levels, river capture and drainage network reorganisation, or the progression of an ice sheet or valley glacier across the site. The regional climate is in turn governed by the global climate. In this work, a commentary is presented on the types of climate models that can be used to develop projections of climate change for use in post-closure radiological impact assessments of geological repositories for radioactive wastes. These models include both Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models and Earth Models of Intermediate Complexity. The relevant outputs available from these models are identified and consideration is given to how these outputs may be used to inform projections of landscape development. Issues of spatial and temporal downscaling of climate model outputs to meet the requirements of local-scale landscape development modelling are also addressed. An example is given of how climate change and landscape development influence the radiological impact of radionuclides potentially released from the deep geological disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel that SKB (the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company) proposes to construct at Forsmark, Sweden. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regulation of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Rhizoctonia solani.

PubMed Central

Kalghatgi, K K; Subba Rao, P V

1976-01-01

Maximal levels of L-henylalanine ammonia-lyase activity were observed when the mycelial felts of Rhizoctonia solani were grown for 4.5 days on Byrde synthetic medium containing 3.5% glucose and 0.3% L-phenylalanine, Differential centrifugation studies have indicated that the enzyme is localized in the soluble fraction. The time course of induction of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity by L-phenylalanine showed a lag period of 1 to 1.5 h and reached a maximum around 4 to 6 h after the addition of the inducer to the medium. L-Phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, and L-tryptophan were nearly equally efficient inducers of the enzyme. D-Phenylalanine was as efficient as the L-isomer, whereas D-tyrosine was a poor inducer. Light, gibberellic acid, indole 3-acetic acid, and kinetin had no effect on the induction of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. Cycloheximide did not inhibit the uptake of amino acids by the mycelia but completely blocked the incorporation of radioactive amino acids into soluble proteins and the development of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. Actinomycin D inhibited both the incorporation of 32P into ribonucleic acid and the enzyme activity. Conclusive evidence for de novo synthesis of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase was obtained by the incorporation of radioactive amino acids into the enzyme. Electrophoretic analysis of the purified preparation showed a single protein band that coincided with radioactivity and L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. Glucose and intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, like citric acid, alpha-ketoglutaric acid, and succinic acid, and the metabolites of L-phenylalanine, like o-coumaric acid, o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and protocatechuic acid, significantly repressed L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. The observed repression was not relieved by cyclic adenosine 5'-triphosphate. Images PMID:1262311

Disposal of low-level radioactive waste. Impact on the medical profession

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brill, D.R.; Allen, E.W.; Lutzker, L.G.

1985-11-01

During 1985, low-level radioactive waste disposal has become a critical concern. The issue has been forced by the threatened closure of the three commercial disposal sites. The medical community has used radioactive isotopes for decades in nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, radioimmunoassay, and biomedical research. Loss of disposal capacity for radioactive wastes generated by these activities, by the suppliers of radioisotopes, and by pharmaceutical companies will have a profound impact on the medical profession.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The papers in this document comprise the proceedings of the Department of Energy's Twelfth Annual Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, on August 28 and 29, 1990. General subjects addressed during the conference included: mixed waste, low-level radioactive waste tracking and transportation, public involvement, performance assessment, waste stabilization, financial assurance, waste minimization, licensing and environmental documentation, below-regulatory-concern waste, low-level radioactive waste temporary storage, current challenges, and challenges beyond 1990.

Soils: man-caused radioactivity and radiation forecast

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gablin, Vassily

2007-07-01

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: One of the main tasks of the radiation safety guarantee is non-admission of the excess over critical radiation levels. In Russia they are man-caused radiation levels. Meanwhile any radiation measurement represents total radioactivity. That is why it is hard to assess natural and man-caused contributions to total radioactivity. It is shown that soil radioactivity depends on natural factors including radioactivity of rocks and cosmic radiation as well as man-caused factors including nuclear and non-nuclear technologies. Whole totality of these factors includes unpredictable (non-deterministic) factors - nuclear explosions and radiation accidents,more » and predictable ones (deterministic) - all the rest. Deterministic factors represent background radioactivity whose trends is the base of the radiation forecast. Non-deterministic factors represent man-caused radiation treatment contribution which is to be controlled. This contribution is equal to the difference in measured radioactivity and radiation background. The way of calculation of background radioactivity is proposed. Contemporary soils are complicated technologically influenced systems with multi-leveled spatial and temporary inhomogeneity of radionuclides distribution. Generally analysis area can be characterized by any set of factors of soil radioactivity including natural and man-caused factors. Natural factors are cosmic radiation and radioactivity of rocks. Man-caused factors are shown on Fig. 1. It is obvious that man-caused radioactivity is due to both artificial and natural emitters. Any result of radiation measurement represents total radioactivity i.e. the sum of activities resulting from natural and man-caused emitters. There is no gauge which could separately measure natural and man-caused radioactivity. That is why it is so hard to assess natural and man-caused contributions to soil radioactivity. It would have been possible if human activity had led to contamination of soil only by artificial radionuclides. But we can view a totality of soil radioactivity factors in the following way. (author)« less

Public involvement on closure of Asse II radioactive waste repository in Germany

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kallenbach-Herbert, Beate

2013-07-01

From 1967 to 1978, about 125,800 barrels of low- and intermediate level waste were disposed of - nominally for research purposes - in the former 'Asse' salt mine which had before been used for the production of potash for many years. Since 1988 an inflow of brine is being observed which will cause dangers of flooding and of a collapse due to salt weakening and dissolution if it should increase. Since several years the closure of the Asse repository is planned with the objective to prevent the flooding and collapse of the mine and the release of radioactive substances tomore » the biosphere. The first concept that was presented by the former operator, however, seemed completely unacceptable to regional representatives from politics and NGOs. Their activities against these plans made the project a top issue on the political agenda from the federal to the local level. The paper traces the main reasons which lead to the severe safety problems in the past as well as relevant changes in the governance system today. A focus is put on the process for public involvement in which the Citizens' Advisory Group 'A2B' forms the core measure. Its structure and framework, experience and results, expectations from inside and outside perspectives are presented. Furthermore the question is tackled how far this process can serve as an example for a participatory approach in a siting process for a geological repository for high active waste which can be expected to be highly contested in the affected regions. (authors)« less

78 FR 53793 - Request To Amend a License To Import Radioactive Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-30

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Request To Amend a License To Import Radioactive Waste Pursuant to... (Class A total of 5,500 ``Foreign Suppliers.'' No IW022/04 radioactive tons of low- other changes to the existing 11005700 waste). level waste). license which authorizes the import of low-level waste for...

10 CFR 840.4 - Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite. 840.4 Section 840.4 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EXTRAORDINARY NUCLEAR OCCURRENCES § 840.4 Criterion I—Substantial discharge of radioactive material or...

10 CFR 840.4 - Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite. 840.4 Section 840.4 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EXTRAORDINARY NUCLEAR OCCURRENCES § 840.4 Criterion I—Substantial discharge of radioactive material or...

10 CFR 840.4 - Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite. 840.4 Section 840.4 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EXTRAORDINARY NUCLEAR OCCURRENCES § 840.4 Criterion I—Substantial discharge of radioactive material or...

10 CFR 840.4 - Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite. 840.4 Section 840.4 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EXTRAORDINARY NUCLEAR OCCURRENCES § 840.4 Criterion I—Substantial discharge of radioactive material or...

Photoreduction of 99Tc Pertechnetate by Nanometer-Sized Metal Oxides: New Strategies for Formation and Sequestration of Low-Valent Technetium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burton-Pye, Benjamin P.; Radivojevic, Ivana; McGregor, Donna

2011-11-23

Technetium-99 ( 99Tc)(β - max: 293.7 keV; t 1/2: 2.1 x 10 5 years) is a byproduct of uranium-235 fission and comprises a large component of radioactive waste. Under aerobic conditions and in a neutral- basic environment, the pertechnetate anion ( 99TcO 4 -) is stable. 99TcO 4 - is very soluble, migrates easily through the environment and does not sorb well onto mineral surfaces, soils or sediments. This study moves forward a new strategy for the reduction of TcO 4 - and chemical incorporation of the reduced 99Tc into a metal oxide material. This strategy employs a single material,more » a polyoxometalate (POM), α 2-[P 2W 17O 61] 10-, that can be photoactivated in the presence of 2-propanol to transfer electrons to TcO 4 - and incorporate the reduced 99Tc covalently into the α 2 - framework to form the Tc VO species, Tc VO(α 2-P 2W 17O 61) 7-. This occurs via the formation of an intermediate species that slowly converts to Tc VO(α 2-P 2W 17O 61) 7-. EXAFS and XANES analysis and preliminary EPR analysis, suggests that the intermediate consists of a Tc(IV) α 2- species where the 99Tc is likely bound to only 2 of the 4 W-O oxygen atoms in the α 2-[P 2W 17O 61] 10- defect. This intermediate then oxidizes and converts to the 99Tc VO(α 2-P 2W 17O 61) 7- product. The reduction and incorporation of 99TcO 4- was accomplished in a ''one pot'' reaction using both sunlight and UV irradiation, and monitored as a function of time using multinuclear NMR and radio TLC. The process was further probed by the ''step-wise'' generation of reduced α 2-P 2W 17O 61 12- through bulk electrolysis followed by the addition of TcO 4 -. The reduction and incorporation of ReO 4 -, as a non-radioactive surrogate for 99Tc, does not proceed through the intermediate species, and Re VO is incorporated quickly into the α 2-[P 2W 17O 61] 10- defect. These observations are consistent with the periodic trends of 99Tc and Re. Specifically, 99Tc is more easily reduced compared to Re. In addition to serving as models for metal oxides, POMs may also provide a suitable platform to study the molecular level dynamics and mechanisms of the reduction and incorporation of Tc into a material.« less

Environmental Radioactivity Study in Surface Sediments of Guacanayabo Gulf (Cuba)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, H.; López-Pino, N.; Rizo, O. Díaz; Bernal, J. L.; D'Alessandro, K.; Padilla, F.; Corrales, Y.; Casanova, O. A.; Gelen, A.; Martínez, Y.; Aguilar, J.; Arado, J. O.; Maidana, N. L.

2009-06-01

Sediment samples have been collected in the Guacanayabo gulf located in the southeast Cuba, to determinate the radioactivity levels of 210Pb, 234Th, 214Pb, 137Cs, 232Th and 40K using Low-Background Gamma Spectrometry and to evaluate its impact in the habitat of important marine species for fishery industry. The obtained results show the lowest radioactivity levels determined in Cuban marine environments. The species capture declination in the last years is not originated by radioactive pollution of the zone.

1st Quarter Transportation Report FY2017: Waste Shipments To and From the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), Radioactive Waste Management Complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gregory, Louis

This report satisfies the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) commitment to prepare a quarterly summary report of waste shipments to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) at Area 5. This report summarizes the 1st quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2017 low-level radioactive waste (LLW), mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLLW) and classified non-radioactive (CNR) shipments. There were no shipments sent for offsite treatment from a NNSS facility and returned to the NNSS this quarter of FY2017.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soldaini, Michel

The first heading of your manuscript must be 'Introduction'. Phenix is the only remaining French fast breeder reactor after the shutdown of Superphenix (1999) and Rapsodie (1983). Phenix is located inside the Marcoule nuclear site along the Rhone river near Bagnols-sur-Ceze in southeastern France. Phenix is one of the facilities belonging the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) on the Marcoule site. It is a fast breeder reactor (FBR) developed at the end of the 1960's. that has been in operation since 1973 and was connected to the power grid in 1974. It is a second generation prototype developed while themore » first generation FBR, Rapsodie, was still in operation. Phenix is a 250 electrical MW power plant. During the first 20 years of operation, its main aim was to demonstrate the viability of sodium-cooled FBRs. Since the 1991 radioactive waste management act, Phenix has become an irradiation tool for the actinide transmutation program. To extend its operating life for 6 additional cycles, it was necessary to refurbish the plant; this involved major work performed from 1999 to 2003 at a total cost of about 250 M??. Today, with a realistic expectation, the final shutdown is planned for the beginning of 2009. The main objective of the Phenix dismantling project is to eliminate all the process equipment and clean all the building to remove all the radioactive zones. To reach this objective, three main hazards must be eliminated: Fuel (criticality hazard), Sodium, Radioactive equipment. The complexity of decommissioning a facility such as Phenix is increased by: - the lack of storage facility for high radioactive material, - the decision to treat all the radioactive sodium and sodium waste inside the plant, - the very high irradiation of the core structures due to the presence of cobalt alloys. On the other hand, Phenix plant is still under operating with a qualified staff and the radioactivity coming from structural activation is well known. After the final shutdown, the first operations will be conducted by the same staff under the same safety report. Another interesting fact is that the decommissioning funds project exist and are available. The CEA decided to begin the dismantling phase without waiting because after a period of decay it is not really cheaper or easier to work. This approach needs interim storage facilities not long after the final shutdown. For the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste there are national storage centers but for the high-level wastes, each operator must manage its waste until a suitable disposal site is available. At Marcoule a new storage facility is now being designed and scheduled to begin operating after 2013-2014. After removal of the fuel and core elements, the primary sodium will be drained and eliminated by a carbonation process. To ensure biological shielding, the reference scenario calls for filling the primary vessel with water. The most radioactive structures (dia-grid and core support) will be cut up with remote tools, after which the rest of the structure will be cut up manually. Phenix contains about 1450 metric tons of sodium. The CEA initially planned to build ATENA, a new facility for all radioactive sodium waste from R and D and FBR facilities. For various reasons, but mainly to save money, the CEA decided to treat all radioactive sodium and sodium waste in the framework of the Phenix dismantling project. There are no real difficulties in the dismantling schedule because of the advanced state of development of the processes selected for the ATENA project. Because of the knowledge already obtained, the issues concern project management, waste management and human resources reduction more than technical 0014challe.« less

Assessment on security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals of Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jitbanjong, Petchara; Wongsawaeng, Doonyapong

2016-01-01

Unsecured radioactive sources have caused deaths and serious injuries in many parts of the world. In Thailand, there are 17 hospitals that use teletherapy with cobalt-60 radioactive sources. They need to be secured in order to prevent unauthorized removal, sabotage and terrorists from using such materials in a radiological weapon. The security system of radioactive sources in Thailand is regulated by the Office of Atoms for Peace in compliance with Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), U.S. DOE, which has started to be implemented since 2010. This study aims to perform an assessment on the security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals in Thailand and the results can be used as a recommended baseline data for development or improvement of hospitals on the security system of a radioactive source at a national regulatory level and policy level. Results from questionnaires reveal that in 11 out of 17 hospitals (64.70%), there were a few differences in conditions of hospitals using radioactive sources with installation of the security system and those without installation of the security system. Also, personals working with radioactive sources did not clearly understand the nuclear security law. Thus, government organizations should be encouraged to arrange trainings on nuclear security to increase the level of understanding. In the future, it is recommended that the responsible government organization issues a minimum requirement of nuclear security for every medical facility using radioactive sources.

COMMENTS ON THE DEFINITION OF THE CURIE, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NATURAL RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jaeger, R.G.; Houtermans, H.

1962-06-01

An analysis of maximum permissible levels of radionuclides showed that the definition of the curie, when applied to natural radioactive materials, is ambiguous. The history of the definition of the curie is reviewed. In the past, no clear distinction was raade between the curie as a unit of the quantity of a radioactive substance, and the curie as a unit of radioactivity. This has caused different interpretation of the curic as applied to natural radioactive materials, e.g., natural uranium and natural thorium. A redefinition of the curie as a pure unit of radioactivity is suggested, and maximum permissible levels ormore » concentrations of natural radioactive materials, such as uranium or thorium, should be stated in mass per unit mass or volume of air, water, food, etc. It is recommended that, in legislation listing the amounts of naturally occurring radioactive substances, these amounts be stated in milligrams or Kilograms. (auth)« less

Environmental Radioactivity, Temperature, and Precipitation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riland, Carson A.

1996-01-01

Reports that environmental radioactivity levels vary with temperature and precipitation and these effects are due to radon. Discusses the measurement of this environmental radioactivity and the theory behind it. (JRH)

Sodium to sodium carbonate conversion process

DOEpatents

Herrmann, Steven D.

1997-01-01

A method of converting radioactive alkali metal into a low level disposable solid waste material. The radioactive alkali metal is atomized and introduced into an aqueous caustic solution having caustic present in the range of from about 20 wt % to about 70 wt % to convert the radioactive alkali metal to a radioactive alkali metal hydroxide. The aqueous caustic containing radioactive alkali metal hydroxide and CO.sub.2 are introduced into a thin film evaporator with the CO.sub.2 present in an amount greater than required to convert the alkali metal hydroxide to a radioactive alkali metal carbonate, and thereafter the radioactive alkali metal carbonate is separated from the thin film evaporator as a dry powder. Hydroxide solutions containing toxic metal hydroxide including one or more metal ions of Sb, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Ni, Se, Ag and T1 can be converted into a low level non-hazardous waste using the thin film evaporator of the invention.

Behavior of cesium in municipal solid waste incineration.

PubMed

Oshita, Kazuyuki; Aoki, Hiroshi; Fukutani, Satoshi; Shiota, Kenji; Fujimori, Takashi; Takaoka, Masaki

2015-05-01

As a result of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on March 11, 2011 in Japan radioactive nuclides, primarily (134)Cs and (137)Cs were released, contaminating municipal solid waste and sewage sludge in the area. Although stabilizing the waste and reducing its volume is an important issue differing from Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, secondary emission of radioactive nuclides as a result of any intermediate remediation process is of concern. Unfortunately, there is little research on the behavior of radioactive nuclides during waste treatment. This study focuses on waste incineration in an effort to clarify the behavior of radioactive nuclides, specifically, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) with added (133)Cs (stable nuclide) or (134)Cs (radioactive nuclide) was incinerated in laboratory- and pilot-scale experiments. Next, thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) of stable Cs compounds, as well as an X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analysis of Cs concentrated in the ashes were performed to validate the behavior and chemical forms of Cs during the combustion. Our results showed that at higher temperatures and at larger equivalence ratios, (133)Cs was distributed to the bottom ash at lower concentration, and the influence of the equivalence ratio was more significant at lower temperatures. (134)Cs behaved in a similar fashion as (133)Cs. We found through TG-DTA and XAFS analysis that a portion of Cs in RDF vaporizes and is transferred to fly ash where it exists as CsCl in the MSW incinerator. We conclude that Cs-contaminated municipal solid wastes could be incinerated at high temperatures resulting in a small amount of fly ash with a high concentration of radioactive Cs, and a bottom ash with low concentrations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial reduction of U(VI) under alkaline conditions: implications for radioactive waste geodisposal.

PubMed

Williamson, Adam J; Morris, Katherine; Law, Gareth T W; Rizoulis, Athanasios; Charnock, John M; Lloyd, Jonathan R

2014-11-18

Although there is consensus that microorganisms significantly influence uranium speciation and mobility in the subsurface under circumneutral conditions, microbiologically mediated U(VI) redox cycling under alkaline conditions relevant to the geological disposal of cementitious intermediate level radioactive waste, remains unexplored. Here, we describe microcosm experiments that investigate the biogeochemical fate of U(VI) at pH 10-10.5, using sediments from a legacy lime working site, stimulated with an added electron donor, and incubated in the presence and absence of added Fe(III) as ferrihydrite. In systems without added Fe(III), partial U(VI) reduction occurred, forming a U(IV)-bearing non-uraninite phase which underwent reoxidation in the presence of air (O2) and to some extent nitrate. By contrast, in the presence of added Fe(III), U(VI) was first removed from solution by sorption to the Fe(III) mineral, followed by bioreduction and (bio)magnetite formation coupled to formation of a complex U(IV)-bearing phase with uraninite present, which also underwent air (O2) and partial nitrate reoxidation. 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing showed that Gram-positive bacteria affiliated with the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes dominated in the post-reduction sediments. These data provide the first insights into uranium biogeochemistry at high pH and have significant implications for the long-term fate of uranium in geological disposal in both engineered barrier systems and the alkaline, chemically disturbed geosphere.

Metabolism of 2-chloro-1,1-difluoroethene to glyoxylic and glycolic acid in rat hepatic microsomes.

PubMed

Baker, M T; Vasquez, M T; Bates, J N; Chiang, C K

1990-01-01

The complete metabolic fate of the volatile anesthetic halothane is unclear since 2-chloro-1,1-diflurorethene (CDE), a reductive halothane metabolite, is known to readily release inorganic fluoride upon oxidation by cytochrome P-450. This study sought to clarify the metabolism of CDE by determining its metabolites and the roles of induce cytochrome P-450 forms in its metabolism. Upon incubation of [14C]CDE with rat hepatic microsomes, two major radioactive products were found which accounted for greater than 94% of the total metabolites. These compounds were determined to be the nonhalogenated compounds, glyoxylic and glycolic acids, which were formed in a ratio of approximately 1 to 2 of glyoxylic to glycolic acid. No other radioactive metabolites could be detected. Following incubation of CDE with hepatic microsomes isolated from rats treated with cytochrome P-450 inducers, measurement of fluoride release showed that phenobarbital induced CDE metabolism to the greatest degree at high CDE levels, isoniazid was the most effective inducer at low CDE concentrations, and beta-naphthoflavone was ineffective as an inducer. These results suggest that CDE biotransformation primarily involves the generation of an epoxide intermediate, which undergoes mechanisms of decay leading to total dehalogenation of the molecule, and that this metabolism is preferentially carried out by the phenobarbital- and ethanol-inducible forms of cytochrome P-450.

Microbial degradation of isosaccharinic acid at high pH

PubMed Central

Bassil, Naji M; Bryan, Nicholas; Lloyd, Jonathan R

2015-01-01

Intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW), which dominates the radioactive waste inventory in the United Kingdom on a volumetric basis, is proposed to be disposed of via a multibarrier deep geological disposal facility (GDF). ILW is a heterogeneous wasteform that contains substantial amounts of cellulosic material encased in concrete. Upon resaturation of the facility with groundwater, alkali conditions will dominate and will lead to the chemical degradation of cellulose, producing a substantial amount of organic co-contaminants, particularly isosaccharinic acid (ISA). ISA can form soluble complexes with radionuclides, thereby mobilising them and posing a potential threat to the surrounding environment or ‘far field'. Alkaliphilic microorganisms sampled from a legacy lime working site, which is an analogue for an ILW-GDF, were able to degrade ISA and couple this degradation to the reduction of electron acceptors that will dominate as the GDF progresses from an aerobic ‘open phase' through nitrate- and Fe(III)-reducing conditions post closure. Furthermore, pyrosequencing analyses showed that bacterial diversity declined as the reduction potential of the electron acceptor decreased and that more specialised organisms dominated under anaerobic conditions. These results imply that the microbial attenuation of ISA and comparable organic complexants, initially present or formed in situ, may play a role in reducing the mobility of radionuclides from an ILW-GDF, facilitating the reduction of undue pessimism in the long-term performance assessment of such facilities. PMID:25062127

Assessment of the usefulness of the standardized uptake values and the radioactivity levels for the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancer measured by using 18F-FDG PET/CT dual-time-point imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hyeon-Guck; Hong, Seong-Jong; Cho, Jae-Hwan; Han, Man-Seok; Kim, Tae-Hyung; Lee, Ik-Han

2013-02-01

The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the changes in the SUV (standardized uptake value), the 18F-FDG (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose) uptake pattern, and the radioactivity level for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer via dual-time-point 18F-FDG PET/CT (positron emission tomographycomputed tomography) imaging. Moreover, the study aimed to verify the usefulness and significance of SUV values and radioactivity levels to discriminate tumor malignancy. A retrospective analysis was performed on 40 patients who received 18F-FDG PET/CT for thyroid cancer as a primary tumor. To set the background, we compared changes in values by calculating the dispersion of scattered rays in the neck area and the lung apex, and by comparing the mean and SD (standard deviation) values of the maxSUV and the radioactivity levels. According to the statistical analysis of the changes in 18F-FDG uptake for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, a high similarity was observed with the coefficient of determination being R2 = 0.939, in the SUVs and the radioactivity levels. Moreover, similar results were observed in the assessment of tumor malignancy using dual-time-point. The quantitative analysis method for assessing tumor malignancy using radioactivity levels was neither specific nor discriminative compared to the semi-quantitative analysis method.

Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission annual report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1988-08-01

In 1980, Congress passed the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act. This Act provided for a new approach to the disposal of low-level radioactive waste. It assigned each state responsibility for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated within its borders, and it authorized states to enter into compacts for the purpose of operating regional disposal facilities. It also authorized compacts to restrict the use of regional disposal facilities to only member states. To meet their obligations under the Act, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin formed the Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact. The Compact was ratified bymore » each of the state legislatures and by Congress. The Compact established the Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission, composed on one representative appointed by the Governor or Legislature of each member state. Article 3 of the compact requires that the Commission prepare an annual report regarding the activities and actions of the Commission. It also requires that the annual report be distributed to the Governors and legislative leaders in the member states. The Commission's Bylaw Article 12 requires the annual report to cover the preceding fiscal year, and to be distributed in August of each year. The Bylaw also requires that an annual audit, prepared by a certified public accountant, be included as part of the annual report. 3 figs.« less

Meteorological modeling of arrival and deposition of fallout at intermediate distances downwind of the Nevada Test Site.

PubMed

Cederwall, R T; Peterson, K R

1990-11-01

A three-dimensional atmospheric transport and diffusion model is used to calculate the arrival and deposition of fallout from 13 selected nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in the 1950s. Results are used to extend NTS fallout patterns to intermediate downwind distances (300 to 1200 km). The radioactive cloud is represented in the model by a population of Lagrangian marker particles, with concentrations calculated on an Eulerian grid. Use of marker particles, with fall velocities dependent on particle size, provides a realistic simulation of fallout as the debris cloud travels downwind. The three-dimensional wind field is derived from observed data, adjusted for mass consistency. Terrain is represented in the grid, which extends up to 1200 km downwind of NTS and has 32-km horizontal resolution and 1-km vertical resolution. Ground deposition is calculated by a deposition-velocity approach. Source terms and relationships between deposition and exposure rate are based on work by Hicks. Uncertainty in particle size and vertical distributions within the debris cloud (and stem) allow for some model "tuning" to better match measured ground-deposition values. Particle trajectories representing different sizes and starting heights above ground zero are used to guide source specification. An hourly time history of the modeled fallout pattern as the debris cloud moves downwind provides estimates of fallout arrival times. Results for event HARRY illustrate the methodology. The composite deposition pattern for all 13 tests is characterized by two lobes extending out to the north-northeast and east-northeast, respectively, at intermediate distances from NTS. Arrival estimates, along with modeled deposition values, augment measured deposition data in the development of data bases at the county level; these data bases are used for estimating radiation exposure at intermediate distances downwind of NTS. Results from a study of event TRINITY are also presented.

10 CFR 140.84 - Criterion I-Substantial discharge of radioactive material or substantial radiation levels offsite.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) Radioactive material that may be taken into the body from its occurrence in air or water; and (3) Radioactive... Commission finds that: (1) Surface contamination of at least a total of any 100 square meters of offsite... facility and such contamination is characterized by levels of radiation in excess of one of the values...

Geohydrology of the near-surface unsaturated zone adjacent to the disposal site for low-level radioactive waste near Beatty, Nevada: A section in Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings (Circular 1036)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Jeffrey M.; Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Shallow-land burial in arid areas is considered the best method for isolating low-level radioactive waste from the environment (Nichols and Goode, this report; Mercer and others, 1983). A major threat to waste isolation in shallow trenches is ground-water percolation. Repository sites in arid areas are believed to minimize the risk of ground-water contamination because such sites receive minimal precipitation and are underlain by thick unsaturated zones. Unfortunately, few data are available on rates of water percolation in an arid environment.

Environmental Radioactivity Study in Surface Sediments of Guacanayabo Gulf (Cuba)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reyes, H.; Rizo, O. Diaz; Bernal, J. L.

Sediment samples have been collected in the Guacanayabo gulf located in the southeast Cuba, to determinate the radioactivity levels of {sup 210}Pb, {sup 234}Th, {sup 214}Pb, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 232}Th and {sup 40}K using Low-Background Gamma Spectrometry and to evaluate its impact in the habitat of important marine species for fishery industry. The obtained results show the lowest radioactivity levels determined in Cuban marine environments. The species capture declination in the last years is not originated by radioactive pollution of the zone.

ONDRAF/NIRAS and high-level radioactive waste management in Belgium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Decamps, F.

1993-12-31

The National Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials, ONDRAF/NIRAS, is a public body with legal personality in charge of managing all radioactive waste on Belgian territory, regardless of its origin and source. It is also entrusted with tasks related to the management of enriched fissile materials, plutonium containing materials and used or unused nuclear fuel, and with certain aspects of the dismantling of closed down nuclear facilities. High-level radioactive waste management comprises essentially and for the time being the storage of high-level liquid waste produced by the former EUROCHEMIC reprocessing plant and of high-level and very high-level heatmore » producing waste resulting from the reprocessing in France of Belgian spent fuel, as well as research and development (R and D) with regard to geological disposal in clay of this waste type.« less

Texas State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-08-01

The Texas State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactivee waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Texas. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Texas. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Texas.« less

Assessment on security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals of Thailand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jitbanjong, Petchara, E-mail: petcharajit@gmail.com; Wongsawaeng, Doonyapong

Unsecured radioactive sources have caused deaths and serious injuries in many parts of the world. In Thailand, there are 17 hospitals that use teletherapy with cobalt-60 radioactive sources. They need to be secured in order to prevent unauthorized removal, sabotage and terrorists from using such materials in a radiological weapon. The security system of radioactive sources in Thailand is regulated by the Office of Atoms for Peace in compliance with Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), U.S. DOE, which has started to be implemented since 2010. This study aims to perform an assessment on the security system of radioactive sources usedmore » in hospitals in Thailand and the results can be used as a recommended baseline data for development or improvement of hospitals on the security system of a radioactive source at a national regulatory level and policy level. Results from questionnaires reveal that in 11 out of 17 hospitals (64.70%), there were a few differences in conditions of hospitals using radioactive sources with installation of the security system and those without installation of the security system. Also, personals working with radioactive sources did not clearly understand the nuclear security law. Thus, government organizations should be encouraged to arrange trainings on nuclear security to increase the level of understanding. In the future, it is recommended that the responsible government organization issues a minimum requirement of nuclear security for every medical facility using radioactive sources.« less

Memorandum of the Establishment of Cleanup Levels for CERCLA Sites with Radioactive Contamination

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This memorandum presents clarifying guidance for establishing protective cleanup levels for radioactive contamination at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) sites.

Operational Strategies for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site in Egypt - 13513

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohamed, Yasser T.

The ultimate aims of treatment and conditioning is to prepare waste for disposal by ensuring that the waste will meet the waste acceptance criteria of a disposal facility. Hence the purpose of low-level waste disposal is to isolate the waste from both people and the environment. The radioactive particles in low-level waste emit the same types of radiation that everyone receives from nature. Most low-level waste fades away to natural background levels of radioactivity in months or years. Virtually all of it diminishes to natural levels in less than 300 years. In Egypt, The Hot Laboratories and Waste Management Centermore » has been established since 1983, as a waste management facility for LLW and ILW and the disposal site licensed for preoperational in 2005. The site accepts the low level waste generated on site and off site and unwanted radioactive sealed sources with half-life less than 30 years for disposal and all types of sources for interim storage prior to the final disposal. Operational requirements at the low-level (LLRW) disposal site are listed in the National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control NCNSRC guidelines. Additional procedures are listed in the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility Standards Manual. The following describes the current operations at the LLRW disposal site. (authors)« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vargas, Edmundo; Reyes, Rolando; Palattao, Maria Visitacion

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) in collaboration with the interagency technical committee on radioactive waste has been undertaking a national project to find a final solution to the country's low to intermediate level radioactive waste. The strategy adopted was to co-locate 2 disposal concepts that will address the types of radioactive waste generated from the use of radioactive materials. This strategy is expected to compensate for the small volumes of waste generated in the Philippines as compared to countries with big nuclear energy programs. It will also take advantage of the benefits of a shared infrastructure and R andmore » D work that accompany such project. The preferred site selected from previous site selection and investigations is underlain by highly fractured 'andesitic volcaniclastics' mantled by residual clayey soil which act as the aquifer or water bearing layer. Results of investigation show that the groundwater in the area is relatively dilute and acidic. Springs at the lower elevations of the footprint also indicate acidic waters. The relatively acidic water is attributed to the formation of sulfuric acid by the oxidation of the pyrite in the andesite. A preliminary post closure safety assessment was carried out using the GMS MODFLOW and HYDRUS softwares purchased through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) technical assistance. Results from MODFLOW modeling show that the radionuclide transport follows the natural gradient from the top of the hill down to the natural discharge zones. The vault dispersion model shows a circular direction from the vaults towards the faults and eventually to the creeks. The contaminant transport from borehole shows at least one confined plume from the borehole towards the creek designated as Repo1 and eventually follows downstream. The influx of surface water and rainfall to the disposal vault was modeled using the HYDRUS software. The pressure head and water content at the base of the foundation layer and the bottom of the concrete is where a significant reduction in water content can be observed. It is also noted that water content and pressure remain constant after one year. (authors)« less

Investigating Low Temperature Properties of Rubber Seals - 13020

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jaunich, M.; Wolff, D.; Stark, W.

To achieve the required tightness levels of containers for low and intermediate level radioactive wastes rubbers are widely applied as main sealing materials. The save encapsulation of the radioactive container contents has to be guaranteed according to legislation and appropriate guidelines for long storage periods as well as down to temperatures of -40 deg. C during transportation. Therefore the understanding of failure mechanisms that lead to leakage at low temperatures is of high importance. It is known that the material properties of rubbers are strongly influenced by temperature. At low temperatures this is caused by the rubber-glass transition (abbr. glassmore » transition). During continuous cooling the material changes from rubber-like entropy-elastic to stiff energy-elastic behaviour, that allows nearly no strain or retraction. Therefore, rubbers are normally used above their glass transition but the minimum working temperature limit is not defined precisely, what can cause problems during application. The temperature range where full functionality is possible is strongly dependent on the application conditions and the material. For this investigation mainly ethylene propylene diene (EPDM) and fluorocarbon rubbers (FKM) were selected as they are often used for radioactive waste containers. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) are typically used for the determination of the temperature range of the glass transition process. The standardized compression set measurement according to ISO 815 is common for investigation of rubber sealing materials as the test simulates the seal behaviour after release. To reduce the test time of the standard tests a faster technique giving the same information was developed. Additionally, the breakdown temperature of the sealing function of complete O-ring seals is measured in a component test setup to compare it with the results of the other tests. The experimental setup is capable of measuring the leakage rate at low temperatures by the pressure rise method. A model was developed that allows calculating the minimum working temperature limit of a seal by combining the results of the applied methods. (authors)« less

Applying 3D Full Waveform Inversion in resolving fracture damage zones around a modelled geological disposal facility in granite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bentham, H. L. M.; Morgan, J. V.; Angus, D. A.

2016-12-01

The UK has a large volume of high level and intermediate level radioactive waste and government policy is to dispose of this waste in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF). This will be a highly-engineered facility capable of isolating radioactive waste within multiple protective barriers, deep underground, to ensure that no harmful quantities of radioactivity ever reach the surface environment. Although no specific GDF site in the UK has been chosen, granite is one of the candidate host rocks due to its strength, in engineering terms, and because of its low permeability in consideration of groundwater movement. We design time-lapse seismic surveys to characterise geological models of naturally fractured granite with GDF-related tunnel damage zones at a potential disposal depth of 1000 m (the UK GDF might be shallower). Additionally, we use effective medium models to calculate the velocity change when the fracture density is increased in the damage zones, and find a reduction of 60 m/s in P-wave velocity when the fracture density is doubled. Next, we simulate seismic surveys and apply 3D Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) to see how well we can recover the low-velocity damage zones. Furthermore we evaluate the effectiveness of using a survey design consisting of surface and tunnel receivers (a combined array) to resolve the target. After applying FWI we find the velocity anomaly within the damage zone can be resolved to within 2 m/s (3%) and the shape of the damage zone is resolved to 12.5 m (within a single grid cell). Using the combined array we are able to resolve the anomaly strength and shape more completely. When we add further complexity to the model by including tunnel infrastructure, we conclude the combined array is essential in recovering the tunnel damage zone. Our findings show that it is beneficial to use 3D FWI and novel survey designs for characterising subtle variations as may be present in granite, information that could assist in the GDF site selection process and also with GDF design.

Sodium to sodium carbonate conversion process

DOEpatents

Herrmann, S.D.

1997-10-14

A method is described for converting radioactive alkali metal into a low level disposable solid waste material. The radioactive alkali metal is atomized and introduced into an aqueous caustic solution having caustic present in the range of from about 20 wt % to about 70 wt % to convert the radioactive alkali metal to a radioactive alkali metal hydroxide. The aqueous caustic containing radioactive alkali metal hydroxide and CO{sub 2} are introduced into a thin film evaporator with the CO{sub 2} present in an amount greater than required to convert the alkali metal hydroxide to a radioactive alkali metal carbonate, and thereafter the radioactive alkali metal carbonate is separated from the thin film evaporator as a dry powder. Hydroxide solutions containing toxic metal hydroxide including one or more metal ions of Sb, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Ni, Se, Ag and Tl can be converted into a low level non-hazardous waste using the thin film evaporator of the invention. 3 figs.

Effects of a Squalene Epoxidase Inhibitor, Terbinafine, on Ether Lipid Biosyntheses in a Thermoacidophilic Archaeon, Thermoplasma acidophilum

PubMed Central

Kon, Takahide; Nemoto, Naoki; Oshima, Tairo; Yamagishi, Akihiko

2002-01-01

The archaeal plasma membrane consists mainly of diether lipids and tetraether lipids instead of the usual ester lipids found in other organisms. Although a molecule of tetraether lipid is thought to be synthesized from two molecules of diether lipids, there is no direct information about the biosynthetic pathway(s) or intermediates of tetraether lipid biosynthesis. In this study, we examined the effects of the fungal squalene epoxidase inhibitor terbinafine on the growth and ether lipid biosyntheses in the thermoacidophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum. Terbinafine was found to inhibit the growth of T. acidophilum in a concentration-dependent manner. When growing T. acidophilum cells were pulse-labeled with [2-14C]mevalonic acid in the presence of terbinafine, incorporation of radioactivity into the tetraether lipid fraction was strongly suppressed, while accumulation of radioactivity was noted at the position corresponding to diether lipids, depending on the concentration of terbinafine. After the cells were washed with fresh medium and incubated further without the radiolabeled substrate and the inhibitor, the accumulated radioactivity in the diether lipid fraction decreased quickly while that in the tetraether lipids increased simultaneously, without significant changes in the total radioactivity of ether lipids. These results strongly suggest that terbinafine inhibits the biosynthesis of tetraether lipids from a diether-type precursor lipid(s). The terbinafine treatment will be a tool for dissecting tetraether lipid biosynthesis in T. acidophilum. PMID:11844769

4th Quarter Transportation Report FY 2014: Radioactive Waste Shipments to and from the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gregory, Louis

2014-12-02

This report satisfies the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) commitment to prepare a quarterly summary report of radioactive waste shipments to and from the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) at Area 5. There were no shipments sent for offsite treatment and returned to the NNSS this quarter. There was one shipment of two drums sent for offsite treatment and disposal. This report summarizes the 4th quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLLW) shipments. This report also includes annualmore » summaries for FY 2014.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harmon, K.M.; Lakey, L.T.; Leigh, I.W.

Worldwide activities related to nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management programs are summarized. Several trends have developed in waste management strategy: All countries having to dispose of reprocessing wastes plan on conversion of the high-level waste (HLW) stream to a borosilicate glass and eventual emplacement of the glass logs, suitably packaged, in a deep geologic repository. Countries that must deal with plutonium-contaminated waste emphasize pluonium recovery, volume reduction and fixation in cement or bitumen in their treatment plans and expect to use deep geologic repositories for final disposal. Commercially available, classical engineering processing are being used worldwide to treatmore » and immobilize low- and intermediate-level wastes (LLW, ILW); disposal to surface structures, shallow-land burial and deep-underground repositories, such as played-out mines, is being done widely with no obvious technical problems. Many countries have established extensive programs to prepare for construction and operation of geologic repositories. Geologic media being studied fall into three main classes: argillites (clay or shale); crystalline rock (granite, basalt, gneiss or gabbro); and evaporates (salt formations). Most nations plan to allow 30 years or longer between discharge of fuel from the reactor and emplacement of HLW or spent fuel is a repository to permit thermal and radioactive decay. Most repository designs are based on the mined-gallery concept, placing waste or spent fuel packages into shallow holes in the floor of the gallery. Many countries have established extensive and costly programs of site evaluation, repository development and safety assessment. Two other waste management problems are the subject of major R and D programs in several countries: stabilization of uranium mill tailing piles; and immobilization or disposal of contaminated nuclear facilities, namely reactors, fuel cycle plants and R and D laboratories.« less

French Geological Repository Project for High Level and Long-Lived Waste: Scientific Programme

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Landais, P.; Lebon, P.; Ouzounian, G.

