France’s State of the Art Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors Qualified for the Monitoring of the French Underground Repository for High Level and Intermediate Level Long Lived Radioactive Wastes

PubMed Central

Delepine-Lesoille, Sylvie; Girard, Sylvain; Landolt, Marcel; Bertrand, Johan; Planes, Isabelle; Boukenter, Aziz; Marin, Emmanuel; Humbert, Georges; Leparmentier, Stéphanie; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Ouerdane, Youcef

2017-01-01

This paper presents the state of the art distributed sensing systems, based on optical fibres, developed and qualified for the French Cigéo project, the underground repository for high level and intermediate level long-lived radioactive wastes. Four main parameters, namely strain, temperature, radiation and hydrogen concentration are currently investigated by optical fibre sensors, as well as the tolerances of selected technologies to the unique constraints of the Cigéo’s severe environment. Using fluorine-doped silica optical fibre surrounded by a carbon layer and polyimide coating, it is possible to exploit its Raman, Brillouin and Rayleigh scattering signatures to achieve the distributed sensing of the temperature and the strain inside the repository cells of radioactive wastes. Regarding the dose measurement, promising solutions are proposed based on Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA) responses of sensitive fibres such as the P-doped ones. While for hydrogen measurements, the potential of specialty optical fibres with Pd particles embedded in their silica matrix is currently studied for this gas monitoring through its impact on the fibre Brillouin signature evolution. PMID:28608831

Radiometric liquid level gauge with linear-detection (in German)

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

Glaeser, M.; Emmelmann, K.P.

1973-09-01

A description is given of a radiometric liquid level gauge with linear detection. It consists of a set of radioactive sources (e.g., /sup 137/Cs) with quadratic graduation in their activities, of a scintillation counter with electronic back-up unit and of a slender tube. The tube, sources and scintillation counter form a compact snd easily transportsble liquid level gauge. It is-especially adapted for liquid level measurements in slender, difficulty accessible and opaque containers. The device supplements the different methods for liquid level measurement with a new variant which is adopted for many cases in practice. (auth)

Detection of free liquid in containers of solidified radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Greenhalgh, W.O.

Nondestructive detection of the presence of free liquid within a sealed enclosure containing solidified waste is accomplished by measuring the levels of waste at two diametrically opposite locations while slowly tilting the enclosure toward one of said locations. When the measured level remains constant at the other location, the measured level at said one location is noted and any measured difference of levels indicates the presence of liquid on the surface of the solifified waste. The absence of liquid in the enclosure is verified when the measured levels at both locations are equal.

Detection of free liquid in containers of solidified radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Greenhalgh, Wilbur O.

1985-01-01

A method of nondestructively detecting the presence of free liquid within a sealed enclosure containing solidified waste by measuring the levels of waste at two diametrically opposite locations while slowly tilting the enclosure toward one of said locations. When the measured level remains constant at the other location, the measured level at said one location is noted and any measured difference of levels indicates the presence of liquid on the surface of the solidified waste. The absence of liquid in the enclosure is verified when the measured levels at both locations are equal.

Final repository for Denmark's low- and intermediate level radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, B.; Gravesen, P.; Petersen, S. S.; Binderup, M.

2012-12-01

Bertel Nilsson*, Peter Gravesen, Stig A. Schack Petersen, Merete Binderup Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark, * email address bn@geus.dk The Danish Parliament decided in 2003 that the temporal disposal of the low- and intermediate level radioactive waste at the nuclear facilities at Risø should find another location for a final repository. The Danish radioactive waste must be stored on Danish land territory (exclusive Greenland) and must hold the entire existing radioactive waste, consisting of the waste from the decommissioning of the nuclear facilities at Risø, and the radioactive waste produced in Denmark from hospitals, universities and industry. The radioactive waste is estimated to a total amount of up to 10,000 m3. The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS, is responsible for the geological studies of suitable areas for the repository. The task has been to locate and recognize non-fractured Quaternary and Tertiary clays or Precambrian bedrocks with low permeability which can isolate the radioactive waste from the surroundings the coming more than 300 years. Twenty two potential areas have been located and sequential reduced to the most favorable two to three locations taking into consideration geology, hydrogeology, nature protection and climate change conditions. Further detailed environmental and geology investigations will be undertaken at the two to three potential localities in 2013 to 2015. This study together with a study of safe transport of the radioactive waste and an investigation of appropriate repository concepts in relation to geology and safety analyses will constitute the basis upon which the final decision by the Danish Parliament on repository concept and repository location. The final repository is planned to be established and in operation at the earliest 2020.

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...

Iso standardization of theoretical activity evaluation method for low and intermediate level activated waste generated at nuclear power plants

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

Makoto Kashiwagi; Garamszeghy, Mike; Lantes, Bertrand

Disposal of low-and intermediate-level activated waste generated at nuclear power plants is being planned or carried out in many countries. The radioactivity concentrations and/or total quantities of long-lived, difficult-to-measure nuclides (DTM nuclides), such as C-14, Ni-63, Nb-94, α emitting nuclides etc., are often restricted by the safety case for a final repository as determined by each country's safety regulations, and these concentrations or amounts are required to be known and declared. With respect to waste contaminated by contact with process water, the Scaling Factor method (SF method), which is empirically based on sampling and analysis data, has been applied asmore » an important method for determining concentrations of DTM nuclides. This method was standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and published in 2007 as ISO21238 'Scaling factor method to determine the radioactivity of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste packages generated at nuclear power plants' [1]. However, for activated metal waste with comparatively high concentrations of radioactivity, such as may be found in reactor control rods and internal structures, direct sampling and radiochemical analysis methods to evaluate the DTM nuclides are limited by access to the material and potentially high personnel radiation exposure. In this case, theoretical calculation methods in combination with empirical methods based on remote radiation surveys need to be used to best advantage for determining the disposal inventory of DTM nuclides while minimizing exposure to radiation workers. Pursuant to this objective a standard for the theoretical evaluation of the radioactivity concentration of DTM nuclides in activated waste, is in process through ISO TC85/SC5 (ISO Technical Committee 85: Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection; Subcommittee 5: Nuclear fuel cycle). The project team for this ISO standard was formed in 2011 and is composed of experts from 11 countries. The project team has been conducting technical discussions on theoretical methods for determining concentrations of radioactivity, and has developed the draft International Standard of ISO16966 'Theoretical activation calculation method to evaluate the radioactivity of activated waste generated at nuclear reactors' [2]. This paper describes the international standardization process developed by the ISO project team, and outlines the following two theoretical activity evaluation methods:? Point method? Range method. (authors)« less

Treatment of radioactive liquid waste by sorption on natural zeolite in Turkey.

PubMed

Osmanlioglu, Ahmet Erdal

2006-09-01

Liquid radioactive waste has been generated from the use of radioactive materials in industrial applications, research and medicine in Turkey. Natural zeolites (clinoptilolite) have been studied for the removal of several key radionuclides ((137)Cs, (60)Co, (90)Sr and (110m)Ag) from liquid radioactive waste. The aim of the present study is to investigate effectiveness of zeolite treatment on decontamination factor (DF) in a combined process (chemical precipitation and adsorption) at the laboratory tests and scale up to the waste treatment plant. In this study, sorption and precipitation techniques were adapted to decontamination of liquid low level waste (LLW). Effective decontamination was achieved when sorbents are used during the chemical precipitation. Natural zeolite samples were taken from different zeolite formations in Turkey. Comparison of the ion-exchange properties of zeolite minerals from different formations shows that Gordes clinoptilolite was the most suitable natural sorbent for radionuclides under dynamic treatment conditions and as an additive for chemical precipitation process. Clinoptilolite were shown to have a high selectivity for (137)Cs and (110m)Ag as sorbent. In the absence of potassium ions, native clinoptilolite removed (60)Co and (90)Sr very effectively from the liquid waste. In the end of this liquid waste treatment, decontamination factor was provided as 430 by using 0.5 mm clinoptilolite at 30 degrees C.

Resistance of class C fly ash belite cement to simulated sodium sulphate radioactive liquid waste attack.

PubMed

Guerrero, A; Goñi, S; Allegro, V R

2009-01-30

The resistance of class C fly ash belite cement (FABC-2-W) to concentrated sodium sulphate salts associated with low level wastes (LLW) and medium level wastes (MLW) is discussed. This study was carried out according to the Koch and Steinegger methodology by testing the flexural strength of mortars immersed in simulated radioactive liquid waste rich in sulphate (48,000 ppm) and demineralised water (used as a reference), at 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C over a period of 180 days. The reaction mechanisms of sulphate ion with the mortar was carried out through a microstructure study, which included the use of Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosity and pore-size distribution and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the FABC mortar was stable against simulated sulphate radioactive liquid waste (SSRLW) attack at the two chosen temperatures. The enhancement of mechanical properties was a result of the formation of non-expansive ettringite inside the pores and an alkaline activation of the hydraulic activity of cement promoted by the ingress of sulphate. Accordingly, the microstructure was strongly refined.

Special Analysis for Disposal of High-Concentration I-129 Waste in the Intermediate-Level Vaults at the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility

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

Collard, L.B.

2000-09-26

This revision was prepared to address comments from DOE-SR that arose following publication of revision 0. This Special Analysis (SA) addresses disposal of wastes with high concentrations of I-129 in the Intermediate-Level (IL) Vaults at the operating, low-level radioactive waste disposal facility (the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility or LLWF) on the Savannah River Site (SRS). This SA provides limits for disposal in the IL Vaults of high-concentration I-129 wastes, including activated carbon beds from the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF), based on their measured, waste-specific Kds.

Radiological characterization of skyshine from a retired, low-level, radioactive liquid effluent disposal facility at Hanford

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

Brown, R.C.; Perkins, C.J.

1991-02-01

The 1301-N Liquid Waste Disposal Facility, located on the Hanford Site received N Reactor low-level radioactive liquid process effluent from 1962 to 1985. Radiation emanating from the top of the trench sections was not significant because of the sediments were normally under several meters of water, which provided the necessary shielding. Following retirement of the facility, the liquid in the trench sections percolated into the ground leaving the residual radioactively contaminated sediments unshielded along the bottom and sides of the trench sections. The radioactive constituents of the contaminated sediments include the gamma-emitting isotopes Co-60 and Cs-137. Because of the lackmore » of water covering, some of the gamma photons that were emitted upward were scattered downward due to Compton interaction with atmospheric constituents. This phenomenon is known as skyshine.'' A radiological characterization was required to provide guidance for determining the effectiveness of interim stabilization alternatives that would not adversely affect future Resource Conservation and Recovery Act site closure activities, (e.g., filling in trench sections with spoils from excavation activities). A noninvasive radiological characterization of this disposal facility and the affected area of the Columbia River shoreline was conducted. This characterization confirmed that skyshine is the cause of the elevated shoreline exposure rates and provided a model that could be used to rate the effectiveness of alternative interim stabilization measures. 4 refs., 5 figs.« less

Investigations of the unsaturated zone at two radioactive waste disposal sites in Lithuania.

PubMed

Skuratovič, Žana; Mažeika, Jonas; Petrošius, Rimantas; Martma, Tõnu

2016-01-01

The unsaturated zone is an important part of the water cycle, governed by many hydrological and hydrogeological factors and processes and provide water and nutrients to the terrestrial ecosystem. Besides, the soils of the unsaturated zone are regarded as the first natural barrier to a large extent and are able to limit the spread of contaminants depending on their properties. The unsaturated zone provides a linkage between atmospheric moisture, groundwater, and seepage of groundwater to streams, lakes, or other surface water bodies. The major difference between water flow in saturated and unsaturated soils is that the hydraulic conductivity, which is conventionally assumed to be a constant in saturated soils, is a function of the degree of saturation or matrix suction in the unsaturated soils. In Lithuania, low and intermediate level radioactive wastes generated from medicine, industry and research were accumulated at the Maisiagala radioactive waste repository. Short-lived low and intermediate levels radioactive waste, generated during the operation of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) and arising after the INPP decommissioning will be disposed of in the near surface repository close to the INPP (Stabatiske site). Extensive data sets of the hydraulic properties and water content attributed to unsaturated zone soil profiles of the two radioactive waste disposal sites have been collected and summarized. Globally widespread radionuclide tritium ((3)H) and stable isotope ratio ((18)O/(16)O and (2)H/(1)H) distribution features were determined in precipitation, unsaturated zone soil moisture profiles and groundwater.

Magnesium fluoride recovery method

DOEpatents

Gay, Richard L.; McKenzie, Donald E.

1989-01-01

A method of obtaining magnesium fluoride 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 contacted with an acid under certain prescribed conditions to produce a liquid product and a particulate solid product. The particulate solid product is separated from the liquid and treated at least two more times with acid to produce a solid residue consisting essentially of magnesium fluoride substantially free of uranium and having a residual radioactivity level of less than about 1000 pCi/gm. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention a catalyst and an oxidizing agent are used during the acid treatment and preferably the acid is sulfuric acid having a strength of about 1.0 Normal.

Biochemical process of low level radioactive liquid simulation waste containing detergent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kundari, Noor Anis; Putra, Sugili; Mukaromah, Umi

2015-12-01

Research of biochemical process of low level radioactive liquid waste containing detergent has been done. Thse organic liquid wastes are generated in nuclear facilities such as from laundry. The wastes that are cotegorized as hazard and poison materials are also radioactive. It must be treated properly by detoxification of the hazard and decontamination of the radionuclides to ensure that the disposal of the waste meets the requirement of standard quality of water. This research was intended to determine decontamination factor and separation efficiensies, its kinetics law, and to produce a supernatant that ensured the environmental quality standard. The radioactive element in the waste was thorium with activity of 5.10-5 Ci/m3. The radioactive liquid waste which were generated in simulation plant contains detergents that was further processed by aerobic biochemical process using SGB 103 bacteria in a batch reactor equipped with aerators. Two different concentration of samples were processed and analyzed for 212 hours and 183 hours respectively at a room temperature. The product of this process is a liquid phase called as supernatant and solid phase material called sludge. The chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solid (SS), and its alpha activity were analyzed. The results show that the decontamination factor and the separation efficiency of the lower concentration samples are higher compared to the samples with high concentration. Regarding the decontamination factor, the result for 212 hours processing of waste with detergent concentration of 1.496 g/L was 3.496 times, whereas at the detergent concentration of 0.748 g/L was 15.305 times for 183 hours processing. In case of the separation efficiency, the results for both samples were 71.396% and 93.465% respectively. The Bacterial growth kinetics equation follow Monod's model and the decreasing of COD and BOD were first order with the rate constant of 0.01 hour-1.

Biochemical process of low level radioactive liquid simulation waste containing detergent

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

Kundari, Noor Anis, E-mail: nooranis@batan.go.id; Putra, Sugili; Mukaromah, Umi

Research of biochemical process of low level radioactive liquid waste containing detergent has been done. Thse organic liquid wastes are generated in nuclear facilities such as from laundry. The wastes that are cotegorized as hazard and poison materials are also radioactive. It must be treated properly by detoxification of the hazard and decontamination of the radionuclides to ensure that the disposal of the waste meets the requirement of standard quality of water. This research was intended to determine decontamination factor and separation efficiensies, its kinetics law, and to produce a supernatant that ensured the environmental quality standard. The radioactive elementmore » in the waste was thorium with activity of 5.10{sup −5} Ci/m{sup 3}. The radioactive liquid waste which were generated in simulation plant contains detergents that was further processed by aerobic biochemical process using SGB 103 bacteria in a batch reactor equipped with aerators. Two different concentration of samples were processed and analyzed for 212 hours and 183 hours respectively at a room temperature. The product of this process is a liquid phase called as supernatant and solid phase material called sludge. The chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solid (SS), and its alpha activity were analyzed. The results show that the decontamination factor and the separation efficiency of the lower concentration samples are higher compared to the samples with high concentration. Regarding the decontamination factor, the result for 212 hours processing of waste with detergent concentration of 1.496 g/L was 3.496 times, whereas at the detergent concentration of 0.748 g/L was 15.305 times for 183 hours processing. In case of the separation efficiency, the results for both samples were 71.396% and 93.465% respectively. The Bacterial growth kinetics equation follow Monod’s model and the decreasing of COD and BOD were first order with the rate constant of 0.01 hour{sup −1}.« less

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.

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

Radiological protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations resulting from a nuclear accident.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Daisuke; Hattori, Takatoshi

2013-01-01

In environmental remediation after nuclear accidents, radioactive wastes have to be appropriately managed in existing exposure situations with contamination resulting from the emission of radionuclides by such accidents. In this paper, a framework of radiation protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations for application to the practical and reasonable waste management in contaminated areas, referring to related ICRP recommendations was proposed. In the proposed concept, intermediate reference levels for waste management are adopted gradually according to the progress of the reduction in the existing ambient dose in the environment on the basis of the principles of justification and optimisation by taking into account the practicability of the management of radioactive waste and environmental remediation. It is essential to include the participation of relevant stakeholders living in existing exposure situations in the selection of reference levels for the existing ambient dose and waste management.

Radiological protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations resulting from a nuclear accident

PubMed Central

Sugiyama, Daisuke; Hattori, Takatoshi

2013-01-01

In environmental remediation after nuclear accidents, radioactive wastes have to be appropriately managed in existing exposure situations with contamination resulting from the emission of radionuclides by such accidents. In this paper, a framework of radiation protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations for application to the practical and reasonable waste management in contaminated areas, referring to related ICRP recommendations was proposed. In the proposed concept, intermediate reference levels for waste management are adopted gradually according to the progress of the reduction in the existing ambient dose in the environment on the basis of the principles of justification and optimisation by taking into account the practicability of the management of radioactive waste and environmental remediation. It is essential to include the participation of relevant stakeholders living in existing exposure situations in the selection of reference levels for the existing ambient dose and waste management. PMID:22719047

Natural diatomite process for removal of radioactivity from liquid waste.