2008-07-01

The feasibility study presented in the Dossier 2005 Argile set out to evaluate the conditions for building, operating and managing a reversible disposal facility. The research was directed at demonstrating a potential for confining long-lived radioactive waste in a deep clay formation by establishing the feasibility of the disposal principle. Results have been enough convincing and a Planning Act was passed on 28 June, 2006. Decision in principle has been taken to dispose of intermediate and high level long-lived radioactive waste in a geological repository. An application file for a license to construct a disposal facility is requested by endmore » of 2014 and its commissioning is planned for 2025. Based on previous results as well as on recommendations made by various Dossier 2005 evaluators, a new scientific programme for 2006-2015 has been defined. It gives details of what will be covered over the 2006-2015 period. Particular emphasis is placed on consolidating scientific data, increasing understanding of certain mechanisms and using a scientific and technical integration approach. It aims at integrating scientific developments and engineering advances. The scientific work envisaged beyond 2006 has the benefit of a unique context, which is direct access to the geological medium over long timescales. It naturally extends the research carried out to date, and incorporates additional investigations of the geological medium, and the preparation of demonstration work especially through full-scale tests. Results will aim at improving the representation of repository evolutions over time, extract the relevant parameters for monitoring during the reversibility phases, reduce the parametric uncertainties and enhance the robustness of models for performance calculations and safety analyses. Structure and main orientation of the ongoing scientific programme are presented. (author)« less

Integrated data base report--1996: US spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste inventories, projections, and characteristics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-12-01

The Integrated Data Base Program has compiled historic data on inventories and characteristics of both commercial and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and commercial and U.S. government-owned radioactive wastes. Inventories of most of these materials are reported as of the end of fiscal year (FY) 1996, which is September 30, 1996. Commercial SNF and commercial uranium mill tailings inventories are reported on an end-of-calendar year (CY) basis. All SNF and radioactive waste data reported are based on the most reliable information available from government sources, the open literature, technical reports, and direct contacts. The information forecastedmore » is consistent with the latest DOE/Energy Information Administration (EIA) projections of U.S. commercial nuclear power growth and the expected DOE-related and private industrial and institutional activities. The radioactive materials considered, on a chapter-by-chapter basis, are SNF, high-level waste, transuranic waste, low-level waste, uranium mill tailings, DOE Environmental Restoration Program contaminated environmental media, naturally occurring and accelerator-produced radioactive material, and mixed (hazardous and radioactive) low-level waste. For most of these categories, current and projected inventories are given through FY 2030, and the radioactivity and thermal power are calculated based on reported or estimated isotopic compositions.« less

Safe Handling of Radioactive Materials. Recommendations of the National Committee on Radiation Protection. Handbook 92.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Bureau of Standards (DOC), Washington, DC.

This handbook is designed to help users of radioactive materials to handle the radioactive material without exposing themselves or others to radiation doses in excess of maximum permissible limits. The discussion of radiation levels is in terms of readings from dosimeters and survey instruments. Safety in the handling of radioactive materials in…

Decoding Environmental Processes Using Radioactive Isotopes for the Post-Radioactive Contamination Recovery Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasumiishi, Misa; Nishimura, Taku; Osawa, Kazutoshi; Renschler, Chris

2017-04-01

The continual monitoring of environmental radioactive levels in Fukushima, Japan following the nuclear plant accident in March 2011 provides our society with valuable information in two ways. First, the collected data can be used as an indicator to assess the progress of decontamination efforts. Secondly, the collected data also can be used to understand the behavior of radioactive isotopes in the environment which leads to further understanding of the landform processes. These two aspects are inseparable for us to understand the effects of radioactive contamination in a dynamic environmental system. During the summer of 2016, 27 soil core samples were collected on a farmer's land (rice paddies and forest) in Fukushima, about 20 km northwest of the nuclear plant. Each core was divided into 2.0 - 3.0 cm slices for the Cs-134, Cs-137, and I-131 level measurement. The collected data is being analyzed from multiple perspectives: temporal, spatial, and geophysical. In the forest area, even on the same hillslope, multiple soil types and horizon depths were observed which indicates the challenges in assessing the subsurface radioactive isotope movements. It appears that although highly humic soils show higher or about the same level of radioactivity in the surface layers, as the depth increased, the radioactivity decreased more in those samples compared with more sandy soils. With regard to the direction a slope faces and the sampling altitudes, the correlation between those attributes and radioactivity levels is inconclusive at this moment. The altitude might have affected the fallout level on a single hillslope-basis. However, to determine the correlation, further sampling and the detailed analysis of vegetation and topography might be necessary. Where the surface soil was scraped and new soil was brought in, former rice paddy surface layers did show three-magnitude levels lower of radioactivity in the top layer when compared with forest soils. At the foot of forest slopes where the surface soil was scraped and litter was cleared, the scraping showed mixed results in radioactivity reduction. It is estimated that by the completion of soil decontamination in 2020, up to 22 million cubic meters of so-called 'contaminated soils' will have been scraped off in the affected areas and transferred to an underground storage. Understanding the radioactive isotope behaviors is crucial to assessing the financial and environmental consequences of such measures. As an example, a 30-year simulation of a 5-13 % hillslope under thick vegetation with GeoWEPP (the Geospatial interface for the Water Erosion Prediction Project) resulted in a very small soil loss on the hillslope. However, the results showed about five tons of soil loss through channels and as sediment discharge annually. On the hillslope, the radioactivity level in about the top 4.0 cm of the soil exceeded the 8,000 Bq/kg threshold which the Japanese government has set for surface soil removal. Referring to the case study data in Fukushima, this presentation will discuss how environmental decontamination measures (e.g. forest clearing) and monitoring methods should be considered and planned against dynamic environmental processes.

Explosive nucleosynthesis in tidal disruption events of massive white dwarfs, and their debris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanikawa, Ataru; Sato, Yushi; Nomoto, Ken'Ichi; Maeda, Keiichi; Nakasato, Naohito; Hachisu, Izumi

We perform SPH simulations coupled with nuclear reactions to follow tidal disruption events (TDEs) of white dwarfs (WDs) by intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs). We consider an oxygen-neon-magnesium (ONeMg) WD with 1.2M ⊙ as well as a helium (He) WD with 0.3M ⊙, and a carbon-oxygen (CO) WD with 0.6M ⊙. Our WD models have different numbers of SPH particles, N, up to a few 10 million. We find that nucleosynthesis does not converge against N even for N > 107. For all the WDs, the amount of radioactive nuclei, such as 56Ni, decreases with increasing N. Nuclear reactions might be extinguished for infinitely large N. Our results show that these kinds of TDEs, if solely powered by radioactive decays, are much dimmer optical transients similar to Type Ia supernovae as previously suggested.

10 CFR 62.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (42 U.S.C. 2021) to any non-Federal or regional low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facility or... regional or non-Federal low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and who submit a request to the... LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES General Provisions § 62.1 Purpose and scope. (a) The regulations...

10 CFR 60.135 - Criteria for the waste package and its components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Section 60.135 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES... for the waste package and its components. (a) High-level-waste package design in general. (1) Packages... package's permanent written records. (c) Waste form criteria for HLW. High-level radioactive waste that is...

Process for solidifying high-level nuclear waste

DOEpatents

Ross, Wayne A.

1978-01-01

The addition of a small amount of reducing agent to a mixture of a high-level radioactive waste calcine and glass frit before the mixture is melted will produce a more homogeneous glass which is leach-resistant and suitable for long-term storage of high-level radioactive waste products.

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... waste, and/or high level waste including possible reaction with water during wet loading and unloading... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor...

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... waste, and/or high level waste including possible reaction with water during wet loading and unloading... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor...

Intermediate-consumer identity and resources alter a food web with omnivory.

PubMed

Kneitel, Jamie M

2007-07-01

1. Omnivory is an important interaction that has been the centre of numerous theoretical and empirical studies in recent years. Most of these studies examine the conditions necessary for coexistence between an omnivore and an intermediate consumer. Trait variation in ecological interactions (competition and predator tolerance) among intermediate consumers has not been considered in previous empirical studies despite the evidence that variation in species-specific traits can have important community-level effects. 2. I conducted a multifactorial microcosm experiment using species from the Sarracenia purpurea phytotelmata community, organisms that inhabit the water collected within its modified leaves. The basal trophic level consisted of bacterial decomposers, the second trophic level (intermediate consumers) consisted of protozoa and rotifers, and the third trophic level (omnivore) were larvae of the pitcher plant mosquito Wyeomyia smithii. Trophic level number (1, 2 and 3), resources (low and high), omnivore density (low and high) and intermediate consumer (monoculture of five protozoa and rotifers) identity were manipulated. Abundance of the basal trophic level, intermediate consumers, and growth of the omnivore were measured, as well as time to extinction (intermediate consumers) and time to pupation (mosquito larvae). 3. The presence of different intermediate consumers affected both bacteria abundance and omnivore growth. At high resource levels, Poteriochromonas, Colpidium and Habrotrocha rosa reduced bacteria densities greater than omnivore reduction of bacteria. Mosquito larvae did not pupate at low resource levels except when Poteriochromonas and Colopoda were present as intermediate consumers. Communities with H. rosa were the only ones consistent with the prediction that omnivores should exclude intermediate consumers at high resources. 4. These results had mixed support for predictions from omnivory food web theory. Intermediate consumers responded and affected this community differently under different community structures and resource levels. Consequently, variation in species-specific traits can have important population- and community-level effects and needs to be considered in food webs with omnivory.

10 CFR 62.13 - Contents of a request for emergency access: Alternatives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... EMERGENCY ACCESS TO NON-FEDERAL AND REGIONAL LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES Request for a Commission... following: (1) Storage of low-level radioactive waste at the site of generation; (2) Storage of low-level... disposal at a Federal low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in the case of a Federal or defense...

THE EFFECT OF MONOIODOACETIC ACID ON THE RESPIRATION AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN CHLORELLA. (DIE WIRKUNG VON MONOJODESSIGSAURE AUF ATMUNG UND PHOTOSYNTHESE VON CHLORELLA),

DTIC Science & Technology

The distribution of radioactivity after feeding labeled glucose, as well as the change of the pool-size of intermediates, in Chlorella poisoned with...The photosynthetic CO2 assimilation of Chlorella is about 100 fold more sensitive toward MIA than respiration. By feeding labeled CO2 and...chloroplasts, the reduction of the fixed CO2, is the most sensitive reaction of photosynthesis in Chlorella , rather than the formation of RuDP. (Author)

Tungsten-188/carrier-free rhenium-188 perrhenic acid generator system

DOEpatents

Knapp, Jr., Furn F.; Lisic, Edward C.; Mirzadeh, Saed; Callahan, Alvin P.

1993-01-01

A generator system for providing a carrier-free radioisotope in the form of an acid comprises a chromatography column in tandem fluid connection with an ion exchange column, the chromatography column containing a charge of a radioactive parent isotope. The chromatography column, charged with a parent isotope, is eluted with an alkali metal salt solution to generate the radioisotope in the form of an intermediate solution, which is passed through the ion-exchange column to convert the radioisotope to a carrier-free acid form.

Tungsten-188/carrier-free rhenium-188 perrhenic acid generator system

DOEpatents

Knapp, F.F. Jr.; Lisic, E.C.; Mirzadeh, S.; Callahan, A.P.

1993-02-16

A generator system for providing a carrier-free radioisotope in the form of an acid comprises a chromatography column in tandem fluid connection with an ion exchange column, the chromatography column containing a charge of a radioactive parent isotope. The chromatography column, charged with a parent isotope, is eluted with an alkali metal salt solution to generate the radioisotope in the form of an intermediate solution, which is passed through the ion-exchange column to convert the radioisotope to a carrier-free acid form.

Tungsten-188/carrier-free rhenium-188 perrhenic acid generator system

DOEpatents

Knapp, Jr., Furn F.; Lisic, Edward C.; Mirzadeh, Saed; Callahan, Alvin P.

1994-01-01

A generator system for providing a carrier-free radioisotope in the form of an acid comprises a chromatography column in tandem fluid connection with an ion exchange column, the chromatography column containing a charge of a radioactive parent isotope. The chromatography column, charged with a parent isotope, is eluted with an alkali metal salt solution to generate the radioisotope in the form of an intermediate solution, which is passed through the ion-exchange column to convert the radioisotope to a carrier-free acid form.

Gulf War Illnesses: Understanding of Health Effects From Depleted Uranium Evolving But Safety Training Needed

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-03-01

against enemy munitions. Depleted uranium is a low- level radioactive heavy metal , and concerns have surfaced about whether exposure to it could be a...radioactive heavy metal , the potential for health effects are twofold: effects from radiation and effects from chemical toxicity. Two recent expert...depleted uranium safety training. Background Depleted uranium (DU), a low-level radioactive heavy metal , is a by- product of the process used to

Hazardous radioactivity levels and heavy mineral concentrations in beach sediments of Lake Peipsi, northeastern Estonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Järvelill, Johanna-Iisebel; Koch, Rein; Raukas, Anto; Vaasma, Tiit

2018-03-01

The present study discusses results of heavy mineral analyses and radioactivity of beach sediments of Lake Peipsi. Such analyses are commonly done globally, but had not yet been conducted for the fourth largest lake in Europe. The average heavy mineral content in Lake Peipsi beach sediments along the northern and western coast is higher than usual for Estonian coastal and Quaternary sediments. Concomitantly, elevated radioactivity levels have been measured in several places, with the highest concentrations observed at Alajõe (1885.5 Bq/kg), which is over five times more than the recommended limit. The aim of the present study is to find sites with higher radioactivity levels, because the northern coast of Lake Peipsi is a well-known recreational area.

Serial post-surgical stimulated and unstimulated highly sensitive thyroglobulin measurements in low- and intermediate-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma patients not receiving radioactive iodine.

PubMed

Kashat, Lawrence; Orlov, Steven; Orlov, David; Assi, Jasmeet; Salari, Farnaz; Walfish, Paul G

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the natural temporal trends of serial thyroglobulin (Tg) among low/intermediate-risk PTC patients not receiving radioactive iodine (RAI) using TSH-stimulated Tg (Stim-Tg) and unstimulated highly sensitive Tg (u-hsTg). We prospectively analyzed serial Stim-Tg measurements after total thyroidectomy ± therapeutic central neck dissection among 121 consecutive low/intermediate-risk PTC patients who did not receive RAI, of whom 104 also had serial u-hsTg measurements available. Median follow-up was 6.5 years with Stim-Tg measurements commencing 3 months after surgery and u-hsTg commencing 1.8 years after surgery (when the assay became available). TSH stimulation was performed with 9-day T3 withdrawal, 22-day T4 withdrawal, or using recombinant human TSH (rhTSH). To account for within-patient correlations of repeated Tg measurements, temporal trends in Stim-Tg and u-hsTg were assessed using Generalized Estimating Equations. Stim-Tg models were adjusted for the method of TSH stimulation, whereas the u-hsTg models were adjusted for concurrent TSH level. Linear regression modeling was used to assess the trend in serial Stim-Tg and u-hsTg measurements as a function time from time of surgery throughout the duration of follow-up. The main outcome measured was the change in u-hsTg and Stim-Tg measurements over time. A total of 337 Stim-Tg (2.8/patient) and 602 u-hsTg (5.8/patient) measurements were analyzed. Among the 337 Stim-Tg measurements, Stim-Tg was assessed using rhTSH in 202 (60 %), T4 withdrawal in 41 (12 %), and T3 withdrawal in 94 (28 %) measurements. The overall mean ± 1SD for Stim-Tg and u-hsTg measured was 1.0 ± 1.2 and 0.2 ± 0.1 μg/L, respectively. When adjusted for method of TSH stimulation, serial Stim-Tg measurements did not significantly change over time (all p = NS). The estimated changes in Stim-Tg per year for rhTSH, T4 withdrawal, and T3 withdrawal were 0.01, -0.08, and 0.04 μg/L, respectively. Upon exclusion of 73 patients with an initial undetectable Stim-Tg (n = 48), serial Stim-Tg measurements did not change significantly over time (all p = NS). For these patients, the estimated changes in Stim-Tg per year for rhTSH, T4 withdrawal, and T3 withdrawal were -0.09, -0.10, and 0.01 μg/L, respectively. Serial u-hsTg measurements did not significantly change over time after adjusting for TSH level (p = NS). The estimated change in u-hsTg per year was -0.003 μg/L. No patients had any clinical or imaging evidence of a recurrence during the duration of their follow-up. Among low/intermediate-risk PTC patients not treated with RAI, serial post-surgical Stim-Tg and u-hsTg measurements do not change significantly over a median follow-up of 6.5 years.

Radioactive Waste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blaylock, B. G.

1978-01-01

Presents a literature review of radioactive waste disposal, covering publications of 1976-77. Some of the studies included are: (1) high-level and long-lived wastes, and (2) release and burial of low-level wastes. A list of 42 references is also presented. (HM)

Understanding Intermediate-Level Speakers' Strengths and Weaknesses: An Examination of OPIc Tests from Korean Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Troy L.

2017-01-01

This study profiled Intermediate-level learners in terms of their linguistic characteristics and performance on different proficiency tasks. A stratified random sample of 300 Korean learners of English with holistic ratings of Intermediate Low (IL), Intermediate Mid (IM), and Intermediate High (IH) on Oral Proficiency Interviews-computerized…

An industry perspective on commercial radioactive waste disposal conditions and trends.

PubMed

Romano, Stephen A

2006-11-01

The United States is presently served by Class-A, -B and -C low-level radioactive waste and naturally-occurring and accelerator-produced radioactive material disposal sites in Washington and South Carolina; a Class-A and mixed waste disposal site in Utah that also accepts naturally-occurring radioactive material; and hazardous and solid waste facilities and uranium mill tailings sites that accept certain radioactive materials on a site-specific basis. The Washington site only accepts low-level radioactive waste from 11 western states due to interstate Compact restrictions on waste importation. The South Carolina site will be subject to geographic service area restrictions beginning 1 July 2008, after which only three states will have continued access. The Utah site dominates the commercial Class-A and mixed waste disposal market due to generally lower state fees than apply in South Carolina. To expand existing commercial services, an existing hazardous waste site in western Texas is seeking a Class-A, -B and -C and mixed waste disposal license. With that exception, no new Compact facilities are proposed. This fluid, uncertain situation has inspired national level rulemaking initiatives and policy studies, as well as alternative disposal practices for certain low-activity materials.

Influence of radioactivity on surface charging and aggregation kinetics of particles in the atmosphere.

PubMed

Kim, Yong-Ha; Yiacoumi, Sotira; Lee, Ida; McFarlane, Joanna; Tsouris, Costas

2014-01-01

Radioactivity can influence surface interactions, but its effects on particle aggregation kinetics have not been included in transport modeling of radioactive particles. In this research, experimental and theoretical studies have been performed to investigate the influence of radioactivity on surface charging and aggregation kinetics of radioactive particles in the atmosphere. Radioactivity-induced charging mechanisms have been investigated at the microscopic level, and heterogeneous surface potential caused by radioactivity is reported. The radioactivity-induced surface charging is highly influenced by several parameters, such as rate and type of radioactive decay. A population balance model, including interparticle forces, has been employed to study the effects of radioactivity on particle aggregation kinetics in air. It has been found that radioactivity can hinder aggregation of particles because of similar surface charging caused by the decay process. Experimental and theoretical studies provide useful insights into the understanding of transport characteristics of radioactive particles emitted from severe nuclear events, such as the recent accident of Fukushima or deliberate explosions of radiological devices.

Source term evaluation model for high-level radioactive waste repository with decay chain build-up.

PubMed

Chopra, Manish; Sunny, Faby; Oza, R B

2016-09-18

A source term model based on two-component leach flux concept is developed for a high-level radioactive waste repository. The long-lived radionuclides associated with high-level waste may give rise to the build-up of activity because of radioactive decay chains. The ingrowths of progeny are incorporated in the model using Bateman decay chain build-up equations. The model is applied to different radionuclides present in the high-level radioactive waste, which form a part of decay chains (4n to 4n + 3 series), and the activity of the parent and daughter radionuclides leaching out of the waste matrix is estimated. Two cases are considered: one when only parent is present initially in the waste and another where daughters are also initially present in the waste matrix. The incorporation of in situ production of daughter radionuclides in the source is important to carry out realistic estimates. It is shown that the inclusion of decay chain build-up is essential to avoid underestimation of the radiological impact assessment of the repository. The model can be a useful tool for evaluating the source term of the radionuclide transport models used for the radiological impact assessment of high-level radioactive waste repositories.

1st Quarter Transportation Report FY 2015: Radioactive Waste Shipments to and from the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gregory, Louis

2015-02-20

This report satisfies the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) commitment to prepare a quarterly summary report of radioactive waste shipments to and from the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) at Area 5. There were no shipments sent for offsite treatment and returned to the NNSS this quarter. This report summarizes the 1st quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLLW) shipments. Tabular summaries are provided which include the following: Sources of and carriers for LLW and MLLW shipments tomore » and from the NNSS; Number and external volume of LLW and MLLW shipments; Highway routes used by carriers; and Incident/accident data applicable to LLW and MLLW shipments. In this report shipments are accounted for upon arrival at the NNSS, while disposal volumes are accounted for upon waste burial. The disposal volumes presented in this report include minor volumes of non-radioactive classified waste/material that were approved for disposal (non-radioactive classified or nonradioactive classified hazardous). Volume reports showing cubic feet generated using the Low-Level Waste Information System may vary slightly due to rounding conventions for volumetric conversions from cubic meters to cubic feet.« less

Theacrine (1,3,7,9-tetramethyluric acid) synthesis in leaves of a Chinese tea, kucha (Camellia assamica var. kucha).

PubMed

Zheng, Xin-Qiang; Ye, Chuang-Xing; Kato, Misako; Crozier, Alan; Ashihara, Hiroshi

2002-05-01

Theacrine (1,3,7,9-tetramethyluric acid) and caffeine were the major purine alkaloids in the leaves of an unusual Chinese tea known as kucha (Camellia assamica var. kucha). Endogenous levels of theacrine and caffeine in expanding buds and young leaves were ca. 2.8 and 0.6-2.7% of the dry wt, respectively, but the concentrations were lower in the mature leaves. Radioactivity from S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-14C]methionine was incorporated into theacrine as well as theobromine and caffeine by leaf disks of kucha, indicating that S-adenosyl-L-methionine acts as the methyl donor not only for caffeine biosynthesis but also for theacrine production. [8-14C]Caffeine was converted to theacrine by kucha leaves with highest incorporation occurring in expanding buds. When [8-14C]adenosine, the most effective purine precursor for caffeine biosynthesis in tea (Camellia sinensis), was incubated with young kucha leaves for 24 h, up to 1% of total radioactivity was recovered in theacrine. However, pulse-chase experiments with [8-14C]adenosine demonstrated much more extensive incorporation of label into caffeine than theacrine, possibly because of dilution of [14C]caffeine produced by the large endogenous caffeine pool. These results indicate that in kucha leaves theacrine is synthesized from caffeine in what is probably a three-step pathway with 1,3,7-methyluric acid acting an intermediate. This is a first demonstration that theacrine is synthesized from adenosine via caffeine.

10 CFR 72.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Provisions § 72.1 Purpose. The... receive, transfer, and possess power reactor spent fuel, power reactor-related Greater than Class C (GTCC... reactor spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, power reactor-related GTCC waste, and other radioactive...

10 CFR 72.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Provisions § 72.1 Purpose. The... receive, transfer, and possess power reactor spent fuel, power reactor-related Greater than Class C (GTCC... reactor spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, power reactor-related GTCC waste, and other radioactive...

Geohydrologic aspects for siting and design of low-level radioactive-waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, M.S.

1989-01-01

The objective for siting and design of low-level radioactive-waste repository sites is to isolate the waste from the biosphere until the waste no longer poses an unacceptable hazard as a result of radioactive decay. Low-level radioactive waste commonly is isolated at shallow depths with various engineered features to stabilize the waste and to reduce its dissolution and transport by ground water. The unsaturated zone generally is preferred for isolating the waste. Low-level radioactive waste may need to be isolated for 300 to 500 years. Maintenance and monitoring of the repository site are required by Federal regulations for only the first 100 years. Therefore, geohydrology of the repository site needs to provide natural isolation of the waste for the hazardous period following maintenance of the site. Engineering design of the repository needs to be compatible with the natural geohydrologic conditions at the site. Studies at existing commercial and Federal waste-disposal sites provide information on the problems encountered and the basis for establishing siting guidelines for improved isolation of radioactive waste, engineering design of repository structures, and surveillance needs to assess the effectiveness of the repositories and to provide early warning of problems that may require remedial action.Climate directly affects the hydrology of a site and probably is the most important single factor that affects the suitability of a site for shallow-land burial of low-level radioactive waste. Humid and subhumid regions are not well suited for shallow isolation of low-level radioactive waste in the unsaturated zone; arid regions with zero to small infiltration from precipitation, great depths to the water table, and long flow paths to natural discharge areas are naturally well suited to isolation of the waste. The unsaturated zone is preferred for isolation of low-level radioactive waste. The guiding rationale is to minimize contact of water with the waste and to minimize transport of waste from the repository. The hydrology of a flow system containing a repository is greatly affected by the engineering of the repository site. Prediction of the performance of the repository is a complex problem, hampered by problems of characterizing the natural and manmade features of the flow system and by the limitations of models to predict flow and geochemical processes in the saturated and unsaturated zones. Disposal in low-permeability unfractured clays in the saturated zone may be feasible where the radionuclide transport is controlled by diffusion rather than advection.

77 FR 40817 - Low-Level Radioactive Waste Regulatory Management Issues

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-11

...-2011-0012] RIN-3150-AI92 Low-Level Radioactive Waste Regulatory Management Issues AGENCY: Nuclear... Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555... State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington...

Radioactivity: A Natural Phenomenon.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ronneau, C.

1990-01-01

Discussed is misinformation people have on the subject of radiation. The importance of comparing artificial source levels of radiation to natural levels is emphasized. Measurements of radioactivity, its consequences, and comparisons between the risks induced by radiation in the environment and from artificial sources are included. (KR)

High-level radioactive waste management alternatives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1974-05-01

A summary of a comprehensive overview study of potential alternatives for long-term management of high-level radioactive waste is presented. The concepts studied included disposal in geologic formations, disposal in seabeds, disposal in ice caps, disposal into space, and elimination by transmutation. (TFD)

Radiochemically-Supported Microbial Communities: A Potential Mechanism for Biocolloid Production of Importance to Actinide Transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moser, Duane P.; Hamilton-Brehm, Scott D.; Fisher, Jenny C.

Due to the legacy of Cold War nuclear weapons testing, the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly known as the Nevada Test Site (NTS)) contains millions of Curies of radioactive contamination. Presented here is a summary of the results of the first comprehensive study of subsurface microbial communities of radioactive and nonradioactive aquifers at this site. To achieve the objectives of this project, cooperative actions between the Desert Research Institute (DRI), the Nevada Field Office of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Underground Test Area Activity (UGTA), and contractors such as Navarro-Interra (NI), were required. Ultimately, fluids from 17more » boreholes and two water-filled tunnels were sampled (sometimes on multiple occasions and from multiple depths) from the NNSS, the adjacent Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), and a reference hole in the Amargosa Valley near Death Valley. The sites sampled ranged from highly-radioactive nuclear device test cavities to uncontaminated perched and regional aquifers. Specific areas sampled included recharge, intermediate, and discharge zones of a 100,000-km2 internally-draining province, known as the Death Valley Regional Flow System (DVRFS), which encompasses the entirety of the NNSS/NTTR and surrounding areas. Specific geological features sampled included: West Pahute and Ranier Mesas (recharge zone), Yucca and Frenchman Flats (transitional zone), and the Western edge of the Amargosa Valley near Death Valley (discharge zone). The original overarching question underlying the proposal supporting this work was stated as: Can radiochemically-produced substrates support indigenous microbial communities and subsequently stimulate biocolloid formation that can affect radionuclides in NNSS subsurface nuclear test/detonation sites? Radioactive and non-radioactive groundwater samples were thus characterized for physical parameters, aqueous geochemistry, and microbial communities using both DNA- and cultivation-based tools in an effort to understand the drivers of microbial community structure (including radioactivity) and microbial interactions with select radionuclides and other factors across the range of habitats surveyed.« less

Risk assessment associated to possible concrete degradation of a near surface disposal facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capra, B.; Billard, Y.; Wacquier, W.; Gens, R.

2013-07-01

This article outlines a risk analysis of possible concrete degradation performed in the framework of the preparation of the Safety Report of ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials, for the construction and operation of a near surface disposal facility of category A waste - short-lived low and intermediate level waste - in Dessel. The main degradation mechanism considered is the carbonation of different concrete components over different periods (from the building phase up to 2000 years), which induces corrosion of the rebars. A dedicated methodology mixing risk analysis and numerical modeling of concrete carbonation has been developed to assess the critical risks of the disposal facility at different periods. According to the results obtained, risk mapping was used to assess the impact of carbonation of concrete on the different components at the different stages. The most important risk is related to an extreme situation with complete removal of the earth cover and side embankment.

Safety Assessment for the Kozloduy National Disposal Facility in Bulgaria - 13507

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biurrun, E.; Haverkamp, B.; Lazaro, A.

2013-07-01

Due to the early decommissioning of four Water-Water Energy Reactors (WWER) 440-V230 reactors at the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) near the city of Kozloduy in Bulgaria, large amounts of low and intermediate radioactive waste will arise much earlier than initially scheduled. In or-der to manage the radioactive waste from the early decommissioning, Bulgaria has intensified its efforts to provide a near surface disposal facility at Radiana with the required capacity. To this end, a project was launched and assigned in international competition to a German-Spanish consortium to provide the complete technical planning including the preparation of the Intermediate Safety Assessmentmore » Report. Preliminary results of operational and long-term safety show compliance with the Bulgarian regulatory requirements. The long-term calculations carried out for the Radiana site are also a good example of how analysis of safety assessment results can be used for iterative improvements of the assessment by pointing out uncertainties and areas of future investigations to reduce such uncertainties in regard to the potential radiological impact. The computer model used to estimate the long-term evolution of the future repository at Radiana predicted a maximum total annual dose for members of the critical group, which is carried to approximately 80 % by C-14 for a specific ingestion pathway. Based on this result and the outcome of the sensitivity analysis, existing uncertainties were evaluated and areas for reasonable future investigations to reduce these uncertainties were identified. (authors)« less

Investigation of some process parameters using microwave plasma technology for the treatment of radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trnovcevic, J.; Schneider, F.; Scherer, U. W.

2017-02-01

The production of nuclear energy and the application of other nuclear technologies produce large volumes of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes. To investigate a novel means of treating such wastes, plasma is investigated for its efficacy. Plasma treatment promises to simultaneously treat all waste types without any previous sorting or pre-treatment. Microwave-driven plasma torches have the advantage of high-energy efficiency and low-electrode wear. In small-scale experiments, several design variations of an open plasma oven were assembled in order to investigate constraints caused by the materials and oven geometry. The experimental set-up was modified several times in order to test the design characteristics and the variation of plasma-specific proprieties related to the radioactive waste treatment and in order to find a suitable solution with the minimum complexity that allows a representative reproducibility of the results obtained. A plasma torch controlled by a 2.45 GHz microwave signal of up to 200 W was used, employing air as the primary plasma gas with a flow rate of ∼2 L/min. Different organic and inorganic materials in different shapes and sizes were treated besides a standardized mixture resembling mixed wastes from nuclear plants. The results prove that the chosen microwave plasma torch is suitable for a combined combustion and melting of organic and in-organic materials. Investigation of the specimen size to be treated is influential in this process: the power is still too low to melt larger samples, but the temperature is sufficient to treat all kinds of material. When glass particles are added, materials melt together to form an amorphous substance, proving the possibility to vitrify material with this plasma torch. By optimization of the oven configuration, the time needed to combust 25 g of standard sample was reduced by ∼50%. Typical energy efficiencies were found in the range of 8-20% for melting of metal chipping, and ∼90% for melting of zinc powder.

Scenario for the safety assessment of near surface radioactive waste disposal in Serpong, Indonesia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Purnomo, A.S.

2007-07-01

Near surface disposal has been practiced for some decades, with a wide variation in sites, types and amounts of wastes, and facility designs employed. Experience has shown that the effective and safe isolation of waste depends on the performance of the overall disposal system, which is formed by three major components or barriers: the site, the disposal facility and the waste form. The objective of radioactive waste disposal is to isolate waste so that it does not result in undue radiation exposure to humans and the environment. In near surface disposal, the disposal facility is located on or below themore » ground surface, where the protective covering is generally a few meters thick. These facilities are intended to contain low and intermediate level waste without appreciable quantities of long-lived radionuclides. Safety is the most important aspect in the applications of nuclear technology and the implementation of nuclear activities in Indonesia. This aspect is reflected by a statement in the Act Number 10 Year 1997, that 'The Development and use of nuclear energy in Indonesia has to be carried out in such away to assure the safety and health of workers, the public and the protection of the environment'. Serpong are one of the sites for a nuclear research center facility, it is the biggest one in Indonesia. In the future will be developed the first near surface disposal on site of the nuclear research facility in Serpong. The paper will mainly focus on scenario of the safety assessments of near-surface radioactive waste disposal is often important to evaluate the performance of the disposal system (disposal facility, geosphere and biosphere). It will give detail, how at the present and future conditions, including anticipated and less probable events in order to prevent radionuclide migration to human and environment. Refer to the geology characteristic and ground water table is enable to place something Near Surface Disposal on unsaturated zone in Serpong site. (authors)« less

IONSIV(R) IE-911 Performance in Savannah River Site Radioactive Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, D.D.

2001-06-04

This report describes cesium sorption from high-level radioactive waste solutions onto IONSIV(R) IE-911 at ambient temperature. Researchers characterized six radioactive waste samples from five high-level waste tanks in the Savannah River Site tank farm, diluted the wastes to 5.6 M Na+, and made equilibrium and kinetic measurements of cesium sorption. The equilibrium measurements were compared to ZAM (Zheng, Anthony, and Martin) model predictions. The kinetic measurements were compared to simulant solutions whose column performance has been measured.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nichols, Will E.; Mehta, Sunil

The updated Hanford Site Composite Analysis will provide an all-pathways dose projection to a hypothetical future member of the public from all planned low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and potential contributions from all other projected end-state sources of radioactive material left at Hanford following site closure. Its primary purpose is to support the decision-making process of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under DOE O 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management (DOE, 2001), related to managing low-level waste disposal facilities at the Hanford Site.

High-Level Radioactive Waste: Safe Storage and Ultimate Disposal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dukert, Joseph M.

Described are problems and techniques for safe disposal of radioactive waste. Degrees of radioactivity, temporary storage, and long-term permanent storage are discussed. Included are diagrams of estimated waste volumes to the year 2000 and of an artist's conception of a permanent underground disposal facility. (SL)

The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis XVI. Kinetic Relationships of the Intermediates in Steady State Photosynthesis

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Benson, A. A.; Kawaguchi, S.; Hayes, P.; Calvin, M.

1952-06-05

A kinetic study of the accumulation of C{sup 14} in the intermediates of steady state photosynthesis in C{sup 14}O{sub 2} provides information regarding the sequence of reactions involved. The work described applied the radio-chromatographic technique for analysis of the labeled early products. The simultaneous carboxylation reaction resulting in malic acid as well as phosphoglycerate is demonstrated in experiments at high light intensity. A comparison of radioactivities in a number of phosphorylated sugars as a function of time reveals concurrent synthesis of fructose and sedoheptulose phosphates followed by that of ribulose phosphates and later by that of glucose phosphates. The possibility that the cleavage of C{sub 4} compounds to C{sub 2} carbon dioxide acceptors may involve C{sub 7} and C{sub 5} sugars and evidence for this mechanism is presented.

Comparative safety of the transport of high-level radioactive materials on dedicated, key, and regular trains: technical study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-03-01

This study compares the risks in transporting spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste under three rail shipment alternatives: 1) regular train service, operating without restrictions with the exception of current hazardous materials regul...

10 CFR 1800.11 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Definitions. 1800.11 Section 1800.11 Energy NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.11 Definitions. The definitions contained in Article II...

75 FR 65297 - Annual Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-22

... APPALACHIAN STATES LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION Annual Meeting Time And Date: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., November 5, 2010. Place: Harrisburg Hilton and Towers, One North Second Street, Harrisburg... Commission's financial statements for fiscal year 2009-2010; (2) Review the Low- Level Radioactive Waste...

78 FR 64472 - Annual Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-29

... APPALACHIAN STATES LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION Annual Meeting Time and Date: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. October 31, 2013. Place: Harrisburg Hilton and Towers, One North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA... Commission's financial statements for fiscal year 2012-2013; (2) Review the Low- Level Radioactive Waste...

77 FR 61737 - Annual Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-11

... APPALACHIAN STATES LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION Annual Meeting Time and Date: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. November 2, 2012. Place: Harrisburg Hilton and Towers, One North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA... Commission's financial statements for fiscal year 2011-2012; (2) Review the Low- Level Radioactive Waste...

76 FR 64071 - Annual Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-17

... APPALACHIAN STATES LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION Annual Meeting Time and Date: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. November 4, 2011. Place: Harrisburg Hilton and Towers, One North Second Street, Harrisburg... Commission's financial statements for fiscal year 2010-2011; (2) Review the Low- Level Radioactive Waste...

10 CFR 1800.11 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definitions. 1800.11 Section 1800.11 Energy NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.11 Definitions. The definitions contained in Article II...

[The main directions of improving the system of state accounting and control of radioactive substances and radioactive waste products].

PubMed

2012-01-01

This paper describes a modification of the basic directions of state accounting and control of radioactive substances and radioactive waste products, whose implementation will significantly improve the efficiency of its operation at the regional level. Selected areas are designed to improve accounting and control system for the submission of the enterprises established by the reporting forms, the quality of the information contained in them, as well as structures of information and process for collecting, analyzing and data processing concerning radioactive substances and waste products.

Radioactivity near the sunken submarine "Kursk" in the Southern Barents Sea.

PubMed

Matishov, Genady G; Matishov, Dimitry G; Namiatov, Alexey E; Smith, John Norton; Carroll, Jolynn; Dahle, Salve

2002-05-01

Radioactivity measurements were conducted on seawater, sediment, and biota samples collected in the vicinity of the Russian submarine "Kursk" in September, 2000, within 1 month of the vessel's sinking in the Barents Sea to determine whether leakage of radioactivity from the vessel's two nuclear reactors had occurred and to assess the impact on one of the most productive fishing areas in the world. Levels of radioactivity in surface sediments and biota are within the range of values previously measured in the Barents Sea and can be ascribed to inputs from global fallout, European nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, and the Chernobyl accident. However, levels of 1291 in seawater in the Southern Barents Sea increased by 500% between 1992 and 2000, and the 129I/137Cs ratio increased by more than an order of magnitude during this time, owing to long-range transport of releases from reprocessing facilities at Sellafield (U.K.) and La Hague (France). Although these results indicate that, at the time of sampling, leakage from the Kursk had a negligible impact on the environment, they also show that regional background levels of artificial radioactivity are varying rapidly on annual timescales and that Europe's nuclear reprocessing facilities are the leading contributor of anthropogenic radioactivity to the region.

78 FR 53793 - Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-30

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste Pursuant to... total of 5,500 ``Ultimate Foreign XW012/04 radioactive tons of low- Consignee(s).'' No other 11005699 waste). level waste). changes to the existing license which authorizes the export of non-conforming...

40 CFR 191.02 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... TRANSURANIC RADIOACTIVE WASTES Environmental Standards for Management and Storage § 191.02 Definitions. Unless... the Department of Energy. (e) NWPA means the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-425). (f... radioactive waste, as used in this part, means high-level radioactive waste as defined in the Nuclear Waste...

40 CFR 191.02 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... TRANSURANIC RADIOACTIVE WASTES Environmental Standards for Management and Storage § 191.02 Definitions. Unless... the Department of Energy. (e) NWPA means the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-425). (f... radioactive waste, as used in this part, means high-level radioactive waste as defined in the Nuclear Waste...

40 CFR 191.02 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... TRANSURANIC RADIOACTIVE WASTES Environmental Standards for Management and Storage § 191.02 Definitions. Unless... the Department of Energy. (e) NWPA means the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-425). (f... radioactive waste, as used in this part, means high-level radioactive waste as defined in the Nuclear Waste...

40 CFR 191.02 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... TRANSURANIC RADIOACTIVE WASTES Environmental Standards for Management and Storage § 191.02 Definitions. Unless... the Department of Energy. (e) NWPA means the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-425). (f... radioactive waste, as used in this part, means high-level radioactive waste as defined in the Nuclear Waste...

Waste minimization for commercial radioactive materials users generating low-level radioactive waste. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischer, D.K.; Gitt, M.; Williams, G.A.

1991-07-01

The objective of this document is to provide a resource for all states and compact regions interested in promoting the minimization of low-level radioactive waste (LLW). This project was initiated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts waste streams have been used as examples; however, the methods of analysis presented here are applicable to similar waste streams generated elsewhere. This document is a guide for states/compact regions to use in developing a system to evaluate and prioritize various waste minimization techniques in order to encourage individual radioactive materials users (LLW generators) to consider these techniques in their own independent evaluations.more » This review discusses the application of specific waste minimization techniques to waste streams characteristic of three categories of radioactive materials users: (1) industrial operations using radioactive materials in the manufacture of commercial products, (2) health care institutions, including hospitals and clinics, and (3) educational and research institutions. Massachusetts waste stream characterization data from key radioactive materials users in each category are used to illustrate the applicability of various minimization techniques. The utility group is not included because extensive information specific to this category of LLW generators is available in the literature.« less

Waste minimization for commercial radioactive materials users generating low-level radioactive waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischer, D.K.; Gitt, M.; Williams, G.A.

1991-07-01

The objective of this document is to provide a resource for all states and compact regions interested in promoting the minimization of low-level radioactive waste (LLW). This project was initiated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts waste streams have been used as examples; however, the methods of analysis presented here are applicable to similar waste streams generated elsewhere. This document is a guide for states/compact regions to use in developing a system to evaluate and prioritize various waste minimization techniques in order to encourage individual radioactive materials users (LLW generators) to consider these techniques in their own independent evaluations.more » This review discusses the application of specific waste minimization techniques to waste streams characteristic of three categories of radioactive materials users: (1) industrial operations using radioactive materials in the manufacture of commercial products, (2) health care institutions, including hospitals and clinics, and (3) educational and research institutions. Massachusetts waste stream characterization data from key radioactive materials users in each category are used to illustrate the applicability of various minimization techniques. The utility group is not included because extensive information specific to this category of LLW generators is available in the literature.« less

Distribution of residual long-lived radioactivity in the inner concrete walls of a compact medical cyclotron vault room.

PubMed

Fujibuchi, Toshioh; Nohtomi, Akihiro; Baba, Shingo; Sasaki, Masayuki; Komiya, Isao; Umedzu, Yoshiyuki; Honda, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

Compact medical cyclotrons have been set up to generate the nuclides necessary for positron emission tomography. In accelerator facilities, neutrons activate the concrete used to construct the vault room; this activation increases with the use of an accelerator. The activation causes a substantial radioactive waste management problem when facilities are decommissioned. In the present study, several concrete cores from the walls, ceiling and floor of a compact medical cyclotron vault room were samples 2 years after the termination of operations, and the radioactivity concentrations of radionuclides were estimated. Cylindrical concrete cores 5 cm in diameter and 10 cm in length were bored from the concrete wall, ceiling and floor. Core boring was performed at 18 points. The gamma-ray spectrum of each sample was measured using a high-purity germanium detector. The degree of activation of the concrete in the cyclotron vault room was analyzed, and the range and tendency toward activation in the vault room were examined. (60)Co and (152)Eu were identified by gamma-ray spectrometry of the concrete samples. (152)Eu and (60)Co are produced principally from the stable isotopes of europium and cobalt by neutron capture reactions. The radioactivity concentration did not vary much between the surface of the concrete and at a depth of 10 cm. Although the radioactivity concentration near the target was higher than the clearance level for radioactive waste indicated in IAEA RS-G-1.7, the mean radioactivity concentration in the walls and floor was lower than the clearance level. The radioactivity concentration of the inner concrete wall of the medical cyclotron vault room was not uniform. The areas exceeding the clearance level were in the vicinity of the target, but most of the building did not exceed the clearance levels.

Method for magnesium sulfate recovery

DOEpatents

Gay, Richard L.; Grantham, LeRoy F.

1987-01-01

A method of obtaining magnesium sulfate substantially free from radioactive uranium from a slag containing the same and having a radioactivity level of at least about 7000 pCi/gm. The slag is ground to a particle size of about 200 microns or less. The ground slag is then contacted with a concentrated sulfuric acid under certain prescribed conditions to produce a liquid product and a solid product. The particulate solid product and a minor amount of the liquid is then treated to produce a solid residue consisting essentially of magnesium sulfate substantially free of uranium and having a residual radioactivity level of less than 1000 pCi/gm. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a catalyst and an oxidizing agent are used during the initial acid treatment and a final solid residue has a radioactivity level of less than about 50 pCi/gm.

Method for magnesium sulfate recovery

DOEpatents

Gay, R.L.; Grantham, L.F.

1987-08-25

A method is described for obtaining magnesium sulfate substantially free from radioactive uranium from a slag containing the same and having a radioactivity level of at least about 7,000 pCi/gm. The slag is ground to a particle size of about 200 microns or less. The ground slag is then contacted with a concentrated sulfuric acid under certain prescribed conditions to produce a liquid product and a solid product. The particulate solid product and a minor amount of the liquid is then treated to produce a solid residue consisting essentially of magnesium sulfate substantially free of uranium and having a residual radioactivity level of less than 1,000 pCi/gm. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a catalyst and an oxidizing agent are used during the initial acid treatment and a final solid residue has a radioactivity level of less than about 50 pCi/gm.

Composite analysis E-area vaults and saltstone disposal facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cook, J.R.

1997-09-01

This report documents the Composite Analysis (CA) performed on the two active Savannah River Site (SRS) low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facilities. The facilities are the Z-Area Saltstone Disposal Facility and the E-Area Vaults (EAV) Disposal Facility. The analysis calculated potential releases to the environment from all sources of residual radioactive material expected to remain in the General Separations Area (GSA). The GSA is the central part of SRS and contains all of the waste disposal facilities, chemical separations facilities and associated high-level waste storage facilities as well as numerous other sources of radioactive material. The analysis considered 114 potentialmore » sources of radioactive material containing 115 radionuclides. The results of the CA clearly indicate that continued disposal of low-level waste in the saltstone and EAV facilities, consistent with their respective radiological performance assessments, will have no adverse impact on future members of the public.« less

10 CFR 961.2 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ENERGY STANDARD CONTRACT FOR DISPOSAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND/OR HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE General... owns or generates spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste, of domestic origin, generated in... part will commit DOE to accept title to, transport, and dispose of such spent fuel and waste. In...

10 CFR 62.11 - Filing and distribution of a determination request.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... radioactive waste disposal facilities, to the Compact Commissions with operating regional low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities, and to the Governors of the States in the Compact Commissions with... ACCESS TO NON-FEDERAL AND REGIONAL LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES Request for a Commission...

75 FR 29786 - Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-27

... plans for managing spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Pursuant to its authority under... of Energy (DOE) plans for managing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW... the packaging and movement of the waste, how the recent decision to terminate the Yucca Mountain...

HEAT EXCHANGER

DOEpatents

Fox, T.H. III; Richey, T. Jr.; Winders, G.R.

1962-10-23

A heat exchanger is designed for use in the transfer of heat between a radioactive fiuid and a non-radioactive fiuid. The exchanger employs a removable section containing the non-hazardous fluid extending into the section designed to contain the radioactive fluid. The removable section is provided with a construction to cancel out thermal stresses. The stationary section is pressurized to prevent leakage of the radioactive fiuid and to maintain a safe, desirable level for this fiuid. (AEC)

Role of Congress in the High Level Radioactive Waste Odyssey: The Wisdom and Will of the Congress - 13096

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vieth, Donald L.; Voegele, Michael D.

2013-07-01

Congress has had a dual role with regard to high level radioactive waste, being involved in both its creation and its disposal. A significant amount of time has passed between the creation of the nation's first high level radioactive waste and the present day. The pace of addressing its remediation has been highly irregular. Congress has had to consider the technical, regulatory, and political issues and all have had specific difficulties. It is a true odyssey framed by an imperative and accountability, by a sense of urgency, by an ability or inability to finish the job and by consequences. Congressmore » had set a politically acceptable course by 1982. However, President Obama intervened in the process after he took office in January 2009. Through the efforts of his Administration, by the end of 2012, the US government has no program to dispose of high level radioactive waste and no reasonable prospect of a repository for high level radioactive waste. It is not obvious how the US government program will be reestablished or who will assume responsibility for leadership. The ultimate criteria for judging the consequences are 1) the outcome of the ongoing NRC's Nuclear Waste Confidence Rulemaking and 2) the concomitant permissibility of nuclear energy supplying electricity from operating reactors in the US. (authors)« less

The low-level waste handbook: A user's guide to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985. [Contains glossary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, H.

1986-11-01

This report provides a detailed, section-by-section analysis of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985. Appendices include lists of relevant law and legislation, relevant Congressional committees, members of Congress mentioned in the report, and exact copies of the 1980 and 1985 Acts. (TEM)

Late effect of subtotal thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine therapy on calcitonin secretion and bone mineral density in women treated for Graves' disease

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lowery, W.D.; Thomas, C.G. Jr.; Awbrey, B.J.

1986-12-01

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of subtotal thyroidectomy and/or radioactive iodine therapy on plasma immunocalcitonin (iCT) levels and bone densities in patients treated for Graves' disease. Forty-eight women whose ages ranged from 29 to 79 years (mean, 55 years) were evaluated. All were at least 10 years beyond treatment. Fourteen patients had undergone subtotal thyroidectomy, 22 had received radioactive iodine therapy, and 12 had received both. Serum calcitonin levels were measured with the patient fasting and at 30 minutes and 2 hours after the ingestion of 15 mg of calcium in orange juice. Single photon absorptiometry wasmore » used to measure bone mineral density of the middle and distal radius. The mean fasting plasma levels of iCT for patients undergoing subtotal thyroidectomy was 27 +/- 2 mumol/L; women treated with radioactive iodine, 26 +/- 2; women undergoing subtotal thyroidectomy followed by radioactive iodine, 24 +/- 2, and for normal control women, 48.5 +/- 4.7. The mean stimulated iCT level of each of the patient groups was significantly lower than that of the normal controls (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences among the groups. Although there was an increased loss of bone mineral density in postmenopausal patients, with age and race as covariates, the bone densities of the distal radius in women undergoing subtotal thyroidectomy and/or receiving radioactive iodine were not significantly lower than those of normal control subjects (p greater than 0.05). These findings are consistent with other observations that patients treated by thyroidectomy and/or radioactive iodine for Graves' disease have lower basal levels of calcitonin and decreased calcitonin response to a provocative stimulus. Whether this loss of calcitonin reserve is a significant factor in development of postmenopausal osteoporosis remains unanswered.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Osmanlioglu, Ahmet Erdal

Pre-treatment of radioactive waste is the first step in waste management program that occurs after waste generation from various applications in Turkey. Pre-treatment and characterization practices are carried out in Radioactive Waste Management Unit (RWMU) at Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center (CNRTC) in Istanbul. This facility has been assigned to take all low-level radioactive wastes generated by nuclear applications in Turkey. The wastes are generated from research and nuclear applications mainly in medicine, biology, agriculture, quality control in metal processing and construction industries. These wastes are classified as low- level radioactive wastes. Pre-treatment practices cover several steps. In thismore » paper, main steps of pre-treatment and characterization are presented. Basically these are; collection, segregation, chemical adjustment, size reduction and decontamination operations. (author)« less

77 FR 34229 - Idaho: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program; Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... capability for the disposal of remote-handled low-level radioactive waste ((LLW) generated at the Idaho... (FONSI), for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Radioactive Waste Onsite Disposal (RHLLWOD) on an Environmental... regulating phosphate (mineral processing) plants within the state. In response to this commenter's concerns...

10 CFR 72.6 - License required; types of licenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General... the receipt, handling, storage, and transfer of reactor-related GTCC are specific licenses. Any... hereby issued to receive title to and own spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related...

10 CFR 72.6 - License required; types of licenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General... the receipt, handling, storage, and transfer of reactor-related GTCC are specific licenses. Any... hereby issued to receive title to and own spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related...

10 CFR 2.1023 - Immediate effectiveness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Immediate effectiveness. 2.1023 Section 2.1023 Energy... Procedures Applicable to Proceedings for the Issuance of Licenses for the Receipt of High-Level Radioactive... issuance or amendment of either an authorization to construct a high-level radioactive waste repository at...

10 CFR 1800.13 - Conditions for becoming an eligible party state.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Conditions for becoming an eligible party state. 1800.13 Section 1800.13 Energy NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.13 Conditions for...

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor... be designed to store spent fuel and/or solid reactor-related GTCC waste. (1) Reactor-related GTCC...

A nuclear scanning method for estimating wear level nonuniformities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, E. A.; Pascovici, G.; Racolta, P. M.

1993-09-01

The residual radioactivity measuring method has been upgraded to estimate wear level nonuniformities in the circumference of a piston ring after a certain working time in the combustion engine testing bench. The piston ring was irradiated by the thin layer activation (TLA) technique and its radioactivity was continuously monitored.

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related GTCC waste in an MRS must include the design criteria for the proposed storage installation. These...

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related GTCC waste in an MRS must include the design criteria for the proposed storage installation. These...

Tungsten-188/carrier-free rhenium-188 perrhenic acid generator system

DOEpatents

Knapp, F.F. Jr.; Lisic, E.C.; Mirzadeh, S.; Callahan, A.P.

1994-01-04

A generator system has been invented for providing a carrier-free radioisotope in the form of an acid comprises a chromatography column in tandem fluid connection with an ion exchange column, the chromatography column containing a charge of a radioactive parent isotope. The chromatography column, charged with a parent isotope, is eluted with an alkali metal salt solution to generate the radioisotope in the form of an intermediate solution, which is passed through the ion-exchange column to convert the radioisotope to a carrier-free acid form. 1 figure.

IONIZATION CHAMBER

DOEpatents

Redman, W.C.; Shonka, F.R.

1958-02-18

This patent describes a novel ionization chamber which is well suited to measuring the radioactivity of the various portions of a wire as the wire is moved at a uniform speed, in order to produce the neutron flux traverse pattern of a reactor in which the wire was previously exposed to neutron radiation. The ionization chamber of the present invention is characterized by the construction wherein the wire is passed through a tubular, straight electrode and radiation shielding material is disposed along the wire except at an intermediate, narrow area where the second electrode of the chamber is located.

78 FR 26812 - Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-08

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste Pursuant to...; XW012/03; 11005699. A radioactive total of 5,500 Energy of Canada waste). tons of low- Limited facilities as level waste). ``Ultimate Foreign Consignee(s).'' No other changes to the existing license which...

78 FR 26813 - Request To Amend a License To Import Radioactive Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-08

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Request To Amend a License To Import Radioactive Waste Pursuant to..., 2013, April 23, material (Class to a maximum the licensee name 2013, IW022/03, 11005700. A radioactive total of 5,500 from ``Perma-Fix waste). tons of low- Environmental level waste). Services, Inc.'' to...

Practical Work Using Low-Level Radioactive Materials Available to the Public

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitcher, Ralph

2011-01-01

These notes describe six practical activities for supplementing standard practical work in radioactivity. They are based on a series of workshops given at ASE regional and national conferences by the ASE's Safeguards in Science Committee. The activities, which demonstrate aspects of radioactivity, feature consumer items that happen to be…

46 CFR 148.300 - Radioactive materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Radioactive materials. 148.300 Section 148.300 Shipping... MATERIALS THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Special Requirements for Certain Materials § 148.300 Radioactive... surface, when averaged over an area of 300 cm2, does not exceed the following levels: (1) 4.0 Bq/cm2 (10−4...

[Hospital and environment: waste disposal].

PubMed

Faure, P; Rizzo Padoin, N

2003-11-01

Like all production units, hospitals produce waste and are responsible for waste disposal. Hospital waste is particular due to the environmental risks involved, particularly concerning infection, effluents, and radionucleide contamination. Management plans are required to meet environmental, hygiene and regulatory obligations and to define reference waste products. The first step is to optimize waste sorting, with proper definition of the different categories, adequate containers (collection stations, color-coded sacks), waste circuits, intermediate then central storage areas, and finally transfer to an incineration unit. Volume and delay to elimination must be carefully controlled. Elimination of drugs and related products is a second aspect: packaging, perfusion pouches, tubing, radiopharmaceutic agents. These later products are managed with non-sealed sources whose elimination depends on the radioactive period, requiring selective sorting and specific holding areas while radioactivity declines. Elimination of urine and excreta containing anti-cancer drugs or intravesical drugs, particularly coming from protected rooms using radioactive iodine is another aspect. There is also a marginal flow of unused or expired drugs. For a health establishment, elimination of drugs is not included as part of waste disposal. This requires establishing a specific circuit with selective sorting and carefully applied safety regulations. Market orders for collecting and handling hospital wastes must be implemented in compliance with the rules of Public Health Tenders.

Use of CAS in Secondary School: A Factor Influencing the Transition to University-Level Mathematics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varsavsky, Cristina

2012-01-01

Australian secondary school systems offer three levels of senior (year 12) mathematics studies, none of them compulsory: elementary, intermediate and advanced. The intermediate and advanced studies prepare students for further mathematics studies at university level. In the state of Victoria, there are two versions of intermediate mathematics: one…

49 CFR Figure 2b to Subpart B of... - Example of an Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Example of an Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location Requirements-§§ 238.113 and 238.114 2B Figure 2B to... Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location Requirements—§§ 238.113 and...

49 CFR Figure 2a to Subpart B of... - Example of an Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Example of an Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location Requirements-§§ 238.113 and 238.114 2A Figure 2A to... Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location Requirements—§§ 238.113 and...

Radioactive waste management and practice in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mollah, A.S.; Rahman, M.M.

1993-12-31

A large amount of low- and medium-level radioactive wastes are being generated in different parts of Bangladesh. The solid wastes are being collected in steel containers and liquid wastes are collected in plastic carboys and drums. Gaseous Ar-41 is discharged into the atmosphere through the 25 m height stack under controlled conditions after proper monitoring. The solid radioactive wastes collected are approximately 5 m{sup 3} (1988--1992) with gross beta-gamma surface dose rates from 0.30 {micro}Sv/h to 250 {micro}Sv/h. The liquid radioactive wastes are approximately 200 liters (1988--1992) with gross-beta-gamma surface dose rates from 0.30 {micro}Sv/h to 1 mSv/h. The solidmore » and liquid wastes presently being collected are mostly short lived and low level and safely stored according to international safety codes of practice. Radioactive waste packages collected during the 5-yrs study totaled 16, representing a collective volume of {approximately} 7.5 m{sup 3}. The problem of management of radioactive waste in Bangladesh is not so serious at present because the wastes arising are small now. A computerized data base has been developed to document inventory of all radioactive waste arising in the country. The current practices of collection, handling, safe storage and management of the radioactive wastes are reported in this paper.« less

Ground-water levels and precipitation data at the Maxey Flats low-level radioactive waste disposal site near Morehead, Kentucky, October 1988-September 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zettwoch, Douglas D.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet--Department for Environmental Protection--Division of Waste Management, has an ongoing program to monitor water levels at the Maxey Flats low-level radioactive waste disposal site near Morehead, Kentucky. Ground-water-level and precipitation data were collected from 112 wells and 1 rain gage at the Maxey Flats low-level radioactive waste disposal site during October 1988-September 2000. Data were collected on a semi-annual basis from 62 wells, continuously from 6 wells, and monthly or bimonthly from 44 wells (13 of which had continuous recorders installed for the period October 1998-September 2000). One tipping-bucket rain gage was used to collect data at the Maxey Flats site for the period October 1988-September 2000.

3rd Quarter Transportation Report FY 2014: Radioactive Waste Shipments to and from the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gregory, Louis

2014-09-20

This report satisfies the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) commitment to prepare a quarterly summary report of radioactive waste shipments to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) at Area 5. There were no shipments sent for offsite treatment and returned to the NNSS this quarter. This report summarizes the 3rd quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLLW) shipments. This report also includes annual summaries for FY 2014 in Tables 4 and 5. Tabular summaries are provided which includemore » the following: Sources of and carriers for LLW and MLLW shipments to and from the NNSS; Number and external volume of LLW and MLLW shipments; Highway routes used by carriers; and Incident/accident data applicable to LLW and MLLW shipments. In this report shipments are accounted for upon arrival at the NNSS, while disposal volumes are accounted for upon waste burial. The disposal volumes presented in this report do not include minor volumes of non-radioactive materials that were approved for disposal. Volume reports showing cubic feet generated using the Low-Level Waste Information System may vary slightly due to differing rounding conventions.« less

Regulatory Requirements and Technical Analysis for Department of Energy Regulated Performance Assessments of Shallow-Trench Disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Waste at the Nevada Test Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowe, B.; Black, P.; Tauxe, J.; Yucel, V.; Rawlinson, S.; Colarusso, A.; DiSanza, F.

2001-12-01

The National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Operations Office (NNSA/NV) operates and maintains two active facilities on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) that dispose Department of Energy (DOE) defense-generated low-level radioactive (LLW), mixed radioactive, and classified waste in shallow trenches, pits and large-diameter boreholes. The operation and maintenance of the LLW disposal sites are self-regulated under DOE Order 435.1, which requires review of a Performance Assessment for four performance objectives: 1) all pathways 25 mrem/yr limit; 2) atmospheric pathways 10 mrem/yr limit; 3) radon flux density of 20 pCi/m2/s; and 4) groundwater resource protection (Safe Drinking Water Act; 4 mrem/yr limit). The inadvertent human intruder is protected under a dual 500- and 100-mrem limit (acute and chronic exposure). In response to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 92 2, a composite analysis is required that must examine all interacting sources for compliance against both 30 and 100 mrem/yr limits. A small component of classified transuranic waste is buried at intermediate depths in 3-meter diameter boreholes at the Area 5 LLW disposal facility and is assessed through DOE-agreement against the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s 40 CFR 191. The hazardous components of mixed LLW are assessed against RCRA requirements. The NTS LLW sites fall directly under three sets of federal regulations and the regulatory differences result not only in organizational challenges, but also in different decision objectives and technical paths to completion. The DOE regulations require deterministic analysis for a 1,000-year compliance assessment supplemented by probabilistic analysis under a long-term maintenance program. The EPA regulations for TRU waste are probabilistically based for a compliance interval of 10,000 years. Multiple steps in the assessments are strongly dependent on assumptions for long-term land use policies. Integrating the different requirements into coherent and consistent sets of conceptual models of the disposal setting, alternative scenarios, and system models of fate, transport and dose-based assessments is technically challenging. Environmental assessments for these sites must be broad-based and flexible to accommodate the multiple objectives.

Remote monitoring of emission activity level from NPP using radiofrequencies 1420, 1665, 1667 MHz in real time.

PubMed

Kolotkov, Gennady; Penin, Sergei

2013-01-01

The Fukushima nuclear accident showed the importance of timely monitoring and detection of radioactive emissions released from enterprises of the nuclear fuel cycle. Nuclear power plants (NPP) working continuously are a stationary source of gas-aerosol emissions which presented in a ground surface layer persistently. Following radioactive emission, untypical effects can be observed, for example: the occurrences of areas with increased ionization, and increased concentration of some gases caused by photochemical reactions. The gases themselves and their characteristic radiation can be markers of radioactivity and can be monitored by a passive method. Hydrogen atom (H) and hydroxyl radical (OH) are formed in a radioactive plume by radiolysis of water molecules and other hydrogen-containing air components by the high energy electrons from beta-decay of radionuclides. The hydrogen atom and hydroxyl radical can spontaneously radiate at 1420 MHz and 1665-1667 MHz respectively. The passive method of remote monitoring of radiation levels using radio-frequencies of H and OH from radioactive emissions of NPP is described. The model data is indicative of the monitoring of radiation levels using these frequencies. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A review and overview of nuclear waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murray, R.L.

1984-12-31

An understanding of the status and issues in the management of radioactive wastes is based on technical information on radioactivity, radiation, biological hazard of radiation exposure, radiation standards, and methods of protection. The fission process gives rise to radioactive fission products and neutron bombardment gives activation products. Radioactive wastes are classified according to source: defense, commercial, industrial, and institutional; and according to physical features: uranium mill tailings, high-level, transuranic, and low-level. The nuclear fuel cycle, which contributes a large fraction of annual radioactive waste, starts with uranium ore, includes nuclear reactor use for electrical power generation, and ends with ultimatemore » disposal of residues. The relation of spent fuel storage and reprocessing is governed by technical, economic, and political considerations. Waste has been successfully solidified in glass and other forms and choices of the containers for the waste form are available. Methods of disposal of high-level waste that have been investigated are transmutation by neutron bombardment, shipment to Antartica, deep-hole insertion, subseabed placement, transfer by rocket to an orbit in space, and disposal in a mined cavity. The latter is the favored method. The choices of host geological media are salt, basalt, tuff, and granite.« less

Influence of heavy natural radioactive nuclides introduced in soil with labelled fertilizers and ameliorants on cytogenetic effects in plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arkhipov, N.P.; Bazylev, V.V.; Bobrikova, E.T.

1985-05-01

The effect of heavy natural radioactive nuclides (STYU, STSTh, SSWRa, S Po, and S Pb) in labeled fertilizers and ameliorants on the number of meiotic chromosome aberrations was studied in field experiments on the major crop plants, wheat, barley and corn. The mining and use of coal and oil and the processing of raw materials in the production of rare and nonferrous metals produce high quantities of wastes with an elevated content of natural radionuclides. One possible way for technogenically altering the natural radiation background of soil is the active utilization of phosphorus fertilizers in agriculture, and also the use,more » as fertilizers and ameliorants of wastes from nonferrous metallurgy, of the ash from heat and power plants and various intermediates from the chemical industry. The authors conclude that the introduction of labeled ammophos, nitrophos and phosphogypsum, which raised the soil background concentration of the specified elements, produced an increase in the number of cells with meiotic chromosome aberrations.« less

Effect of slightly acid pH with or without chloride in radioactive water on the corrosion of maraging steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellanger, G.; Rameau, J. J.

1996-02-01

This study was carried out to ascertain the behavior of maraging steel used in the tanks of French plants for reprocessing radioactive water which may contain chloride ions at pH 3. The rest or corrosion potentials can be either in the transpassive or active regions due to the presence of radiolytic species. The corrosion current and potential depend on the pH and intermediates formed on the surface in the active region; therefore, maraging steel behavior was studied by cyclic voltammetry without and with electrode rotation and different acid pH which provide an indication of mechanisms, modification of local pH and transient formation. In the passive -transpassive region, breakdown and porosity in the oxide appear with or without chloride, according to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In presence of chloride, the corrosion kinetics were obtained by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The anodic and cathodic areas of maraging steel corroded by pitting were shown using the Scanning Reference Electrode Technique.

10 CFR 72.8 - Denial of licensing by Agreement States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General... the storage of spent fuel and reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or the storage of spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and reactor-related GTCC waste in an MRS. [66 FR 51839, Oct. 11, 2001] ...

10 CFR 72.22 - Contents of application: General and financial information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN... of spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and/or reactor-related GTCC waste from storage. (f) Each applicant for a license under this part to receive, transfer, and possess power reactor spent fuel, power...

10 CFR 72.8 - Denial of licensing by Agreement States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General... the storage of spent fuel and reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or the storage of spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and reactor-related GTCC waste in an MRS. [66 FR 51839, Oct. 11, 2001] ...

10 CFR 62.13 - Contents of a request for emergency access: Alternatives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... radioactive waste in a licensed storage facility; (3) Obtaining access to a disposal facility by voluntary... disposal at a Federal low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in the case of a Federal or defense... EMERGENCY ACCESS TO NON-FEDERAL AND REGIONAL LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES Request for a Commission...

Determining the Knowledge Level of Pre-Service Teachers' on Radioactivity and Radiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ergul, N. Remziye

2012-01-01

This study investigated the basic knowledge levels of teacher candidates from different branches regarding the subjects of radiation and radioactivity. 42 variables were determined in relation to the specified titles. In the preparation stage of determining the variables, all the related programs were examined, and attention was paid to include…

High-Level Radioactive Waste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayden, Howard C.

1995-01-01

Presents a method to calculate the amount of high-level radioactive waste by taking into consideration the following factors: the fission process that yields the waste, identification of the waste, the energy required to run a 1-GWe plant for one year, and the uranium mass required to produce that energy. Briefly discusses waste disposal and…

76 FR 50500 - Request for Comments on the Draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-15

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2011-0183] Request for Comments on the Draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Request for public comment. SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is revising its...

10 CFR 1800.12 - Procedures for declaring a state eligible for membership in the Compact.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Procedures for declaring a state eligible for membership in the Compact. 1800.12 Section 1800.12 Energy NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE...

10 CFR 1800.14 - Modification to and enforcement of the rules in this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Modification to and enforcement of the rules in this part. 1800.14 Section 1800.14 Energy NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.14...

10 CFR 20.2203 - Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the constraints or limits. 20.2203 Section 20.2203 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Reports § 20.2203 Reports of exposures...

10 CFR 20.2203 - Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the constraints or limits. 20.2203 Section 20.2203 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Reports § 20.2203 Reports of exposures...

10 CFR 20.2203 - Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the constraints or limits. 20.2203 Section 20.2203 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Reports § 20.2203 Reports of exposures...

10 CFR 20.2203 - Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the constraints or limits. 20.2203 Section 20.2203 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Reports § 20.2203 Reports of exposures...

10 CFR 20.2203 - Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the constraints or limits. 20.2203 Section 20.2203 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION Reports § 20.2203 Reports of exposures...

Determining the Knowledge Level of Pre-Service Teachers' on Radioactivity and Radiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ergul, N. Remziye

2012-01-01

This study investigated the basic knowledge levels of teacher candidates' from different branches regarding the subjects of radiation and radioactivity. 42 variables were determined in relation to the specified titles. In the preparation stage of determining the variables, all the related programs were examined, and attention was paid to include…

10 CFR 1800.14 - Modification to and enforcement of the rules in this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Modification to and enforcement of the rules in this part. 1800.14 Section 1800.14 Energy NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.14...

10 CFR 1800.12 - Procedures for declaring a state eligible for membership in the Compact.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures for declaring a state eligible for membership in the Compact. 1800.12 Section 1800.12 Energy NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE...

76 FR 10810 - Public Workshop to Discuss Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-28

... the environment. Development of the part 61 regulation in the early 1980s was based on several... there have been a number of developments that have called into question some of the key assumptions...-level radioactive wastes that did not exist at the time part 61 was promulgated. The developments...

Radioactivity of Water in Poland in 1962; RADIOAKTYWNOSC WOD W POLSCE W 1962 ROKU

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wlodek, St.; Grzybowska, D.

1963-01-01

Data are presented on the BETA radioactivity of 358 water samples collected throughout Poland during 1962. It was estimated that water radioactivity was directiy proportional to river levels and inversely proportional to the temperature of the water. Data on gross BETA activity of samples collected from 1958 through 1962 are compared. (C.H.)

Implications of prognostic factors and risk groups in the management of differentiated thyroid cancer.

PubMed

Shaha, Ashok R

2004-03-01

The outcome in differentiated thyroid cancer generally depends on the stage of the disease at the time of presentation; prognostic factors such as age, grade, size, extension, or distant metastasis; and risk groups (eg, low or high risk). The author has reviewed a large number of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer to analyze their hypothesis and to confirm that various risk groups have a major implication in relation to extent of the treatment and outcome. Differentiated thyroid cancers make up 90% of all thyroid tumors. The prognostic factors are well defined, such as age, size of the tumor, extrathyroidal extension, presence of distant metastasis, histological appearance, and grade of the tumor. The author has previously divided the risk groups into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories based on prognostic factors. The study describes the author's treatment approach related to the extent of thyroidectomy and adjuvant therapy based on various risk groups and the long-term survival. Retrospective. In a retrospective review of 1038 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, various prognostic factors were studied by univariate and multivariate analysis. The significant prognostic factors were studied in detail and, based on these prognostic factors, the patients were divided into low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups. The survival curves were plotted by Kaplan-Meier method. The long-term survivals in low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups were 99%, 87%, and 57% respectively. Based on these risk groups, a decision tree was made regarding extent of thyroidectomy and adjuvant treatment. In the high-risk group and selected patients in the intermediate-risk group, aggressive surgery including removal of all gross disease and extrathyroidal extension with postoperative radioactive iodine ablation is recommended. In the low-risk group and selected patients in the intermediate-risk group, lobectomy appears to be satisfactory with excellent long-term outcome. The surgical treatment offers the best long-term results in low-risk patients, and the role of adjuvant treatment in this group is questionable. The decisions in the management of well-differentiated thyroid cancer should be based on various prognostic factors and risk groups. The long-term survival in the low-risk group is excellent, and consideration should be given to conservative surgical resection depending on the extent of the disease. In the high-risk group and selected patients in the intermediate-risk group, total thyroidectomy with radioactive ablation is warranted. A consideration may be given to external-beam radiation therapy in selected high-risk patients. It is apparent, based on the author's clinical experience and critical retrospective analysis, that the author's hypothesis that risk groups are extremely important in the long-term outcome of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer is correct. Based on various risk groups, the author currently is able to guide the treatment policies for thyroid cancer.

Cytoplasmic peptidoglycan intermediate levels in Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Vemula, Harika; Ayon, Navid J; Gutheil, William G

2016-02-01

Intracellular cytoplasmic peptidoglycan (PG) intermediate levels were determined in Staphylococcus aureus during log-phase growth in enriched media. Levels of UDP-linked intermediates were quantitatively determined using ion pairing LC-MS/MS in negative mode, and amine intermediates were quantitatively determined stereospecifically as their Marfey's reagent derivatives in positive mode. Levels of UDP-linked intermediates in S. aureus varied from 1.4 μM for UDP-GlcNAc-Enolpyruvyate to 1200 μM for UDP-MurNAc. Levels of amine intermediates (L-Ala, D-Ala, D-Ala-D-Ala, L-Glu, D-Glu, and L-Lys) varied over a range of from 860 μM for D-Ala-D-Ala to 30-260 mM for the others. Total PG was determined from the D-Glu content of isolated PG, and used to estimate the rate of PG synthesis (in terms of cytoplasmic metabolite flux) as 690 μM/min. The total UDP-linked intermediates pool (2490 μM) is therefore sufficient to sustain growth for 3.6 min. Comparison of UDP-linked metabolite levels with published pathway enzyme characteristics demonstrates that enzymes on the UDP-branch range from >80% saturation for MurA, Z, and C, to <5% saturation for MurB. Metabolite levels were compared with literature values for Escherichia coli, with the major difference in UDP-intermediates being the level of UDP-MurNAc, which was high in S. aureus (1200 μM) and low in E. coli (45 μM). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

Characterization and remediation of a mixed waste-contaminated site at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnston, J.W.; Thacker, M.S.; DeWitt, C.B.

In the area of environmental restoration, one of the most challenging problems is the task of remediating mixed waste-contaminated sites. This paper discusses a successful Interim Corrective Measure (ICM) performed at a mixed waste-contaminated site on Kirtland Air Force Base (AFB) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The site, known as RW-68, Cratering Area and Radium Dump/Slag Piles, was used during the late 1940s and early 1950s for the destruction and incineration of captured World War II aircraft. It contained 19 slag piles totaling approximately 150 tons of slag, ash, refractory brick, and metal debris. The piles were contaminated with radium-226 andmore » RCRA-characteristic levels of heavy metals. Therefore, the piles were considered mixed waste. To eliminate the threat to human health and the environment, an ICM of removal, segregation, stabilization, and disposal was conducted from October through December 1996. Approximately 120 cubic yards (cu yds) of mixed waste, 188 cu yds of low-level radioactive-contaminated soil, 1 cu yd of low-level radioactive-contaminated debris, 5 cu yds of RCRA-characteristic hazardous waste, and 45 tons of nonhazardous debris were stabilized and disposed of during the ICM. To render the RCRA metals and radionuclides insoluble, stabilization was performed on the mixed and RCRA-characteristic waste streams. All stabilized material was subjected to TCLP analysis to verify it no longer exhibited RCRA-characteristic properties. Radiological and geophysical surveys were conducted concurrently with site remediation activities. These surveys provided real-time documentation of site conditions during each phase of the ICM and confirmed successful cleanup of the site. The three radioactive waste streams, stabilized mixed waste, low-level radioactive-contaminated soil, and low-level radioactive-contaminated debris, were disposed of at the Envirocare low-level radioactive disposal facility.« less

Preliminary study on the radiological and physicochemical quality of the Umgeni Water catchments and drinking water sources in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

Manickum, T; John, W; Terry, S; Hodgson, K

2014-11-01

Raw and potable water sample sources, from the Umgeni Water catchment areas (rivers, dams, boreholes) in central KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), were screened for Uranium concentration and alpha and beta radioactivity. Test methods used were gas flow proportional counting for alpha-beta radioactivity, and kinetic phosphorescence analysis (KPA), for Uranium. The uranium levels (median = 0.525 μg/L, range = <0.050-5.010) were well below the international World Health Organization (WHO) (2011) guideline for drinking-water quality (≤15 μg/L). The corresponding alpha and beta radioactivity was ≤0.5 Bq/L (median = 0.084, Interquartile Range (IR) = 0.038, range = 0.018-0.094), and ≤1.0 Bq/L (median = 0.114, IR = 0.096, range = 0.024-0.734), respectively, in compliance with the international WHO limits. For uranium radionuclide, the average dose level, at uranium level of ±0.525 μg/L, was 0.06 μSv/a, which complies with the WHO reference dose level for drinking water (<0.1 mSv/a). There was a distinct trend of cluster of relatively higher Uranium levels of some sources that were found to be associated with the geology/geography and groundwater sources. Overall, the radiological water quality classification, with respect to WHO, is "Blue" - ideal; additional physicochemical analyses indicated good water quality. The analytical test methods employed were found to be suitable for preliminary screening for potential radioactive "hot spots". The observed Uranium levels, and the alpha/beta radioactivity, indicate contribution largely from Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), with no significant health risk to humans, or to the environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeologic framework and geochemistry of the intermediate aquifer system in parts of Charlotte, De Soto, and Sarasota counties, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torres, A.E.; Sacks, L.A.; Yobbi, D.K.; Knochenmus, L.A.; Katz, B.G.

2001-01-01

The hydrogeologic framework underlying the 600-square-mile study area in Charlotte, De Soto, and Sarasota Counties, Florida, consists of the surficial aquifer system, the intermediate aquifer system, and the Upper Floridan aquifer. The hydrogeologic framework and the geochemical processes controlling ground-water composition were evaluated for the study area. Particular emphasis was given to the analysis of hydrogeologic and geochemical data for the intermediate aquifer system. Flow regimes are not well understood in the intermediate aquifer system; therefore, hydrogeologic and geochemical information were used to evaluate connections between permeable zones within the intermediate aquifer system and between overlying and underlying aquifer systems. Knowledge of these connections will ultimately help to protect ground-water quality in the intermediate aquifer system. The hydrogeology was interpreted from lithologic and geophysical logs, water levels, hydraulic properties, and water quality from six separate well sites. Water-quality samples were collected from wells located along six ground-water flow paths and finished at different depth intervals. The selection of flow paths was based on current potentiometric-surface maps. Ground-water samples were analyzed for major ions; field parameters (temperature, pH, specific conductance, and alkalinity); stable isotopes (deuterium, oxygen-18, and carbon-13); and radioactive isotopes (tritium and carbon-14). The surficial aquifer system is the uppermost aquifer, is unconfined, relatively thin, and consists of unconsolidated sand, shell, and limestone. The intermediate aquifer system underlies the surficial aquifer system and is composed of clastic sediments interbedded with carbonate rocks. The intermediate aquifer system is divided into three permeable zones, the Tamiami/Peace River zone (PZ1), the Upper Arcadia zone (PZ2), and the Lower Arcadia zone (PZ3). The Tamiami/Peace River zone (PZ1) is the uppermost zone and is the thinnest and generally, the least productive zone in the intermediate aquifer system. The Upper Arcadia zone (PZ2) is the middle zone and productivity is generally higher than the overlying permeable zone. The Lower Arcadia zone (PZ3) is the lowermost permeable zone and is the most productive zone in the intermediate aquifer system. The intermediate aquifer system is underlain by the Upper Floridan aquifer, which consists of a thick, stratified sequence of limestone and dolomite. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the most productive aquifer in the study area; however, its use is generally restricted because of poor water quality. Interbedded clays and fine-grained clastics separate the aquifer systems and permeable zones. The hydraulic properties of the three aquifer systems are spatially variable. Estimated trans-missivity and horizontal hydraulic conductivity varies from 752 to 32,900 feet squared per day and from 33 to 1,490 feet per day, respectively, for the surficial aquifer system; from 47 to 5,420 feet squared per day and from 2 to 102 feet per day, respectively, for the Tamiami/Peace River zone (PZ1); from 258 to 24,633 feet squared per day and from 2 to 14 feet per day, respectively, for the Upper Arcadia zone (PZ2); from 766 to 44,900 feet squared per day and from 10 to 201 feet per day, respectively, for the Lower Arcadia zone (PZ3); and from 2,350 to 7,640 feet squared per day and from 10 to 41 feet per day, respectively, for the Upper Floridan aquifer. Confining units separating the aquifer systems have leakance coefficients estimated to range from 2.3 x 10-5 to 5.6 x 10-3 feet per day per foot. Strata composing the confining unit separating the Upper Floridan aquifer from the intermediate aquifer system are substantially more permeable than confining units separating the permeable zones in the intermediate aquifer system or separating the surficial aquifer and intermediate aquifer systems. In Charlotte, Sarasota, and western De Soto Counties, hydraulic

Toward Connecting Core-Collapse Supernova Theory with Observations: Nucleosynthetic Yields and Distribution of Elements in a 15 M⊙ Blue Supergiant Progenitor with SN 1987A Energetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plewa, Tomasz; Handy, Timothy; Odrzywolek, Andrzej

2014-09-01

We compute and discuss the process of nucleosynthesis in a series of core-collapse explosion models of a 15 solar mass, blue supergiant progenitor. We obtain nucleosynthetic yields and study the evolution of the chemical element distribution from the moment of core bounce until young supernova remnant phase. Our models show how the process of energy deposition due to radioactive decay modifies the dynamics and the core ejecta structure on small and intermediate scales. The results are compared against observations of young supernova remnants including Cas A and the recent data obtained for SN 1987A. We compute and discuss the process of nucleosynthesis in a series of core-collapse explosion models of a 15 solar mass, blue supergiant progenitor. We obtain nucleosynthetic yields and study the evolution of the chemical element distribution from the moment of core bounce until young supernova remnant phase. Our models show how the process of energy deposition due to radioactive decay modifies the dynamics and the core ejecta structure on small and intermediate scales. The results are compared against observations of young supernova remnants including Cas A and the recent data obtained for SN 1987A. The work has been supported by the NSF grant AST-1109113 and DOE grant DE-FG52-09NA29548. This research used resources of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, which is supported by the U.S. DoE under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

Measurements of background radiation levels around Indian station Bharati, during 33rd Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica.