PubMed

Osmanlioglu, Ahmet Erdal

2007-01-01

Diatomite has a number of unique physical properties and has found diversified industrial utilization. The filtration characteristics are particularly significant in the purification of liquids. The purpose of this study was to test natural diatomaceous earth (diatomite) as an alternative material that could be used for removal of radioactivity from liquid waste. A pilot-scale column-type device was designed. Natural diatomite samples were ground, sieved and prepared to use as sorption media. In this study, real waste liquid was used as radioactive liquid having special conditions. The liquid waste contained three radionuclides (Cs-137, Cs-134 and Co-60). Following the treatment by diatomite, the radioactivity of liquid waste was reduced from the initial 2.60 Bq/ml to less than 0.40 Bq/ml. The results of this study show that most of the radioactivity was removed from the solution by processing with diatomite.

Behavior of radioactive iodine and technetium in the spray calcination of high-level waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, C. A.; Farnsworth, R. K.

1981-08-01

The Remote Laboratory-Scale Waste Treatment Facility (RLSWTF) was designed and built as a part of the High-Level Waste Immobilization Program (now the High-Level Waste Process Development Program) at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. In facility, installed in a radiochemical cell, is described in which installed in a radiochemical cell is described in which small volumes of radioactive liquid wastes can be solidified, the process off gas can be analyzed, and the methods for decontaminating this off gas can be tested. During the spray calcination of commercial high-level liquid waste spiked with Tc-99 and I-131 and 31 wt% loss of I-131 past the sintered-metal filters. These filters and venturi scrubber were very efficient in removing particulates and Tc-99 from the the off-gas stream. Liquid scrubbers were not efficient in removing I-131 as 25% of the total lost went to the building off-gas system. Therefore, solid adsorbents are needed to remove iodine. For all future operations where iodine is present, a silver zeolite adsorber is to be used.

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.

78 FR 6149 - Final Interim Staff Guidance Assessing the Radiological Consequences of Accidental Releases of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-29

... Accidental Releases of Radioactive Materials From Liquid Waste Tanks in Ground and Surface Waters for... Radioactive Materials from Liquid Waste Tanks in Ground and Surface Waters for Combined License Applications... Radioactive Materials from Liquid Waste Tanks in Ground and Surface Waters for Combined License Applications...

Purification of lanthanides for double beta decay experiments

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

Polischuk, O. G.; Barabash, A. S.; Belli, P.

2013-08-08

There are several potentially double beta active isotopes among the lanthanide elements. However, even high purity grade lanthanide compounds contain {sup 238}U, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232,228}Th typically on the level of ∼ (0.1 - 1) Bq/kg. The liquid-liquid extraction technique was used to remove traces of U, Ra and Th from CeO{sub 2}, Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The radioactive contamination of the samples before and after the purification was tested by using ultra-low-background HPGe γ spectrometry at the underground Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN (Italy). After the purification the radioactive contamination of gadolinium oxidemore » by Ra and Th was decreased at least one order of magnitude. The efficiency of the approach to purify cerium oxide from Ra was on same level, while the radioactive contamination of neodymium sample before and after the purification is below the sensitivity of analytical methods. The purification method is much less efficient for chemically very similar radioactive elements like lanthanum, lutetium and actinium. R and D of the methods to remove the pollutions with improved efficiency is in progress.« less

DWPF Safely Dispositioning Liquid Waste

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

None

2016-01-05

The only operating radioactive waste glassification plant in the nation, the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) converts the liquid radioactive waste currently stored at the Savannah River Site (SRS) into a solid glass form suitable for long-term storage and disposal. Scientists have long considered this glassification process, called “vitrification,” as the preferred option for treating liquid radioactive waste.

Immobilization of organic radioactive and non-radioactive liquid waste in a composite matrix

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

Galkin, Anatoliy; Gelis, Artem V.; Castiglioni, Andrew J.

A method for immobilizing liquid radioactive waste is provided, the method having the steps of mixing waste with polymer to form a non-liquid waste; contacting the non-liquid waste with a solidifying agent to create a mixture, heating the mixture to cause the polymer, waste, and filler to irreversibly bind in a solid phase, and compressing the solid phase into a monolith. The invention also provides a method for immobilizing liquid radioactive waste containing tritium, the method having the steps of mixing liquid waste with polymer to convert the liquid waste to a non-liquid waste, contacting the non-liquid waste with amore » solidifying agent to create a mixture, heating the mixture to form homogeneous, chemically stable solid phase, and compressing the chemically stable solid phase into a final waste form, wherein the polymer comprises approximately a 9:1 weight ratio mixture of styrene block co-polymers and cross linked co-polymers of acrylamides.« less

Real-time alpha monitoring of a radioactive liquid waste stream at Los Alamos National Laboratory

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

Johnson, J.D.; Whitley, C.R.; Rawool-Sullivan, M.

1995-12-31

This poster display concerns the development, installation, and testing of a real-time radioactive liquid waste monitor at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The detector system was designed for the LANL Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility so that influent to the plant could be monitored in real time. By knowing the activity of the influent, plant operators can better monitor treatment, better segregate waste (potentially), and monitor the regulatory compliance of users of the LANL Radioactive Liquid Waste Collection System. The detector system uses long-range alpha detection technology, which is a nonintrusive method of characterization that determines alpha activity on themore » liquid surface by measuring the ionization of ambient air. Extensive testing has been performed to ensure long-term use with a minimal amount of maintenance. The final design was a simple cost-effective alpha monitor that could be modified for monitoring influent waste streams at various points in the LANL Radioactive Liquid Waste Collection System.« less

Classification of the Inventory of Spent Sealed Sources at INSHAS Storage Facility

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

El-Adham, K.; Geleel, M.A.; Mahmoud, N.S.

2006-07-01

The Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA) is responsible for the recovery, transportation, conditioning, storage and disposal of all unwanted spent sealed radioactive sources (SSSs) in Egypt. Because of radioactive decay, damage, misuse or changing technical conditions, approximately 600 unwanted SSSs are now in storage at the EAEA's Hot-Laboratories Center in INSHAS. For the safe recovery, transportation, conditioning and storage of these unwanted SSSs the EAEA uses an International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) categorization system. The IAEA system classifies sealed radioactive sources (SRSs) into five categories based on potential risks to current workers and the public. This IAEA system allows Membermore » States like Egypt to apply a graded approach to the management of SRSs and SSSs. With over 600 unwanted SSSs already in storage, the EAEA is planned to dispose unwanted SSSs in near surface vault structures with solidified low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes. The IAEA's categorization system is not designed to protect future populations from the possible long-term migration of radioactive wastes from a disposal system. This paper presents the basis of a second categorization system, designed to protect the public in Egypt from radioactive wastes that may migrate from a near-surface disposal facility. Assuming a release of radionuclides from the near-surface vaults 150 years after disposal and consumption of contaminated groundwater at the 150 m fence-line, this classification systems ranks SSSs into two groups: Those appropriate for near-surface disposal and those SSSs requiring greater isolation. Intermediate depth borehole disposal is proposed for those SSSs requiring greater isolation. Assistance with intermediate-depth borehole disposal is being provided by the Integrated Management Program for Radioactive Sealed Sources (IMPRSS) and by the IAEA through a Technical Cooperation Project. IMPRSS is a joint Egyptian / U.S. program that is greatly improving the cradle-to-grave management of SRSs and SSSs in Egypt. As a component of IMPRSS, Sandia National Laboratories is transferring knowledge to the Egyptian counterparts from implementation of the Greater Confinement Disposal boreholes in the U.S. (authors)« less

DWPF Safely Dispositioning Liquid Waste

ScienceCinema

None

2018-06-21

The only operating radioactive waste glassification plant in the nation, the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) converts the liquid radioactive waste currently stored at the Savannah River Site (SRS) into a solid glass form suitable for long-term storage and disposal. Scientists have long considered this glassification process, called “vitrification,” as the preferred option for treating liquid radioactive waste.

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

Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility: Environmental Information Document

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

Haagenstad, H.T.; Gonzales, G.; Suazo, I.L.

1993-11-01

At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the treatment of radioactive liquid waste is an integral function of the LANL mission: to assure U.S. military deterrence capability through nuclear weapons technology. As part of this mission, LANL conducts nuclear materials research and development (R&D) activities. These activities generate radioactive liquid waste that must be handled in a manner to ensure protection of workers, the public, and the environment. Radioactive liquid waste currently generated at LANL is treated at the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF), located at Technical Area (TA)-50. The RLWTF is 30 years old and nearing the end ofmore » its useful design life. The facility was designed at a time when environmental requirements, as well as more effective treatment technologies, were not inherent in engineering design criteria. The evolution of engineering design criteria has resulted in the older technology becoming less effective in treating radioactive liquid wastestreams in accordance with current National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Department of Energy (DOE) regulatory requirements. Therefore, to support ongoing R&D programs pertinent to its mission, LANL is in need of capabilities to efficiently treat radioactive liquid waste onsite or to transport the waste off site for treatment and/or disposal. The purpose of the EID is to provide the technical baseline information for subsequent preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the RLWTF. This EID addresses the proposed action and alternatives for meeting the purpose and need for agency action.« less

Removal of actinide elements from liquid scintillation cocktail wastes using liquid-liquid extraction and demulsification techniques

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

Foltz, K.; Landsberger, S.; Srinivasan, B.