PubMed

Bakshi, A K; Prajith, Rama; Chinnaesakki, S; Pal, Rupali; Sathian, Deepa; Dhar, Ajay; Selvam, T Palani; Sapra, B K; Datta, D

2017-02-01

A comprehensive measurement of radioactivity concentrations of the primordial radionuclides 238 U, 232 Th and 40 K and their decay products in the soil samples collected from the sites of Indian research stations, Bharati and Maitri, at Antarctica was carried out using gamma spectrometric method. The activity concentrations in the soil samples of Bharati site were observed to be few times higher than of Maitri site. The major contributor to radioactivity content in the soil at Bharati site is 232 Th radionuclide in higher concentration. The gamma radiation levels based on the measured radioactivity of soil samples were calculated using the equation given in UNSCEAR 2000. The calculated radiation levels were compared with the measured values and found to correlate reasonably well. The study could be useful for the scientists working at Antarctica especially those at Indian station to take decision to avoid areas with higher radioactivity before erecting any facility for long term experiment or use. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term disposition of a novel lipophilic platinum complex SM-11355 in dog after intrahepatic arterial administration: highly sensitive detection of platinum and radioactivity.

PubMed

Shimakura, J; Fujimoto, K; Komuro, S; Nakano, M; Kanamaru, H

2002-05-01

1. The disposition of SM-11355, an anticancer platinum complex for hepatocellular carcinoma, was investigated in dog by measuring platinum (Pt) and radioactivity levels following intrahepatic arterial administration of (14)C-SM-11355 suspended in Lipiodol, an oily lymphographic agent. Plasma and excretion profiles were monitored in six animals, with tissue distribution studied after 1 day, 4 and 13 weeks (n = 2/time point). 2. SM-11355 was released very slowly into the systemic circulation from Lipiodol, resulting in very low levels of Pt compounds in plasma, urine, faeces and organs. Plasma levels of Pt and radioactivity declined with apparent half-lives of 5-7 weeks. Excretion continued even at 3 months after the administration with proportions excreted for Pt and radioactivity up to 30-60% in urine and 8-10% in faeces. 3. The Pt and radioactivity in the liver accounted for 80-100% of the dose at 1 day and for 20-50% at 13 weeks after the administration, predominately as intact SM-11355. The concentrations were highest in the left lobe of the liver, the administration site, but levels in the remainder of the liver were also markedly higher than those in plasma and other tissues. 4. The results strongly support the concept that SM-11355 targets the liver with highly selectivity and sustained release of Pt compounds.

Row erupts over US firm's plan to import nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwynne, Peter

2008-06-01

A controversy is brewing in the US over a plan by a firm in Utah to import, process and dispose of 20 000 tonnes of low-level radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear reactors built in Italy by American companies. EnergySolutions intends to recycle some of this waste at a site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, so that it can be re-used as shielding blocks in nuclear plants. The firm then wants to dispose of the remaining radioactive material at a site in Clive, Utah, where over 90% of low-level radioactive waste generated in the US is currently buried.

Journey to the Nevada Test Site Radioactive Waste Management Complex

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

Journey to the Nevada Test Site Radioactive Waste Management Complex begins with a global to regional perspective regarding the location of low-level and mixed low-level waste disposal at the Nevada Test Site. For decades, the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) has served as a vital disposal resource in the nation-wide cleanup of former nuclear research and testing facilities. State-of-the-art waste management sites at the NNSS offer a safe, permanent disposal option for U.S. Department of Energy/U.S. Department of Defense facilities generating cleanup-related radioactive waste.

Multi-discipline Waste Acceptance Process at the Nevada National Security Site - 13573

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carilli, Jhon T.; Krenzien, Susan K.

2013-07-01

The Nevada National Security Site low-level radioactive waste disposal facility acceptance process requires multiple disciplines to ensure the protection of workers, the public, and the environment. These disciplines, which include waste acceptance, nuclear criticality, safety, permitting, operations, and performance assessment, combine into the overall waste acceptance process to assess low-level radioactive waste streams for disposal at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site. Four waste streams recently highlighted the integration of these disciplines: the Oak Ridge Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators and Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project material, West Valley Melter, and classified waste. (authors)

Tank 19F Folding Crawler Final Evaluation, Rev. 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nance, T.

2000-10-25

The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to removing millions of gallons of high-level radioactive waste from 51 underground waste storage tanks at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The primary radioactive waste constituents are strontium, plutonium,and cesium. It is recognized that the continued storage of this waste is a risk to the public, workers, and the environment. SRS was the first site in the DOE complex to have emptied and operationally closed a high-level radioactive waste tank. The task of emptying and closing the rest of the tanks will be completed by FY28.

Measurement of natural and 137Cs radioactivity concentrations at Izmit Bay (Marmara Sea), Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Öksüz, I.; Güray, R. T.; Özkan, N.; Yalçin, C.; Ergül, H. A.; Aksan, S.

2016-03-01

In order to determine the radioactivity level at Izmit Bay Marmara Sea, marine sediment samples were collected from five different locations. The radioactivity concentrations of naturally occurring 238U, 232Th and 40K isotopes and also that of an artificial isotope 137Cs were measured by using gamma-ray spectroscopy. Preliminary results show that the radioactivity concentrations of 238U and 232Th isotopes are lower than the average worldwide values while the radioactivity concentrations of the 40K are higher than the average worldwide value. A small amount of 137Cs contamination, which might be caused by the Chernobyl accident, was also detected.

[Stakeholder representations of the role of the intermediate level of the DRC health system].

PubMed

Mbeva, Jean Bosco Kahindo; Karemere, Hermès; Schirvel, Carole; Porignon, Denis

2014-01-01

Intermediate health care structures in the DRC were designed during the setting-up of primary health care in a perspective of health district support. This study was designed to describe stakeholder representations of the intermediate level of the DRC health system during the first 30 years of the primary health care system. This case study was based on inductive analysis of data from 27 key informant interviews.. The intermediate level of the health system, lacking sufficient expertise and funding during the 1980s, was confined to inspection and control functions, answering to the central level of the Ministry of health and provincial authorities. Since the 1990s, faced with the pressing demand for support from health district teams, whose self-management had to deal with humanitarian emergencies, the need to integrate vertical programmes, and cope with the logistics of many different actors, the intermediate heath system developed methods and tools to support heath districts. This resulted in a subsidiary model of the intermediate level, the perceived efficacy of which varies according to the province over recent years. The "subsidiary" model of the intermediary health system level seems a good alternative to the "control" model in DRC.

Radioactivity in the environment; a case study of the Puerco and Little Colorado River basins, Arizona and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wirt, Laurie

1994-01-01

This report, written for the nontechnical reader, summarizes the results of a study from 1988-91 of the occurrence and transport of selected radionuclides and other chemical constituents in the Puerco and Little Colorado River basins, Arizona and New Mexico. More than two decades of uranium mining and the 1979 failure of an earthen dam containing mine tailings released high levels of radionuclides and other chemical constituents to the Puerco River, a tributary of the Little Colorado River. Releases caused public concern that ground water and streamflow downstream from mining were contaminated. Study findings show which radioactive elements are present, how these elements are distributed between water and sediment in the environment, how concentrations of radioactive elements vary naturally within basins, and how levels of radioactivity have changed since the end of mining. Although levels of radioactive elements and other trace elements measured in streamflow commonly exceed drinking-water standards, no evidence was found to indicate that the high concentrations were still related to uraniurn mining. Sediment radioactivity was higher at sample sites on streams that drain the eastern part of the Little Colorado River basin than that of samples from the western part. Radioactivity of suspended sediment measured in this study, therefore, represents natural conditions for the streams sampled rather than an effect of mining. Because ground water beneath the Puerco River channel is shallow, the aquifer is vulnerable to contamination. A narrow zone of ground water beneath the Puerco River containing elevated uranium concentrations was identified during the study. The highest concentrations were nearest the mines and in samples collected in the first few feet beneath the streambed. Natuxal radiation levels in a few areas of the underlying sedimentary aquifer not connected to the Puerco River also exceeded water quality standards. Water testing would enable those residents not using public water supplies to determine if their water is safe to use.

Fallout Radioactivity and Epiphytes.

Treesearch

H. T. Odum; George Ann Briscoe; C. B. Briscoe

1970-01-01

After relatively high levels of fallout retention were dicovered in the epiphytic mossy forest of the Luquillo Mountains durin 1962, a survey of the distribution of radioactivity in the rain forest system was made with beta counting of 1500 samples supplemented with gamma spectra. High levels, up to 4138 counts per minute per gram, were found mainly in or on green...

Removal of radioactive cesium (134Cs plus 137Cs) from low-level contaminated water by charcoal and broiler litter biochar

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Various charcoals (used in food processing and water treatment) and broiler litter biochar were examined for ability to adsorb water-soluble low-level radioactive cesium (ca. 200-250 Bq/kg) extracted from contaminated wheat bran. Among the materials tested, steam activated broiler litter biochar was...

Utilization of coal fly ash in solidification of liquid radioactive waste from research reactor.

PubMed

Osmanlioglu, Ahmet Erdal

2014-05-01

In this study, the potential utilization of fly ash was investigated as an additive in solidification process of radioactive waste sludge from research reactor. Coal formations include various percentages of natural radioactive elements; therefore, coal fly ash includes various levels of radioactivity. For this reason, fly ashes have to be evaluated for potential environmental implications in case of further usage in any construction material. But for use in solidification of radioactive sludge, the radiological effects of fly ash are in the range of radioactive waste management limits. The results show that fly ash has a strong fixing capacity for radioactive isotopes. Specimens with addition of 5-15% fly ash to concrete was observed to be sufficient to achieve the target compressive strength of 20 MPa required for near-surface disposal. An optimum mixture comprising 15% fly ash, 35% cement, and 50% radioactive waste sludge could provide the solidification required for long-term storage and disposal. The codisposal of radioactive fly ash with radioactive sludge by solidification decreases the usage of cement in solidification process. By this method, radioactive fly ash can become a valuable additive instead of industrial waste. This study supports the utilization of fly ash in industry and the solidification of radioactive waste in the nuclear industry.

Radionuclides accumulation in milk and its products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marmuleva, N. I.; Barinov, E. Ya.; Petukhov, V. L.

2003-05-01

The problem of radioactive pollution is extremely urgent in Russia in connection with presence of territories polluted by radionuclides on places of nuclear tests, in zones around the enterprises on production, processing and storage of radioactive materials, and also in areas of emergency pollution (Barakhtin, 2001). The aim of our investigation was a determination of the levels of the main radioactive elements - Cs-137 and Sr-90 in diary products. 363 samples of milk, dry milk, butter, cheese and yogurt from Novosibirsk region were examined. Cs-137 level was 3.7...9.2 times higher than Sr-90 one in milk, cheese and yogurt. At the same time the level of these radio nuclides in butter was identical (8.03 Bk/kg).

Management of Low-Level Radioactive Waste from Research, Hospitals and Nuclear Medical Centers in Egypt - 13469

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hasan, M.A.; Selim, Y.T.; Lasheen, Y.F.

2013-07-01

The application of radioisotopes and radiation sources in medical diagnosis and therapy is an important issue. Physicians can use radioisotopes to diagnose and treat diseases. Methods of treatment, conditioning and management of low level radioactive wastes from the use of radiation sources and radioisotopes in hospitals and nuclear medicine application, are described. Solid Radioactive waste with low-level activity after accumulation, minimization, segregation and measurement, are burned or compressed in a compactor according to the international standards. Conditioned drums are transported to the interim storage site at the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA) represented in Hot Labs and Waste Management Centermore » (HLWMC) for storage and monitoring. (authors)« less

The Management of the Radioactive Waste Generated by Cernavoda NPP, Romania, an Example of International Cooperation - 13449

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barariu, Gheorghe

2013-07-01

The design criteria and constraints for the development of the management strategy for radioactive waste generated from operating and decommissioning of CANDU Nuclear Units from Cernavoda NPP in Romania, present many specific aspects. The main characteristics of CANDU type waste are its high concentrations of tritium and radiocarbon. Also, the existing management strategy for radioactive waste at Cernavoda NPP provides no treatment or conditioning for radioactive waste disposal. These characteristics embodied a challenging effort, in order to select a proper strategy for radioactive waste management at present, when Romania is an EU member and a signatory country of the Jointmore » Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. The helping of advanced countries in radioactive waste management, directly or into the frame of the international organizations, like IAEA, become solve the aforementioned challenges at adequate level. (authors)« less

Natural radioactivity in groundwater--a review.

PubMed

Dinh Chau, Nguyen; Dulinski, Marek; Jodlowski, Pawel; Nowak, Jakub; Rozanski, Kazimierz; Sleziak, Monika; Wachniew, Przemyslaw

2011-12-01

The issue of natural radioactivity in groundwater is reviewed, with emphasis on those radioisotopes which contribute in a significant way to the overall effective dose received by members of the public due to the intake of drinking water originating from groundwater systems. The term 'natural radioactivity' is used in this context to cover all radioactivity present in the environment, including man-made (anthropogenic) radioactivity. Comprehensive discussion of radiological aspects of the presence of natural radionuclides in groundwater, including an overview of current regulations dealing with radioactivity in drinking water, is provided. The presented data indicate that thorough assessments of the committed doses resulting from the presence of natural radioactivity in groundwater are needed, particularly when such water is envisaged for regular intake by infants. They should be based on a precise determination of radioactivity concentration levels of the whole suite of radionuclides, including characterisation of their temporal variability. Equally important is a realistic assessment of water intake values for specific age groups. Only such an evaluation may provide the basis for possible remedial actions.

Radioactive waste management: review on clearance levels and acceptance criteria legislation, requirements and standards.

PubMed

Maringer, F J; Suráň, J; Kovář, P; Chauvenet, B; Peyres, V; García-Toraño, E; Cozzella, M L; De Felice, P; Vodenik, B; Hult, M; Rosengård, U; Merimaa, M; Szücs, L; Jeffery, C; Dean, J C J; Tymiński, Z; Arnold, D; Hinca, R; Mirescu, G

2013-11-01

In 2011 the joint research project Metrology for Radioactive Waste Management (MetroRWM)(1) of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) started with a total duration of three years. Within this project, new metrological resources for the assessment of radioactive waste, including their calibration with new reference materials traceable to national standards will be developed. This paper gives a review on national, European and international strategies as basis for science-based metrological requirements in clearance and acceptance of radioactive waste. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radioactive Wastes.

PubMed

Choudri, B S; Charabi, Yassine; Baawain, Mahad; Ahmed, Mushtaque

2017-10-01

Papers reviewed herein present a general overview of radioactive waste related activities around the world in 2016. The current reveiw include studies related to safety assessments, decommission and decontamination of nuclear facilities, fusion facilities, transportation. Further, the review highlights on management solutions for the final disposal of low and high level radioactive wastes (LLW and HLW), interim storage and final disposal options for spent fuel (SF), and tritiated wastes, with a focus on environmental impacts due to the mobility of radionuclides in ecosystem, water and soil alongwith other progress made in the management of radioactive wastes.

In vivo synthesis of phosphatidylcholine in rat brain via the phospholipid methylation pathway

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakher, Michael; Wurtman, Richard J.

1987-01-01

The in vivo synthesis of brain phosphatidylcholine (PC) by the methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was examined. (H-3)methyl)methionine was infused i.c.v., by indwelling cannula, and brain samples were taken 0.5-18 h thereafter and assayed for (H-3)PC, as well as for its biosynthetic intermediates (H-3)phosphatidyl monomethylethanolamine ((H-3)PMME) and (H-3)phosphatidyl dimethylethanolamine ((H-3)PDME), and for (H-3)lysophosphatidylcholine ((H-3)LPC) and S-(H-3)adenosylmethionine ((H-3)SAM). Most of the (H-3)PC (79-94 percent) was present ipsilateral to the infusion site; indicating that the radioactivity in the (H-3)PC was primarily of intracerebral origin, and not taken up from the blood. Moreover, only very low levels of (H-3)PC were attained in brains of animals receiving (H-3)methionine i.p. and these levels were symmetrically distributed. (H-3)PMME and (H-3)PDME turned over with apparent half-lives of 2.2 h and 2.4 h. In contrast, the accumulation of brain (H-3)PC was biphasic, suggesting the existence of two pools, the more labile of which turned over rapidly (t(sub 1/2) = 5 h) and was formed for as long as (H-3)PMME and (H-3)PDME are present in the brain, and another, which was distinguishable only at 18 h after the (H-3)methionine infusion. (The latter pool may have been synthesized from (H-3)choline that was released via the hydrolysis of some of the brain (H-3)PC previously formed by the methylation of PE.) Subcellular fractionation of brain tissue obtained after in vivo labelling with (H-3)methionine revealed that mitochondrial PC had the highest specific radioactivity (dpm per micromol total lipid phosphorus), and myelin the least. These observations affirm that rat brain does synthesize PC in vivo by methylating PE, and the technique provides an experimental system which may be useful for examining the physiological regulation of this process.

Alkaline Plume in the Aptian Sand Aquifer in the Context of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Surface Disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochepin, B.; Munier, I.; MADE, B.

2017-12-01

The storage vaults for low and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste in the East of France are settled on the Aptian sand layer. In the context of the periodic examination by the nuclear regulators, it has been recommended to assess more precisely the chemical conditions for a potential release of radionuclides in the underlying water table. In particular, this study aims at assessing the eventuality of spreading an alkaline plume in the Aptian sand pore water by the chemical degradation of the vault cementitious materials. The numerical approach developed for this purpose is supported by both experimental characterizations of tracers in the water table and results from preliminary numerical studies on the hydrology of the site and the hydraulic evolution of the storage. The results from these specific simulations were simplified in the reactive transport model to focus on the mechanistic description of the chemical processes taking place in the waste and vaults and on their consequences on the underlying water table. During the operating period of the disposal, the reactive transport modelling shows that the low water saturation in the vaults material and in the vadose zone prevents the aquifer from a significant increase of the water pH under the cement-based vaults. These results are in reasonable agreement with the pH regularly measured in the underlying water table. After storage closure, during the few hundred years of the monitoring period and furthermore beyond, the reactive transport modelling shows a noticeable release of hydroxyls and alkali ions under the disposal vaults and their spread downstream the storage site leading to pH values above 10. It is noteworthy that the pH is not buffered in the Aptian sands because of their low amount in clayey minerals. This effect is now considered for pH-sensitive radionuclide solutes in safety assessment calculations by weighting correspondingly their retention parameters.

Cervicovaginal cytokines, sialidase activity and bacterial load in reproductive-aged women with intermediate vaginal flora.

PubMed

Santos-Greatti, Mariana Morena de Vieira; da Silva, Márcia Guimarães; Ferreira, Carolina Sanitá Tafner; Marconi, Camila

2016-11-01

Studies have shown that not only bacterial vaginosis, but also intermediate vaginal flora has deleterious effects for women's reproductive health. However, literature still lacks information about microbiological and immunological aspects of intermediate flora. To characterize intermediate flora regarding levels of Interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), IL-10, sialidase; loads of Gardnerella vaginalis, total bacteria and to verify whether it is closer related to normal flora or bacterial vaginosis. This cross-sectional study enrolled 526 non-pregnant reproductive-aged women distributed in 3 groups according to pattern of vaginal flora using Nugent's system in normal, intermediate and bacterial vaginosis. Cervicovaginal levels of cytokines, sialidases, loads of G. vaginalis and total bacteria were assessed by ELISA, conversion of MUAN and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. A principal component analysis(PCA) using all measured parameters was performed to compare the three different types of flora. Results showed that intermediate flora is associated with increased cervicovaginal IL-1beta in relation to normal flora(P<0.0001). When compared to bacterial vaginosis, intermediate flora has higher IL-8 and IL-10 levels(P<0.01). Sialidases were in significantly lower levels in normal and intermediate flora than bacterial vaginosis(P<0.0001). Loads of G. vaginalis and total bacterial differed among all groups(P<0.0001), being highest in bacterial vaginosis. PCA showed that normal and intermediate flora were closely scattered, while bacterial vaginosis were grouped separately. Although intermediate flora shows some differences in cytokines, sialidases and bacterial loads in relation to normal flora and bacterial vaginosis, when taken together, general microbiological and immunological pattern pattern of intermediate flora resembles the normal flora. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of local acceptance of a radioactive waste disposal facility.

PubMed

Chung, Ji Bum; Kim, Hong-Kew; Rho, Sam Kew

2008-08-01

Like many other countries in the world, Korea has struggled to site a facility for radioactive waste for almost 30 years because of the strong opposition from local residents. Finally, in 2005, Gyeongju was established as the first Korean site for a radioactive waste facility. The objectives of this research are to verify Gyeongju citizens' average level of risk perception of a radioactive waste disposal facility as compared to other risks, and to explore the best model for predicting respondents' acceptance level using variables related to cost-benefit, risk perception, and political process. For this purpose, a survey is conducted among Gyeongju residents, the results of which are as follows. First, the local residents' risk perception of an accident in a radioactive waste disposal facility is ranked seventh among a total of 13 risks, which implies that nuclear-related risk is not perceived very highly by Gyeongju residents; however, its characteristics are still somewhat negative. Second, the comparative regression analyses show that the cost-benefit and political process models are more suitable for explaining the respondents' level of acceptance than the risk perception model. This may be the result of the current economic depression in Gyeongju, residents' familiarity with the nuclear industry, or cultural characteristics of risk tolerance.

2nd Quarter Transportation Report FY 2014

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gregory, L.

2014-07-01

This report satisfies the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) commitment to prepare a quarterly summary report of radioactive waste shipments to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) at Area 5. There were no shipments sent for offsite treatment and returned to the NNSS this quarter. This report summarizes the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2014 low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLLW) shipments. This report also includes annual summaries for FY 2014 in Tables 4 and 5. Tabular summaries are provided which includemore » the following: Sources of and carriers for LLW and MLLW shipments to and from the NNSS; Number and external volume of LLW and MLLW shipments; Highway routes used by carriers; and Incident/accident data applicable to LLW and MLLW shipments. In this report shipments are accounted for upon arrival at the NNSS, while disposal volumes are accounted for upon waste burial. The disposal volumes presented in this report do not include minor volumes of non-radioactive materials that were approved for disposal. Volume reports showing cubic feet (ft3) generated using the Low-Level Waste Information System may vary slightly due to differing rounding conventions.« less

Status of the waste assay for nonradioactive disposal (WAND) project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnone, Gaetano L.; Foster, Lynn A.; Foxx, Charles L.; Hagan, Roland C.; Martin, E. R.; Myers, Steven C.; Parker, Jack L.

1999-01-01

The WAND (Waste Assay for Nonradioactive Disposal) system scans thought-to-be-clean, low-density waste (mostly paper and plastics) to verify the absence of radioactive contaminants at very low-levels. Much of the low-density waste generated in radiologically controlled areas, formally considered `suspect' radioactive, is now disposed more cheaply at the Los Alamos County Landfill as opposed to the LANL Radioactive Waste Landfill.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mollah, A.S.

Low level radioactive waste (LLW) is generated from various nuclear applications in Bangladesh. The major sources of radioactive waste in the country are at present: (a) the 3 MW TRIGA Mark-II research reactor; (b) the radioisotope production facility; (c) the medical, industrial and research facilities that use radionuclides; and (d) the industrial facility for processing monazite sands. Radioactive waste needs to be safely managed because it is potentially hazardous to human health and the environment. According to Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control Act-93, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) is the governmental body responsible for the receipt and final disposalmore » of radioactive wastes in the whole country. Waste management policy has become an important environmental, social, and economical issue for LLW in Bangladesh. Policy and strategies will serve as a basic guide for radioactive waste management in Bangladesh. The waste generator is responsible for on-site collection, conditioning and temporary storage of the waste arising from his practice. The Central Waste Processing and Storage Unit (CWPSU) of BAEC is the designated national facility with the requisite facility for the treatment, conditioning and storage of radioactive waste until a final disposal facility is established and becomes operational. The Regulatory Authority is responsible for the enforcement of compliance with provisions of the waste management regulation and other relevant requirements by the waste generator and the CWPSU. The objective of this paper is to present, in a concise form, basic information about the radioactive waste management infrastructure, regulations, policies and strategies including the total inventory of low level radioactive waste in the country. For improvement and strengthening in terms of operational capability, safety and security of RW including spent radioactive sources and overall security of the facility (CWPSF), the facility is expected to serve waste management need in the country and, in the course of time, the facility may be turned into a regional level training centre. It is essential for safe conduction and culture of research and application in nuclear science and technology maintaining the relevant safety of man and environment and future generations to come. (authors)« less

Measurement of Isobaric Analogue Resonances of 47Ar with the Active-Target Time Projection Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradt, Joshua William

While the nuclear shell model accurately describes the structure of nuclei near stability, the structure of unstable, neutron-rich nuclei is still an area of active research. One region of interest is the set of nuclei near N=28. The shell model suggests that these nuclei should be approximately spherical due to the shell gap predicted by their magic number of neutrons; however, experiments have shown that the nuclei in this region rapidly become deformed as protons are removed from the spherical 48Ca. This makes 46Ar a particularly interesting system as it lies in a transition region between 48Ca and lighter isotones that are known to be deformed. An experiment was performed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) to measure resonant proton scattering on 46Ar. The resonances observed in this reaction correspond to unbound levels in the 47K intermediate state nucleus which are isobaric analogues of states in the 47Ar nucleus. By measuring the spectroscopic factors of these states in 47Ar, we gain information about the single-particle structure of this system, which is directly related to the size of the N=28 shell gap. Four resonances were observed: one corresponding to the ground state in 47Ar, one corresponding its first excited 1/2- state, and two corresponding to 1/2+ states in either 47Ar or the intermediate state nucleus. However, only a limited amount of information about these states could be recovered due to the low experimental statistics and limited angular resolution caused by pileup rejection and the inability to accurately reconstruct the beam particle track. In addition to the nuclear physics motivations, this experiment served as the radioactive beam commissioning for the Active-Target Time Projection Chamber (AT-TPC). The AT-TPC is a new gas-filled charged particle detector built at the NSCL to measure low-energy radioactive beams from the ReA3 facility. Since the gas inside the detector serves as both the tracking medium and the scattering target, reactions are measured over a continuous range of energies with near-4π solid angle coverage. This experiment demonstrated that tracks recorded by the AT-TPC can be reconstructed to a good resolution, and it established the feasibility of performing similar experiments with this detector in the future.

10 CFR Appendix F to Part 50 - Policy Relating to the Siting of Fuel Reprocessing Plants and Related Waste Management Facilities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... transferred to a Federal repository no later than 10 years following separation of fission products from the.... Disposal of high-level radioactive fission product waste material will not be permitted on any land other... of the policy stated above with respect to high-level radioactive fission product wastes generated...

10 CFR Appendix F to Part 50 - Policy Relating to the Siting of Fuel Reprocessing Plants and Related Waste Management Facilities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... transferred to a Federal repository no later than 10 years following separation of fission products from the.... Disposal of high-level radioactive fission product waste material will not be permitted on any land other... of the policy stated above with respect to high-level radioactive fission product wastes generated...

75 FR 20582 - Record of Decision: Final Environmental Impact Statement for Decommissioning and/or Long-Term...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-20

... storage tanks and facilities used in the solidification of high-level radioactive waste, and any material... Act (Pub. L. 96-368, 42 U.S.C. 2021a). The WVDP Act requires DOE to demonstrate that the liquid high... take the following actions: 1. Solidify high-level radioactive waste by vitrification or such other...

The metabolism of galactose in the human gastric mucous membrane.

PubMed

Kopacz-Jodczyk, T; Zwierz, K; Gałasiński, W

1984-12-01

After incubating pieces of human gastric mucous membrane with radioactive galactose, labeled metabolites of glycolysis (FDP,PEP,pyruvate):hexose and hexosamine intermediates in glycoconjugate biosynthesis (gal-1P, UDP-gal,acetylated hexosamines, and their phosphate esters), amino acids (glycine, alanine, and serine), and oxoglutarate as a metabolite of the citric acid cycle were isolated from the acid-soluble fraction. These results suggest that galactose in the human gastric mucous membrane is epimerized to glucose and metabolized in the glycolytic pathway together with oxidation in the citric acid cycle and in the direction of glycoconjugate biosynthesis.

Tetraethylene glycol promoted two-step, one-pot rapid synthesis of indole-3-[1- 11C]acetic acid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Sojeong; Qu, Wenchao; Alexoff, David L.

2014-12-12

An operationally friendly, two-step, one-pot process has been developed for the rapid synthesis of carbon-11 labeled indole-3-acetic acid ([ 11]IAA or [ 11]auxin). By replacing an aprotic polar solvent with tetraethylene glycol, nucleophilic [ 11]cyanation and alkaline hydrolysis reactions were performed consecutively in a single pot without a time-consuming intermediate purification step. The entire production time for this updated procedure is 55 min, which dramatically simplifies the entire synthesis and reduces the starting radioactivity required for a whole plant imaging study.

Putting Radioactive Wastes on Ice: A Proposal for an International Radionuclide Depository in Antarctica

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeller, E. J.; And Others

1973-01-01

Describes need for creating permanent disposal of high-level radioactive wastes accumulating in different countries. Possibilities of establishing facilities for this purpose in Antarctic ice cap are examined. (PS)

Measurement of the fall in the level of plasma radioactivity after intravenous administration of radiohippuran as a test of renal function

PubMed Central

Briggs, J. D.; Boyle, J. A.

1965-01-01

The level of plasma radioactivity following a single intravenous injection of 131I-labelled sodium orthoiodohippurate (radiohuppuran) falls with time in a tri-exponential fashion. The rate of fall of plasma radioactivity after an intravenous injection of radiohippuran was measured over the period 25 to 40 minutes from the time of injection and was expressed as the half-life of radiohippuran. The results suggest that this procedure may provide a valid measure of renal function which is more sensitive than the blood urea estimation but less sensitive than the creatinine clearance. PMID:14304256

Status of ecosystems in radioactive waste reservoirs of the Mayak Production Association in 2009.

PubMed

Pryakhin, Evgeny A; Tryapitsina, Galina A; Deryabina, Larisa V; Atamanyuk, Natalia I; Stukalov, Pavel M; Ivanov, Ivan A; Kostyuchenko, Vladimir A; Akleyev, Alexander V

2012-07-01

Liquid radioactive waste from the Mayak Production Association (Chelyabinsk Region, Russia) is contained in industrial reservoirs (R-11, R-10, R-4, R-17, and R-9) that have different levels of radioactive contamination, increased from R-11 to R-17. A study of the ecosystems in these reservoirs was performed in 2009 to determine if there was any association with the level of contamination. No significant change in the status of biota was found in the reservoir with the lowest radionuclide concentrations (R-11) in comparison to other reservoirs in the region with a similar geography that are unaffected by radioactive contamination. In reservoir R-10, changes in the zoobenthos indices were registered. In reservoir R-4, changes in the zoobenthos and zooplankton communities were registered. In reservoir R-17, there was no ichthyofauna, but strong changes in the phytoplankton, zooplankton, and zoobenthos communities were registered. In reservoir R-9, under the conditions of the heaviest radioactive contamination of water ecosystems in the biosphere, there was no ichthyofauna, and phytoplankton and zooplankton consisted of almost a monoculture of cyanobacteriae and rotifers.

Elementary Environmental Learning Packet Grades 4-6, Second Revised Edition. [Intermediate CEL Blocks. Teacher's Guide].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard County School Board, Cocoa, FL.

This environmental education program consists of two levels: primary and intermediate. The material in this publication encompasses the intermediate level. The learning materials are activity-based and incorporate process and subject area skills with knowledge and concern for the environment. The program is also interdisciplinary including…

Thiamine pyrophosphate requirement for o-succinylbenzoic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli and evidence for an intermediate.

PubMed Central

Meganathan, R; Bentley, R

1983-01-01

Cell-free extracts of various strains of Escherichia coli synthesize the menaquinone biosynthetic intermediate o-succinylbenzoic acid (OSB) when supplied with chorismic acid, 2-ketoglutaric acid, and thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP). To assay for OSB synthesis, 2-[U-14C]ketoglutaric acid was used as substrate, and the synthesized OSB was examined by radiogas chromatography (as the dimethyl ester). [U-14C]Shikimic acid also gave rise to radioactive OSB if the cofactors necessary for enzymatic conversion to chorismic acid were added. Use of 2-[1-14C]ketoglutaric acid does not give rise to labeled OSB. In the absence of TPP during the incubations, OSB synthesis was much reduced; these observations are consistent with the proposed role for the succinic semialdehyde-TPP anion as the reagent adding to chorismic acid. Extracts of cells from menC and menD mutants did not form OSB separately, but did so in combination. There was evidence for formation of a product, X, by extracts of a menC mutant incubated with chorismic acid, TPP, and 2-ketoglutaric acid; X was converted to OSB by extracts of a menD mutant. It appears that the intermediate, X, is formed by one gene product and converted to OSB by the second gene product. PMID:6337125

Toxicokinetic of HEMA in guinea pigs.

PubMed

Reichl, F-X; Durner, J; Kehe, K; Manhart, J; Folwaczny, M; Kleinsasser, N; Hume, W R; Hickel, R

2002-01-01

Unconverted 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) can be released from dental resin materials and can enter the body in humans. In the present study the uptake, distribution and excretion of 14C-HEMA applied via different routes were examined in vivo in guinea pigs. HEMA (0.02 mmol/kg bw labelled with a tracer dose 14C-HEMA 0.3 Bq/g bw) was administered by gastric tube or by subcutaneous injection. Urine, feces, and exhaled carbon dioxide were collected for 24 h after administration. Guinea pigs were killed 24 h after the beginning of the experiment and various organs removed and 14C radioactivity measured. Low fecal 14C levels (about 2% of the dose) and urinary levels of about 15% after 24 h were noted with either route of administration. Direct measurement of exhaled CO(2) showed that about 70% of the dose left the body via the lungs. Two pathways for the metabolism of 14C-HEMA can be described. It is likely that 14C-pyruvate is formed in vivo resulting in the formation of toxic 14C-HEMA intermediates. 14C-HEMA was taken up rapidly from the stomach and small intestine after gastric administration and was widely distributed in the body following administration by each of the routes. Clearance from most tissues following gastric and intradermal administration was essentially complete within one day. The peak HEMA levels in all tissues examined after 24 h were at least onemillion-fold less than known toxic levels. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Cross section measurements of radiative KL2,3 RRS in 24Cr and L3M4,5 RRS in 59Pr for Mn Kα1,2 X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Veena; Upmanyu, Arun; Singh, Ranjit; Singh, Gurjot; Sharma, Hitesh; Kumar, Sanjeev; Mehta, D.

2017-06-01

The KL2,3 and L3M4,5 radiative resonant Raman scattering (RRS) cross sections have been measured for the quasimonochromatic Mn Kα1,2 X-rays (5.895 keV) in 24Cr (K-shell level width (ΓK) =1.08 eV) and 59 Pr (L3-subshell level width (ΓL3) =3.60 eV), respectively, using targets in metallic and various chemical forms. The incident Mn Kα1,2 X-ray energy is lower than the K-shell binding energy of 24Cr and L3-subshell binding energy of 59Pr by 94 ΓK (Cr) and 94 ΓL3 (Pr), respectively. The experimental measurements were performed with a low energy Ge detector (LEGe) and a radioactive 55Fe annular source in conjunction with 24Cr absorber. The measured cross section values for the 24Cr and 59 Pr elements in their various oxidation states are found to be same within experimental errors. The measurements were further extended to investigate alignment of the intermediate L3-subshell (J =3/2) virtual vacancy states in 59Pr through angular distribution measurements for RRS photon emission, which is found to be isotropic within experimental errors.

78 FR 64049 - Information Collection Activities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-25

... radioactive material being transported; external radiation levels do not exceed prescribed limits; and... radioactive materials in commerce. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 3,817... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket No...

Reference levels of background radioactivity for beach sands and soils in İnebolu/Kastamonu-Turkey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurnaz, Aslı, E-mail: akurnaz@kastamonu.edu.tr; Türkdoğan, Savaş, E-mail: savas-turk-dogan@hotmail.com; Hançerlioğulları, Aybaba, E-mail: aybaba@kastamonu.edu.tr

This paper presents the measurement results of environmental radioactivity levels for İnebolu district (tourist area), Kastamonu-Turkey. The radioactivity concentrations of {sup 238}U, {sup 232}Th, {sup 40}K and the fission product {sup 137}Cs in soil samples collected from 13 region surroundings of study area and in 12 beach sand samples collected from along the coast of İnebolu were determined. To evaluate the radiological hazard of the natural radioactivity, based on the measured concentrations of these radionuclides, the mean absorbed gamma dose and the annual effective dose were evaluated separately, and found to be 112.90 nGy h-1 and 138.46 µSv y-1 for soilmore » samples and 75.19 nGy h-1 and 92.22 µSv y-1 for beach sand samples, respectively. The results show that İnebolu does not have high background.« less

Reference levels of background radioactivity for beach sands and soils in İnebolu/Kastamonu-Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurnaz, Aslı; Türkdoǧan, Savaş; Hançerlioǧulları, Aybaba; ćetiner, M. Atıf

2016-03-01

This paper presents the measurement results of environmental radioactivity levels for İnebolu district (tourist area), Kastamonu-Turkey. The radioactivity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 40K and the fission product 137Cs in soil samples collected from 13 region surroundings of study area and in 12 beach sand samples collected from along the coast of İnebolu were determined. To evaluate the radiological hazard of the natural radioactivity, based on the measured concentrations of these radionuclides, the mean absorbed gamma dose and the annual effective dose were evaluated separately, and found to be 112.90 nGy h-1 and 138.46 µSv y-1 for soil samples and 75.19 nGy h-1 and 92.22 µSv y-1 for beach sand samples, respectively. The results show that İnebolu does not have high background.

Thirteenth annual U.S. DOE low-level radioactive waste management conference: Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1991-12-31

The 40 papers in this document comprise the proceedings of the Department of Energy`s Thirteenth Annual Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference that was held in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 19--21, 1991. General subjects addressed during the conference included: disposal facility design; greater-than-class C low-level waste; public acceptance considerations; waste certification; site characterization; performance assessment; licensing and documentation; emerging low-level waste technologies; waste minimization; mixed waste; tracking and transportation; storage; and regulatory changes. Papers have been processed separately for inclusion on the data base.

Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Najat K.; Mazunga, Mohamed S.

2013-01-01

The discovery of high concentration uranium deposit at Mkuju, southern part of Tanzania, has brought concern about the levels of natural radioactivity at villages in the neighborhood of the deposit. This study determined the radioactivity levels of 30 soil samples and 20 water samples from Likuyu village which is 54 km east of the uranium deposit. The concentrations of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K were determined using low level gamma spectrometry of the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC) Laboratory in Arusha. The average radioactivity concentrations obtained in soil samples for 238U (51.7 Bq/kg), 232Th (36.4 Bq/kg), and 40K (564.3 Bq/kg) were higher than the worldwide average concentrations value of these radionuclides reported by UNSCEAR, 2000. The average activity concentration value of 238U (2.35 Bq/L) and 232Th (1.85 Bq/L) in water samples was similar and comparable to their mean concentrations in the control sample collected from Nduluma River in Arusha. PMID:23781247

Collaboration of local government and experts responding to increase in environmental radiation level due to the nuclear disaster: focusing on their activities and latest radiological discussion.

PubMed

Iimoto, T; Nunokawa, J; Fujii, H; Takashima, R; Hashimoto, M; Fukuhara, T; Yajima, T; Matsuzawa, H; Kurosawa, K; Yanagawa, Y; Someya, S

2015-11-01

Activities were introduced in Kashiwa city in the Tokyo metropolitan area to correspond to the elevated environmental radiation level after the disaster of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. These were based on a strong cooperation between local governments and experts. Ambient dose rate and radioactivity of foodstuff produced inside of the city have been monitored. Representative ambient dose rates around living environments have almost already become their original levels of the pre-accident because of the decontamination activity, natural washout and effective half-lives of radioactivity. The internal annual dose due to radioactive cesium under the policy of 'Local Production for Local Consumption' is estimated as extremely low comparing the variation range due to natural radioactivity. Systematic survey around a retention basin has been started. All of these latest monitoring data would be one of the core information for the policy making as well as a cost-benefit discussion and risk communication. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

VELoCiRaPTORS.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundgren, J.; Esham, B.; Padalino, S. J.; Sangster, T. C.; Glebov, V.

2007-11-01

The Venting and Exhausting of Low Level Air Contaminants in the Rapid Pneumatic Transport of Radioactive Samples (VELoCiRaPTORS) system is constructed to transport radioactive materials quickly and safely at the NIF. A radioactive sample will be placed inside a carrier that is transported via an airflow system produced by controlled differential pressure. Midway through the transportation process, the carrier will be stopped and vented by a powered exhaust blower which will remove radioactive gases within the transport carrier. A Geiger counter will monitor the activity of the exhaust gas to ensure that it is below acceptable levels. If the radiation level is sufficient, the carrier will pass through the remainder of the system, pneumatically braking at the counting station. The complete design will run manually or automatically with control software. Tests were performed using an inactive carrier to determine possible transportation problems. The system underwent many consecutive trials without failure. VELoCiRaPTORS is a prototype of a system that could be installed at both the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester and the National Ignition Facility at LLNL.

Movement of a tritium plume in shallow groundwater at a legacy low-level radioactive waste disposal site in eastern Australia.

PubMed

Hughes, C E; Cendón, D I; Harrison, J J; Hankin, S I; Johansen, M P; Payne, T E; Vine, M; Collins, R N; Hoffmann, E L; Loosz, T

2011-10-01

Between 1960 and 1968 low-level radioactive waste was buried in a series of shallow trenches near the Lucas Heights facility, south of Sydney, Australia. Groundwater monitoring carried out since the mid 1970s indicates that with the exception of tritium, no radioactivity above typical background levels has been detected outside the immediate vicinity of the trenches. The maximum tritium level detected in ground water was 390 kBq/L and the median value was 5400 Bq/L, decay corrected to the time of disposal. Since 1968, a plume of tritiated water has migrated from the disposal trenches and extends at least 100 m from the source area. Tritium in rainfall is negligible, however leachate from an adjacent and fill represents a significant additional tritium source. Study data indicate variation in concentration levels and plume distribution in response to wet and dry climatic periods and have been used to determine pathways for tritium migration through the subsurface.

License restrictions at Barnwell

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Autry, V.R.

1991-12-31

The State of South Carolina was delegated the authority by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to regulate the receipt, possession, use and disposal of radioactive material as an Agreement State. Since 1970, the state has been the principal regulatory authority for the Barnwell Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility operated by Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc. The radioactive material license issued authorizing the receipt and disposal of low-level waste contains numerous restrictions to ensure environmental protection and compliance with shallow land disposal performance criteria. Low-level waste has evolved from minimally contaminated items to complex waste streams containing high concentrations of radionuclides and processing chemicalsmore » which necessitated these restrictions. Additionally, some waste with their specific radionuclides and concentration levels, many classified as low-level radioactive waste, are not appropriate for shallow land disposal unless additional precautions are taken. This paper will represent a number of these restrictions, the rationale for them, and how they are being dealt with at the Barnwell disposal facility.« less

Detection of neutrinos, antineutrinos, and neutrino-like particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischbach, Ephraim

An apparatus for detecting the presence of a nuclear reactor by the detection of antineutrinos from the reactor can include a radioactive sample having a measurable nuclear activity level and a decay rate capable of changing in response to the presence of antineutrinos, and a detector associated with the radioactive sample. The detector is responsive to at least one of a particle or radiation formed by decay of the radioactive sample. A processor associated with the detector can correlate rate of decay of the radioactive sample to a flux of the antineutrinos to detect the reactor.

Impact of alkaline alterations to a Brazilian soil on cesium retention under low temperature conditions.

PubMed

Calábria, Jaqueline Alves de Almeida; Cota, Stela Dalva Santos; de Morais, Gustavo Ferrari; Ladeira, Ana Cláudia Queiroz

2017-11-01

To be used as backfilling materials in radioactive waste disposal facilities, a natural material must have a suitable permeability, mechanical properties and a high sorption capacity for radionuclides. Also important when considering a material as a backfill is the effect of its interaction with the alkaline solution generated from concrete degradation. This solution promotes mineralogical alterations that result in significant changes in the material key properties influencing its performance as a safety component of the repository. This paper presents results of an investigation on the effect of alkaline interaction under a low temperature on cesium retention properties of a local soil being considered suitable as a backfill for the Brazilian near surface disposal facility. A sample of the Brazilian soil was mixed with an alkaline solution, simulating the pore water leached in the first stage of cement degradation, during 1, 7, 14 and 28 days. The experiments were conducted under low temperature (25 °C) aiming to evaluate similar conditions found on a low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal installation. A non-classical isotherm sorption model was fitted to sorption data obtained from batch experiments, for unaltered and altered samples, providing parameters that allowed us to assess the effect of the interaction on material quality as Cs sorbent. The sorption parameters obtained from the data-fitted isotherm were used then to estimate the corresponding retardation factor (R). Alkaline interaction significantly modified the soil sorption properties for Cs. The parameter Q, related to the maximum sorption capacity, as well as the affinity parameter (K) and the retardation coefficients became significantly smaller (about 1000 times for the R coefficient) after pretreatment with the simulated alkaline solutions. Moreover, the increase in n-values, which is related with the energy distribution width and heterogeneity of surface site energies, demonstrated that the adsorbent surface became more homogenous as a consequence of the alkaline alteration. Together these results suggest that cementitious leachate has a profound effect on Cs retention and should be accounted for estimating radionuclide retention in radioactive waste disposal systems containing cementitious materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport and dose deposition from locally released gold nanoparticles labeled with 111In, 177Lu or 90Y incorporated into tissue implantable depots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Priscilla; Cai, Zhongli; Pignol, Jean-Philippe; Lechtman, Eli; Mashouf, Shahram; Lu, Yijie; Winnik, Mitchell A.; Jaffray, David A.; Reilly, Raymond M.

2017-11-01

Permanent seed implantation (PSI) brachytherapy is a highly conformal form of radiation therapy but is challenged with dose inhomogeneity due to its utilization of low energy radiation sources. Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) conjugated with electron emitting radionuclides have recently been developed as a novel form of brachytherapy and can aid in homogenizing dose through physical distribution of radiolabeled AuNP when injected intratumorally (IT) in suspension. However, the distribution is unpredictable and precise placement of many injections would be difficult. Previously, we reported the design of a nanoparticle depot (NPD) that can be implanted using PSI techniques and which facilitates controlled release of AuNP. We report here the 3D dose distribution resulting from a NPD incorporating AuNP labeled with electron emitters (90Y, 177Lu, 111In) of different energies using Monte Carlo based voxel level dosimetry. The MCNP5 Monte Carlo radiation transport code was used to assess differences in dose distribution from simulated NPD and conventional brachytherapy sources, positioned in breast tissue simulating material. We further compare these dose distributions in mice bearing subcutaneous human breast cancer xenografts implanted with 177Lu-AuNP NPD, or injected IT with 177Lu-AuNP in suspension. The radioactivity distributions were derived from registered SPECT/CT images and time-dependent dose was estimated. Results demonstrated that the dose distribution from NPD reduced the maximum dose 3-fold when compared to conventional seeds. For simulated NPD, as well as NPD implanted in vivo, 90Y delivered the most homogeneous dose distribution. The tumor radioactivity in mice IT injected with 177Lu-AuNP redistributed while radioactivity in the NPD remained confined to the implant site. The dose distribution from radiolabeled AuNP NPD were predictable and concentric in contrast to IT injected radiolabeled AuNP, which provided irregular and temporally variant dose distributions. The use of NPD may serve as an intermediate between PSI and radiation delivered by radiolabeled AuNP by providing a controlled method to improve delivery of prescribed doses as well as homogenize dose from low penetrating electron sources.

Teaching about Radioactivity and Ionising Radiation: An Alternative Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millar, Robin; And Others

1990-01-01

Children's ideas about radiation and radioactivity are reviewed and several common areas of misunderstanding are identified. An approach to teaching the topic at the secondary school level which seeks to specifically address known difficulties is outlined. (CW)

Measurement of natural and {sup 137}Cs radioactivity concentrations at Izmit Bay (Marmara Sea), Turkey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Öksüz, İ., E-mail: ibrahim-ksz@yahoo.com; Güray, R. T., E-mail: tguray@kocaeli.edu.tr; Özkan, N., E-mail: nozkan@kocaeli.edu.tr

In order to determine the radioactivity level at Izmit Bay Marmara Sea, marine sediment samples were collected from five different locations. The radioactivity concentrations of naturally occurring {sup 238}U, {sup 232}Th and {sup 40}K isotopes and also that of an artificial isotope {sup 137}Cs were measured by using gamma-ray spectroscopy. Preliminary results show that the radioactivity concentrations of {sup 238}U and {sup 232}Th isotopes are lower than the average worldwide values while the radioactivity concentrations of the {sup 40}K are higher than the average worldwide value. A small amount of {sup 137}Cs contamination, which might be caused by the Chernobylmore » accident, was also detected.« less

Environmental analysis of Lower Pueblo/Lower Los Alamos Canyon, Los Alamos, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ferenbaugh, R.W.; Buhl, T.E.; Stoker, A.K.

1994-12-01

The radiological survey of the former radioactive waste treatment plant site (TA-45), Acid Canyon, Pueblo Canyon, and Los Alamos Canyon found residual contamination at the site itself and in the channel and banks of Acid, Pueblo, and lower Los Alamos Canyons all the way to the Rio Grande. The largest reservoir of residual radioactivity is in lower Pueblo Canyon, which is on DOE property. However, residual radioactivity does not exceed proposed cleanup criteria in either lower Pueblo or lower Los Alamos Canyons. The three alternatives proposed are (1) to take no action, (2) to construct a sediment trap in lowermore » Pueblo Canyon to prevent further transport of residual radioactivity onto San Ildefonso Indian Pueblo land, and (3) to clean the residual radioactivity from the canyon system. Alternative 2, to cleanup the canyon system, is rejected as a viable alternative. Thousands of truckloads of sediment would have to be removed and disposed of, and this effort is unwarranted by the low levels of contamination present. Residual radioactivity levels, under either present conditions or projected future conditions, will not result in significant radiation doses to persons exposed. Modeling efforts show that future transport activity will not result in any residual radioactivity concentrations higher than those already existing. Thus, although construction of a sediment trap in lower Pueblo Canyon is a viable alternative, this effort also is unwarranted, and the no-action alternative is the preferred alternative.« less

Accumulation of Radioactive Cesium Released from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Terrestrial Cyanobacteria Nostoc commune

PubMed Central

Sasaki, Hideaki; Shirato, Susumu; Tahara, Tomoya; Sato, Kenji; Takenaka, Hiroyuki

2013-01-01

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident released large amounts of radioactive substances into the environment and contaminated the soil of Tohoku and Kanto districts in Japan. Removal of radioactive material from the environment is an urgent problem, and soil purification using plants is being considered. In this study, we investigated the ability of 12 seed plant species and a cyanobacterium to accumulate radioactive material. The plants did not accumulate radioactive material at high levels, but high accumulation was observed in the terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. In Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, N. commune accumulated 415,000 Bq/kg dry weight 134Cs and 607,000 Bq kg−1 dry weight 137Cs. The concentration of cesium in N. commune tended to be high in areas where soil radioactivity was high. A cultivation experiment confirmed that N. commune absorbed radioactive cesium from polluted soil. These data demonstrated that radiological absorption using N. commune might be suitable for decontaminating polluted soil. PMID:24256969

Use of CAS in secondary school: a factor influencing the transition to university-level mathematics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varsavsky, Cristina

2012-01-01

Australian secondary school systems offer three levels of senior (year 12) mathematics studies, none of them compulsory: elementary, intermediate and advanced. The intermediate and advanced studies prepare students for further mathematics studies at university level. In the state of Victoria, there are two versions of intermediate mathematics: one where students learn and are examined with a computer algebra system (CAS) and another where students can only use scientific calculators. This study compares the performance of 1240 students as they transitioned to traditional university-level mathematics and according to whether they learned intermediate mathematics with or without the assistance of a CAS. This study concludes that students without CAS show a slight advantage, but the most important factor affecting student performance is the uptake of advanced-level mathematics studies in secondary school.

Retrospection of Chernobyl nuclear accident for decision analysis concerning remedial actions in Ukraine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Georgievskiy, Vladimir

2007-07-01

It is considered the efficacy of decisions concerning remedial actions when of-site radiological monitoring in the early and (or) in the intermediate phases was absent or was not informative. There are examples of such situations in the former Soviet Union where many people have been exposed: releases of radioactive materials from 'Krasnoyarsk-26' into Enisey River, releases of radioactive materials from 'Chelabinsk-65' (the Kishtim accident), nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, the Chernobyl nuclear accident etc. If monitoring in the early and (or) in the intermediate phases is absent the decisions concerning remedial actions are usually developed on the basemore » of permanent monitoring. However decisions of this kind may be essentially erroneous. For these cases it is proposed to make retrospection of radiological data of the early and intermediate phases of nuclear accident and to project decisions concerning remedial actions on the base of both retrospective data and permanent monitoring data. In this Report the indicated problem is considered by the example of the Chernobyl accident for Ukraine. Their of-site radiological monitoring in the early and intermediate phases was unsatisfactory. In particular, the pasture-cow-milk monitoring had not been made. All official decisions concerning dose estimations had been made on the base of measurements of {sup 137}Cs in body (40 measurements in 135 days and 55 measurements in 229 days after the Chernobyl accident). For the retrospection of radiological data of the Chernobyl accident dynamic model has been developed. This model has structure similar to the structure of Pathway model and Farmland model. Parameters of the developed model have been identified for agricultural conditions of Russia and Ukraine. By means of this model dynamics of 20 radionuclides in pathways and dynamics of doses have been estimated for the early, intermediate and late phases of the Chernobyl accident. The main results are following: - During the first year after the Chernobyl accident 75-93% of Commitment Effective Dose had been formed; - During the first year after the Chernobyl accident 85-90% of damage from radiation exposure had been formed. During the next 50 years (the late phase of accident) only 10-15% of damage from radiation exposure will have been formed; - Remedial actions (agricultural remedial actions as most effective) in Ukraine are intended for reduction of the damage from consumption of production which is contaminated in the late phase of accident. I.e. agricultural remedial actions have been intended for minimization only 10 % of the total damage from radiation exposure; - Medical countermeasures can minimize radiation exposure damage by an order of magnitude greater than agricultural countermeasures. - Thus, retrospection of nuclear accident has essentially changed type of remedial actions and has given a chance to increase effectiveness of spending by an order of magnitude. This example illustrates that in order to optimize remedial actions it is required to use data of retrospection of nuclear accidents in all cases when monitoring in the early and (or) intermediate phases is unsatisfactory. (author)« less

Radioactive Waste Characterization Strategies; Comparisons Between AK/PK, Dose to Curie Modeling, Gamma Spectroscopy, and Laboratory Analysis Methods- 12194

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singledecker, Steven J.; Jones, Scotty W.; Dorries, Alison M.

2012-07-01

In the coming fiscal years of potentially declining budgets, Department of Energy facilities such as the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) will be looking to reduce the cost of radioactive waste characterization, management, and disposal processes. At the core of this cost reduction process will be choosing the most cost effective, efficient, and accurate methods of radioactive waste characterization. Central to every radioactive waste management program is an effective and accurate waste characterization program. Choosing between methods can determine what is classified as low level radioactive waste (LLRW), transuranic waste (TRU), waste that can be disposed of under an Authorizedmore » Release Limit (ARL), industrial waste, and waste that can be disposed of in municipal landfills. The cost benefits of an accurate radioactive waste characterization program cannot be overstated. In addition, inaccurate radioactive waste characterization of radioactive waste can result in the incorrect classification of radioactive waste leading to higher disposal costs, Department of Transportation (DOT) violations, Notice of Violations (NOVs) from Federal and State regulatory agencies, waste rejection from disposal facilities, loss of operational capabilities, and loss of disposal options. Any one of these events could result in the program that mischaracterized the waste losing its ability to perform it primary operational mission. Generators that produce radioactive waste have four characterization strategies at their disposal: - Acceptable Knowledge/Process Knowledge (AK/PK); - Indirect characterization using a software application or other dose to curie methodologies; - Non-Destructive Analysis (NDA) tools such as gamma spectroscopy; - Direct sampling (e.g. grab samples or Surface Contaminated Object smears) and laboratory analytical; Each method has specific advantages and disadvantages. This paper will evaluate each method detailing those advantages and disadvantages including; - Cost benefit analysis (basic materials costs, overall program operations costs, man-hours per sample analyzed, etc.); - Radiation Exposure As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) program considerations; - Industrial Health and Safety risks; - Overall Analytical Confidence Level. The concepts in this paper apply to any organization with significant radioactive waste characterization and management activities working to within budget constraints and seeking to optimize their waste characterization strategies while reducing analytical costs. (authors)« less

Application of total-count aeroradiometric maps to the exploration for heavy-mineral deposits in the coastal plain of Virginia, with a section on field-spectrometer-data reduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grosz, A.E.; Kosanke, Kenneth L.

1983-01-01

Total-count contoured aeroradiometric maps for the Coastal Plain of Virginia were used in an effort to locate economic heavy-mineral placer deposits. The principle behind this approach is that heavy- mineral suites commonly contain radioactive minerals that, if the concentration of heavy minerals is exposed at or within inches of the surface, enable the deposit to be located by use of airborne instruments because of its radiometric contrast with the host sediment. Detailed and regional geologic maps, soil maps, land-use and land- cover maps, information on fertilizer use, and ground-spectrometer data were used to study aeroradiometric anomalies for efficient exploration. Aeroradiometric anomalies in the Coastal Plain of Virginia have three general causes. First, the most intense anomalies are associated with cultural features, such as roads made of granitic material. Second, most anomalies of high to intermediate intensity are associated with land used for agricultural purposes and evidently are caused by applications of radioactive fertilizer. Third, anomalies of intermediate to low intensity are associated with heavy-mineral deposits. Results of this study show that aeroradiometric anomalies associated with heavy-mineral accumulations in the Coastal Plain of Virginia have ground radiometric spectra in which thorium is the strongest component and uranium and potassium are lesser components. Heavy-mineral accumulations found in this study by use of the aeroradiometric data are not considered to be of economic importance, mostly because of the low percentage of economic minerals in the heavy-mineral suites and also because of other factors such as the very fine grained nature of the host sediments and competing land use.

Development, Testing and Validation of a Waste Assay System for the Measurement and Characterisation of Active Spent Fuel Element Debris From UK Magnox Reactors - 12533

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mason, John A.; Burke, Kevin J.; Looman, Marc R.

2012-07-01

This paper describes the development, testing and validation of a waste measurement instrument for characterising active remote handled radioactive waste arising from the operation of Magnox reactors in the United Kingdom. Following operation in UK Magnox gas cooled reactors and a subsequent period of cooling, parts of the magnesium-aluminium alloy cladding were removed from spent fuel and the uranium fuel rods with the remaining cladding were removed to Sellafield for treatment. The resultant Magnox based spent fuel element debris (FED), which constitutes active intermediate level waste (ILW) has been stored in concrete vaults at the reactor sites. As part ofmore » the decommissioning of the FED vaults the FED must be removed, measured and characterised and placed in intermediate storage containers. The present system was developed for use at the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station (NPS), which is in the decommissioning phase, but the approach is potentially applicable to FED characterisation at all of the Magnox reactors. The measurement system consists of a heavily shielded and collimated high purity Germanium (HPGe) detector with electromechanical cooling and a high count-rate preamplifier and digital multichannel pulse height analyser. The HPGe based detector system is controlled by a software code, which stores the measurement result and allows a comprehensive analysis of the measured FED data. Fuel element debris is removed from the vault and placed on a tray to a uniform depth of typically 10 cm for measurement. The tray is positioned approximately 1.2 meters above the detector which views the FED through a tungsten collimator with an inverted pyramid shape. At other Magnox sites the positions may be reversed with the shielded and collimated HPGe detector located above the tray on which the FED is measured. A comprehensive Monte Carlo modelling and analysis of the measurement process has been performed in order to optimise the measurement geometry and eliminate interferences from radioactive sources and FED in the immediate vicinity of the measurement position. The detector system has been calibrated and high activity radioactive sources of Cs-137, Co-60 and Na-22 have been used to validate the measurement process. The data acquisition and analysis software code has been tested and validated in keeping with the software quality assurance requirements of both ISO:9001-2008 - TICK-IT in the UK and NQA-1. The measurement and analysis system has been comprehensively tested with high activity sources, is flexible and may be applicable to a wide range of remote handled radioactive waste measurement applications. It is due to be installed at Trawsfynydd NPS later this year. This paper describes the Waste Tray Assay System (WTAS) that has been developed for the measurement of Magnox FED waste. The WTAS has been tested with a range of radioactive sources and its operation has been simulated with benchmarked MCNP Monte Carlo calculations. The measurement software has been validated as has the operation of the system for a range of strong radioactive sources. A system based on the design is due for installation and operation in 2012. The system has application to the measurement of Magnox Fuel Element Debris (FED) waste at other Magnox reactor sites. The major design objective of the WTAS that has been achieved is the ability of the assay system to determine the content of Cs-137, and in turn to enable the fissile burden to be assessed using a radionuclide fingerprint, in the presence of higher and highly variable quantities of Co-60, typically from nimonic springs. The approach can be used in other Magnox FED waste configurations where the detector is located above the FED waste sorting tray and where the collimation is fixed below the detector and at a distance above the tray. In this case, which has also been investigated, there are different shielding problems and mechanical support issues. The extensive use of MCNP Monte Carlo modelling to simulate the geometry of the sorting cell and the distribution of radioactive sources has helped to ensure that all of the detector shielding requirements are addressed and suitable Cs-137 and Co-60 discrimination can be achieved. The WTAS in its present form or in other configurations has relevance to the measurement of other active ILW and highly active RH waste. Examples include high activity RH LLW and RH TRU (Transuranic) waste as defined in the United States arising from both commercial nuclear and Department of Energy (DOE) operations. The analysis is able to analyse a range of radionuclides beyong those expected in the Magnox FED cases. (authors)« less

Levels of Processing in Mild Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Hilawani, Yasser A.; And Others

This study examined the effects of the second level (intermediate acoustical processing of rhyming words) and the third level (deep-semantic processing of words in sentences) of the "levels of processing" framework on memory performance of four types of intermediate-grade students (52 "normal" students, 50 students with…

The impact of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste on humans and the environment over the next one hundred thousand years.

PubMed

Kautsky, Ulrik; Saetre, Peter; Berglund, Sten; Jaeschke, Ben; Nordén, Sara; Brandefelt, Jenny; Keesmann, Sven; Näslund, Jens-Ove; Andersson, Eva

2016-01-01

In order to assess the potential radiological risk to humans and the environment from a geological repository for radioactive waste, a safety assessment must be performed. This implies that the release and transfer of radionuclides from the repository into the surface environment are calculated and that the effects in the biosphere are evaluated for an assessment period up to one hundred thousand years according to Swedish regulations. This paper discusses the challenges associated with the modelling of surface ecosystems over such long time scales, using the recently completed assessment for the extension of the existing repository for the low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste (called SFR) in Forsmark, Sweden as an applied example. In the assessment, natural variation and uncertainties in climate during the assessment period were captured by using a set of climate cases, primarily reflecting different expectations on the effects of global warming. Development of the landscape at the site, due to post-glacial isostatic rebound, was modelled, and areas where modelling indicated that radionuclides could discharge into the biosphere were identified. Transfers of surface water and groundwater were described with spatially distributed hydrological models. The projected release of radionuclides from the bedrock was then fed into a biosphere radionuclide transport model, simulating the transport and fate of radionuclides within and between ecosystems in the landscape. Annual doses for human inhabitants were calculated by combining activity concentrations in environmental media (soil, water, air and plants) with assumptions on habits and land-use of future human inhabitants. Similarly, dose rates to representative organisms of non-human biota were calculated from activity concentrations in relevant habitats, following the ERICA methodology. In the main scenario, the calculated risk for humans did not exceed the risk criteria or the screening dose rate for non-human biota, indicating that the repository design is sufficient to protect future populations and the environment. Although the combination of radionuclides, land-uses/habitats, type of most exposed population and area of exposure that contribute most to the total dose shifts over time, the total calculated dose shows limited variability. Significant reductions in the dose only occur during submerged periods and under periglacial climate conditions. As several different water and food pathways were equally important for endpoint results, it is concluded that it would be difficult to represent the biosphere with one or a set of simplified models. Instead, we found that it is important to maintain a diversity of food and water pathways, as key pathways for radionuclide accumulation and exposure partly worked in parallel. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Improved low-level radioactive waste management practices for hospitals and research institutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1983-07-01

This report provides a general overview and a compendium of source material on low-level radioactive waste management practices in the institutional sector. Institutional sector refers to hospitals, universities, clinics, and research facilities that use radioactive materials in scientific research and the practice of medicine, and the manufacturers of radiopharmaceuticals and radiography devices. This report provides information on effective waste management practices for institutional waste to state policymakers, regulatory agency officials, and waste generators. It is not intended to be a handbook for actual waste management, but rather a sourcebook of general information, as well as a survey of the moremore » detailed analysis.« less

RCT: Module 2.06, Air Sampling Program and Methods, Course 8772

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hillmer, Kurt T.

The inhalation of radioactive particles is the largest cause of an internal radiation dose. Airborne radioactivity measurements are necessary to ensure that the control measures are and continue to be effective. Regulations govern the allowable effective dose equivalent to an individual. The effective dose equivalent is determined by combining the external and internal dose equivalent values. Typically, airborne radioactivity levels are maintained well below allowable levels to keep the total effective dose equivalent small. This course will prepare the student with the skills necessary for RCT qualification by passing quizzes, tests, and the RCT Comprehensive Phase 1, Unit 2 Examinationmore » (TEST 27566) and will provide in-the-field skills.« less

Removal of radioactive contaminants by polymeric microspheres.

PubMed

Osmanlioglu, Ahmet Erdal

2016-11-01

Radionuclide removal from radioactive liquid waste by adsorption on polymeric microspheres is the latest application of polymers in waste management. Polymeric microspheres have significant immobilization capacity for ionic substances. A laboratory study was carried out by using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) for encapsulation of radionuclide in the liquid radioactive waste. There are numbers of advantages to use an encapsulation technology in radioactive waste management. Results show that polymerization step of radionuclide increases integrity of solidified waste form. Test results showed that adding the appropriate polymer into the liquid waste at an appropriate pH and temperature level, radionuclide was encapsulated into polymer. This technology may provide barriers between hazardous radioactive ions and the environment. By this method, solidification techniques became easier and safer in nuclear waste management. By using polymer microspheres as dust form, contamination risks were decreased in the nuclear industry and radioactive waste operations.

Radioactivity measurement of radioactive contaminated soil by using a fiber-optic radiation sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joo, Hanyoung; Kim, Rinah; Moon, Joo Hyun

2016-06-01

A fiber-optic radiation sensor (FORS) was developed to measure the gamma radiation from radioactive contaminated soil. The FORS was fabricated using an inorganic scintillator (Lu,Y)2SiO5:Ce (LYSO:Ce), a mixture of epoxy resin and hardener, aluminum foil, and a plastic optical fiber. Before its real application, the FORS was tested to determine if it performed adequately. The test result showed that the measurements by the FORS adequately followed the theoretically estimated values. Then, the FORS was applied to measure the gamma radiation from radioactive contaminated soil. For comparison, a commercial radiation detector was also applied to measure the same soil samples. The measurement data were analyzed by using a statistical parameter, the critical level to determine if net radioactivity statistically different from background was present in the soil sample. The analysis showed that the soil sample had radioactivity distinguishable from background.

Fukushima Nuclear Accident Recorded in Tibetan Plateau Snow Pits

PubMed Central

Wang, Ninglian; Wu, Xiaobo; Kehrwald, Natalie; Li, Zhen; Li, Quanlian; Jiang, Xi; Pu, Jianchen

2015-01-01

The β radioactivity of snow-pit samples collected in the spring of 2011 on four Tibetan Plateau glaciers demonstrate a remarkable peak in each snow pit profile, with peaks about ten to tens of times higher than background levels. The timing of these peaks suggests that the high radioactivity resulted from the Fukushima nuclear accident that occurred on March 11, 2011 in eastern Japan. Fallout monitoring studies demonstrate that this radioactive material was transported by the westerlies across the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The depth of the peak β radioactivity in each snow pit compared with observational precipitation records, suggests that the radioactive fallout reached the Tibetan Plateau and was deposited on glacier surfaces in late March 2011, or approximately 20 days after the nuclear accident. The radioactive fallout existed in the atmosphere over the Tibetan Plateau for about one month. PMID:25658094

Effects of Comic Strips on L2 Learners' Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Jun

2004-01-01

This article reports the results of an experiment investigating the role of comic strips on ESL learners' reading comprehension. The students' proficiency levels were estimated, and students were organized into a low intermediate-level proficiency group (low-level students) and a high intermediate-level proficiency group (high-level students).…

10 CFR 60.71 - Records and reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Records... the Energy Reorganization Act. (b) Records of the receipt, handling, and disposition of radioactive waste at a geologic repository operations area shall contain sufficient information to provide a...

10 CFR 835.1101 - Control of material and equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

....1101 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION Radioactive Contamination Control... section, material and equipment in contamination areas, high contamination areas, and airborne radioactivity areas shall not be released to a controlled area if: (1) Removable surface contamination levels on...

Induced Radioactivity in Recovered Skylab Materials. [gamma ray spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishman, G. J.; Meegan, C. A.

1980-01-01

Four radioactive isotopes found in aluminum and stainless steel samples from Skylab debris were recovered in Australia. The low-level activity was induced by high-energy protons and neutrons in the space environment. Measurements of the specific activities are given.

Absorption, distribution and excretion of the anti-tuberculosis drug delamanid in rats: Extensive tissue distribution suggests potential therapeutic value for extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

PubMed

Shibata, Masakazu; Shimokawa, Yoshihiko; Sasahara, Katsunori; Yoda, Noriaki; Sasabe, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Mitsunari; Umehara, Ken

2017-05-01

Delamanid (OPC-67683, Deltyba™, nitro-dihydro-imidazooxazoles derivative) is approved for the treatment of adult pulmonary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The absorption, distribution and excretion of delamanid-derived radioactivity were investigated after a single oral administration of 14 C-delamanid at 3 mg/kg to rats. In both male and female rats, radioactivity in blood and all tissues reached peak levels by 8 or 24 h post-dose, and thereafter decreased slowly. Radioactivity levels were 3- to 5-fold higher in lung tissue at time to maximum concentration compared with plasma. In addition, radioactivity was broadly distributed in various tissues, including the central nervous system, eyeball, placenta and fetus, indicating that 14 C-delamanid permeated the brain, retinal and placental blood barriers. By 168 h post-dose, radioactivity in almost all the tissues was higher than that in the plasma. Radioactivity was also transferred into the milk of lactating rats. Approximately 6% and 92% of radioactivity was excreted in the urine and feces, respectively, indicating that the absorbed radioactivity was primarily excreted via the biliary route. No significant differences in the absorption, distribution and excretion of 14 C-delamanid were observed between male and female rats. The pharmacokinetic results suggested that delamanid was broadly distributed to the lungs and various tissues for a prolonged duration of time at concentrations expected to effectively target tuberculosis bacteria. These data indicate that delamanid, in addition to its previously demonstrated efficacy in pulmonary tuberculosis, might be an effective therapeutic approach to treating extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evidence of the Generation of Isosaccharinic Acids and Their Subsequent Degradation by Local Microbial Consortia within Hyper-Alkaline Contaminated Soils, with Relevance to Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste Disposal

PubMed Central

Rout, Simon P.; Charles, Christopher J.; Garratt, Eva J.; Laws, Andrew P.; Gunn, John; Humphreys, Paul N.

2015-01-01

The contamination of surface environments with hydroxide rich wastes leads to the formation of high pH (>11.0) soil profiles. One such site is a legacy lime works at Harpur Hill, Derbyshire where soil profile indicated in-situ pH values up to pH 12. Soil and porewater profiles around the site indicated clear evidence of the presence of the α and β stereoisomers of isosaccharinic acid (ISA) resulting from the anoxic, alkaline degradation of cellulosic material. ISAs are of particular interest with regards to the disposal of cellulosic materials contained within the intermediate level waste (ILW) inventory of the United Kingdom, where they may influence radionuclide mobility via complexation events occurring within a geological disposal facility (GDF) concept. The mixing of uncontaminated soils with the alkaline leachate of the site resulted in ISA generation, where the rate of generation in-situ is likely to be dependent upon the prevailing temperature of the soil. Microbial consortia present in the uncontaminated soil were capable of surviving conditions imposed by the alkaline leachate and demonstrated the ability to utilise ISAs as a carbon source. Leachate-contaminated soil was sub-cultured in a cellulose degradation product driven microcosm operating at pH 11, the consortia present were capable of the degradation of ISAs and the generation of methane from the resultant H2/CO2 produced from fermentation processes. Following microbial community analysis, fermentation processes appear to be predominated by Clostridia from the genus Alkaliphilus sp, with methanogenesis being attributed to Methanobacterium and Methanomassiliicoccus sp. The study is the first to identify the generation of ISA within an anthropogenic environment and advocates the notion that microbial activity within an ILW-GDF is likely to influence the impact of ISAs upon radionuclide migration. PMID:25748643

The measurement of 129I for the cement and the paraffin solidified low and intermediate level wastes (LILWs), spent resin or evaporated bottom from the pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plants.

PubMed

Park, S D; Kim, J S; Han, S H; Ha, Y K; Song, K S; Jee, K Y

2009-09-01

In this paper a relatively simple and low cost analysis procedure to apply to a routine analysis of (129)I in low and intermediate level radioactive wastes (LILWs), cement and paraffin solidified evaporated bottom and spent resin, which are produced from nuclear power plants (NPPs), pressurized water reactors (PWR), is presented. The (129)I is separated from other nuclides in LILWs using an anion exchange adsorption and solvent extraction by controlling the oxidation and reduction state and is then precipitated as silver iodide for counting the beta activity with a low background gas proportional counter (GPC). The counting efficiency of GPC was varied from 4% to 8% and it was reversely proportional to the weight of AgI by a self absorption of the beta activity. Compared to a higher pH, the chemical recovery of iodide as AgI was lowered at pH 4. It was found that the chemical recovery of iodide for the cement powder showed a lower trend by increasing the cement powder weight, but it was not affected for the paraffin sample. In this experiment, the overall chemical recovery yield of the cement and paraffin solidified LILW samples and the average weight of them were 67+/-3% and 5.43+/-0.53 g, 70+/-7% and 10.40+/-1.60 g, respectively. And the minimum detectable activity (MDA) of (129)I for the cement and paraffin solidified LILW samples was calculated as 0.070 and 0.036 Bq/g, respectively. Among the analyzed cement solidified LILW samples, (129)I activity concentration of four samples was slightly higher than the MDA and their ranges were 0.076-0.114 Bq/g. Also of the analyzed paraffin solidified LILW samples, five samples contained a little higher (129)I activity concentration than the MDA and their ranges were 0.036-0.107 Bq/g.

Evidence of the generation of isosaccharinic acids and their subsequent degradation by local microbial consortia within hyper-alkaline contaminated soils, with relevance to intermediate level radioactive waste disposal.

PubMed

Rout, Simon P; Charles, Christopher J; Garratt, Eva J; Laws, Andrew P; Gunn, John; Humphreys, Paul N

2015-01-01

The contamination of surface environments with hydroxide rich wastes leads to the formation of high pH (>11.0) soil profiles. One such site is a legacy lime works at Harpur Hill, Derbyshire where soil profile indicated in-situ pH values up to pH 12. Soil and porewater profiles around the site indicated clear evidence of the presence of the α and β stereoisomers of isosaccharinic acid (ISA) resulting from the anoxic, alkaline degradation of cellulosic material. ISAs are of particular interest with regards to the disposal of cellulosic materials contained within the intermediate level waste (ILW) inventory of the United Kingdom, where they may influence radionuclide mobility via complexation events occurring within a geological disposal facility (GDF) concept. The mixing of uncontaminated soils with the alkaline leachate of the site resulted in ISA generation, where the rate of generation in-situ is likely to be dependent upon the prevailing temperature of the soil. Microbial consortia present in the uncontaminated soil were capable of surviving conditions imposed by the alkaline leachate and demonstrated the ability to utilise ISAs as a carbon source. Leachate-contaminated soil was sub-cultured in a cellulose degradation product driven microcosm operating at pH 11, the consortia present were capable of the degradation of ISAs and the generation of methane from the resultant H2/CO2 produced from fermentation processes. Following microbial community analysis, fermentation processes appear to be predominated by Clostridia from the genus Alkaliphilus sp, with methanogenesis being attributed to Methanobacterium and Methanomassiliicoccus sp. The study is the first to identify the generation of ISA within an anthropogenic environment and advocates the notion that microbial activity within an ILW-GDF is likely to influence the impact of ISAs upon radionuclide migration.

Modelling of cementitious backfill interactions with vitrified intermediate-level waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baston, Graham; Heath, Timothy; Hunter, Fiona; Swanton, Stephen

2017-06-01

New types of wasteform are being considered for the geological disposal of radioactive intermediate-level waste (ILW) in the UK. These include vitrified ILW products arising from the application of thermal treatment processes. For disposal of such wasteforms in a geological disposal facility, a range of concepts are under consideration, including those with a high-pH cementitious backfill (the NRVB, Nirex Reference Vault Backfill). Alternatively, a cement-based material that buffers to a less alkaline pH could be used (an LPB, Low-pH Backfill). To assess the compatibility of these potential new wasteforms with cement-based disposal concepts, it is necessary to understand their impacts on the long-term evolution of the backfill. A scoping thermodynamic modelling study was undertaken to help understand the possible effects of these wasteforms on the performance of the backfill. The model primarily considers the interactions occurring between the vitirified waste, the porewater and the backfill, within a static and (in most cases) totally closed system. The approach was simplified by assuming equilibrium between the backfill and the corroded glass available at selected times, rather than involving detailed, reactive transport modelling. The aim was to provide an understanding of whether the impacts of the vitrified wastes on backfill performance are sufficient to compromise disposal in such environments. The calculations indicated that for NRVB, the overall alkaline buffering capacity of the backfill is not expected to be impaired by interactions with vitrified waste; rather the buffering will be to less alkaline pH values (above pH 9) but for a longer period. For the LPB, slightly lower pH values were predicted in some cases. The sorption capacities of the backfills are unlikely to be impaired by interactions with vitrified ILW. Indeed they may be increased, due to the additional C-S-H phase formation. The results of this study suggest that disposal of vitrified ILW in a cement-based disposal system with a high-pH backfill is a potentially viable disposal option.

Regulatory decision with EPA/NRC/DOE/State Session (Panel)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O`Donnell, E.

1995-12-31

This panel will cover the Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s (NRC) proposed radiation limits in the Branch Technical Position on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Performance Assessment and the Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) draft regulation in Part 193. Representatives from NRC and EPA will discuss the inconsistencies in these two regulations. DOE and state representatives will discuss their perspective on how these regulations will affect low-level radioactive waste performance assessments.

(Low-level radioactive waste management techniques)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Hoesen, S.D.; Kennerly, J.M.; Williams, L.C.

1988-08-08

The US team consisting of representatives of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Savannah River plant (SRP), Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), and the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations participated in a training program on French low-level radioactive waste (LLW) management techniques. Training in the rigorous waste characterization, acceptance and certification procedures required in France was provided at Agence Nationale pour les Gestion des Dechets Radioactif (ANDRA) offices in Paris.

Validation of a physically based catchment model for application in post-closure radiological safety assessments of deep geological repositories for solid radioactive wastes.

PubMed

Thorne, M C; Degnan, P; Ewen, J; Parkin, G

2000-12-01

The physically based river catchment modelling system SHETRAN incorporates components representing water flow, sediment transport and radionuclide transport both in solution and bound to sediments. The system has been applied to simulate hypothetical future catchments in the context of post-closure radiological safety assessments of a potential site for a deep geological disposal facility for intermediate and certain low-level radioactive wastes at Sellafield, west Cumbria. In order to have confidence in the application of SHETRAN for this purpose, various blind validation studies have been undertaken. In earlier studies, the validation was undertaken against uncertainty bounds in model output predictions set by the modelling team on the basis of how well they expected the model to perform. However, validation can also be carried out with bounds set on the basis of how well the model is required to perform in order to constitute a useful assessment tool. Herein, such an assessment-based validation exercise is reported. This exercise related to a field plot experiment conducted at Calder Hollow, west Cumbria, in which the migration of strontium and lanthanum in subsurface Quaternary deposits was studied on a length scale of a few metres. Blind predictions of tracer migration were compared with experimental results using bounds set by a small group of assessment experts independent of the modelling team. Overall, the SHETRAN system performed well, failing only two out of seven of the imposed tests. Furthermore, of the five tests that were not failed, three were positively passed even when a pessimistic view was taken as to how measurement errors should be taken into account. It is concluded that the SHETRAN system, which is still being developed further, is a powerful tool for application in post-closure radiological safety assessments.