1994-12-31

A method for the separation of radionuclides with Z greater than 88, from lower-level radioactive wastes (liquid scintillation cocktail or LSC wastes), is described. The method is liquid-liquid extraction (LLX) and demulsification. The actinide elements are removed from the LSC wastes by extraction into an aqueous phase after the cocktail has been demulsified. The aqueous and organic phases are separated, then the wastes type remaining may be incinerated. Future experiments will be performed to study the effects of pH and temperature and to extend the study to wastes containing americium.

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

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.

DEEP WATER ISOTOPIC CURRENT ANALYZER

DOEpatents

Johnston, W.H.

1964-04-21

A deepwater isotopic current analyzer, which employs radioactive isotopes for measurement of ocean currents at various levels beneath the sea, is described. The apparatus, which can determine the direction and velocity of liquid currents, comprises a shaft having a plurality of radiation detectors extending equidistant radially therefrom, means for releasing radioactive isotopes from the shaft, and means for determining the time required for the isotope to reach a particular detector. (AEC)

Industrial Technology of Decontamination of Liquid Radioactive Waste in SUE MosSIA 'Radon' - 12371

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

Adamovich, Dmitry V.; Neveykin, Petr P.; Karlin, Yuri V.

SUE MosSIA 'RADON' - this enterprise was created more than 50 years ago, which deals with the recycling of radioactive waste and conditioning of spent sources of radiation in stationary and mobile systems in the own factory and operating organizations. Here is represented the experience SUE MosSIA 'Radon' in the field of the management with liquid radioactive waste. It's shown, that the activity of SUE MosSIA 'RADON' is developing in three directions - improvement of technical facilities for treatment of radioactive waters into SUE MosSIA 'RADON' development of mobile equipment for the decontamination of radioactive waters in other organizations, developmentmore » of new technologies for decontamination of liquid radioactive wastes as part of various domestic Russian and international projects including those related to the operation of nuclear power and nuclear submarines. SUE MosSIA 'RADON' has processed more than 270 thousand m{sup 3} of radioactive water, at that more than 7000 m{sup 3} in other organizations for more than 50 years. It is shown that a number of directions, particularly, the development of mobile modular units for decontamination of liquid radioactive waste, SUE MosSIA 'RADON' is a leader in the world. (authors)« less

Transient thermal analysis for radioactive liquid mixing operations in a large-scaled tank

DOE PAGES

Lee, S. Y.; Smith, III, F. G.

2014-07-25

A transient heat balance model was developed to assess the impact of a Submersible Mixer Pump (SMP) on radioactive liquid temperature during the process of waste mixing and removal for the high-level radioactive materials stored in Savannah River Site (SRS) tanks. The model results will be mainly used to determine the SMP design impacts on the waste tank temperature during operations and to develop a specification for a new SMP design to replace existing longshaft mixer pumps used during waste removal. The present model was benchmarked against the test data obtained by the tank measurement to examine the quantitative thermalmore » response of the tank and to establish the reference conditions of the operating variables under no SMP operation. The results showed that the model predictions agreed with the test data of the waste temperatures within about 10%.« less

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

Diluted thrombin time reliably measures low to intermediate plasma dabigatran concentrations.

PubMed

Božič-Mijovski, Mojca; Malmström, Rickard E; Malovrh, Petra; Antovic, Jovan P; Vene, Nina; Šinigoj, Petra; Mavri, Alenka

2016-07-01

Direct oral anticoagulant dabigatran was first introduced as a fixed-dose drug without routine coagulation monitoring, but current recommendations suggest that diluted thrombin time can be used to estimate plasma drug level. The aim of this study was to assess a diluted thrombin time assay based on the same thrombin reagent already used for traditional thrombin time measurements that reliably measure low to intermediate plasma dabigatran levels. We included 44 patients with atrial fibrillation who started treatment with dabigatran 150 mg (23 patients) or 110 mg (21 patients) twice a day. Blood samples were collected at baseline (no dabigatran) and 2-4 weeks after the beginning of dabigatran therapy at trough and at peak. Plasma dabigatran levels were measured with diluted thrombin time and compared to liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry as the reference method. The performance of the diluted thrombin time was compared to Hemoclot® Thrombin Inhibitor and Ecarin Chromogenic Assay. In ex vivo plasma samples, diluted thrombin time highly correlated with the liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (Pearson's R = 0.9799). In the low to intermediate range (dabigatran concentration ≤ 100 µg/L) diluted thrombin time correlated significantly more closely to the liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (R = 0.964) than Hemoclot® Thrombin Inhibitor (R = 0.935, p = 0.05) or Ecarin Chromogenic Assay (R = 0.915, p < 0.01). It was also the only functional assay without any significant bias in the low to intermediate range. Both trough and peak diluted thrombin time values were similar to liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. We conclude that the diluted thrombin time assay presented in this study reliably detects dabigatran and that it is superior to the Hemoclot® Thrombin Inhibitor assay in the low to intermediate range. © The Author(s) 2015.

Novel Fission-Product Separation based on Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids

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

Rogers, Robin D.

2004-12-31

U.S. DOE's underground storage tanks at Hanford, SRS, and INEEL contain liquid wastes with high concentrations of radioactive cesium-137 and strontium-90. Because the primary chemical components of alkaline supernatants are sodium nitrate and sodium hydroxide, the majority of this could be disposed of as low level waste if radioactive cesium-137 and strontium- 90 could be selectively removed. The underlying goal of this project was to investigate the application of ionic liquids as novel solvents for new solvent extraction processes for separation of cesium-137 and strontium-90 from tank wastes. Ionic liquids are a distinct sub-set of liquids, comprising only of cationsmore » and anions they are proving to be increasingly interesting fluids for application in systems from electrochemistry to energetic materials, and are also rapidly establishing their promise as viable media for synthesis and separations operations. Properties including low melting points, electrochemical conductivity, wide liquid ranges, lack of vapor-pressure, and chemical tunability have encouraged researchers to explore the uses of ILs in place of volatile organic solvents. The most promising current developments arise from control of the unique combinations of chemical and physical properties characteristic of ionic liquids.« less

The radioactivity estimation of 14C and 3H in graphite waste samples of the KRR-2.

PubMed

Reyoung Kim, Hee

2013-09-01

The radioactivity of (14)C and (3)H in graphite samples from the dismantled Korea Research Reactor-2 (the KRR-2) site was analyzed by high-temperature oxidation and liquid scintillation counting, and the graphite waste was suggested to be disposed of as a low-level radioactive waste. The graphite samples were oxidized at a high temperature of 800 °C, and their counting rates were measured by using a liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The combustion ratio of the graphite was about 99% on the sample with a maximum weight of 1g. The recoveries from the combustion furnace were around 100% and 90% in (14)C and (3)H, respectively. The minimum detectable activity was 0.04-0.05 Bq/g for the (14)C and 0.13-0.15 Bq/g for the (3)H at the same background counting time. The activity of (14)C was higher than that of (3)H over all samples with the activity ratios of the (14)C to (3)H, (14)C/(3)H, being between 2.8 and 25. The dose calculation was carried out from its radioactivity analysis results. The dose estimation gave a higher annual dose than the domestic legal limit for a clearance. It was thought that the sampled graphite waste from the dismantled research reactor was not available for reuse or recycling and should be monitored as low-level radioactive waste. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nuclear reactor sealing system

DOEpatents

McEdwards, James A.

1983-01-01

A liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor sealing system. The nuclear reactor includes a vessel sealed at its upper end by a closure head. The closure head comprises at least two components, one of which is rotatable; and the two components define an annulus therebetween. The sealing system includes at least a first and second inflatable seal disposed in series in an upper portion of the annulus. The system further includes a dip seal extending into a body of insulation located adjacent a bottom portion of the closure head. The dip seal comprises a trough formed by a lower portion of one of the components, and a seal blade pendently supported from the other component and extending downwardly into the trough. A body of liquid metal is contained in the trough which submerges a portion of the seal blade. The seal blade is provided with at least one aperture located above the body of liquid metal for providing fluid communication between the annulus intermediate the dip seal and the inflatable seals, and a body of cover gas located inside the vessel. There also is provided means for introducing a purge gas into the annulus intermediate the inflatable seals and the seal blade. The purge gas is introduced in an amount sufficient to substantially reduce diffusion of radioactive cover gas or sodium vapor up to the inflatable seals. The purge gas mixes with the cover gas in the reactor vessel where it can be withdrawn from the vessel for treatment and recycle to the vessel.

Ab initio quantum chemical calculations of the interaction between radioactive elements and imidazolium based ionic liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saravanan, A. V. Sai; Abishek, B.; Anantharaj, R.