Study on the Volatility of Cesium in Dry Ashing Pretreatment and Dissolution of Ash by Microwave Digestion System - 13331

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, Kwang-Soon; Lee, Chang Heon; Ahn, Hong-Joo

2013-07-01

Based on the regulation of the activity concentration of Cs-137, Co-58, Co-60, Fe-55, Ni-59, Ni-63, Sr-90, Nb-94, and Tc-99, and the total alpha from the radioactive waste acceptance criteria, the measurement of the activity concentration of these nuclides in low and intermediate levels of radioactive waste such as in paper, cotton, vinyl and plastic samples was investigated. A dry ashing method was applied to obtain a concentration effect of the samples. Owing to the temperature dependence of the volatility for cesium, the temperature of 300 to 650 deg. C was examined. It was found that 450 deg. C is themore » optimum dry ashing temperature. After dry ashing, the produced ash was dissolved with HNO{sub 3}, HCl, and HF by a high-performance microwave digestion system. The ash sample, for the most part, was completely dissolved with 10 mL of HNO{sub 3}, 4 mL of HCl, and 0.25 mL of HF by a high-performance microwave digestion system using a nova high temperature rotor at 250 deg. C for 90 min until reaching 0.2 g. To confirm the reliability of cesium loss after the performance of the dry ashing procedure, a cesium standard solution for AAS and a Cs-137 standard solution for gamma spectrometry were added to a paper towel or a planchet of stainless steel, respectively. Cesium was measured by AAS, ICP-MS, and gamma spectrometry. The volatility of cesium did not occur until 450 deg. C ashing. (authors)« less

Chemical reactivity of nitrates and nitrites towards TBP and potassium nickel ferrocyanide between 30 and 300 deg

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lambertin, D.; Chartier, D.; Joussot-Dubien, C.

2007-07-01

Since the late sixties, bitumen has been widely used by the nuclear industry as a matrix for the immobilization of low- and intermediate level radioactive waste originating mainly from the nuclear activities: precipitation or evaporator concentrates, ion exchange resins, incinerator ashes, and filter materials. Depending on bitumen and operating conditions, bituminization of radioactive waste can be operated between 130 and 180 deg. C, so chemical reaction can be induced with nitrate or nitrite towards elements contained in waste (TPB, potassium nickel ferrocyanide and cobalt compound) and bitumen. These reactions are mainly exothermic this is the reason why the enthalpy reactionmore » and their temperature of initiation have to be determined independently of their concentration in waste. In this work, we have studied by Calvet Calorimetry at 0.1 deg. C/min heating rates, the behaviour of chemical elements especially oxido-reduction couples that can react at a temperature range 100- 300 deg. C (Nitrate/PPFeNi, Nitrite/PPFeNi, Nitrate/TBP, Nitrite/TBP, Nitrate/bitumen and Nitrite/bitumen). The initial temperature reaction of nitrates or nitrites towards potassium nickel ferrocyanide (PPFeNi) has been studied and is equal respectively to 225 deg. C and 175 deg. C. Because of the large scale temperature reaction of nitrate and PPFeNi, enthalpy reaction can not be calculated, although enthalpy reaction of nitrite and PPFeNi is equal to 270 kJ/mol of nitrite. Sodium Nitrate and TBP behaviour has been investigated, and an exothermic reaction at 135 deg. C until 250 deg. C is evidenced. The exothermic energy reaction is a function of TBP concentration and the enthalpy reaction has been determined. (authors)« less

On policies to regulate long-term risks from hazardous waste disposal sites under both intergenerational equity and intragenerational equity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shu, Zhongbin

In recent years, it has been recognized that there is a need for a general philosophic policy to guide the regulation of societal activities that involve long-term and very long-term risks. Theses societal activities not only include the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes and global warming, but also include the disposal of non-radioactive carcinogens that never decay, such as arsenic, nickel, etc. In the past, attention has been focused on nuclear wastes. However, there has been international recognition that large quantities of non-radioactive wastes are being disposed of with little consideration of their long-term risks. The objectives of this dissertation are to present the significant long-term risks posed by non-radioactive carcinogens through case studies; develop the conceptual decision framework for setting the long-term risk policy; and illustrate that certain factors, such as discount rate, can significantly influence the results of long-term risk analysis. Therefore, the proposed decision-making framework can be used to systematically study the important policy questions on long-term risk regulations, and then subsequently help the decision-maker to make informed decisions. Regulatory disparities between high-level radioactive wastes and non-radioactive wastes are summarized. Long-term risk is rarely a consideration in the regulation of disposal of non-radioactive hazardous chemicals; and when it is, the matter has been handled in a somewhat perfunctory manner. Case studies of long-term risks are conducted for five Superfund sites that are contaminated with one or more non-radioactive carcinogens. Under the same assumptions used for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes, future subsistence farmers would be exposed to significant individual risks, in some cases with lifetime fatality risk equal to unity. The important policy questions on long-term risk regulation are identified, and the conceptual decision-making framework to regulate long-term risk is presented. The results of decision tree analysis of cleanup alternatives for the Crystal Chemical site indicate that discount rate has profound impact on the results of the analysis and significant implication with regard to intergenerational equity. It is expected that other policy factors could have similar impacts. There is a need to use the proposed decision-making framework to systemically study those factors and make rational policy decisions accordingly.

Biological half-life and organ distribution of [3H]8-arginine vasopressin following administration of vasopressin receptor antagonist OPC-31260.

PubMed

Molnár, Andor H; Varga, Csaba; Janáky, Tamás; Tóth, Gábor; Tóth, Géza; Farkas, Judit; László, Ferenc; László, Ferenc A

2007-06-07

The effects of the antidiuretic (V(2)) non-peptide receptor antagonist OPC-31260 on the plasma vasopressin level and the biological half-life and organ distribution of radiochemically pure, biologically active [(3)H]8-arginine vasopressin [spec. act.: 15.9 mCi/mmol (588 GBq/mmol)] were studied in Wistar rats. The plasma vasopressin level increased significantly throughout the whole experimental period (24 h). There was no change in the fast phase of the curves of total radioactivity disappearance from the plasma after the administration of [(3)H]arginine vasopressin (control: 1.51+/-0.17 min, OPC-31260-treated: 1.42+/-0.12 min, n=10). The fast phase of the disappearance curves of intact [(3)H]arginine vasopressin did not change either following the administration of OPC-31260 in a dose of 30 mg/kg p.o. (control: 1.06+/-0.19 min, OPC-31260-treated: 1.00+/-0.15 min, n=6). The slow phase of the biological half-life, which is characteristic for the examined compound, proved to be significantly longer (total radioactivity control: 9.29+/-0.61 min, OPC-31260-treated: 12.33+/-0.42 min, P<0.05, n=10; [(3)H]arginine vasopressin radioactivity: control: 5.96+/-0.58 min, OPC-31260-treated: 8.90+/-0.37 min, P<0.05, n=6). In the control rats, the radioactivity was accumulated to the greatest extent in the neurohypophysis, adenohypophysis and kidney. Following OPC-31260 administration, significantly more radioactive compounds accumulated in the kidney (control: 0.30+/-0.052 total radioactivity %/100 mg organ weight, OPC-31260-treated: 0.50+/-0.133 total radioactivity %/100 mg organ weight, P<0.05, n=10) and neurohypophysis (control: 0.37+/-0.053 total radioactivity %/100 mg organ weight, OPC-31260-treated: 0.52+/-0.076 total radioactivity %/100 mg organ weight, P<0.05, n=10). Our results permit the conclusion that the antidiuretic antagonist OPC-31260 not only blocks the V(2) receptors, but also increases the biological half-life of vasopressin. The longer biological half-life of vasopressin following OPC-31260 administration may play a role in the elevation of the plasma vasopressin level.

STUDIES ON LARGE AREA SUB-FABRIC BURNS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berkley, K.M.; Pearse, H.E.

1957-07-05

The detonation of shot one at Bikini Atoll on March 1, 1954, produced a fallout of radioactive ash upon Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands. The distribution of the radioactive ash on the islands and in the plants and animals of the area has been studied and evaluated. During the first expedition to Rongelap Atoll on March 26, 1954, biological samples were collected and measurements made of the radiation contamination. On three additional expeditions extensive collections of material were made for this study, the last on January 25-30, 1955. The decline in radioactivity was measured in 1499 samples of fish, invertebrates, landmore » plants, algae, birds, plankton, soil, and water from the Rongelap area. During this study particular emphasis was placed upon evaluation of the radioactivity in food used by the natives. Coconut milk collected on March 26, 1954, contained 1.03 microcuries per kilogram of wet tissue while the coconut meat had 1.16 mu c/kg. By January 25-30, 1955, the level in coconut milk had declined to 0.041 mu c/kg and the meat to 0.036 mu c/ kg. Fish muscle on March 26, 1954, averaged 2.74 mu c/kg and fish liver 204.0 mu c/kg. The decline to January 25-30 was 0.10 mu c/kg for the muscle and 3.52 mu c/kg for the liver of fish. Somewhat similar declines were found for clam muscle, crab muscle, bird muscle and liver, and for squash, papaya, arrowroot and pandanus. The level of radioactivity was highest in the northern portion of the atoll, except for samples of algae and fish-eating birds, collected during January 1955 from the southern part of the atoll, which had higher levels of radioactivity than samples collected from the northern islands on the same date. This may indicate a translocation of radioactive materials within the lagoon. (auth)« less

Estimation of radioactive contamination of soils from the "Balapan" and the "Experimental field" technical areas of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

PubMed

Evseeva, T; Belykh, E; Geras'kin, S; Majstrenko, T

2012-07-01

In spite of the long history of the research, radioactive contamination of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (SNTS) in the Republic of Kazakhstan has not been adequately characterized. Our cartographic investigation has demonstrated highly variable radioactive contamination of the SNTS. The Cs-137, Sr-90, Eu-152, Eu-154, Co-60, and Am-241 activity concentrations in soil samples from the "Balapan" site were 42.6-17646, 96-18250, 1.05-11222, 0.6-4865, 0.23-4893, and 1.2-1037 Bq kg(-1), correspondingly. Cs-137 and Sr-90 activity concentrations in soil samples from the "Experimental field" site were varied from 87 up to 400 and from 94 up to 1000 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Activity concentrations of Co-60, Eu-152, and Eu-154 were lower than the minimum detectable activity of the method used. Concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides (K-40, Ra-226, U-238, and Th-232) in the majority of soil samples from the "Balapan" and the "Experimental field" sites did not exceed typical for surrounding of the SNTS areas levels. Estimation of risks associated with radioactive contamination based on the IAEA clearance levels for a number of key radionuclides in solid materials shows that soils sampled from the "Balapan" and the "Experimental field" sites might be considered as radioactive wastes. Decrease in specific activity of soil from the sites studied up to safety levels due to Co-60, Cs-137, Sr-90, Eu-152, Eu-154 radioactive decay and Am-241 accumulation-decay will occur not earlier than 100 years. In contrast, soils from the "Experimental field" and the "Balapan" sites (except 0.5-2.5 km distance from the "Chagan" explosion point) cannot be regarded as the radioactive wastes according safety norms valid in Russia and Kazakhstan. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane-associated actin from the microvillar membranes of ascites tumor cells

PubMed Central

1982-01-01

A membrane fraction (MF2) has been purified from isolated microvilli of the MAT-C1 subline of the 13762 rat mammary ascites adenocarcinoma under conditions which cause F-actin depolymerization. This membrane preparation contains actin as a major component, although no filamentous structures are observed by transmission electron microscopy. Membranes were extracted with a Triton X-100-containing actin-stabilizing buffer (S buffer) or actin-destabilizing buffer (D buffer). In D buffer greater than 90% of metabolically labeled protein and glycoprotein was extracted, and 80-90% of these labeled species was extracted in S buffer. When S buffer extracts of MF2 were fractionated by either gel filtration on Sepharose 6 B or rate-zonal sucrose density gradient centrifugation, most of the actin was found to be intermediate in size between G- and F-actin. In D buffer most of the MF2 actin behaved as G-actin. Extraction and gel filtration of intact microvilli in S buffer also showed the presence of the intermediate form of actin, indicating that it did not arise during membrane preparation. When [35S]methionine-labeled G-actin from ascites cells was added to S buffer extracts of MF2 and chromatographed, all of the radioactivity chromatographed as G-actin, indicating that the intermediate form of actin did not result from an association of G-actin molecules during extraction or chromatography. The results of this study suggest that the microvillar membrane fraction is enriched in an intermediate form of actin smaller than F-actin and larger than G-actin. PMID:6890066

Membrane-associated actin from the microvillar membranes of ascites tumor cells.

PubMed

Carraway, K L; Cerra, R F; Jung, G; Carraway, C A

1982-09-01

A membrane fraction (MF2) has been purified from isolated microvilli of the MAT-C1 subline of the 13762 rat mammary ascites adenocarcinoma under conditions which cause F-actin depolymerization. This membrane preparation contains actin as a major component, although no filamentous structures are observed by transmission electron microscopy. Membranes were extracted with a Triton X-100-containing actin-stabilizing buffer (S buffer) or actin-destabilizing buffer (D buffer). In D buffer greater than 90% of metabolically labeled protein and glycoprotein was extracted, and 80-90% of these labeled species was extracted in S buffer. When S buffer extracts of MF2 were fractionated by either gel filtration on Sepharose 6 B or rate-zonal sucrose density gradient centrifugation, most of the actin was found to be intermediate in size between G- and F-actin. In D buffer most of the MF2 actin behaved as G-actin. Extraction and gel filtration of intact microvilli in S buffer also showed the presence of the intermediate form of actin, indicating that it did not arise during membrane preparation. When [35S]methionine-labeled G-actin from ascites cells was added to S buffer extracts of MF2 and chromatographed, all of the radioactivity chromatographed as G-actin, indicating that the intermediate form of actin did not result from an association of G-actin molecules during extraction or chromatography. The results of this study suggest that the microvillar membrane fraction is enriched in an intermediate form of actin smaller than F-actin and larger than G-actin.

RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF FOOD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Setter, L.R.

The environment and, consequently, food contains measurable amounts of radionuclides arising primarily from the distribution of nuclear bomb debris over the entire earth's surface. This radioactivity is in addition to natural radioactivity which exists in thc environment. A wealth of information has been gathered on the artificial radioactivity in air, water, vegetation, and soil; on physical and chemical mechanisms of radioaetive movement in the biosphere; and on the biologic behavior of radionuclide uptake by animals and human beings and their distribution in excretions and secretions. Collection of additional information under more carefully designed and executed studies is under way. Theremore » remains the task of marshalling and reviewing the data obtained during active fall-out up to the summer of 1959. With later information collected during a period of substantially no fall-out, the interpretation of these data hopefully will indicate the relative magnitude of physical, chemical, and biologic factors influencing levels in plants and animals, provide a means of predicting future levels, and, most important, permit some evaluation of the effects of nuclear radiation from ingestion of contaminated food as a part of the total effects from fall-out and from natural radioactivity. (auth)« less

Natural radioactivity in geothermal waters, Alhambra Hot Springs and nearby areas, Jefferson County, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leonard, Robert B.; Janzer, Victor J.

1978-01-01

Radioactive hot springs issue from a fault zone in crystalline rock of the Boulder batholith at Alhambra, Jefferson County, in southwestern Montana. The discharge contains high concentrations of radon, and the gross alpha activity and the concentration of adium-226 exceed maximum levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water. Part of the discharge is diverted for space heating, bathing, and domestic use. The radioactive thermal waters at measured temperatures of about 60°C are of the sodium bicarbonate type and saturated with respect to calcium carbonate. Radium-226 in the rock and on fractured surfaces or coprecipitated with calcium carbonate probably is the principal source of radon that is dissolved in the thermal water and discharged with other gases from some wells and springs. Local surface water and shallow ground water are of the calcium bicarbonate type and exhibit low background activity. The temperature, percent sodium, and radioactivity of mixed waters adjacent to the fault zone increase with depth. Samples from most of the major hot springs in southwestern Montana have been analyzed for gross alpha and beta activity. The high level of radioactivity at Alhambra appears to be related to leaching of radioactive material from siliceous veins by ascending thermal waters and is not a normal characteristic of hot springs issuing from fractured crystalline rock in Montana.

Hidden Markov analysis of mechanosensitive ion channel gating.

PubMed

Khan, R Nazim; Martinac, Boris; Madsen, Barry W; Milne, Robin K; Yeo, Geoffrey F; Edeson, Robert O

2005-02-01

Patch clamp data from the large conductance mechanosensitive channel (MscL) in E. coli was studied with the aim of developing a strategy for statistical analysis based on hidden Markov models (HMMs) and determining the number of conductance levels of the channel, together with mean current, mean dwell time and equilibrium probability of occupancy for each level. The models incorporated state-dependent white noise and moving average adjustment for filtering, with maximum likelihood parameter estimates obtained using an EM (expectation-maximisation) based iteration. Adjustment for filtering was included as it could be expected that the electronic filter used in recording would have a major effect on obviously brief intermediate conductance level sojourns. Preliminary data analysis revealed that the brevity of intermediate level sojourns caused difficulties in assignment of data points to levels as a result of over-estimation of noise variances. When reasonable constraints were placed on these variances using the better determined noise variances for the closed and fully open levels, idealisation anomalies were eliminated. Nevertheless, simulations suggested that mean sojourn times for the intermediate levels were still considerably over-estimated, and that recording bandwidth was a major limitation; improved results were obtained with higher bandwidth data (10 kHz sampled at 25 kHz). The simplest model consistent with these data had four open conductance levels, intermediate levels being approximately 20%, 51% and 74% of fully open. The mean lifetime at the fully open level was about 1 ms; estimates for the three intermediate levels were 54-92 micros, probably still over-estimates.

Digital version of the European Atlas of natural radiation.

PubMed

Cinelli, Giorgia; Tollefsen, Tore; Bossew, Peter; Gruber, Valeria; Bogucarskis, Konstantins; De Felice, Luca; De Cort, Marc

2018-02-26

The European Atlas of Natural Radiation is a collection of maps displaying the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources. It has been developed and is being maintained by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, in line with its mission, based on the Euratom Treaty: to collect, validate and report information on radioactivity levels in the environment of the EU Member States. This work describes the first version of the European Atlas of Natural Radiation, available in digital format through a web portal, as well as the methodology and results for the maps already developed. So far the digital Atlas contains: an annual cosmic-ray dose map; a map of indoor radon concentration; maps of uranium, thorium and potassium concentration in soil and in bedrock; a terrestrial gamma dose rate map; and a map of soil permeability. Through these maps, the public will be able to: familiarize itself with natural environmental radioactivity; be informed about the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources; have a more balanced view of the annual dose received by the European population, to which natural radioactivity is the largest contributor; and make direct comparisons between doses from natural sources of ionizing radiation and those from man-made (artificial) ones, hence, to better assess the latter. Work will continue on the European Geogenic Radon Map and on estimating the annual dose that the public may receive from natural radioactivity, by combining all the information from the different maps. More maps could be added to the Atlas, such us radon in outdoor air and in water and concentration of radionuclides in water, even if these sources usually contribute less to the total exposure. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Low-Level Waste Forum notes and summary reports for 1994. Volume 9, Number 3, May-June 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1994-06-01

This issue includes the following articles: Vermont ratifies Texas compact; Pennsylvania study on rates of decay for classes of low-level radioactive waste; South Carolina legislature adjourns without extending access to Barnwell for out-of-region generators; Southeast Compact Commission authorizes payments for facility development, also votes on petitions, access contracts; storage of low-level radioactive waste at Rancho Seco removed from consideration; plutonium estimates for Ward Valley, California; judgment issued in Ward Valley lawsuits; Central Midwest Commission questions court`s jurisdiction over surcharge rebates litigation; Supreme Court decides commerce clause case involving solid waste; parties voluntarily dismiss Envirocare case; appellate court affirms dismissal ofmore » suit against Central Commission; LLW Forum mixed waste working group meets; US EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air rulemakings; EPA issues draft radiation site cleanup regulation; EPA extends mixed waste enforcement moratorium; and NRC denies petition to amend low-level radioactive waste classification regulations.« less

Cesium radioactivity in peripheral blood is linearly correlated to that in skeletal muscle: analyses of cattle within the evacuation zone of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

PubMed

Fukuda, Tomokazu; Kino, Yasushi; Abe, Yasuyuki; Yamashiro, Hideaki; Kobayashi, Jin; Shimizu, Yoshinaka; Takahashi, Atsushi; Suzuki, Toshihiko; Chiba, Mirei; Takahashi, Shintaro; Inoue, Kazuya; Kuwahara, Yoshikazu; Morimoto, Motoko; Shinoda, Hisashi; Hiji, Masahiro; Sekine, Tsutomu; Fukumoto, Manabu; Isogai, Emiko

2015-01-01

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) released a large amount of radioactive substances into the environment. Furthermore, beef contaminated with radioactive cesium above the 500 Bq/kg safety standard was circulated in the food chain in 2011. Japanese consumers remain concerned about the safety of radioactively contaminated food. In our previous study, we detected a linear correlation between radioactive cesium ((137) Cs) activity in blood and muscle around 500 to 2500 Bq/kg in cattle. However, it was unclear whether the correlation was maintained at a lower radioactivity close to the current safety standard of 100 Bq/kg. In this study, we evaluated 17 cattle in the FNPP evacuation zone that had a (137) Cs blood level less than 10 Bq/kg. The results showed a linear correlation between blood (137) Cs and muscle (137) Cs (Y = 28.0X, R(2)  = 0.590) at low radioactivity concentration, indicating that cesium radioactivity in the muscle can be estimated from blood radioactivity. This technique would be useful in detecting high-risk cattle before they enter the market, and will contribute to food safety. © 2014 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Final technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loveland, Walter David

2016-08-27

This report describes the research carried out under this grant for the period from 1997 to 2014. This work has been previously described in annual progress reports and renewal applications. As a result of this project, ~100 papers were published in open refereed journals and 107 invited talks were given by the PI. The research subjects covered by this project included the synthesis and characterization of super-heavy nuclei, the critical study of the reaction mechanisms used in these synthesis reactions, the mechanism(s) of intermediate energy and relativistic nuclear collisions, the study of reactions induced by radioactive nuclear beams, and generalmore » properties of the heaviest elements.« less

Evidence of a Nonphotochemical Mechanism for the Solid-State Formation of Uranyl Peroxide.

PubMed

Kirkegaard, Marie C; Miskowiec, Andrew; Ambrogio, Michael W; Anderson, Brian B

2018-05-21

We have demonstrated the solid-state formation of a uranyl peroxide (UP) species from hydrated uranyl fluoride via a uranyl hydroxide intermediate, the first observation of a UP species formed in a solid-state reaction. Water vapor pressure is shown to be a driving factor of both the loss of fluorine and the subsequent formation of peroxo units. We have ruled out a photochemical mechanism for formation of the UP species by demonstrating that the same reaction occurs in the dark. A radiolytic mechanism is unlikely because of the low radioactivity of the sample material, suggesting the existence of a novel UP formation mechanism.

The impact of radioactive steel recycling on the public and professionals.

PubMed

Hrncir, Tomas; Panik, Michal; Ondra, Frantisek; Necas, Vladimir

2013-06-15

The decommissioning of nuclear power plants represents a complex process resulting in the generation of large amounts of waste materials, e.g. steel scrap containing various concentrations of radionuclides. Recycling some of these materials is highly desirable due to numerous reasons. Herein presented scenarios of recycling of radioactive steel within the nuclear as well as civil engineering industry are analyzed from the radiation protection point of view. An approach based on the dose constraints principle is chosen. The aim of the study is to derive conditional clearance levels (maximal specific mass activity of material allowing its recycling/clearance) for analyzed radionuclides ensuring that the detrimental impact on human health is kept on a negligible level. Determined conditional clearance levels, as the result of performed software calculations, are valid for the reuse of radioactive steel in four selected scenarios. Calculation results indicate that the increase of the amount of recyclable radioactive steel due to its reuse in specific applications may be feasible considering the radiation impact on the public and professionals. However, issues connected with public acceptance, technical difficulties and financing of potential realization are still open and they have to be examined in more detail. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical probing of high-level radioactive waste tanks containing washed sludge and precipitates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bickford, D.F.; Congdon, J.W.; Oblath, S.B.

1987-01-01

At the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant, corrosion of carbon steel storage tanks containing alkaline, high-level radioactive waste is controlled by specification of limits on waste composition and temperature. Processes for the preparation of waste for final disposal will result in waste with low corrosion inhibitor concentrations and, in some cases, high aromatic organic concentrations, neither of which are characteristic of previous operations. Laboratory tests, conducted to determine minimum corrosion inhibitor levels indicated pitting of carbon steel near the waterline for proposed storage conditions. In situ electrochemical measurements of full-scale radioactive process demonstrations have been conducted to assessmore » the validity of laboratory tests. Probes included pH, Eh (potential relative to a standard hydrogen electrode), tank potential, and alloy coupons. In situ results are compared to those of the laboratory tests, with particular regard given to simulated solution composition.« less

10 CFR 72.108 - Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Siting Evaluation Factors § 72.108 Spent... proposed ISFSI or MRS must be evaluated with respect to the potential impact on the environment of the...

10 CFR 1.41 - Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... to the States as provided by section 274i of the Act and also to NRC staff and staff of the U.S. Navy... radioactive isotopes; (21) Oversees safe management and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes; (22) Plans...

10 CFR 1.41 - Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... to the States as provided by section 274i of the Act and also to NRC staff and staff of the U.S. Navy... radioactive isotopes; (21) Oversees safe management and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes; (22) Plans...

10 CFR 1.41 - Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... to the States as provided by section 274i of the Act and also to NRC staff and staff of the U.S. Navy... radioactive isotopes; (21) Oversees safe management and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes; (22) Plans...

10 CFR 1.41 - Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... to the States as provided by section 274i of the Act and also to NRC staff and staff of the U.S. Navy... radioactive isotopes; (21) Oversees safe management and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes; (22) Plans...

10 CFR 1.41 - Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... to the States as provided by section 274i of the Act and also to NRC staff and staff of the U.S. Navy... radioactive isotopes; (21) Oversees safe management and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes; (22) Plans...

Prediction of Radioactive Material Proliferation in Abukuma Basin using USLE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, C. J.

2014-12-01

Due to the nuclear-power plant accident after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, the residents who had resided within 20 km from the Daiichi Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant had forced to leave their hometown. The impacts by the radioactive contamination extended to numerous social elements, such as food, economy, civil engineering, community rebuilding, etc. Japanese government agencies have measured the level of radioactive contamination in urban, agricultural area, forest, riverine and ocean. The research found that the concentration level of cesium-137 (137Cs) is higher in the forest than an open area such as paddy field or rural town. Litter layers and surface layers, especially, are found to be significantly contaminated. The study calculated the estimation of contaminated soil erosion using the USLE which the idea is based on scenario that addresses a question, what if 137Cs would carry out from the forest after intensive rainfall. Predicting radioactively contaminated areas after intense rainfall is a critical matter for the future watershed risk management.

[Working environment measurement of radioactive substances].

PubMed

Kunugita, Naoki

2007-12-01

The control of the working environment is one of the most important duties in any working place to prevent occupational disease. In Japan, in the case of the controlled area using unsealed radioisotopes, the measurement of the concentration of airborne radioactive substances should be carried out under the regulations of the "Industrial Safety and Health Law" and the "Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards". Many reports showed that the results of regular working environment measurements of radioactive substances were about background levels. Safe working environments are sufficiently guaranteed by a suitable estimation and handling under the strict regulation by the "Laws Concerning the Prevention from Radiation Hazards Due to Radioisotopes and Others". The regulation by "Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards" would be relaxed in the field of education and research, which use very low quantities of radioactive substances, in ways such as estimation by calculation in place of the actual measurement, decrease of the number of monthly measurements, and measurement exemption for low levels of isotopes.

Sediment properties and water movement through shallow unsaturated alluvium at an arid site for disposal of low-level radioactive waste near Beatty, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, Jeffrey M.

1992-01-01

A commercial disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste has been in operation near Beatty, Nevada, since 1962. The facility is in the arid Amargosa Desert where wastes are buried in trenches excavated into unsaturated alluvial sediments. Thick unsaturated zones in arid environments offer many potential advantages for disposal of radioactive wastes, but little is known about the natural movement of water near such facilities. Thus, a study was begun in 1982 to better define the direction and rates of water movement through the unsaturated zone in undisturbed sediments near the disposal facility. This report discusses the analyses of data collected between 1983 and 1988.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kot, Wing K.; Pegg, Ian L.; Brandys, Marek

One of the primary roles of waste pretreatment at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) is to separate the majority of the radioactive components from the majority of the nonradioactive components in retrieved tank wastes, producing a high level waste (HLW) stream and a low activity waste (LAW) stream. This separation process is a key element in the overall strategy to reduce the volume of HLW that requires vitrification and subsequent disposal in a national deep geological repository for high level nuclear waste. After removal of the radioactive constituents, the LAW stream, which has a much largermore » volume but smaller fraction of radioactivity than the HLW stream, will be immobilized and disposed of in near surface facilities at the Hanford site.« less

Function of minerals in the natural radioactivity level of Vaigai River sediments, Tamilnadu, India--spectroscopical approach.

PubMed

Ramasamy, V; Paramasivam, K; Suresh, G; Jose, M T

2014-01-03

Using Gamma ray and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic techniques, level of natural radioactivity ((238)U, (232)Th and (40)K) and mineralogical characterization of Vaigai River sediments have been analyzed with the view of evaluating the radiation risk and its relation to available minerals. Different radiological parameters are calculated to know the entire radiological characterization. The average of activity concentrations and all radiological parameters are lower than the recommended safety limit. However, some sites are having higher radioactivity values than the safety limit. From the FTIR spectroscopic technique, the minerals such as quartz, microcline feldspar, orthoclase feldspar, kaolinite, gibbsite, calcite, montmorillonite and organic carbon are identified and they are characterized. The extinction co-efficient values are calculated to know the relative distribution of major minerals such as quartz, microcline feldspar, orthoclase feldspar and kaolinite. The calculated values indicate that the amount of quartz is higher than orthoclase feldspar, microcline feldspar and much higher than kaolinite. Crystallinity index is calculated to know the crystalline nature of quartz and the result indicates that the presence of ordered crystalline quartz in the present sediment. The role of minerals in the level of radioactivity is assessed by multivariate statistical analysis (Pearson's correlation and Cluster analysis). The statistical analysis confirms that the clay mineral kaolinite is the major factor than other major minerals to induce the important radioactivity variables such as absorbed dose rate and concentrations of (232)Th and (238)U. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lunar surface radioactivity: preliminary results of the apollo 15 and apollo 16 gamma-ray spectrometer experiments.

PubMed

Metzger, A E; Trombka, J I; Peterson, L E; Reedy, R C; Arnold, J R

1973-02-23

Gamma-ray spectrometers on the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 missions have been used to map the moon's radioactivity over 20 percent of its surface. The highest levels of natural radioactivity are found in Mare Imbrium and Oceanus Procellarum with contrastingly lower enhancements in the eastern maria. The ratio of potassium to uranium is higher on the far side than on the near side, although it is everywhere lower than commonly found on the earth.

Radioactive and mixed waste - risk as a basis for waste classification. Symposium proceedings No. 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The management of risks from radioactive and chemical materials has been a major environmental concern in the United states for the past two or three decades. Risk management of these materials encompasses the remediation of past disposal practices as well as development of appropriate strategies and controls for current and future operations. This symposium is concerned primarily with low-level radioactive wastes and mixed wastes. Individual reports were processed separately for the Department of Energy databases.

On feasibility of a closed nuclear power fuel cycle with minimum radioactivity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andrianova, E. A.; Davidenko, V. D.; Tsibulskiy, V. F., E-mail: Tsibulskiy-VF@nrcki.ru

2015-12-15

Practical implementation of a closed nuclear fuel cycle implies solution of two main tasks. The first task is creation of environmentally acceptable operating conditions of the nuclear fuel cycle considering, first of all, high radioactivity of the involved materials. The second task is creation of effective and economically appropriate conditions of involving fertile isotopes in the fuel cycle. Creation of technologies for management of the high-level radioactivity of spent fuel reliable in terms of radiological protection seems to be the hardest problem.

Lunar surface radioactivity - Preliminary results of the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 gamma-ray spectrometer experiments.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Metzger, A. E.; Trombka, J. I.; Peterson, L. E.; Reedy, R. C.; Arnold, J. R.

1973-01-01

Gamma-ray spectrometers on the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 missions have been used to map the moon's radioactivity over 20 percent of its surface. The highest levels of natural radioactivity are found in Mare Imbrium and Oceanus Procellarum with contrastingly lower enhancements in the eastern maria. The ratio of potassium to uranium is higher on the far side than on the near side, although it is everywhere lower than commonly found on the earth.

Natural and Fukushima-derived radioactivity in macroalgae and mussels along the Japanese shoreline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann, Z.; Casacuberta, N.; Baumann, H.; Masqué, P.; Fisher, N. S.

2013-02-01

Following the failure of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in March 2011, peer-reviewed publications describing radioactivity levels in organisms inhabiting coastal environments are scarce. This paper reports on elevated levels of 134Cs and 137Cs in macroalgae and mussels (up to ~ 800 Bq kg-1 dry wt.) in June 2011. Cs concentrations in biota sampled in early June 2011 were higher in areas south of Fukushima than sampled in the last third of the month north of Fukushima. Radioactivity from 134+137Cs in organisms south of Fukushima were comparable to or lower than that from the naturally occuring 40K in the same samples. While 210Pb and 210Po concentrations were generally lower than these other radionuclides, 210Po as an α-emitter is more significant from a radiological viewpoint than γ-emitters as it can inflict greater biological damage. By applying known bioconcentration factors of Cs in biota, measured biota concentrations of Cs were also used to estimate Cs concentraitons in coastal seawater to be in the range of 102-103 Bq m-3. These estimates show that 3 months after the accident and maximal release of radioactive Cs, levels of Cs persisted in coastal waters, although at levels that were two orders of magnitude lower than at the time of release. These June coastal seawater Cs levels were four orders of magnitude above Cs concentrations off Japan prior to the Fukushima disaster.

Evaluation of IAEA Clearance Concept for Low-level Radioactive Waste from a Radioisotope Research Institute.

PubMed

Yumoto, Yasuhiro; Okada, Shigeru; Kinno, Ikuo; Nagamatsu, Tomohiro; Nouso, Kazuhiro; Nakayama, Eiichi

2016-05-01

The clearance of solid low-level radioactive laboratory waste (LLRW) after decay-in-storage (DIS) obtained from a research institute and thoroughly separated using the separation and classification protocols presented in this study was evaluated. The radioisotope (RI) content of incinerated LLRW from the specified RI research group (group A); the RI content of LLRW obtained in fiscal year 2000, which contained radionuclides with half-lives of less than 164 d (LLRW2); and the RI content of the LLRW reported in group A's disposal records were compared. The LLRW2 and LLRW of group A were incinerated after 2 y of decay-in-storage and immediately after storage, respectively. The highest ratio of the RI of incinerated LLRW to the value in the disposal records was 2.52 for ⁵¹Cr. The radioactivities of radionuclides in both the LLRW2 and LLRW for ³⁵S, ⁴⁵Ca, ⁵¹Cr, ¹²⁵I, ³²P, ³³P, and ⁹⁹mTc and the incinerated ash after 1 y later of decay-in-storage were below the clearance level defined by the RS-G-1.7 of the International Basic Safety Standard without contamination by ³H and ¹⁴C. These remains contained very small amounts of some long-half-life radionuclides of natural origin after 7 y of decay-in-storage. This LLRW separation protocol was effective for the separation of ³H and ¹⁴C. LLRW2 after 2 years of DIS and its incinerated ash after one year later of DIS were below the clearance level for radioactivity and radioactivity concentration.

Radioactive waste management in a hospital.

PubMed

Khan, Shoukat; Syed, At; Ahmad, Reyaz; Rather, Tanveer A; Ajaz, M; Jan, Fa

2010-01-01

Most of the tertiary care hospitals use radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Safe disposal of the radioactive waste is a vital component of the overall management of the hospital waste. An important objective in radioactive waste management is to ensure that the radiation exposure to an individual (Public, Radiation worker, Patient) and the environment does not exceed the prescribed safe limits. Disposal of Radioactive waste in public domain is undertaken in accordance with the Atomic Energy (Safe disposal of radioactive waste) rules of 1987 promulgated by the Indian Central Government Atomic Energy Act 1962. Any prospective plan of a hospital that intends using radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures needs to have sufficient infrastructural and manpower resources to keep its ambient radiation levels within specified safe limits. Regular monitoring of hospital area and radiation workers is mandatory to assess the quality of radiation safety. Records should be maintained to identify the quality and quantity of radioactive waste generated and the mode of its disposal. Radiation Safety officer plays a key role in the waste disposal operations.

Radioactivity of neutron-irradiated cat's-eye chrysoberyls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, S. M.; Tay, T. S.

1999-04-01

The recent report of marketing of radioactive chrysoberyl cat's-eyes in South-East Asian markets has led us to use an indirect method to estimate the threat to health these color-enhanced gemstones may pose if worn close to skin. We determined the impurity content of several cat's-eye chrysoberyls from Indian States of Orissa and Kerala using PIXE, and calculated the radioactivity that would be generated from these impurities and the constitutional elements if a chrysoberyl was irradiated by neutrons in a nuclear reactor for color enhancement. Of all the radioactive nuclides that could be created by neutron irradiation, only four ( 46Sc, 51Cr, 54Mn and 59Fe) would not have cooled down within a month after irradiation to the internationally accepted level of specific residual radioactivity of 2 nCi/g. The radioactivity of 46Sc, 51Cr and 59Fe would only fall to this safe limit after 15 months and that of 54Mn could remain above this limit for several years.

Navigation and vessel inspection circular No. 3-94. International maritime organization code for the safe carriage of irradiated nuclear fuel, plutonium and high-level radioactive wastes in flasks on board ships (IMO resolution a.748(18)). Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1994-05-26

The Circular calls the attention of Coast Guard field units, marine surveyors, shippers and carriers of nuclear materials to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Code for the Safe Carriage of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes in Flasks on Board Ships (IMO Resolution A.748(18)).

Removal of Historic Low-Level Radioactive Sediment from the Port Hope Harbour - 13314

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kolberg, Mark; Case, Glenn; Ferguson Jones, Andrea

2013-07-01

At the Port Hope Harbour, located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, the presence of low-level radioactive sediment, resulting from a former radium and uranium refinery that operated alongside the Harbour, currently limits redevelopment and revitalization opportunities. These waste materials contain radium-226, uranium, arsenic and other contaminants. Several other on-land locations within the community of Port Hope are also affected by the low-level radioactive waste management practices of the past. The Port Hope Project is a community initiated undertaking that will result in the consolidation of an estimated 1.2 million cubic metres of the low-level radioactive waste from themore » various sites in Port Hope into a new engineered above ground long-term waste management facility. The remediation of the estimated 120,000 m{sup 3} of contaminated sediments from the Port Hope Harbour is one of the more challenging components of the Port Hope Project. Following a thorough review of various options, the proposed method of contaminated sediment removal is by dredging. The sediment from the dredge will then be pumped as a sediment-water slurry mixture into geo-synthetic containment tubes for dewatering. Due to the hard substrate below the contaminated sediment, the challenge has been to set performance standards in terms of low residual surface concentrations that are attainable in an operationally efficient manner. (authors)« less

Radioactivity of the soil in Vojvodina (northern province of Serbia and Montenegro).

PubMed

Bikit, I; Slivka, J; Conkić, Lj; Krmar, M; Vesković, M; Zikić-Todorović, N; Varga, E; Curcić, S; Mrdja, D

2005-01-01

The widespread public belief that during the bombardment of Vojvodina (Yugoslavia) this region was contaminated by depleted uranium has recently raised public concern with respect to the potential contamination of agricultural products due to soil radioactivity. Based on the gamma-spectrometric analysis of 50 soil samples taken from the region of Vojvodina we concluded that there is no increase of radioactivity that could endanger the food production. Taking into account the transfer factors of 137Cs to plants, the measured activity concentrations of this isotope should not endanger the health safety of the produced food. No traces of depleted uranium have been found. The natural radioactivity levels are compared with the results form other countries.

CARBON-14 FIXATION IN POLLEN OF YELLOW LUPINE (LUPINUS LUTEUS LINN.)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schwien, W.G.; Frazier, J.C.; Moser, H.C.

1962-10-31

Carbon-14 fixation studies were made on germinated pollen of yellow lupine to ascertain whether the chlorophyll reported to be in these grains was functional photosynthetically. Light and dark exposures to atmospheres containing 20 and 500 mu c of carbon-14 labeled carbon dioxide were made for 1.5 and 45 minutes, respectively. The exposed pollen was extracted in 80% ethanol, the resulting extract reduced in volume, and chromatographed two dimensionally. When the chromatograms were cut inio numbered small squares and their activity counted in an automatic sample counting system, a marked similarity was observed in the pattern of radioactivity from all exposures.more » Eluting and co- chromatographing this activity from the squares, with known standards, demonstrated labeling to be specific to certain intermediates of the Krebs cycle and their derived amine acids. The labeling in these intermediates and the absence of labeling in photosynthetic metabolites is strong evidence that only respiratory fixation of carbon-14 occurs in the germinated pollen of this variety of yellow lupine under the conditions of the experiment. (auth)« less

Low capacity of erythrocytes to bind with immune complexes via C3b receptor in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: correlation with pathological proteinuria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nojima, Y.; Terai, C.; Minota, S.

1985-01-01

Erythrocytes from 51 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 75 controls were tested for the capacity to bind aggregated human gamma-globulin labeled with radioiodine in the presence of complement. Both in patients and controls, a trimodal distribution of binding capacity was observed. Low (less than 9% of the added radioactivity), intermediate (9-17%), and high binding (more than 17%) were observed in 13, 58, and 29% in controls and in 49, 43 and 8% in lupus patients. The low binding capacity of erythrocytes persisted even after patients entered remission following steroid therapy. A genetic control of binding capacity was supported bymore » familial surveys. Prevalence of pathological proteinuria was significantly higher in patients with low binding capacity than those with intermediate or high binding capacity (16/25 vs 7/26, P less than 0.01). These results indicate that an impaired physiological disposal of immune complexes via the erythrocyte C3b receptor in lupus patients may contribute to the development of renal involvement.« less

Ultra-high sensitivity radiation detection apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Gross, Kenneth C.; Valentine, John D.; Markum, Francis; Zawadzki, Mary; Dickerman, Charles

1999-01-01

A method and apparatus are provided to concentrate and detect very low levels of radioactive noble gases from the atmosphere. More specifically the invention provides a method and apparatus to concentrate xenon, krypton and radon in an organic fluid and to detect these gases by the radioactive emissions.

Conflicting Expertise and Uncertainty: Quality Assurance in High-Level Radioactive Waste Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Michael R.; McCabe, Amy Snyder

1991-01-01

Dynamics of a large, expensive, and controversial surface and underground evaluation of a radioactive waste management program at the Yucca Mountain power plant are reviewed. The use of private contractors in the quality assurance study complicates the evaluation. This case study illustrates high stakes evaluation problems. (SLD)

10 CFR 60.52 - Termination of license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Termination of license. 60.52 Section 60.52 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Licenses... repository: (1) That the final disposition of radioactive wastes has been made in conformance with the DOE's...

Risk-informed radioactive waste classification and reclassification.

PubMed

Croff, Allen G

2006-11-01

Radioactive waste classification systems have been developed to allow wastes having similar hazards to be grouped for purposes of storage, treatment, packaging, transportation, and/or disposal. As recommended in the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements' Report No. 139, Risk-Based Classification of Radioactive and Hazardous Chemical Wastes, a preferred classification system would be based primarily on the health risks to the public that arise from waste disposal and secondarily on other attributes such as the near-term practicalities of managing a waste, i.e., the waste classification system would be risk informed. The current U.S. radioactive waste classification system is not risk informed because key definitions--especially that of high-level waste--are based on the source of the waste instead of its inherent characteristics related to risk. A second important reason for concluding the existing U.S. radioactive waste classification system is not risk informed is there are no general principles or provisions for exempting materials from being classified as radioactive waste which would then allow management without regard to its radioactivity. This paper elaborates the current system for classifying and reclassifying radioactive wastes in the United States, analyzes the extent to which the system is risk informed and the ramifications of its not being so, and provides observations on potential future direction of efforts to address shortcomings in the U.S. radioactive waste classification system as of 2004.

Rapid screening of radioactivity in food for emergency response.

PubMed

Bari, A; Khan, A J; Semkow, T M; Syed, U-F; Roselan, A; Haines, D K; Roth, G; West, L; Arndt, M

2011-06-01

This paper describes the development of methods for the rapid screening of gross alpha (GA) and gross beta (GB) radioactivity in liquid foods, specifically, Tang drink mix, apple juice, and milk, as well as screening of GA, GB, and gamma radioactivity from surface deposition on apples. Detailed procedures were developed for spiking of matrices with (241)Am (alpha radioactivity), (90)Sr/(90)Y (beta radioactivity), and (60)Co, (137)Cs, and (241)Am (gamma radioactivity). Matrix stability studies were performed for 43 days after spiking. The method for liquid foods is based upon rapid digestion, evaporation, and flaming, followed by gas proportional (GP) counting. For the apple matrix, surface radioactivity was acid-leached, followed by GP counting and/or gamma spectrometry. The average leaching recoveries from four different apple brands were between 63% and 96%, and have been interpreted on the basis of ion transport through the apple cuticle. The minimum detectable concentrations (MDCs) were calculated from either the background or method-blank (MB) measurements. They were found to satisfy the required U.S. FDA's Derived Intervention Levels (DILs) in all but one case. The newly developed methods can perform radioactivity screening in foods within a few hours and have the potential to capacity with further automation. They are especially applicable to emergency response following accidental or intentional contamination of food with radioactivity. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The NEA research and environmental surveillance programme related to sea disposal of low-level radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rugger, B.; Templeton, W. L.; Gurbutt, P.

1983-05-01

Sea dumping operations of certain types of packaged low and medium level radioactive wastes have been carried out since 1967 in the North-East Atlantic under the auspices of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. On the occasion of the 1980 review of the continued suitability of the North-East Atlantic site used for the disposal of radioactive waste, it was recommended that an effort should be made to increase the scientific data base relating to the oceanographic and biological characteristics of the dumping area. In particular, it was suggested that a site specific model of the transfer of radionuclides in the marine environment be developed, which would permit a better assessment of the potential radiation doses to man from the dumping of radioactive waste. To fulfill these objectives a research and environmental surveillance program related to sea disposal of radioactive waste was set up in 1981 with the participation of thirteen Member countries and the International Laboratory for Marine Radioactivity of the IAEA in Monaco. The research program is focused on five research areas which are directly relevant to the preparation of more site specific assessments in the future. They are: model development; physical oceanography; geochemistry; biology; and radiological surveillance. Promising results have already been obtained and more are anticipated in the not too distant future. An interim description of the NEA dumping site has been prepared which provides an excellent data base for this area.

Disposition and metabolism of a novel prostanoid antiglaucoma medication, tafluprost, following ocular administration to rats.

PubMed

Fukano, Y; Kawazu, K

2009-08-01

The disposition and metabolism of tafluprost, an ester prodrug of the 15,15-difluoro-prostaglandin F(2alpha) antiglaucoma agent, have been studied in rats after ocular administration. Radioactivity was absorbed very rapidly into the eye and systemic circulation after a single ocular dose of 0.005% [(3)H]tafluprost ophthalmic solution, with maximum levels in plasma and most eye tissues occurring within 15 min. The absorption ratio of radioactivity was approximately 75%, suggesting the high availability of ocular administration of tafluprost. Approximately 10% of the dose was present in cornea at this time, and radioactivity concentrations in this tissue exceeded those in aqueous humor and iris/ciliary body throughout the 24-h study period. After repeated daily ocular doses, radioactivity levels remained greatest in cornea, followed by iris/ciliary body that replaced aqueous humor as the eye tissue containing the second highest radioactivity concentration. In female rats, radioactivity was excreted equally between urine and feces after a single ocular dose, whereas in male rats more was excreted in feces, reflecting the greater biliary excretion in males rats (50% dose) compared with females rats (33% dose). Tafluprost was extensively metabolized in the rat, such that intact prodrug was not detected in plasma, tissues, or excreta by radio-high-performance liquid chromatography. On the other hand, the active moiety, tafluprost acid, was the only noteworthy radioactive component in cornea, aqueous humor, and iris/ciliary body for at least 8 h after the ocular dose, and it was also a major plasma metabolite in early time points. The gender differences in conjugation reactions resulted in the differences in the excretion.

Management of low-level radioactive waste in Israel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shabtai, B.; Brenner, S.; Ne`eman, E.

1995-12-31

Radioactive materials are used extensively in Israel in many areas and applications for medicine, industry, agriculture, research and development and others. Israel`s primary concern in waste management is population safety and environmental protection. The Ministry of The Environment (MOE), in cooperation with the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC), supervise over the disposal system, and ensure an effective control. The MOE is responsible for the granting of permits to users of radioactive elements in about 300 plants and institutes, with about 2,200 installations. The MOE operates a computerized database management system (DBMS) on radioactive materials, with data on licensing, import andmore » distribution, waste disposal and transportation. Supervision over the disposal of LLRW has deepened recently, and periodic reports, based on the number of drums containing LLRW, which were transferred from all institutes in Israel to the NRWDS, were prepared. Draft regulations on the disposal of LLRW from institutes of research and education, hospitals, medical laboratories and other, have been recently prepared. These regulations include instructions on the disposal of solid and liquid LLRW as well as radioactive gases and vapors. As a general rule, no LLRW of any sort will be disposed of through the ordinary waste system or general sewage. However, in some extraordinary cases, residues of liquid LLRW are allowed to be disposed in this manner, if the requirements for disposal are satisfied. There are some conditions, in which solid LLRW might be treated as a conventional waste, as well as for safe emission of radioactive gases and aerosols. In light of these considerations, a new and more specific approach to radiation protection organizations and management of low-level radioactive waste problems, supervision and optimization is presented.« less

The identification of selected vegetation types in Arizona through the photointerpretation of intermediate scale aerial photography. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, G. F. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Nine photography interpretation tests were performed with a total of 19 different interpreters. Three tests were conducted with black and white intermediate scale photography and six tests with color infrared intermediate scale photography. The black and white test results show that the interpretation of vegetation mapped at the association level of classification is reliable for all the classes used at 61%. The color infrared tests indicate that the association level of mapping is unsatisfactory for vegetation interpretation of classes 1 and 6. Students' t-test indicated that intermediate scale black and white photography is significantly better than this particular color infrared photography for the interpretation of southeastern Arizona vegetation mapped at the association level.

Global searches for microalgae and aquatic plants that can eliminate radioactive cesium, iodine and strontium from the radio-polluted aquatic environment: a bioremediation strategy.

PubMed

Fukuda, Shin-Ya; Iwamoto, Koji; Atsumi, Mika; Yokoyama, Akiko; Nakayama, Takeshi; Ishida, Ken-Ichiro; Inouye, Isao; Shiraiwa, Yoshihiro

2014-01-01

The Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011 released an enormously high level of radionuclides into the environment, a total estimation of 6.3 × 10¹⁷ Bq represented by mainly radioactive Cs, Sr, and I. Because these radionuclides are biophilic, an urgent risk has arisen due to biological intake and subsequent food web contamination in the ecosystem. Thus, urgent elimination of radionuclides from the environment is necessary to prevent substantial radiopollution of organisms. In this study, we selected microalgae and aquatic plants that can efficiently eliminate these radionuclides from the environment. The ability of aquatic plants and algae was assessed by determining the elimination rate of radioactive Cs, Sr and I from culture medium and the accumulation capacity of radionuclides into single cells or whole bodies. Among 188 strains examined from microalgae, aquatic plants and unidentified algal species, we identified six, three and eight strains that can accumulate high levels of radioactive Cs, Sr and I from the medium, respectively. Notably, a novel eustigmatophycean unicellular algal strain, nak 9, showed the highest ability to eliminate radioactive Cs from the medium by cellular accumulation. Our results provide an important strategy for decreasing radiopollution in Fukushima area.

Determination of gamma-emitting radionuclides in the inter-tidal sediments off Balochistan (Pakistan) Coast, Arabian Sea.

PubMed

Akram, M; Qureshi, Riffat M; Ahmad, Nasir; Solaija, Tariq Jamal

2007-01-01

Natural radionuclide contents of 226Ra, 228Ra and (40)K were studied for inter-tidal sediments collected from selected locations off the745 km long Balochistan Coast using HPGe detector based gamma-spectrometry system. The sampling zone extends from the beaches of Sonmiani (near Karachi metropolis) through Jiwani (close to the border of Iran). The natural radioactivity levels detected in various sediment samples range from 14.4 +/- 2.5 to 36.6 +/- 3.8 Bq kg(-1) for 226Ra, 9.8 +/- 1.2 to 35.2 +/- 2.0 Bq kg(-1) for (228)Ra and 144.6 +/- 9.4 to 610.5 +/- 23.9 Bq kg(-1) for (40)K. No artificial radionuclide was detected in any of the marine coastal sediment samples. 137Cs, (60)Co, 106Ru and 144Ce contents in sediment samples were below the limit of detection. The measured radioactivity levels are compared with those reported in the literature for coastal sediments in other parts of the world. The information presented in this paper will serve as the first ever local radioactivity database for the Balochistan/Makran Coastal belt of Pakistan. The presented data will also contribute to the IAEA's, Asia-Pacific Marine Radioactivity Database (ASPAMARD) and the Global Marine Radioactivity Database (GLOMARD).

Geologic and hydrologic data collected during 1976-1983 at the Sheffield low-level radioactive waste disposal site and adjacent areas, Sheffield, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, J.B.; Garklavs, George; Mackey, G.W.

1984-01-01

Hydrogeologic studies were conducted at the low-level radioactive-waste disposal site near Sheffield, Illinois, from 1976-84. Data in this report include water levels in wells, lake stages, inorganic, organic, and radiometric chemical analyses of ground and surface water, hydraulic conductivities of glacial materials, grain-size distribution, clay and carbonate mineralogy, and cation exchange capacities of the glacial materials. Also included are results of petrographic analyses, physical measurements of wells, stratigraphy and lithology of cores collected from test wells, and horizontal coordinates of wells.

Nuclear criticality safety assessment of the low level radioactive waste disposal facility trenches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kahook, S.D.

1994-04-01

Results of the analyses performed to evaluate the possibility of nuclear criticality in the Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility (LLRWDF) trenches are documented in this report. The studies presented in this document are limited to assessment of the possibility of criticality due to existing conditions in the LLRWDF. This document does not propose nor set limits for enriched uranium (EU) burial in the LLRWDF and is not a nuclear criticality safety evaluation nor analysis. The calculations presented in the report are Level 2 calculations as defined by the E7 Procedure 2.31, Engineering Calculations.

Irradiation with x-rays of the energy 18 MV induces radioactivity in transfusion blood: Proposal of a safe method using 6 MV.

PubMed

Frentzel, Katharina; Badakhshi, Harun

2016-12-01

To prevent a fatal transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease, it is recommended to irradiate transfusion blood and blood components with ionizing radiation. Using x-rays from a linear accelerator of the radiotherapy department is an accepted alternative to gamma irradiation devices of the blood bank and to the orthovoltage units that are replacing the gamma irradiators today. However, the use of high energy x-rays may carry a potential risk of induced radioactivity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of two different energy levels, 6 and 18 MV, which are executed in routine clinical settings. The research question was if induced radioactivity occurs at one of these standard energy levels. The authors aimed to give a proposal for a blood irradiation procedure that certainly avoids induced radioactivity. For this study, the authors developed a blood bag phantom, irradiated it with x-ray energies of 6 and 18 MV, and measured the induced radioactivity in a well counter. Thereafter, the same irradiation and measuring procedure was performed with a unit of packed red blood cells. A feasible clinical procedure was developed using 6 MV and an acrylic box. With the irradiation planning system XiO, the authors generated an irradiation protocol for the linear accelerator Siemens ONCOR Anvant-Garde. Both measurement setups showed that there was induced radioactivity for 18 MV but not for 6 MV. The induced radioactivity for 18 MV was up to 190 times the background. This is significant and of clinical relevance especially since there are newborn and fetal blood recipients for whom every radiation exposure has to be strictly avoided. The irradiation of blood with x-rays from a linear accelerator of the radiotherapy department is safe and feasible, but by the current state of scientific knowledge, the authors recommend to use an x-ray energy of 6 MV or less to avoid induced radioactivity in transfusion blood.

Rapid Evaluation of Radioactive Contamination in Rare Earth Mine Mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, N.

2017-12-01

In order to estimate the current levels of environmental radioactivity in Bayan Obo rare earth mine and to study the rapid evaluation methods of radioactivity contamination in the rare earth mine, the surveys of the in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry and gamma dose rate measurement were carried out around the mining area and living area. The in-situ gamma-ray spectrometer was composed of a scintillation detector of NaI(Tl) (Φ75mm×75mm) and a multichannel analyzer. Our survey results in Bayan Obo Mine display: (1) Thorium-232 is the radioactive contamination source of this region, and uranium-238 and potassium - 40 is at the background level. (2) The average content of thorium-232 in the slag of the tailings dam in Bayan Obo is as high as 276 mg/kg, which is 37 times as the global average value of thorium content. (3) We found that the thorium-232 content in the soil in the living area near the mining is higher than that in the local soil in Guyang County. The average thorium-232 concentrations in the mining areas of the Bayan Obo Mine and the living areas of the Bayan Obo Town were 18.7±7.5 and 26.2±9.1 mg/kg, respectively. (4) It was observed that thorium-232 was abnormal distributed in the contaminated area near the tailings dam. Our preliminary research results show that the in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry is an effective approach of fast evaluating rare earths radioactive pollution, not only can the scene to determine the types of radioactive contamination source, but also to measure the radioactivity concentration of thorium and uranium in soil. The environmental radioactive evaluation of rare earth ore and tailings dam in open-pit mining is also needed. The research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41674111).

An accurate derivation of the air dose-rate and the deposition concentration distribution by aerial monitoring in a low level contaminated area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishizawa, Yukiyasu; Sugita, Takeshi; Sanada, Yukihisa; Torii, Tatsuo

2015-04-01

Since 2011, MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan) have been conducting aerial monitoring to investigate the distribution of radioactive cesium dispersed into the atmosphere after the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), Tokyo Electric Power Company. Distribution maps of the air dose-rate at 1 m above the ground and the radioactive cesium deposition concentration on the ground are prepared using spectrum obtained by aerial monitoring. The radioactive cesium deposition is derived from its dose rate, which is calculated by excluding the dose rate of the background radiation due to natural radionuclides from the air dose-rate at 1 m above the ground. The first step of the current method of calculating the dose rate due to natural radionuclides is calculate the ratio of the total count rate of areas where no radioactive cesium is detected and the count rate of regions with energy levels of 1,400 keV or higher (BG-Index). Next, calculate the air dose rate of radioactive cesium by multiplying the BG-Index and the integrated count rate of 1,400 keV or higher for the area where the radioactive cesium is distributed. In high dose-rate areas, however, the count rate of the 1,365-keV peak of Cs-134, though small, is included in the integrated count rate of 1,400 keV or higher, which could cause an overestimation of the air dose rate of natural radionuclides. We developed a method for accurately evaluating the distribution maps of natural air dose-rate by excluding the effect of radioactive cesium, even in contaminated areas, and obtained the accurate air dose-rate map attributed the radioactive cesium deposition on the ground. Furthermore, the natural dose-rate distribution throughout Japan has been obtained by this method.

Developing Computer-Interactive Tape Exercises for Intermediate-Level Business French.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garnett, Mary Anne

One college language teacher developed computer-interactive audiotape exercises for an intermediate-level class in business French. The project was undertaken because of a need for appropriate materials at that level. The use of authoring software permitted development of a variety of activity types, including multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank,…

Gamma-ray spectrometry of ultra low levels of radioactivity within the material screening program for the GERDA experiment.

PubMed

Budjás, D; Gangapshev, A M; Gasparro, J; Hampel, W; Heisel, M; Heusser, G; Hult, M; Klimenko, A A; Kuzminov, V V; Laubenstein, M; Maneschg, W; Simgen, H; Smolnikov, A A; Tomei, C; Vasiliev, S I

2009-05-01

In present and future experiments in the field of rare events physics a background index of 10(-3) counts/(keV kg a) or better in the region of interest is envisaged. A thorough material screening is mandatory in order to achieve this goal. The results of a systematic study of radioactive trace impurities in selected materials using ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry in the framework of the GERDA experiment are reported.

POTASSIUM AS AN INDEX OF NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIOACTIVITY IN TUNA MUSCLE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chakravarti, D.; Joyner, T.

1959-06-30

Determinations of the potassium levels of light and dark muscle tissues were made for tuns fish samples from the Central Pacific. The mean potassium content was determined to be 2.3 mg/g for these tissues and was used as an index to calculate the radioactivity to be expected from K/sup 40/ at 4.2 dis/min per gram of wet tissue. The levels of potassium in light and dark muscle samples were not significantly different. (auth)

S. 1111: This Act may be cited as the Radiation Protection Act of 1991, introduced in the US Senate, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session, May 21, 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-01-01

This bill was introduced into the US Senate on May 21, 1991 to protect the public from health risks from radiation exposure from low-level radioactive waste. Key features of this legislation which are discussed include the following: state authority for fees or charges for waste storage and disposal facilities; and state authority to regulate disposal of low-level radioactive waste.

Investigation of radioactivity concentration in spent technetium generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idriss, Hajo; Salih, Isam; Alaamer, Abdulaziz S.; Eisa, M. H.; Sam, A. K.

2014-04-01

This study was carried out to survey and measure radioactivity concentration and estimate radiation dose level at the surface of spent technetium generator columns for the safe final disposal of radioactive waste. High resolution γ-spectrometry with the aid of handheld radiation survey meters has been used. The radioactivity measurements has shown that 238U, 40K and 137Cs were only measurable in one sample whereas 125Sb was found in 14 samples out of total of 20 samples with an activity concentration which ranged from 21 to 7404 with an average value of 1095 Bq/kg. The activity concentration of 125Sb is highly variable indicating that the spent 99mTc generator columns are of different origin. This investigation highlighted the importance of radiation monitoring of spent technetium generators in the country in order to protect workers, and the public from the dangers posed by radioactive waste.

Computed tomography of radioactive objects and materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawicka, B. D.; Murphy, R. V.; Tosello, G.; Reynolds, P. W.; Romaniszyn, T.

1990-12-01

Computed tomography (CT) has been performed on a number of radioactive objects and materials. Several unique technical problems are associated with CT of radioactive specimens. These include general safety considerations, techniques to reduce background-radiation effects on CT images and selection criteria for the CT source to permit object penetration and to reveal accurate values of material density. In the present paper, three groups of experiments will be described, for objects with low, medium and high levels of radioactivity. CT studies on radioactive specimens will be presented. They include the following: (1) examination of individual ceramic reactor-fuel (uranium dioxide) pellets, (2) examination of fuel samples from the Three Mile Island reactor, (3) examination of a CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uraniun: registered trademark) nuclear-fuel bundle which underwent a simulated loss-of-coolant accident resulting in high-temperature damage and (4) examination of a PWR nuclear-reactor fuel assembly.

Eosinophil Cationic Protein in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Treated with Radioactive Iodine 131.

PubMed

Zivancevic-Simonovic, Snezana; Mihaljevic, Olgica; Kostic, Irena; Ilic, Nevenka; Mihajlovic, Dusan; Vasiljevic, Dragan; Mijatovic-Teodorovic, Ljiljana; Miletic-Drakulic, Svetlana; Colic, Miodrag

2017-09-01

Published data indicate the involvement of eosinophil granulocytes and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in tumor defense. The aim of this study was to analyze serum ECP concentrations in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) before, 3 days and 7 days after radioactive iodine (131-I) therapy. Association of ECP concentrations with histological type of tumor, stage of disease and/or levels of selected T-helper 2 (Th2) cytokines was examined. The study population included 17 DTC patients and 10 control subjects. ECP was measured by fluoroimmunoassay (FIA). Th2 (cytokines interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), and interleukin 13 (IL-13)) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). We found that ECP values in DTC patients before radioactive iodine therapy were approximately two-fold higher than in the controls, but the difference was statistically significant only if the patients with DTC and associated Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) were included. There was no correlation between the serum concentrations of IL-5 and ECP. Radioactive iodine therapy led to a decrease in serum ECP level which did not follow the decline in serum protein levels. Additional studies are needed to determine the significance of these findings. © 2017 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.

The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office: Thirty Years of Experience in Canada - 13308

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benitez, Liliana; Gardiner, Mark J.; Zelmer, Robert L.

2013-07-01

This paper reviews thirty years of progress by the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office (LLRWMO) in developing and implementing low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) remediation projects and environmentally safe co-existence strategies. It reports on the present status and the future of the national historic waste program in Canada. There are over two million cubic metres of historic LLRW in Canada. Historic LLRW is broadly defined as LLRW that was managed in the past in a manner that is no longer considered acceptable and for which the original owner cannot reasonably be held accountable. In many cases, the original owner can notmore » be identified or no longer exists. The LLRWMO was established in 1982 as Canada's agent to carry out the responsibilities of the federal government for the management of historic LLRW. The LLRWMO is operated by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) through a cost-recovery agreement with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the federal department that provides the funding and establishes national policy for radioactive waste management in Canada. The LLRWMO expertise includes project managers, environmental remediation specialists, radiation surveyors, communications staff and administrative support staff. The LLRWMO in providing all aspects of project oversight and implementation contracts additional resources supplementing core staff capacity as project/program demands require. (authors)« less

[Investigation of radioactivity measurement of medical radioactive waste].

PubMed

Koizumi, Kiyoshi; Masuda, Kazutaka; Kusakabe, Kiyoko; Kinoshita, Fujimi; Kobayashi, Kazumi; Yamamoto, Tetsuo; Kanaya, Shinichi; Kida, Tetsuo; Yanagisawa, Masamichi; Iwanaga, Tetsuo; Ikebuchi, Hideharu; Kusama, Keiji; Namiki, Nobuo; Okuma, Hiroshi; Fujimura, Yoko; Horikoshi, Akiko; Tanaka, Mamoru

2004-11-01

To explore the possibility of which medical radioactive wastes could be disposed as general wastes after keeping them a certain period of time and confirming that their radioactivity reach a background level (BGL), we made a survey of these wastes in several nuclear medicine facilities. The radioactive wastes were collected for one week, packed in a box according to its half-life, and measured its radioactivity by scintillation survey meter with time. Some wastes could reach a BGL within 10 times of half-life, but 19% of the short half-life group (group 1) including 99mTc and 123I, and 8% of the middle half-life group (group 2) including 67Ga, (111)In, and 201Tl did not reach a BGL within 20 times of half-life. A reason for delaying the time of reaching a BGL might be partially attributed to high initial radiation dose rate or heavy package weight. However, mixing with the nuclides of longer half-life was estimated to be the biggest factor affecting this result. When disposing medical radioactive wastes as general wastes, it is necessary to avoid mixing with radionuclide of longer half-life and confirm that it reaches a BGL by actual measurement.

[Coccidies genus Eimeria as a bioindicator of radioactive pollution of the biocenose].

PubMed

Pel'gunov, A N

2006-01-01

The data on coccidies of rodents were collected in Chernobil (1989-1991) and in the regions of radioactive pollution in the Bryansk region of Russia (1992-1999). The surface pollution of experimental plots was different and come from 0.11 to 11.8 MBq/m2. 2185 rodent were examined in all. Thirteen types of coccidies p. Eimeria were found out in 525 small animals. The analysis of changes in morphological characters and oocysts sporulation in dependence of the level of radioactive pollution of biocenose was carried out. It was found out that parametric signs (length, width and form index of oocysts) were independent from radioactive pollution. At the some time the radioactive pollution renders a significant influence on the nonparametric signs (different types of capsule deformation and internal texture of oocysts) and the process of sporulation. With the increase of radioactive pollution the part of nonsporulated oocycts increased and the quantity of oocysts, corresponding to the description of given type (normal), decreased. This dependence is well described by the equation of logarithmic regression, that allows to use this indexes in the bioindication of the radioactive pollution of the biocenose.

Effect of Hashimoto thyroiditis on low-dose radioactive-iodine remnant ablation.

PubMed

Kwon, Hyungju; Choi, June Young; Moon, Jae Hoon; Park, Hyo Jin; Lee, Won Woo; Lee, Kyu Eun

2016-04-01

Radioactive-iodine remnant ablation is an integral part of the papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) treatment. Although a minimum dose is usually recommended, there is controversy as to whether the low-dose (1100 MBq) radioactive-iodine remnant ablation is adequate for selected patients. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 691 patients. Patients with no remnant thyroid on the follow-up whole body scan and low stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) level (<2.0 ng/mL) were deemed as successful treatment cases. Initial low-dose radioactive-iodine remnant ablation was successful in 431 patients (62.3%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated a negative correlation between successful radioactive-iodine remnant ablation and coexisting Hashimoto thyroiditis based on histopathology diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 3.23; p < .001) as well as elevated preablation sTg (OR = 1.24; p < .001). Our data suggest that coexisting Hashimoto thyroiditis and elevated sTg are negative predictive factors for successful low-dose radioactive-iodine remnant ablation treatment. An appropriate risk-adjusted approach may improve the efficacy of radioactive-iodine remnant ablation treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E730-E735, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Methods for pore water extraction from unsaturated zone tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scofield, K.M.

2006-01-01

Assessing the performance of the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, requires an understanding of the chemistry of the water that moves through the host rock. The uniaxial compression method used to extract pore water from samples of tuffaceous borehole core was successful only for nonwelded tuff. An ultracentrifugation method was adopted to extract pore water from samples of the densely welded tuff of the proposed repository horizon. Tests were performed using both methods to determine the efficiency of pore water extraction and the potential effects on pore water chemistry. Test results indicate that uniaxial compression is most efficient for extracting pore water from nonwelded tuff, while ultracentrifugation is more successful in extracting pore water from densely welded tuff. Pore water splits collected from a single nonwelded tuff core during uniaxial compression tests have shown changes in pore water chemistry with increasing pressure for calcium, chloride, sulfate, and nitrate. Pore water samples collected from the intermediate pressure ranges should prevent the influence of re-dissolved, evaporative salts and the addition of ion-deficient water from clays and zeolites. Chemistry of pore water splits from welded and nonwelded tuffs using ultracentrifugation indicates that there is no substantial fractionation of solutes.

Imaging Prostate Cancer with Positron Emission Tomography

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

pool. Radioactivity was retained in kidney tissue and suggests that this is the primary route of excretion. Tumor targeting was inefficient.    15...radioactivity in hepatic tissue. Elevated levels of radioactivity were observed in kidney tissue suggesting that these radiotracers are excreted...20, 21], and its Blood 0 10 20 30 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 Time (h) % ID /g Liver 0 10 20 30 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 Time (h) % ID /g Kidney 0 10 20 30

NEVADA TEST SITE WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA, JUNE 2006

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NEVADA SITE OFFICE

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and mixed waste (MW) for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) for storage or disposal.

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and mixed waste (MW) for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) for storage or disposal.

Seeds in Chernobyl: the database on proteome response on radioactive environment

PubMed Central

Klubicová, Katarína; Vesel, Martin; Rashydov, Namik M.; Hajduch, Martin

2012-01-01

Two serious nuclear accidents during the last quarter century (Chernobyl, 1986 and Fukushima, 2011) contaminated large agricultural areas with radioactivity. The database “Seeds in Chernobyl” (http://www.chernobylproteomics.sav.sk) contains the information about the abundances of hundreds of proteins from on-going investigation of mature and developing seed harvested from plants grown in radioactive Chernobyl area. This database provides a useful source of information concerning the response of the seed proteome to permanently increased level of ionizing radiation in a user-friendly format. PMID:23087698

Background Radioactivity in River and Reservoir Sediments near Los Alamos, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.G.McLin; D.W. Lyons

2002-05-05

As part of its continuing Environmental Surveillance Program, regional river and lake-bottom sediments have been collected annually by Los Alamos National Laboratory (the Laboratory) since 1974 and 1979, respectively. These background samples are collected from three drainage basins at ten different river stations and five reservoirs located throughout northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Radiochemical analyses for these sediments include tritium, strontium-90, cesium-137, total uranium, plutonium-238, plutonium-239,-240, americium-241, gross alpha, gross beta, and gross gamma radioactivity. Detection-limit radioactivity originates as worldwide fallout from aboveground nuclear weapons testing and satellite reentry into Earth's atmosphere. Spatial and temporal variations in individual analytemore » levels originate from atmospheric point-source introductions and natural rate differences in airborne deposition and soil erosion. Background radioactivity values on sediments reflect this variability, and grouped river and reservoir sediment samples show a range of statistical distributions that appear to be analyte dependent. Traditionally, both river and reservoir analyte data were blended together to establish background levels. In this report, however, we group background sediment data according to two criteria. These include sediment source (either river or reservoir sediments) and station location relative to the Laboratory (either upstream or downstream). These grouped data are statistically evaluated through 1997, and background radioactivity values are established for individual analytes in upstream river and reservoir sediments. This information may be used to establish the existence and areal extent of trace-level environmental contamination resulting from historical Laboratory research activities since the early 1940s.« less

Living With and Learning about Radioactivity: A Comparative Conceptual Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsop, Steve

2001-01-01

Documents a quasi-scientific comparative study of two groups of 'recent school leavers' in the UK. Studies non-science university undergraduates and explores whether people living with the immediacy and relevance of higher-than-average levels of radioactivity were more knowledgeable and emotionally detached than a similar group removed from this…

10 CFR 835.405 - Receipt of packages containing radioactive material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Receipt of packages containing radioactive material. 835.405 Section 835.405 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION Monitoring of...) Measurements of the radiation levels, if the package contains a Type B quantity (as defined at 10 CFR 71.4) of...

10 CFR 835.405 - Receipt of packages containing radioactive material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Receipt of packages containing radioactive material. 835.405 Section 835.405 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION Monitoring of...) Measurements of the radiation levels, if the package contains a Type B quantity (as defined at 10 CFR 71.4) of...

10 CFR 835.405 - Receipt of packages containing radioactive material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Receipt of packages containing radioactive material. 835.405 Section 835.405 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION Monitoring of...) Measurements of the radiation levels, if the package contains a Type B quantity (as defined at 10 CFR 71.4) of...

10 CFR 835.405 - Receipt of packages containing radioactive material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Receipt of packages containing radioactive material. 835.405 Section 835.405 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION Monitoring of...) Measurements of the radiation levels, if the package contains a Type B quantity (as defined at 10 CFR 71.4) of...

10 CFR 835.405 - Receipt of packages containing radioactive material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Receipt of packages containing radioactive material. 835.405 Section 835.405 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION Monitoring of...) Measurements of the radiation levels, if the package contains a Type B quantity (as defined at 10 CFR 71.4) of...

77 FR 10401 - Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Issues

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-22

... rather than active systems to limit and retard releases to the environment. Development of the 10 CFR... have been a number of developments that have called into question some of the key assumptions made in... radioactive wastes that did not exist at the time 10 CFR Part 61 was promulgated. The developments previously...

An Improvement to Low-Level Radioactive Waste Vitrification Processes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

waste stream. 3 9 Sodium and Potassium tetraphenyl borates are both cited in the literature as having high cesium selectivity. 23󈧝󈧫 The thermal... Ferrate (II) Impregnated Zeolite for Cesium Removal from Radioactive Waste," Nuc. Tech., 58, p.242, ANS, La Grange Park, Illinois, (1982T. 29. F.V

Distribution of naturally occurring radioactivity and ¹³⁷Cs in the marine sediment of Farasan Island, southern Red Sea, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Al-Zahrany, A A; Farouk, M A; Al-Yousef, A A

2012-11-01

The present work is a part of a project dedicated to measure the marine radioactivity near the Saudi Arabian coasts of the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf for establishing a marine radioactivity database, which includes necessary information on the background levels of both naturally occurring and man-made radionuclides in the marine environment. Farasan Islands is a group of 84 islands (archipelago), under the administration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the Red Sea with its main island of Farasan, which is 50 km off the coast of Jazan City. The levels of natural radioactivity of (238)U, (235)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K and man-made radionuclides such as (137)Cs in the grab sediment and water samples around Farasan Island have been measured using gamma-ray spectroscopy. The average activity concentrations of (238)U, (235)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs in the sediment samples were found to be 35.46, 1.75, 3.31, 0.92, 34.34 and 0.14 Bq kg(-1), respectively.

Openness initiative

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duncan, S.S.

1995-12-31

Although antinuclear campaigns seem to be effective, public communication and education efforts on low-level radioactive waste have mixed results. Attempts at public information programs on low-level radioactive waste still focus on influencing public opinion. A question then is: {open_quotes}Is it preferable to have a program focus on public education that will empower individuals to make informed decisions rather than trying to influence them in their decisions?{close_quotes} To address this question, a case study with both quantitative and qualitative data will be used. The Ohio Low-Level Radioactive Waste Education Program has a goal to provide people with information they want/need tomore » make their own decisions. The program initiated its efforts by conducting a statewide survey to determine information needed by people and where they turned for that information. This presentation reports data from the survey and then explores the program development process in which programs were designed and presented using the information. Pre and post data from the programs reveal attitude and knowledge shifts.« less

Radioactive contamination of nest materials of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus due to the Fukushima nuclear accident: The significance in the first year.

PubMed

Matsui, Shin; Kasahara, Satoe; Morimoto, Gen; Mikami, Osamu K; Watanabe, Mamoru; Ueda, Keisuke

2015-11-01

The 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident contaminated large areas of eastern and northeastern Japan, releasing vast amounts of radiation. Here we investigated radioactive contamination of the nest materials of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus from the breeding season of 2011 directly after the accident to the next breeding season of 2012 at two sites. In Tokyo (222 km southwest of the plant), ambient dose rates in the nestboxes were lower than those in Ibaraki (175 km southwest of the plant), where the levels of 2011 were higher than those of 2012. Further, the amount of radioactive Cs in each nest increased with the increase in nest weight, with a higher increment at Ibaraki than at Tokyo. These data suggested higher nest contamination levels in the breeding season directly after a nuclear accident than in later seasons, and an increment of nest contamination levels via nest materials of birds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Radioactive Ingrowth and Decay of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in the Environment: An Analysis of Produced Fluids from the Marcellus Shale.

PubMed

Nelson, Andrew W; Eitrheim, Eric S; Knight, Andrew W; May, Dustin; Mehrhoff, Marinea A; Shannon, Robert; Litman, Robert; Burnett, William C; Forbes, Tori Z; Schultz, Michael K

2015-07-01

The economic value of unconventional natural gas resources has stimulated rapid globalization of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. However, natural radioactivity found in the large volumes of "produced fluids" generated by these technologies is emerging as an international environmental health concern. Current assessments of the radioactivity concentration in liquid wastes focus on a single element-radium. However, the use of radium alone to predict radioactivity concentrations can greatly underestimate total levels. We investigated the contribution to radioactivity concentrations from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), including uranium, thorium, actinium, radium, lead, bismuth, and polonium isotopes, to the total radioactivity of hydraulic fracturing wastes. For this study we used established methods and developed new methods designed to quantitate NORM of public health concern that may be enriched in complex brines from hydraulic fracturing wastes. Specifically, we examined the use of high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry and isotope dilution alpha spectrometry to quantitate NORM. We observed that radium decay products were initially absent from produced fluids due to differences in solubility. However, in systems closed to the release of gaseous radon, our model predicted that decay products will begin to ingrow immediately and (under these closed-system conditions) can contribute to an increase in the total radioactivity for more than 100 years. Accurate predictions of radioactivity concentrations are critical for estimating doses to potentially exposed individuals and the surrounding environment. These predictions must include an understanding of the geochemistry, decay properties, and ingrowth kinetics of radium and its decay product radionuclides.

Evidence of a Nonphotochemical Mechanism for the Solid-State Formation of Uranyl Peroxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirkegaard, Marie C.; Miskowiec, Andrew J.; Ambrogio, Michael W.

Here, we have demonstrated the solid-state formation of a uranyl peroxide (UP) species from hydrated uranyl fluoride via a uranyl hydroxide intermediate, the first observation of a UP species formed in a solid-state reaction. Water vapor pressure is shown to be a driving factor of both the loss of fluorine and the subsequent formation of peroxo units. We have ruled out a photochemical mechanism for formation of the UP species by demonstrating that the same reaction occurs in the dark. A radiolytic mechanism is unlikely because of the low radioactivity of the sample material, suggesting the existence of a novelmore » UP formation mechanism.« less

Evidence of a Nonphotochemical Mechanism for the Solid-State Formation of Uranyl Peroxide

DOE PAGES

Kirkegaard, Marie C.; Miskowiec, Andrew J.; Ambrogio, Michael W.; ...

2018-05-10

Here, we have demonstrated the solid-state formation of a uranyl peroxide (UP) species from hydrated uranyl fluoride via a uranyl hydroxide intermediate, the first observation of a UP species formed in a solid-state reaction. Water vapor pressure is shown to be a driving factor of both the loss of fluorine and the subsequent formation of peroxo units. We have ruled out a photochemical mechanism for formation of the UP species by demonstrating that the same reaction occurs in the dark. A radiolytic mechanism is unlikely because of the low radioactivity of the sample material, suggesting the existence of a novelmore » UP formation mechanism.« less

Transformation of bile acids into iso-bile acids by Clostridium perfringens: possible transport of 3 beta-hydrogen via the coenzyme.

PubMed

Batta, A K; Salen, G; Shefer, S

1985-01-01

We have examined the mechanism for the bacterial transformation of chenodeoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid into the corresponding 3 beta-hydroxy epimers with the use of 3 alpha- and 3 beta-tritiated bile acids. The 3-oxo bile acids were transformed into the 3 alpha- (85%) and 3 beta- (15%) hydroxy bile acids after 20-hr incubation with Clostridium perfringens. Approximately 75% radioactivity was recovered in the aqueous medium when [3 beta-3H]chenodeoxycholic acid or [3 beta-3H]lithocholic acid was incubated with the bacteria, and approximately 15% of radioactivity in the bile acid fraction was associated with the 3 alpha-position of the iso-bile acids. When [3 beta-3H]chenodeoxycholic acid was incubated with unlabeled 3-oxo-5 beta-cholanoic acid, tritiated litho- and iso-lithocholic acids were recovered. These results can be explained only when a 3-oxo intermediate is postulated, and the 3 beta-hydrogen in the bile acids is transferred by the bacterial coenzyme (NAD+ or NADP+) to the 3 alpha-position in the iso-bile acids during the reduction of the 3-oxo compounds.