2018-04-01

The fundamental natures of the molecular level interaction and charge transfer between specific radioactive elements and ionic liquids of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide ([BMIM]+[NTf2]-), 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([BMIM]+[ES]-) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM]+[BF4]-) were investigated utilising HF theory and B3LYP hybrid DFT. The ambiguity in reaction mechanism of the interacting species dictates to employ Effective Core Potential (ECP) basis sets such as UGBS, SDD, and SDDAll to account for the relativistic effects of deep core electrons in the system involving potential, heavy and hazardous radioactive elements present in nuclear waste. The SCF energy convergence of each system validates the characterisation of the molecular orbitals as a linear combination of atomic orbitals utilising fixed MO coefficients and the optimized geometry of each system is visualised based on which Mulliken partial charge analysis is carried out to account for the polarising behaviour of the radioactive element and charge transfer between the IL phase by comparison with the bare IL species.

Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring

DOEpatents

Poindexter, Allan M.

1977-01-01

An improved liquid-metal dip seal for sealing the annulus between rotating plugs in the reactor vessel head of a liquid-metal fast-breeder nuclear reactor has two legs of differing widths communicating under a seal blade; the wide leg is also in communication with cover gas of the reactor and the narrow leg is also in communication with an isolated plug annulus above the seal. The annulus contains inert gas which acts as a pneumatic spring. Upon increasing cover gas pressure which depresses the level in the wide leg and greatly increases the level in the narrow leg, the pneumatic spring is compressed, and resists further level changes, thus preventing radioactive cover gas from bubbling through the seal.

Teaching New Keynesian Open Economy Macroeconomics at the Intermediate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bofinger, Peter; Mayer, Eric; Wollmershauser, Timo

2009-01-01

For the open economy, the workhorse model in intermediate textbooks still is the Mundell-Fleming model, which basically extends the investment and savings, liquidity preference and money supply (IS-LM) model to open economy problems. The authors present a simple New Keynesian model of the open economy that introduces open economy considerations…

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.

Characterization of biocenoses in the storage reservoirs of liquid radioactive wastes of Mayak PA. Initial descriptive report.

PubMed

Pryakhin, E A; Mokrov, Yu G; Tryapitsina, G A; Ivanov, I A; Osipov, D I; Atamanyuk, N I; Deryabina, L V; Shaposhnikova, I A; Shishkina, E A; Obvintseva, N A; Egoreichenkov, E A; Styazhkina, E V; Osipova, O F; Mogilnikova, N I; Andreev, S S; Tarasov, O V; Geras'kin, S A; Trapeznikov, A V; Akleyev, A V

2016-01-01

As a result of operation of the Mayak Production Association (Mayak PA), Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, an enterprise for production and separation of weapon-grade plutonium in the Soviet Union, ecosystems of a number of water bodies have been radioactively contaminated. The article presents information about the current state of ecosystems of 6 special industrial storage reservoirs of liquid radioactive waste from Mayak PA: reservoirs R-3, R-4, R-9, R-10, R-11 and R-17. At present the excess of the radionuclide content in the water of the studied reservoirs and comparison reservoirs (Shershnyovskoye and Beloyarskoye reservoirs) is 9 orders of magnitude for (90)Sr and (137)Cs, and 6 orders of magnitude for alpha-emitting radionuclides. According to the level of radioactive contamination, the reservoirs of the Mayak PA could be arranged in the ascending order as follows: R-11, R-10, R-4, R-3, R-17 and R-9. In 2007-2012 research of the status of the biocenoses of these reservoirs in terms of phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacterioplankton, zoobenthos, aquatic plants, ichthyofauna, avifauna parameters was performed. The conducted studies revealed decrease in species diversity in reservoirs with the highest levels of radioactive and chemical contamination. This article is an initial descriptive report on the status of the biocenoses of radioactively contaminated reservoirs of the Mayak PA, and is the first article in a series of publications devoted to the studies of the reaction of biocenoses of the fresh-water reservoirs of the Mayak PA to a combination of natural and man-made factors, including chronic radiation exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical purification of lanthanides for low-background experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiko, R. S.

2017-10-01

There are many potentially active isotopes among the lanthanide elements which are possible to use for low-background experiments to search for double β decay, dark matter, to investigate rare α and β decays. These kind of experiments require very low level of radioactive contamination, but commercially available compounds of lanthanides are always contamined by uranium, thorium, radium, potassium, etc. A simple chemical method based on liquid-liquid extraction has been applied for the purification of CeO2, Nd2O3 and Gd˙2O˙3 from radioactive traces. Detailed schemes of purification procedure are described. Measurements by using HPGe spectrometry demonstrate high efficiency in K, Ra, Th, U contaminations reduction on at least one order of magnitude.

Method and apparatus for removing iodine from a nuclear reactor coolant

DOEpatents

Cooper, Martin H.

1980-01-01

A method and apparatus for removing iodine-131 and iodine-125 from a liquid sodium reactor coolant. Non-radioactive iodine is dissolved in hot liquid sodium to increase the total iodine concentration. Subsequent precipitation of the iodine in a cold trap removes both the radioactive iodine isotopes as well as the non-radioactive iodine.

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

Radioactive waste disposal in the marine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, D. R.

In order to find the optimal solution to waste disposal problems, it is necessary to make comparisons between disposal media. It has become obvious to many within the scientific community that the single medium approach leads to over protection of one medium at the expense of the others. Cross media comparisons are being conducted in the Department of Energy ocean disposal programs for several radioactive wastes. Investigations in three areas address model development, comparisons of laboratory tests with field results and predictions, and research needs in marine disposal of radioactive waste. Tabulated data are included on composition of liquid high level waste and concentration of some natural radionuclides in the sea.

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.

SELF SINTERING OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES

DOEpatents

McVay, T.N.; Johnson, J.R.; Struxness, E.G.; Morgan, K.Z.

1959-12-29

A method is described for disposal of radioactive liquid waste materials. The wastes are mixed with clays and fluxes to form a ceramic slip and disposed in a thermally insulated container in a layer. The temperature of the layer rises due to conversion of the energy of radioactivity to heat boillng off the liquid to fomn a dry mass. The dry mass is then covered with thermal insulation, and the mass is self-sintered into a leach-resistant ceramic cake by further conversion of the energy of radioactivity to heat.

Radioactive cobalt removal from Salem liquid radwaste with cobalt selective media

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

Maza R.; Wilson, J.A.; Hetherington, R.

This paper reports results of benchtop tests using ion exchange material to selectively remove radioactive cobalt from high conductivity liquid radwaste at the Salem Nuclear Generating Station. The purpose of this test program is to reduce the number of curies in liquid releases without increasing the solid waste volume. These tests have identified two cobalt selective materials that together remove radioactive cobalt more effectively than the single component currently used. All test materials were preconditioned by conversion to the divalent calcium or sulfate form to simulate chemically exhausted media.

Numerical Study of Quantum Hall Bilayers at Total Filling νT=1 : A New Phase at Intermediate Layer Distances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zheng; Fu, Liang; Sheng, D. N.

2017-10-01

We study the phase diagram of quantum Hall bilayer systems with total filing νT=1 /2 +1 /2 of the lowest Landau level as a function of layer distances d . Based on numerical exact diagonalization calculations, we obtain three distinct phases, including an exciton superfluid phase with spontaneous interlayer coherence at small d , a composite Fermi liquid at large d , and an intermediate phase for 1.1

Partitioning of K, U, and TH between sulfide and silicate liquids: Implications for radioactive heating of planetary cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murrell, M. T.; Burnett, D. S.

1986-07-01

The possibility of heating of planetary cores by K radioactivity has been extensively discussed, as well as the possibility that K partitioning into the terrestrial core is the reason for the difference between the terrestrial and chondritic K/U. We had previously suggested that U and Th partitioning into FeFeS liquids was more important than K. Laboratory FeFeS liquid, silicate liquid partition coefficient measurements (D) for K, U, and Th were made to test this suggestion. For a basaltic liquid at 1450°C and 1.5 GPa, DU is 0.013 and DK is 0.0026; thus U partitioning into FeFeS liquids is 5 times greater than K partitioning under these conditions. There are problems with 1-atm experiments in that they do not appear to equilibrate or reverse. However, measurable U and Th partitioning into sulfide was nearly always observed, but K partitioning was normally not observed (DK <~ 10-4). A typical value for DU from a granitic silicate liquid at one atmosphere, 1150°C, and low f02 is about 0.02; DTh is similar. At low f02 and higher temperature, experiments with basaltic liquids produce strong Ca and U partitioning into the sulfide liquid with DU > 1. DTh is less strongly affected. Because of the consistently low DK/DU, pressure effects near the core-mantle boundary would need to increase DK by factors of ~103 with much smaller increases in DU in order to have the terrestrial K and U abundances at chondritic levels. In addition, if radioactive heating is important for planetary cores, U and Th will be more important than K unless the lower mantle has K/U greater than 10 times chondritic or large changes in partition coefficients with conditions reverse the relative importance of K versus U and Th from our measurements.

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.

A summary description of the flammable gas tank safety program

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

Johnson, G.D.; Sherwood, D.J.