6-Methyl-1,2,4-benzenetriol, a new intermediate in penicillic acid biosynthesis in Penicillium cyclopium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sekiguchi, J.; Katayama, S.; Yamada, Y.

1987-07-01

Penicillic acid-negative mutants were obtained from a color mutant derived from Penicillium cyclopium NRRL 1888 through N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine treatment. One mutant (SK2N6) accumulated 6-methyl-1,2,4-benzenetriol, which was not previously known to be a metabolite of P. cyclopium, in addition to orsellinic acid and orcinol. The radioactivity of (1-/sup 14/C)acetic acid was rapidly incorporated into 6-methyl-1,2,4-benzenetriol in a culture of P. cyclopium SK2N6. Moreover, the radioactivity of (/sup 14/C)6-methyl-1,2,4-benzenetriol was efficiently incorporated into penicillic acid in a culture of P. cyclopium NRRL 1888. These data indicate that 6-methyl-1,2,4-benzenetriol is a precursor for penicillic acid biosynthesis. The results on the addition of 1,4-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-methylbenzene, 6-methoxy-2-methylbenzoquinonemore » (1,4), and 1-O-methylorcinol to a culture of P. cyclopium SK2N6 indicated that only the former two compounds are converted to penicillic acid. Thus, a new portion of the penicillic acid biosynthetic pathway is proposed.« less

The Discovery of Artificial Radioactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerra, Francesco; Leone, Matteo; Robotti, Nadia

2012-03-01

We reconstruct Frédéric Joliot and Irène Curie's discovery of artificial radioactivity in January 1934 based in part on documents preserved in the Joliot-Curie Archives in Paris, France. We argue that their discovery followed from the convergence of two parallel lines of research, on the neutron and on the positron, that were focused on a well-defined experimental problem, the nuclear transmutation of aluminum and other light elements. We suggest that a key role was played by a suggestion that Francis Perrin made at the seventh Solvay Conference at the end of October 1933, that the alpha-particle bombardment of aluminum produces an intermediate unstable isotope of phosphorus, which then decays by positron emission. We also suggest that a further idea that Perrin published in December 1933, and the pioneering theory of beta decay that Enrico Fermi also first published in December 1933, established a new theoretical framework that stimulated Joliot to resume the researches that he and Curie had interrupted after the Solvay Conference, now for the first time using a Geiger-Müller counter to detect the positrons emitted when he bombarded aluminum with polonium alpha particles.

The localization of antigen in lymph nodes and its relation to specific antibody-producing cells

PubMed Central

Humphrey, J. H.; Askonas, Brigitte A.; Auzins, Ieva; Schechter, I.; Sela, M.

1967-01-01

A branched multichain polypeptide of the type p(Tyr,Glu)-pAla--pLys was synthesized from L-lysine, L-tyrosine, L-glutamic acid and tritium labelled DL-alanine; the final product, [3H](T,G)-A--L, had a specific radioactivity about 3 mc/mg. Its immunological behaviour in mice was compared with that of another preparation of (T,G)-A--L trace labelled with 125I at a specific radioactivity of 2 mc/mg. The [3H](T,G)-A--L proved to be only very weakly immunogenic compared with [125I](T,G)-A--L. This was not attributable to its radioactivity, but probably to its relatively low tyrosine content. However, detailed autoradiographical studies of the localization of the two materials in the draining lymph nodes after injection into the footpads of previously primed and of unprimed mice revealed no qualitative differences between their behaviour, which resembled that previously described for [125I](T,G)-A--L in similar experiments. When a preparation of (T,G)-A--L, labelled on the same molecules with both 3H and 125I, was studied in respect of gross retention of each label in lymph nodes, selective retention of 3H relative to 125I was observed. This was explained by greater susceptibility to peptidase activity of L-tyrosine residues at the ends of the side chains compared with that of the underlying polymeric DL-alanine. It is concluded that in studies of the fate of iodine-labelled peptides or proteins detection of the radioactive label is likely to indicate the presence of intact molecules or of large portions of them, but that failure to detect iodine cannot be taken to denote their absence. The autoradiographs suggested the existence of fine channels containing antigen penetrating through the cortical and intermediate zones of lymph nodes. ImagesFIG. 1-4 PMID:5338919

Modeling species richness and abundance of phytoplankton and zooplankton in radioactively contaminated water bodies.

PubMed

Shuryak, Igor

2018-06-05

Water bodies polluted by the Mayak nuclear plant in Russia provide valuable information on multi-generation effects of radioactive contamination on freshwater organisms. For example, lake Karachay was probably the most radioactive lake in the world: its water contained ∼2 × 10 7 Bq/L of radionuclides and estimated dose rates to plankton exceeded 5 Gy/h. We performed quantitative modeling of radiation effects on phytoplankton and zooplankton species richness and abundance in Mayak-contaminated water bodies. Due to collinearity between radioactive contamination, water body size and salinity, we combined these variables into one (called HabitatFactors). We employed a customized machine learning approach, where synthetic noise variables acted as benchmarks of predictor performance. HabitatFactors was the only predictor that outperformed noise variables and, therefore, we used it for parametric modeling of plankton responses. Best-fit model predictions suggested 50% species richness reduction at HabitatFactors values corresponding to dose rates of 10 4 -10 5  μGy/h for phytoplankton, and 10 3 -10 4  μGy/h for zooplankton. Under conditions similar to those in lake Karachay, best-fit models predicted 81-98% species richness reductions for various taxa (Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepoda), ∼20-300-fold abundance reduction for total zooplankton, but no abundance reduction for phytoplankton. Rotifera was the only taxon whose fractional abundance increased with contamination level, reaching 100% in lake Karachay, but Rotifera species richness declined with contamination level, as in other taxa. Under severe radioactive and chemical contamination, one species of Cyanobacteria (Geitlerinema amphibium) dominated phytoplankton, and rotifers from the genus Brachionus dominated zooplankton. The modeling approaches proposed here are applicable to other radioecological data sets. The results provide quantitative information and easily interpretable model parameter estimates for the shapes and magnitudes of freshwater plankton responses to a wide range of radioactive contamination levels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gross Alpha Beta Radioactivity in Air Filters Measured by Ultra Low Level α/β Counter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cfarku, Florinda; Bylyku, Elida; Deda, Antoneta; Dhoqina, Polikron; Bakiu, Erjona; Perpunja, Flamur

2010-01-01

Study of radioactivity in air as very important for life is done regularly using different methods in every country. As a result of nuclear reactors, atomic centrals, institutions and laboratories, which use the radioactivity substances in open or closed sources, there are a lot radioactive wastes. Mixing of these wastes after treatment with rivers and lakes waters makes very important control of radioactivity. At the other side nuclear and radiological accidents are another source of the contamination of air and water. Due to their radio toxicity, especially those of Sr90, Pu239, etc. a contamination hazard for human begins exist even at low concentration levels. Measurements of radioactivity in air have been performed in many parts of the world mostly for assessment of the doses and risk resulting from consuming air. In this study we present the results of international comparison organized by IAEA Vienna, Austria for the air filters spiked with unknown Alpha and Beta Activity. For the calibration of system we used the same filters spiked: a) with Pu-239 as alpha source; b) Sr-90 as beta source and also the blank filter. The measurements of air filter samples after calibration of the system are done with Ultra Low Level α/β Counter (MPC 9604) Protean Instrument Corporation. The high sensitivity of the system for the determination of the Gross Alpha and Beta activity makes sure detection of low values activity of air filters. Our laboratory results are: Aα = (0.19±0.01) Bq/filter and Aα (IAEA) = (0.17±0.009) Bq/filter; Aβ = (0.33±0.009) Bq/filter and Aβ (IAEA) = (0.29±0.01) Bq/filter. As it seems our results are in good agreement with reference values given by IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).

Radioactive Waste Conditioning, Immobilisation, And Encapsulation Processes And Technologies: Overview And Advances (Chapter 7)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, Carol M.; Lee, William E.; Ojovan, Michael I.

The main immobilization technologies that are available commercially and have been demonstrated to be viable are cementation, bituminization, and vitrification. Vitrification is currently the most widely used technology for the treatment of high level radioactive wastes (HLW) throughout the world. Most of the nations that have generated HLW are immobilizing in either alkali borosilicate glass or alkali aluminophosphate glass. The exact compositions of nuclear waste glasses are tailored for easy preparation and melting, avoidance of glass-in-glass phase separation, avoidance of uncontrolled crystallization, and acceptable chemical durability, e.g., leach resistance. Glass has also been used to stabilize a variety of lowmore » level wastes (LLW) and mixed (radioactive and hazardous) low level wastes (MLLW) from other sources such as fuel rod cladding/decladding processes, chemical separations, radioactive sources, radioactive mill tailings, contaminated soils, medical research applications, and other commercial processes. The sources of radioactive waste generation are captured in other chapters in this book regarding the individual practices in various countries (legacy wastes, currently generated wastes, and future waste generation). Future waste generation is primarily driven by interest in sources of clean energy and this has led to an increased interest in advanced nuclear power production. The development of advanced wasteforms is a necessary component of the new nuclear power plant (NPP) flowsheets. Therefore, advanced nuclear wasteforms are being designed for robust disposal strategies. A brief summary is given of existing and advanced wasteforms: glass, glass-ceramics, glass composite materials (GCM’s), and crystalline ceramic (mineral) wasteforms that chemically incorporate radionuclides and hazardous species atomically in their structure. Cementitious, geopolymer, bitumen, and other encapsulant wasteforms and composites that atomically bond and encapsulate wastes are also discussed. The various processing technologies are cross-referenced to the various types of wasteforms since often a particular type of wasteform can be made by a variety of different processing technologies.« less

RADIOACTIVITY IN FOODS. II. EVIDENCE OF FALLOUT CONTAMINATION DURING 1958 AND 1959

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laug, E.P.; Wallace, W.C.; Walton, M.S.

1961-08-01

During 1958 and 1959, approximately 5,000 samples of 50 different human and animal foods were examined for total radioactivity resulting from fall-out. Highest total concentration was found in the animal fodders and tea. Among the animal fodders, the alfalfas were about 4 times as radioactive as the corn ensilages. In the case of tea, the imports from Japan, Formosa, and India carried the greatest amount of radioactivity. Significantly lower concentrations were noted in African and Brazilian teas. Lower, in comparison by factors ranging from 1/10 to 1/100 of the above but still measurable, was the radioactivity in fresh vegetables. Mostmore » of the contamination was found in spinach, celery, lettuce, and greens in that decreasing order. As compared to the fresh vegetables, fruits were on the average only 1/7 as radioactive. Measurable quantities of radioactivity were found only in plums, prunes, and strawberries, in that decreasing order. As noted in an earlier surveillance study, significant radioactivity continued to be detected in dairy products; also in oysters and clams. Insignificant traces of radioactivity were found in salmon and tuna, and none whatsoever in meat and poultry. Nearly all total beta concentrations declined from 1958 through 1959, reflecting the cessation of weapons testing late in 1958. Analyses showed that on the average about 10% of the, total beta level in a food could be accounted for by the presence of strontium-90. 10 tables. Figure. 5 references. (auth)« less

Low-level radioactive waste technology: a selected, annotated bibliography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fore, C.S.; Vaughan, N.D.; Hyder, L.K.

1980-10-01

This annotated bibliography of 447 references contains scientific, technical, economic, and regulatory information relevant to low-level radioactive waste technology. The bibliography focuses on environmental transport, disposal site, and waste treatment studies. The publication covers both domestic and foreign literature for the period 1952 to 1979. Major chapters selected are Chemical and Physical Aspects; Container Design and Performance; Disposal Site; Environmental Transport; General Studies and Reviews; Geology, Hydrology and Site Resources; Regulatory and Economic Aspects; Transportation Technology; Waste Production; and Waste Treatment. Specialized data fields have been incorporated into the data file to improve the ease and accuracy of locating pertinentmore » references. Specific radionuclides for which data are presented are listed in the Measured Radionuclides field, and specific parameters which affect the migration of these radionuclides are presented in the Measured Parameters field. In addition, each document referenced in this bibliography has been assigned a relevance number to facilitate sorting the documents according to their pertinence to low-level radioactive waste technology. The documents are rated 1, 2, 3, or 4, with 1 indicating direct applicability to low-level radioactive waste technology and 4 indicating that a considerable amount of interpretation is required for the information presented to be applied. The references within each chapter are arranged alphabetically by leading author, corporate affiliation, or title of the document. Indexes are provide for (1) author(s), (2) keywords, (3) subject category, (4) title, (5) geographic location, (6) measured parameters, (7) measured radionuclides, and (8) publication description.« less

Radioactive Waste Management in A Hospital

PubMed Central

Khan, Shoukat; Syed, AT; Ahmad, Reyaz; Rather, Tanveer A.; Ajaz, M; Jan, FA

2010-01-01

Most of the tertiary care hospitals use radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Safe disposal of the radioactive waste is a vital component of the overall management of the hospital waste. An important objective in radioactive waste management is to ensure that the radiation exposure to an individual (Public, Radiation worker, Patient) and the environment does not exceed the prescribed safe limits. Disposal of Radioactive waste in public domain is undertaken in accordance with the Atomic Energy (Safe disposal of radioactive waste) rules of 1987 promulgated by the Indian Central Government Atomic Energy Act 1962. Any prospective plan of a hospital that intends using radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures needs to have sufficient infrastructural and manpower resources to keep its ambient radiation levels within specified safe limits. Regular monitoring of hospital area and radiation workers is mandatory to assess the quality of radiation safety. Records should be maintained to identify the quality and quantity of radioactive waste generated and the mode of its disposal. Radiation Safety officer plays a key role in the waste disposal operations. PMID:21475524

[Investigation of actual condition of management and disposal of medical radioactive waste in Korea].

PubMed

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Nagaoka, Hiroaki; Yamaguchi, Ichiro; Horiuchi, Shoji; Imoto, Atsushi

2009-07-20

In order to realize the rational management and disposal of radioactive waste like DIS or its clearance as performed in Europe, North America, and Japan, we investigated the situation of medical radioactive waste in Korea and its enforcement. We visited three major Korean facilities in May 2008 and confirmed details of the procedure being used by administering a questionnaire after our visit. From the results, we were able to verify that the governmental agency had established regulations for the clearance of radioactive waste as self-disposal based on the clearance level of IAEA in Korea and that the medical facilities performed suitable management and disposal of radioactive waste based on the regulations and superintendence of a radiation safety officer. The type of nuclear medicine was almost the same as that in Japan, and the half-life of all radiopharmaceuticals was 60 days or less. While performing regulatory adjustment concerning the rational management and disposal of radioactive waste in Korea for reference also in this country, it is important to provide an enforcement procedure with quality assurance in the regulations.

Corrosion of radioactive waste tanks containing washed sludge and precipitates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bickford, D.F.; Congdon, J.W.; Oblath, S.B.

1988-05-01

At the US Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Plant, the corrosion of carbon steel storage tanks containing alkaline, high-level radioactive waste is controlled by specification of limits on waste composition and temperature. Laboratory tests, conducted to determine minimum corrosion inhibitor levels, indicated pitting of carbon steel near the waterline for proposed storage conditions. In situ electrochemical measurements of full-scale radioactive process demonstrations were conducted to assess the validity of laboratory tests. The in situ results are compared to those of laboratory tests, with particular regard given to simulated solution composition. Transition metal hydroxide sludge contains strong passivating species formore » carbon steel. Washed precipitate contains organic species that lower solution pH and tend to reduce passivating films, requiring higher inhibitor concentrations than the 0.01 M nitrite required for reactor fuel reprocessing wastes.« less

Implications of theories of asteroid and comet impact for policy options for management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive wastes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trask, Newell J.

1994-01-01

Concern with the threat posed by terrestrial asteroid and comet impacts has heightened as the catastrophic consequences of such events have become better appreciated. Although the probabilities of such impacts are very small, a reasonable question for debate is whether such phenomena should be taken into account in deciding policy for the management of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The rate at which asteroid or comet impacts would affect areas of surface storage of radioactive waste is about the same as the estimated rate at which volcanic activity would affect the Yucca Mountain area. The Underground Retrievable Storage (URS) concept could satisfactorily reduce the risk from cosmic impact with its associated uncertainties in addition to providing other benefits described by previous authors.

An intermediate level of BMP signaling directly specifies cranial neural crest progenitor cells in zebrafish.

PubMed

Schumacher, Jennifer A; Hashiguchi, Megumi; Nguyen, Vu H; Mullins, Mary C

2011-01-01

The specification of the neural crest progenitor cell (NCPC) population in the early vertebrate embryo requires an elaborate network of signaling pathways, one of which is the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathway. Based on alterations in neural crest gene expression in zebrafish BMP pathway component mutants, we previously proposed a model in which the gastrula BMP morphogen gradient establishes an intermediate level of BMP activity establishing the future NCPC domain. Here, we tested this model and show that an intermediate level of BMP signaling acts directly to specify the NCPC. We quantified the effects of reducing BMP signaling on the number of neural crest cells and show that neural crest cells are significantly increased when BMP signaling is reduced and that this increase is not due to an increase in cell proliferation. In contrast, when BMP signaling is eliminated, NCPC fail to be specified. We modulated BMP signaling levels in BMP pathway mutants with expanded or no NCPCs to demonstrate that an intermediate level of BMP signaling specifies the NCPC. We further investigated the ability of Smad5 to act in a graded fashion by injecting smad5 antisense morpholinos and show that increasing doses first expand the NCPCs and then cause a loss of NCPCs, consistent with Smad5 acting directly in neural crest progenitor specification. Using Western blot analysis, we show that P-Smad5 levels are dose-dependently reduced in smad5 morphants, consistent with an intermediate level of BMP signaling acting through Smad5 to specify the neural crest progenitors. Finally, we performed chimeric analysis to demonstrate for the first time that BMP signal reception is required directly by NCPCs for their specification. Together these results add substantial evidence to a model in which graded BMP signaling acts as a morphogen to pattern the ectoderm, with an intermediate level acting in neural crest specification.

Quantitative PCR estimates Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) infection levels in semi-slugs (Parmarion martensi)

PubMed Central

Jarvi, Susan I.; Farias, Margaret E.M.; Howe, Kay; Jacquier, Steven; Hollingsworth, Robert; Pitt, William

2013-01-01

The life cycle of the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis involves rats as the definitive host and slugs and snails as intermediate hosts. Humans can become infected upon ingestion of intermediate or paratenic (passive carrier) hosts containing stage L3 A. cantonensis larvae. Here, we report a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay that provides a reliable, relative measure of parasite load in intermediate hosts. Quantification of the levels of infection of intermediate hosts is critical for determining A. cantonensis intensity on the Island of Hawaii. The identification of high intensity infection ‘hotspots’ will allow for more effective targeted rat and slug control measures. qPCR appears more efficient and sensitive than microscopy and provides a new tool for quantification of larvae from intermediate hosts, and potentially from other sources as well. PMID:22902292

Assessing the Effectiveness of Risk Communication for Maintenance Workers Who Deal With Induced Radioactivity Management of Medical Linear Accelerators.

PubMed

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Maehara, Yoshiaki; Fujibuchi, Toshioh; Koizumi, Mitsue; Yamaguchi, Ichiro; Kida, Tetsuo; Ooyama, Masaya; Horitsugi, Genki; Hiraki, Hitoshi; Tsukamoto, Atsuko; Itami, Jyun

2015-08-01

In Japan, an amended law that mandates levels of unintended induced radioactivity has been in effect since 1 April 2012. According to the new regulation, if the concentration of induced radioactivity in affected parts is above the clearance level, the parts must be regarded as radioactive even if they weigh less than 1 kg. This regulation reform raises several new issues concerning medical linear accelerators, including how to determine the decay period for induced radioactivity before maintenance can be performed and how to identify what parts should be considered radioactive waste. The authors performed several risk communication (RC) activities aimed at improving the understanding of maintenance workers at medical accelerator manufacturers and establishing good guidelines by involving stakeholders. For this purpose, a working group was established and conducted RC activities, such as holding opinion exchange meetings between medical staff and maintenance workers and creating a booklet to answer questions from maintenance workers. To evaluate these activities, three questionnaire surveys were conducted between 2011 and 2014. According to the results of this study, the ratio of maintenance workers who accepted "The decay period is within one week" was approximately 60% at the third survey and significantly increased (P < 0.0001) during the survey period. Approximately 25% of the maintenance workers felt that not enough information was provided about the decay period, and approximately 63% thought that the information provided on the health effects of radiation was sufficient. These results suggest that the present RC was successful.

Modelling seasonal variations of natural radioactivity in soils: A case study in southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guagliardi, Ilaria; Rovella, Natalia; Apollaro, Carmine; Bloise, Andrea; Rosa, Rosanna De; Scarciglia, Fabio; Buttafuoco, Gabriele

2016-12-01

The activity of natural radionuclides in soil has become an environmental concern for local public and national authorities because of the harmful effects of radiation exposure on human health. In this context, modelling and mapping the activity of natural radionuclides in soil is an important research topic. The study was aimed to model, in a spatial sense, the soil radioactivity in an urban and peri-urban soils area in southern Italy to analyse the seasonal influence on soil radioactivity. Measures of gamma radiation naturally emitted through the decay of radioactive isotopes (potassium, uranium and thorium) were analysed using a geostatistical approach to map the spatial distribution of soil radioactivity. The activity of three radionuclides was measured at 181 locations using a high-resolution ?-ray spectrometry. To take into account the influence of season, the measurements were carried out in summer and in winter. Activity data were analysed by using a geostatistical approach and zones of relatively high or low radioactivity were delineated. Among the main processes which influence natural radioactivity such as geology, geochemical, pedological, and ecological processes, results of this study showed a prominent control of radio-emission measurements by seasonal changes. Low natural radioactivity levels were measured in December associated with winter weather and moist soil conditions (due to high rainfall and low temperature), and higher activity values in July, when the soil was dry and no precipitations occurred.

U.S. Geological Survey research in radioactive waste disposal - Fiscal years 1986-1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trask, N.J.; Stevens, P.R.

1991-01-01

The report summarizes progress on geologic and hydrologic research related to the disposal of radioactive wastes. The research efforts are categorized according to whether they are related most directly to: (1) high-level wastes, (2) transuranic wastes, (3) low-level and mixed low-level and hazardous wastes, or (4) uranium mill tailings. Included is research applicable to the identification and geohydrologic characterization of waste-disposal sites, to investigations of specific sites where wastes have been stored, to development of techniques and methods for characterizing disposal sites, and to studies of geologic and hydrologic processes related to the transport and/or retention of waste radionuclides.

Assessment of natural radioactivity in aquifer medium bearing uranium ores in Koprubasi, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simsek, Celalettin

2008-10-01

Koprubasi, located within Manisa Province near the Izmir, is the biggest uranium mine where uranium ores originate from Neogene aged altered sandstone and conglomerate layers. The main objective of this study is to determine the radiation hazard associated with radioactivity levels of uranium ores, and the rocks and sediments around Koprubasi. In this regard, measured activity levels of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were compared with world averages. The average activity levels of 226 Ra, 232Th and 40K were measured to be 5369.75, 124.78 and 10.0 Bq/kg in uranium ores, 24.32, 52.94 and 623.38 Bq/kg in gneiss, 46.24, 45.13 and 762.26 Bq/kg in sandstone and conglomerate, 73.11, 43.15 and 810.65 Bq/kg in sediments, respectively. All samples have high 226Ra and 40K levels according to world average level. As these sediments are used as construction materials and in agricultural activities within the study area, the radiation hazard are calculated by using dose rate (D), annual effective dose rate (He), radium equivalent activity (Raeq) and radiation hazard index (Iyr). All the samples have Raeq levels that are lower than the world average limit of 370 Bq/kg. On the other hand, D, He and Iyr values are higher than world average values. These results indicate that the uranium ores in the Koprubasi is the most important contributor to the natural radiation level. The radioactivity levels of sediments and rocks make them unsuitable for use as agricultural soil and as construction materials. Moreover, it is determined that shallow groundwater in sediments and deep groundwater in conglomerate rocks and also surface water sources in the Koprubasi have high 226Ra content. According to environmental radioactive baseline, some environmental protection study must be taken in Koprubasi uranium site and the environment.

Use of charcoals and broiler litter biochar for removal of radioactive cesium (Cs-134 plus Cs-137) from contaminated water

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Various charcoals (used in food processing and water treatment) and broiler litter biochar were examined for ability to adsorb water-soluble low-level radioactive cesium (ca. 200-250 Bq/kg) extracted from contaminated wheat bran. Among the materials tested, steam activated broiler litter biochar was...

Canister arrangement for storing radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Lorenzo, D.K.; Van Cleve, J.E. Jr.

1980-04-23

The subject invention relates to a canister arrangement for jointly storing high level radioactive chemical waste and metallic waste resulting from the reprocessing of nuclear reactor fuel elements. A cylindrical steel canister is provided with an elongated centrally disposed billet of the metallic waste and the chemical waste in vitreous form is disposed in the annulus surrounding the billet.

77 FR 18270 - Acceptance Decision for the Unrestricted Use of the Former Michigan Chemical Company-Breckenridge...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-27

.... Louis plant generated a dense, clay-like waste known as ``filter cake,'' which contained elevated levels of uranium and thorium, two naturally- occurring radioactive materials. The radioactive filter cake was buried at the BDS. Burial of the filter cake at the BDS was permitted under AEC license number SMB...

Canister arrangement for storing radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Lorenzo, Donald K.; Van Cleve, Jr., John E.

1982-01-01

The subject invention relates to a canister arrangement for jointly storing high level radioactive chemical waste and metallic waste resulting from the reprocessing of nuclear reactor fuel elements. A cylindrical steel canister is provided with an elongated centrally disposed billet of the metallic waste and the chemical waste in vitreous form is disposed in the annulus surrounding the billet.

Environmental radioactivity levels, Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. Annual report, 1983

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1984-04-01

This report describes the environmental radiological monitoring of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN), located in Limestone County, Alabama, conducted in 1983. Dose estimates were calculated from concentrations of radioactivity found in samples of air, milk, meat, vegetation, drinking water, and fish. Estimated doses were essentially identical to those determined at control locations. 12 figures, 29 tables.

Approaches in the study of ganglioside metabolism

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tettamanti, G.; Ghidoni, R.; Sonnino, S.

1984-01-01

Ganglioside GM1, /sup 3/H-labeled in the sphingosine or terminal galactose moiety was injected into mice and its metabolic fate in the liver was followed. After administration of sphingosine-labeled GM1 all major liver gangliosides (GM3, GM2, GM1, GD1a-NeuAc, NeuG1) became radioactive, the radioactivity residing in all cases on the sphingosine moiety. The specific radioactivity was highest on GM1, followed by GM2, GM3 and GD1a-NeuAc, NeuG1. Several neutral glycosphingolipids and sphingomyelin were also formed. After administration of galactose-labelled GM1 the only radioactive gangliosides present in the liver were GM1 and GD1a-NeuAc, NeuG1, both carrying the radioactivity on the terminal galactose residue, withmore » no formation of labelled neutral glycosphingolipids. Subcellular studies gave clear evidence that GM1, after being taken up by the liver, was mainly degraded to GM2, GM3 and neutral glycosphingolipids at the level of lysosomes. A part of it was sialylated to more complex gangliosides and some of its metabolic by-products were used for the biosynthesis of other sphingolipid species, likely at the level of the Golgi apparatus. All this suggests that exogenous GM1 is introduced in the metabolic routes of endogenous gangliosides and of other sphingolipids, which are operating in the liver.« less

A quantification method for peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) using gas chromatography (GC) with a non-radioactive pulsed discharge detector (PDD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Jaffe, Daniel A.; Gao, Xin; McClure, Crystal D.

2018-04-01

In this study, we developed a method for continuous PAN measurements by gas chromatography (GC) with a non-radioactive pulsed discharge detector (PDD). Operational parameters were optimized based on the ratio of peak height over baseline noise (P/N ratio). The GC/PDD system was compared with a traditional radioactive electron-capture detector (ECD). In the lab, the method detection limit (MDL) of the new GC/PDD method (9 pptv) was lower than the radioactive GC/ECD method (15 pptv), demonstrating its excellent potential. The MDL of GC/PDD in the field campaign at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory (MBO) was 23 pptv, higher than in the lab. This was caused in part by the decreased slope of the calibration curve resulting from the low air pressure level at MBO. However, the MDL level of GC/PDD at MBO is still low enough for accurate PAN measurements, although special attention should be paid to its application at high-elevation sites. Observations of PAN were conducted at MBO in the summer of 2016 with the GC/PDD system, and provided more evidence of the performance of the system. PAN was found to be highly correlated with CO. The promising performance of GC/PDD which does not require a radioactive source makes it a useful approach for accurate PAN measurements in the field.

Joint US/Russian Studies of Population Exposures Resulting from Nuclear Production Activities in the Southern Urals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Napier, Bruce A.

2014-01-01

Beginning in 1948, the Soviet Union initiated a program for production of nuclear materials for a weapons program. The first facility for production of plutonium was constructed in the central portion of the country east of the southern Ural Mountains, about halfway between the major industrial cities of Ekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk. The facility now known as the Mayak Production Association and its associated town, now known as Ozersk, were built to irradiate uranium in reactors, separate the resulting plutonium in reprocessing plants, and prepare plutonium metal. The rush to production, coupled with inexperience in handling radioactive materials, lead to largemore » radiation exposures, not only to the workers in the facilities, but also to the surrounding public. Fuel processing started with no controls on releases, and fuel dissolution and accidents in reactors resulted in release of about 37 PBq (1015 Bq) of 131I between 1948 and 1967. Designed disposals of low- and intermediate-level liquid radioactive wastes, and accidental releases via cooling water from tank farms of high-level liquid radioactive wastes, into the small Techa River caused significant contamination and exposures to residents of numerous small riverside villages downstream of the site. Discovery of the magnitude of the aquatic contamination in late 1951 caused revisions to the waste handling regimes, but not before over 200 PBq of radionuclides (with large contributions of 90Sr and 137Cs) were released. Liquid wastes were diverted to tiny Lake Karachay (which today holds over 4 EBq); cooling water was stopped in the tank farms. In 1957, one of the tanks in the tank farm overheated and exploded; over 70 PBq, disproportionately 90Sr, was blown over a large area to the northeast of the site; a large area was contaminated and many villages evacuated. This area today is known as the East Urals Radioactive Trace (EURT). Each of these releases was significant; together they have created a group of cohorts unrivaled in the world for their chronic, low-dose-rate radiation exposure. The 26,000 workers at Mayak were highly exposed to external gamma and inhaled plutonium. A cohort of individuals raised as children in Ozersk is under evaluation for their exposures to radioiodine. The Techa River Cohort consists of over 30,000 people who were born before the start of exposure in 1949 and lived along the Techa River. The Techa River Offspring Cohort consists of about 21,000 persons born to one or more exposed parents of this group - many of whom also lived along the contaminated river. The EURT Cohort consists of about 18,000 people who were evacuated from the EURT soon after the 1957 explosion and another 8000 who remained. These groups together are the focus of dose reconstruction and epidemiological studies funded by the US, Russia, and the European Union to address the question “Are doses delivered at low dose rates as effective in producing health effects as the same doses delivered at high dose rates?”« less

Understanding the Radioactive Ingrowth and Decay of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in the Environment: An Analysis of Produced Fluids from the Marcellus Shale

PubMed Central

Nelson, Andrew W.; Eitrheim, Eric S.; Knight, Andrew W.; May, Dustin; Mehrhoff, Marinea A.; Shannon, Robert; Litman, Robert; Burnett, William C.; Forbes, Tori Z.

2015-01-01

Background The economic value of unconventional natural gas resources has stimulated rapid globalization of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. However, natural radioactivity found in the large volumes of “produced fluids” generated by these technologies is emerging as an international environmental health concern. Current assessments of the radioactivity concentration in liquid wastes focus on a single element—radium. However, the use of radium alone to predict radioactivity concentrations can greatly underestimate total levels. Objective We investigated the contribution to radioactivity concentrations from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), including uranium, thorium, actinium, radium, lead, bismuth, and polonium isotopes, to the total radioactivity of hydraulic fracturing wastes. Methods For this study we used established methods and developed new methods designed to quantitate NORM of public health concern that may be enriched in complex brines from hydraulic fracturing wastes. Specifically, we examined the use of high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry and isotope dilution alpha spectrometry to quantitate NORM. Results We observed that radium decay products were initially absent from produced fluids due to differences in solubility. However, in systems closed to the release of gaseous radon, our model predicted that decay products will begin to ingrow immediately and (under these closed-system conditions) can contribute to an increase in the total radioactivity for more than 100 years. Conclusions Accurate predictions of radioactivity concentrations are critical for estimating doses to potentially exposed individuals and the surrounding environment. These predictions must include an understanding of the geochemistry, decay properties, and ingrowth kinetics of radium and its decay product radionuclides. Citation Nelson AW, Eitrheim ES, Knight AW, May D, Mehrhoff MA, Shannon R, Litman R, Burnett WC, Forbes TZ, Schultz MK. 2015. Understanding the radioactive ingrowth and decay of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the environment: an analysis of produced fluids from the Marcellus Shale. Environ Health Perspect 123:689–696; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408855 PMID:25831257

Incoherence in the South African Labour Market for Intermediate Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraak, Andre

2008-01-01

This article is concerned with the production and employment of technically skilled labour at the intermediate level in South Africa. Three differing labour market pathways to intermediate skilling are identified. These are: the traditional apprenticeship route, the new "Learnerships" pathway (similar to the "modern…

SPACE: Intermediate Level Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indiana State Dept. of Education, Indianapolis. Center for School Improvement and Performance.

These modules were developed to assist teachers at the intermediate level to move away from extensive skill practice and toward more meaningful interdisciplinary learning. This packet, to be used by teachers in the summer Extended Learning Program, provides detailed thematic lesson plans matched to the Indiana Curriculum Proficiency Guide. The…

Connecting Language to Content: Second Language Literature Instruction at the Intermediate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoecherl-Alden, Gisela

2006-01-01

Meaningfully integrating multidimensional approaches with learner-centered, workshop-style second language (L2) literature instruction at intermediate-level proficiency can help students increase their linguistic competence and further both their cultural understanding and analytical thinking skills. Moreover, the utilization of drama techniques…

Potentiometric surface of the intermediate aquifer system, west- central Florida, May 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewelling, B.R.

1988-01-01

The intermediate aquifer system within the Southwest Florida Water Management District underlies a 5,000 sq mi area of De Soto, Sarasota, Hardee, Manatee, and parts of Charlotte, Hillsborough, Highlands, and Polk Counties. The intermediate aquifer system occurs between the overlying surficial aquifer system and the underlying Floridan aquifer system, and consists of layers of sand, shell, clay, marl, limestone, and dolom of the Tamiami, Hawthorn, and Tampa Formations of late Tertiary age. The intermediate aquifer system contains one or more water-bearing units separated by discontinuous confining units. This aquifer system is the principal source of potable water in the southwestern part of the study area and is widely used as a source of water in other parts where wells are open to the intermediate aquifer system or to both the intermediate and Floridan aquifer systems. Yields of individual wells open to the intermediate aquifer system range from a few gallons to several hundred gallons per minute. The volume of water withdrawn from the intermediate aquifer system is considerably less than that withdrawn from the Floridan aquifer system in the study area. The surface was mapped by determining the altitude of water levels in a network of wells and is represented on maps by contours that connect points of equal altitude. The compos potentiometric surface of all water-bearing units within the intermediate aquifer system is shown. In areas where multiple aquifers exist, wells open to all aquifers were selected for water level measurements whenever possible. In the southwestern and lower coastal region of the study area, two aquifers and confining units are described for the intermediate aquifer system: the Tamiami-upper Hawthorn aquifer and the underlying lower Hawthorn-upper Tampa aquifer. The potentiometric surface of the Tamiami-upper Hawthorn aquifer is also shown. Water levels are from wells drilled and open exclusively to that aquifer. The exact boundary for the Tamiami-upper Hawthorn aquifer is undetermined because of limd geohydrologic data available from wells. (Lantz-PTT)

Collaboration, Automation, and Information Management at Hanford High Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Tank Farms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aurah, Mirwaise Y.; Roberts, Mark A.

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), operator of High Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Tank Farms at the Hanford Site, is taking an over 20-year leap in technology, replacing systems that were monitored with clipboards and obsolete computer systems, as well as solving major operations and maintenance hurdles in the area of process automation and information management. While WRPS is fully compliant with procedures and regulations, the current systems are not integrated and do not share data efficiently, hampering how information is obtained and managed.

Model tracking system for low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities: License application interrogatories and responses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benbennick, M.E.; Broton, M.S.; Fuoto, J.S.

This report describes a model tracking system for a low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facility license application. In particular, the model tracks interrogatories (questions, requests for information, comments) and responses. A set of requirements and desired features for the model tracking system was developed, including required structure and computer screens. Nine tracking systems were then reviewed against the model system requirements and only two were found to meet all requirements. Using Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis, a model tracking system was selected.

[Radioactive caesium contamination in Inago and sustainability of Inago cuisine in Fukushima].

PubMed

Mitsuhashi, Ryota; Mizuno, Hiroshi; Saeki, Shinjiro; Uchiyama, Sho-ichi; Yoshida, Makoto; Takamatsu, Yuki; Fugo, Hajime

2013-01-01

Inago (edible grasshoppers, Oxya spp.) was a popular food in the Fukushima area, before the reactor accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station in March 2011. We investigated the radioactivity of Cs-134 and Cs-137 contained in Inago captured in Sukagawa, Motomiya, Inawashiro, Date, and Iidate in Fukushima prefecture in 2011 and 2012. The maximum combined radioactivity of Cs-134 and Cs-137 in Inago was 60.7 Bq/kg, which is below the maximum permitted level (100 Bq/kg) in foods established by the government of Japan in April 2012. Furthermore, conventional cooking processes decreased the radioactivity in cooked Inago to under 15.8 Bq/kg, a quarter of that in uncooked Inago. Therefore, we concluded that the health risk of eating Inago is low.

[Assessment of modern radioecological situation at nuclear explosion "Chagan" (Balapan Site, Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, Kazakhstan)].

PubMed

Evseeva, T I; Maĭstrenko, T A; Geras'kin, S A; Belykh, E S; Umarov, M A; Sergeeva, I Iu; Sergeev, V Iu

2008-01-01

Results on estimation of modern radioecological situation at nuclear explosion "Chagan" based on large-scale cartographic studies (1:25000) of a test area (4 km2) are presented. Maximum gamma-irradiation doses were observed at bulk of ground surrounded a crater and at radioactive fall-outs extended to the North-East and to the SouthWest from the crater. Based on data on artificial radionuclide specific activity most part of soil samples were attributed to radioactive wastes according to IAEA (1996) and OSPORB (1999). Natural decrease of soil radioactivity up to safety level due to 60Co, 137Cs, 90Sr, 152Eu, 154Eu radioactive decay and 241Am accumulation-decay will not take place within the next 60 years at the studied area.

Antibiotic Effects on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Cytoplasmic Peptidoglycan Intermediate Levels and Evidence for Potential Metabolite Level Regulatory Loops.

PubMed

Vemula, Harika; Ayon, Navid J; Burton, Alloch; Gutheil, William G

2017-06-01

Cytoplasmic peptidoglycan (PG) precursor levels were determined in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) after exposure to several cell wall-targeting antibiotics. Three experiments were performed: (i) exposure to 4× MIC levels (acute); (ii) exposure to sub-MIC levels (subacute); (iii) a time course experiment of the effect of vancomycin. In acute exposure experiments, fosfomycin increased UDP-GlcNAc, as expected, and resulted in substantially lower levels of total UDP-linked metabolite accumulation relative to other pathway inhibitors, indicating reduced entry into this pathway. Upstream inhibitors (fosfomycin, d-cycloserine, or d-boroalanine) reduced UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide levels by more than fourfold. Alanine branch inhibitors (d-cycloserine and d-boroalanine) reduced d-Ala-d-Ala levels only modestly (up to 4-fold) but increased UDP-MurNAc-tripeptide levels up to 3,000-fold. Downstream pathway inhibitors (vancomycin, bacitracin, moenomycin, and oxacillin) increased UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide levels up to 350-fold and UDP-MurNAc-l-Ala levels up to 80-fold, suggesting reduced MurD activity by downstream inhibitor action. Sub-MIC exposures demonstrated effects even at 1/8× MIC which strongly paralleled acute exposure changes. Time course data demonstrated that UDP-linked intermediate levels respond rapidly to vancomycin exposure, with several intermediates increasing three- to sixfold within minutes. UDP-linked intermediate level changes were also multiphasic, with some increasing, some decreasing, and some increasing and then decreasing. The total (summed) UDP-linked intermediate pool increased by 1,475 μM/min during the first 10 min after vancomycin exposure, providing a revised estimate of flux in this pathway during logarithmic growth. These observations outline the complexity of PG precursor response to antibiotic exposure in MRSA and indicate likely sites of regulation (entry and MurD). Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.