1994-10-01

Radioactive liquid waste may produce hydrogen as result of the interaction of gamma radiation and water. If the waste contains organic chelating agents, additional hydrogen as well as nitrous oxide and ammonia may be produced by thermal and radiolytic decomposition of these organics. Several high-level radioactive liquid waste storage tanks, located underground at the Hanford Site in Washington State, are on a Flammable Gas Watch List. Some contain waste that produces and retains gases until large quantities of gas are released rapidly to the tank vapor space. Tanks nearly-filled to capacity have relatively little vapor space; therefore if the wastemore » suddenly releases a large amount of hydrogen and nitrous oxide, a flammable gas mixture could result. The most notable example of a Hanford waste tank with a flammable gas problem is tank 241-SY-101. Upon occasion waste stored in this tank has released enough flammable gas to burn if an ignition source had been present inside of the tank. Several, other Hanford waste tanks exhibit similar behavior although to a lesser magnitude. Because this behavior was hot adequately-addressed in safety analysis reports for the Hanford Tank Farms, an unreviewed safety question was declared, and in 1990 the Flammable Gas Tank Safety Program was established to address this problem. The purposes of the program are a follows: (1) Provide safety documents to fill gaps in the safety analysis reports, and (2) Resolve the safety issue by acquiring knowledge about gas retention and release from radioactive liquid waste and developing mitigation technology. This document provides the general logic and work activities required to resolve the unreviewed safety question and the safety issue of flammable gas mixtures in radioactive liquid waste storage tanks.« less

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

Wang, Y.; Fan, A.; Fiorillo, G.

Rare event search experiments, such as those searching for dark matter and observations of neutrinoless double beta decay, require ultra low levels of radioactive background for unmistakable identification. In order to reduce the radioactive background of detectors used in these types of event searches, low background photosensors are required, as the physical size of these detectors become increasing larger, and hence the number of such photosensors used also increases rapidly. Considering that most dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments are turning towards using noble liquids as the target choice, liquid xenon and liquid argon for instance, photosensors thatmore » can work well at cryogenic temperatures are required, 165 K and 87 K for liquid xenon and liquid argon, respectively. The Silicon Geiger Hybrid Tube (SiGHT) is a novel photosensor designed specifically for use in ultra low background experiments operating at cryogenic temperatures. It is based on the proven photocathode plus silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) hybrid technology and consists of very few other, but also ultra radio-pure, materials like fused silica and silicon for the SiPM. Lastly, the introduction of the SiGHT concept, as well as a feasibility study for its production, is reported in this article.« less

Carbonate-coordinated metal complexes precede the formation of liquid amorphous mineral emulsions of divalent metal carbonates†

PubMed Central

Wolf, Stephan E.; Müller, Lars; Barrea, Raul; Kampf, Christopher J.; Leiterer, Jork; Panne, Ulrich; Hoffmann, Thorsten

2011-01-01

During the mineralisation of metal carbonates MCO3 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba, Mn, Cd, Pb) liquid-like amorphous intermediates emerge. These intermediates that form via a liquid/liquid phase separation behave like a classical emulsion and are stabilized electrostatically. The occurrence of these intermediates is attributed to the formation of highly hydrated networks whose stability is mainly based on weak interactions and the variability of the metal-containing pre-critical clusters. Their existence and compositional freedom are evidenced by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Liquid intermediates in non-classical crystallisation pathways seem to be more common than assumed. PMID:21218241

Simulation of fluid flow and energy transport processes associated with high-level radioactive waste disposal in unsaturated alluvium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollock, David W.

1986-01-01

Many parts of the Great Basin have thick zones of unsaturated alluvium which might be suitable for disposing of high-level radioactive wastes. A mathematical model accounting for the coupled transport of energy, water (vapor and liquid), and dry air was used to analyze one-dimensional, vertical transport above and below an areally extensive repository. Numerical simulations were conducted for a hypothetical repository containing spent nuclear fuel and located 100 m below land surface. Initial steady state downward water fluxes of zero (hydrostatic) and 0.0003 m yr−1were considered in an attempt to bracket the likely range in natural water flux. Predicted temperatures within the repository peaked after approximately 50 years and declined slowly thereafter in response to the decreasing intensity of the radioactive heat source. The alluvium near the repository experienced a cycle of drying and rewetting in both cases. The extent of the dry zone was strongly controlled by the mobility of liquid water near the repository under natural conditions. In the case of initial hydrostatic conditions, the dry zone extended approximately 10 m above and 15 m below the repository. For the case of a natural flux of 0.0003 m yr−1 the relative permeability of water near the repository was initially more than 30 times the value under hydrostatic conditions, consequently the dry zone extended only about 2 m above and 5 m below the repository. In both cases a significant perturbation in liquid saturation levels persisted for several hundred years. This analysis illustrates the extreme sensitivity of model predictions to initial conditions and parameters, such as relative permeability and moisture characteristic curves, that are often poorly known.

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.

Solvent for the simultaneous recovery of radionuclides from liquid radioactive wastes

DOEpatents

Romanovskiy, Valeriy Nicholiavich; Smirnov, Igor V.; Babain, Vasiliy A.; Todd, Terry A.; Brewer, Ken N.

2002-01-01

The present invention relates to solvents, and methods, for selectively extracting and recovering radionuclides, especially cesium and strontium, rare earths and actinides from liquid radioactive wastes. More specifically, the invention relates to extracting agent solvent compositions comprising complex organoboron compounds, substituted polyethylene glycols, and neutral organophosphorus compounds in a diluent. The preferred solvent comprises a chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide, diphenyl-dibutylmethylenecarbamoylphosphine oxide, PEG-400, and a diluent of phenylpolyfluoroalkyl sulfone. The invention also provides a method of using the invention extracting agents to recover cesium, strontium, rare earths and actinides from liquid radioactive waste.

Method for the simultaneous recovery of radionuclides from liquid radioactive wastes using a solvent

DOEpatents

Romanovskiy, Valeriy Nicholiavich; Smirnov, Igor V.; Babain, Vasiliy A.; Todd, Terry A.; Brewer, Ken N.

2001-01-01

The present invention relates to solvents, and methods, for selectively extracting and recovering radionuclides, especially cesium and strontium, rare earths and actinides from liquid radioactive wastes. More specifically, the invention relates to extracting agent solvent compositions comprising complex organoboron compounds, substituted polyethylene glycols, and neutral organophosphorus compounds in a diluent. The preferred solvent comprises a chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide, diphenyl-dibutylmethylenecarbamoylphosphine oxide, PEG-400, and a diluent of phenylpolyfluoroalkyl sulfone. The invention also provides a method of using the invention extracting agents to recover cesium, strontium, rare earths and actinides from liquid radioactive waste.

EXPLORING ENGINEERING CONTROL THROUGH PROCESS MANIPULATION OF RADIOACTIVE LIQUID WASTE TANK CHEMICAL CLEANING

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

Brown, A.

2014-04-27

One method of remediating legacy liquid radioactive waste produced during the cold war, is aggressive in-tank chemical cleaning. Chemical cleaning has successfully reduced the curie content of residual waste heels in large underground storage tanks; however this process generates significant chemical hazards. Mercury is often the bounding hazard due to its extensive use in the separations process that produced the waste. This paper explores how variations in controllable process factors, tank level and temperature, may be manipulated to reduce the hazard potential related to mercury vapor generation. When compared using a multivariate regression analysis, findings indicated that there was amore » significant relationship between both tank level (p value of 1.65x10{sup -23}) and temperature (p value of 6.39x10{sup -6}) to the mercury vapor concentration in the tank ventilation system. Tank temperature showed the most promise as a controllable parameter for future tank cleaning endeavors. Despite statistically significant relationships, there may not be confidence in the ability to control accident scenarios to below mercury’s IDLH or PAC-III levels for future cleaning initiatives.« less

Determination of 241Pu in low-level radioactive wastes from reactors.

PubMed

Martin, J E

1986-11-01

Plutonium-241 is unique in low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) from nuclear power plants because it is the only significant beta-emitting transuranic nuclide in LLW, has a relatively short half-life of 14.4 y, and has a fairly high allowable concentration for shallow land burial. Radiochemical separation of Pu followed by liquid scintillation analysis was used to quantitate 241Pu in a wide range of solid, semi-solid, and liquid LLW samples from two nuclear plants in Michigan. The 241Pu concentrations varied considerably by sample type and reactor operational period as did their correlation with 137Cs, 144Ce, 239Pu and 240Pu concentrations in the same sample. These patterns were also found in reported data for 241Pu in LLW from other reactors, raising the difficulty of accurately determining the inventory (or source term) in a LLW shallow land burial site and its implications for predicting and controlling the future environmental and public health impacts of such disposal.

Solidification Technologies for Radioactive and Chemical Liquid Waste Treatment - Final CRADA Report

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

Castiglioni, Andrew J.; Gelis, Artem V.

This project, organized under DOE/NNSA's Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention program, joined Russian and DOE scientists in developing more effective solidification and storage technologies for liquid radioactive waste. Several patent applications were filed by the Russian scientists (Russia only) and in 2012, the technology developed was approved by Russia's Federal State Unitary Enterprise RADON for application throughout Russia in cleaning up and disposing of radioactive waste.

Apparatuses and methods for detecting, identifying and quantitating radioactive nuclei and methods of distinguishing neutron stimulation of a radiation particle detector from gamma-ray stimulation of a detector

DOEpatents

Cole, Jerald D.; Drigert, Mark W.; Reber, Edward L.; Aryaeinejad, Rahmat

2001-01-01

In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method of detecting radioactive decay, comprising: a) providing a sample comprising a radioactive material, the radioactive material generating decay particles; b)providing a plurality of detectors proximate the sample, the detectors comprising a first set and a second set, the first set of the detectors comprising liquid state detectors utilizing liquid scintillation material coupled with photo tubes to generate a first electrical signal in response to decay particles stimulating the liquid scintillation material, the second set of the detectors comprising solid state detectors utilizing a crystalline solid to generate a second electrical signal in response to decay particles stimulating the crystalline solid; c) stimulating at least one of the detectors to generate at least one of the first and second electrical signals, the at least one of the first and second electrical signals being indicative of radioactive decay in the sample. In another aspect, the invention encompasses an apparatus for identifying and quantitating radioactive nuclei of a sample comprising radioactive material that decays to generate neutrons and high-energy .gamma.-rays.

Control Algorithms For Liquid-Cooled Garments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drew, B.; Harner, K.; Hodgson, E.; Homa, J.; Jennings, D.; Yanosy, J.

1988-01-01

Three algorithms developed for control of cooling in protective garments. Metabolic rate inferred from temperatures of cooling liquid outlet and inlet, suitably filtered to account for thermal lag of human body. Temperature at inlet adjusted to value giving maximum comfort at inferred metabolic rate. Applicable to space suits, used for automatic control of cooling in suits worn by workers in radioactive, polluted, or otherwise hazardous environments. More effective than manual control, subject to frequent, overcompensated adjustments as level of activity varies.

Behavior of radionuclides in sanitary landfills.

PubMed

Chang, K C; Chian, E S; Pohland, F G; Cross, W H; Roland, L; Kahn, B

1984-01-01

his study was undertaken to evaluate the possibility of disposing low-level radioactive waste in sanitary landfills with leachate containment to prevent environmental releases. To meet this objective, two simulated landfills, each 200 l. in volume and containing 55 kg of municipal refuse, were operated in the laboratory with simulated rainfall additions for a 9-month period to observe the extent to which radio-cobalt, -cesium, -strontium and tritium were leached into the liquid phase. One of the units was operated with leachate recycle, the other as a single pass control. Liquid samples were analyzed weekly for 3H, 58Co, 85Sr and 134Cs tracers. Weekly analyses were also performed for approximately 30 parameters to define the degree of stabilization of the waste. Major parameters included BOD, COD, pH and concentrations of specific organics, metals and gases. Concentrations of stable cobalt, strontium and cesium were also measured periodically. Soluble radioactivity levels in both systems were reduced by factors of 50 for 58Co, 5 for 85Sr and 7 for 134Cs, taking radioactive decay and dilution into account. Some radionuclide removal from the liquid phase was associated with major chemical changes in the landfills that occurred within 80 days for the control system and within 130 days for the recycle unit. Observed acid, sulfide, and CO2 concentrations suggested mechanisms for removing some of the radionuclides from leachate. Detection of 3H in the off-gas indicated that less than 1% of tritiated waste became airborne. The waste in the leachate recycle unit was more completely stabilized than in the control unit.

Radiological effluents released and public doses from nuclear power plants in Korea.

PubMed

Son, Jung Kwon; Kim, Hee Geun; Kong, Tae Young; Ko, Jong Hyun; Lee, Goung Jin

2013-08-01

As of the end of 2010, there were 20 commercially operating nuclear reactors in Korea. Releases of radioactive effluents from nuclear power plants (NPPs) have increased continuously; the total radioactivity of effluent amount released in 2010 was 547.12 TBq. From 2001 to 2010, the annual average radioactivity of gaseous and liquid effluents per reactor was 11.61 TBq for pressurised water reactors and 118.12 TBq for pressurised heavy water reactors. Most of the radioactivity from gaseous and liquid effluents came from tritium. Based on the results of release trends and analyses, the characteristics of effluents have been investigated to improve the management of radioactive effluents from NPPs.

Collective dose estimates by the marine food pathway from liquid radioactive wastes dumped in the Sea of Japan.

PubMed

Togawa, O; Povinec, P P; Pettersson, H B

1999-09-30

IAEA-MEL has been engaged in an assessment programme related to radioactive waste dumping by the former USSR and other countries in the western North Pacific Ocean and its marginal seas. This paper focuses on the Sea of Japan and on estimation of collective doses from liquid radioactive wastes. The results from the Japanese-Korean-Russian joint expeditions are summarized, and collective doses for the Japanese population by the marine food pathway are estimated from liquid radioactive wastes dumped in the Sea of Japan and compared with those from global fallout and natural radionuclides. The collective effective dose equivalents by the annual intake of marine products caught in each year show a maximum a few years after the disposals. The total dose from all radionuclides reaches a maximum of 0.8 man Sv in 1990. Approximately 90% of the dose derives from 137Cs, most of which is due to consumption of fish. The total dose from liquid radioactive wastes is approximately 5% of that from global fallout, the contribution of which is below 0.1% of that of natural 210Po.

RADIOACTIVE CONCENTRATOR AND RADIATION SOURCE

DOEpatents

Hatch, L.P.

1959-12-29

A method is presented for forming a permeable ion exchange bed using Montmorillonite clay to absorb and adsorb radioactive ions from liquid radioactive wastes. A paste is formed of clay, water, and a material that fomns with clay a stable aggregate in the presence of water. The mixture is extruded into a volume of water to form clay rods. The rods may then be used to remove radioactive cations from liquid waste solutions. After use, the rods are removed from the solution and heated to a temperature of 750 to 1000 deg C to fix the ratioactive cations in the clay.

Position sensitive radioactivity detection for gas and liquid chromatography

DOEpatents

Cochran, Joseph L.; McCarthy, John F.; Palumbo, Anthony V.; Phelps, Tommy J.

2001-01-01

A method and apparatus are provided for the position sensitive detection of radioactivity in a fluid stream, particularly in the effluent fluid stream from a gas or liquid chromatographic instrument. The invention represents a significant advance in efficiency and cost reduction compared with current efforts.

Feasibility study of SiGHT: a novel ultra low background photosensor for low temperature operation

DOE PAGES

Wang, Y.; Fan, A.; Fiorillo, G.; ...

2017-02-27

Rare event search experiments, such as those searching for dark matter and observations of neutrinoless double beta decay, require ultra low levels of radioactive background for unmistakable identification. In order to reduce the radioactive background of detectors used in these types of event searches, low background photosensors are required, as the physical size of these detectors become increasing larger, and hence the number of such photosensors used also increases rapidly. Considering that most dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments are turning towards using noble liquids as the target choice, liquid xenon and liquid argon for instance, photosensors thatmore » can work well at cryogenic temperatures are required, 165 K and 87 K for liquid xenon and liquid argon, respectively. The Silicon Geiger Hybrid Tube (SiGHT) is a novel photosensor designed specifically for use in ultra low background experiments operating at cryogenic temperatures. It is based on the proven photocathode plus silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) hybrid technology and consists of very few other, but also ultra radio-pure, materials like fused silica and silicon for the SiPM. Lastly, the introduction of the SiGHT concept, as well as a feasibility study for its production, is reported in this article.« less

RELAP5 Analyses of OECD/NEA ROSA-2 Project Experiments on Intermediate-Break LOCAs at Hot Leg or Cold Leg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, Takeshi; Maruyama, Yu; Watanabe, Tadashi; Nakamura, Hideo

Experiments simulating PWR intermediate-break loss-of-coolant accidents (IBLOCAs) with 17% break at hot leg or cold leg were conducted in OECD/NEA ROSA-2 Project using the Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF). In the hot leg IBLOCA test, core uncovery started simultaneously with liquid level drop in crossover leg downflow-side before loop seal clearing (LSC) induced by steam condensation on accumulator coolant injected into cold leg. Water remained on upper core plate in upper plenum due to counter-current flow limiting (CCFL) because of significant upward steam flow from the core. In the cold leg IBLOCA test, core dryout took place due to rapid liquid level drop in the core before LSC. Liquid was accumulated in upper plenum, steam generator (SG) U-tube upflow-side and SG inlet plenum before the LSC due to CCFL by high velocity vapor flow, causing enhanced decrease in the core liquid level. The RELAP5/MOD3.2.1.2 post-test analyses of the two LSTF experiments were performed employing critical flow model in the code with a discharge coefficient of 1.0. In the hot leg IBLOCA case, cladding surface temperature of simulated fuel rods was underpredicted due to overprediction of core liquid level after the core uncovery. In the cold leg IBLOCA case, the cladding surface temperature was underpredicted too due to later core uncovery than in the experiment. These may suggest that the code has remaining problems in proper prediction of primary coolant distribution.

Method for solidifying liquid radioactive wastes

DOEpatents

Berreth, Julius R.

1976-01-01

The quantity of nitrous oxides produced during the solidification of liquid radioactive wastes containing nitrates and nitrites can be substantially reduced by the addition to the wastes of a stoichiometric amount of urea which, upon heating, destroys the nitrates and nitrites, liberating nontoxic N.sub.2, CO.sub.2 and NH.sub.3.

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

Seasonal changes in mRNA encoding for cell stress markers in the oyster Crassostrea gigas exposed to radioactive discharges in their natural environment.

PubMed

Farcy, Emilie; Voiseux, Claire; Lebel, Jean-Marc; Fievet, Bruno

2007-03-15

The North Cotentin area (Normandy, France) hosts several nuclear facilities among which the AREVA reprocessing plant of La Hague is responsible for controlled discharges of liquid radioactive wastes into the marine environment. The resulting increase in radioactivity is very small compared to natural radioactivity. However, concerns about environment protection prompted the scientific community to focus on the effects of the chronic exposure to low concentrations of radionuclides in non-human biota. This study contributes to the evaluation of the possible impact of radioactive discharges on the oyster Crassostrea gigas in the field. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify the expression levels of genes involved in cell stress in the oyster. They included members of the heat shock protein family (Hsp70, Hsc72, Hsp90), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and metallothionein (MT). Times series measurements were built from periodic samplings in the natural environment in order to characterize the natural variability as well as possible seasonal fluctuations. The genes studied exhibited a general seasonal expression pattern with a peak value in winter. The data inversely correlated with seawater temperature and the nature of the relationship between gene expression and temperature is discussed. In parallel, oysters were collected in four locations on the French shores, exposed or not to radioactive liquid wastes from the nuclear facilities hosted in the North Cotentin. The comparison of data obtained in the reference location on the Atlantic coast (not exposed) and data from oysters of the English Channel (exposed) gave no evidence for any statistical difference. However, because of the complexity of the natural environment, we cannot rule out the possibility that other parameters may have masked the impact of radioactive discharges. This dense set of data is a basis for the use of the expression levels of those genes as biomarkers to address the question of the possible effects of chronic exposure of the oyster to low concentrations of radionuclides in controlled laboratory experimental conditions.

Development of a universal solvent for the decontamination of acidic liquid radioactive wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, T. A.; Brewer, K. N.; Law, J. D.; Wood, D. J.; Herbest, R. S.; Romanovskiy, V. N.; Esimantovskiy, V. M.; Smirnov, I. V.; Babain, V. A.

1999-01-01

A teritiary solvent containing chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide, polyethylene glycol and diphenylcarbamoylmethylphosphine oxide was evaluated in different non-nitroaromatic diluents for the separation of cesium, strontium, actinides and rare earth elements from acidic liquid radioactive waste. Decontamination factors of >95% for Cs, 99.7% for Sr, and 99.99% for actinides were achieved in four successive batch contacts using actual radioactive waste. Pilot plant testing in centrifugal contactors using simulated wastes, has demonstrated removal of >99% of all targeted ions.

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.

ESTIMATION OF RADIOACTIVE CALCIUM-45 BY LIQUID SCINTILLATION COUNTING

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

Lutwak, L.

1959-03-01

A liquid sclntillation counting method is developed for determining radioactive calcium-45 in biological materials. The calcium-45 is extracted, concentrated, and dissolved in absolute ethyl alcohol to which is added 0.4% diphenyloxazol in toluene. Counting efficiency is about 65 percent with standard deviation of the J-57 engin 7.36 percent. (auth)

Decommissioning strategy for liquid low-level radioactive waste surface storage water reservoir.

PubMed

Utkin, S S; Linge, I I

2016-11-22

The Techa Cascade of water reservoirs (TCR) is one of the most environmentally challenging facilities resulted from FSUE "PA "Mayak" operations. Its reservoirs hold over 360 mln m 3 of liquid radioactive waste with a total activity of some 5 × 10 15 Bq. A set of actions implemented under a special State program involving the development of a strategic plan aimed at complete elimination of TCR challenges (Strategic Master-Plan for the Techa Cascade of water reservoirs) resulted in considerable reduction of potential hazards associated with this facility. The paper summarizes the key elements of this master-plan: defining TCR final state, feasibility study of the main strategies aimed at its attainment, evaluation of relevant long-term decommissioning strategy, development of computational tools enabling the long-term forecast of TCR behavior depending on various engineering solutions and different weather conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High level radioactive waste vitrification process equipment component testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siemens, D. H.; Health, W. C.; Larson, D. E.; Craig, S. N.; Berger, D. N.; Goles, R. W.

1985-04-01

Remote operability and maintainability of vitrification equipment were assessment under shielded cell conditions. The equipment tested will be applied to immobilize high level and transuranic liquid waste slurries that resulted from plutonium production for defense weapons. Equipment tested included: a turntable for handling waste canisters under the melter; a removable discharge cone in the melter overflow section; a thermocouple jumper that extends into a shielded cell; remote instrument and electrical connectors; remote, mechanical, and heat transfer aspects of the melter glass overflow section; a reamer to clean out plugged nozzles in the melter top; a closed circuit camera to view the melter interior; and a device to retrieve samples of the glass product. A test was also conduucted to evaluate liquid metals for use in a liquid metal sealing system.

Measuring the radioactivity of drinking water with the liquid counters M2H in combination with contamination meters IM 4457

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

Vanhemmen, J.J.; Vanhoek, L.P.; Aten, J.B.T.

1976-01-01

The relationship between the meter indications and the radioactivity of fission products in drinking water for the combination contamination meter IM 4457 and liquid counter M2H was investigated. The experimental setup is presented, the efficiency of the liquid counter for a mixture of fission products is briefly dealt with, and the use of the combination counter/meter in the field is discussed.

SUNLAB - The Project of a Polish Underground Laboratory

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

Kisiel, J.; Dorda, J.; Konefall, A.

2010-11-24

The project of the first Polish underground laboratory SUNLAB, in the Polkowice-Sieroszowice copper mine, belonging to the KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. holding, is presented. Two stages of the project are foreseen: SUNLAB1 (a small laboratory in the salt layer exhibiting extremely low level of natural radioactivity) and SUNLAB2 (a big laboratory in the anhydrite layer, able to host the next generation liquid argon detector - GLACIER, which is considered within the LAGUNA FP7 project). The results of the natural radioactivity background measurements performed in the Polkowice-Sieroszowice salt cavern are also briefly summarized.

SUNLAB-The Project of a Polish Underground Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kisiel, J.; Budzanowski, M.; Chorowski, M.; Cygan, S.; Dorda, J.; Hanzel, S.; Harańczyk, M.; Horoszczak, L.; Januszewska, K.; Jaroń, L.; Konefalł, A.; Kozak, K.; Lankof, L.; Mania, S.; Markiewicz, A.; Markowski, P.; Mazur, J.; Mertuszka, P.; Mietelski, J. W.; Poliński, J.; Puchalska, M.; Pytel, W.; Raczyński, M.; Sadecki, Z.; Sadowski, A.; Ślizowski, J.; Sulej, R.; Szarska, M.; Szeglowski, T.; Tomankiewicz, E.; Urbańczyk, K.; Zalewska, A.

2010-11-01

The project of the first Polish underground laboratory SUNLAB, in the Polkowice-Sieroszowice copper mine, belonging to the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. holding, is presented. Two stages of the project are foreseen: SUNLAB1 (a small laboratory in the salt layer exhibiting extremely low level of natural radioactivity) and SUNLAB2 (a big laboratory in the anhydrite layer, able to host the next generation liquid argon detector-GLACIER, which is considered within the LAGUNA FP7 project). The results of the natural radioactivity background measurements performed in the Polkowice-Sieroszowice salt cavern are also briefly summarized.

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.

Radioactive liquid wastes discharged to ground in the 200 Areas during 1978

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

Anderson, J. D.; Poremba, B. E.

1979-03-26

This document is issued quarterly for the purpose of summarizing the radioactive liquid wastes that have been discharged to the ground in the 200 Areas. In addition to data for 1978, cumulative data since plant startup are presented. Also, in this document is a listing of decayed activity to the various plant sites.

Characteristics of phytoplankton in Lake Karachay, a storage reservoir of medium-level radioactive waste.

PubMed

Atamanyuk, Natalia I; Osipov, Denis I; Tryapitsina, Galina A; Deryabina, Larisa V; Stukalov, Pavel M; Ivanov, Ivan A; Pryakhin, Evgeny A

2012-07-01

The status of the phytoplankton community in Lake Karachay, a storage reservoir of liquid medium-level radioactive waste from the Mayak Production Association, Chelyabinsk Region, Russia, is reviewed. In 2010, the concentration of Sr in water of this reservoir was found to be 6.5 × 10(6) Bq L, the concentration of 137Cs was 1.6 × 10(7) Bq L, and total alpha activity amounted to 3.0 × 10(3) Bq L. An increased level of nitrates was observed in the reservoir-4.4 g L. It has been demonstrated that in this reservoir under the conditions of the maximum contamination levels known for aquatic ecosystems in the entire biosphere, a phytoplankton community exists that has a pronounced decline in species diversity, almost to the extent of a monoculture of widely-spread thread eurytopic cyanobacteria Geitlerinema amphibium.

Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, Maxwell H.; Gibson, Marc A.; Geng, Steven M.; Sanzi, James L.

2016-01-01

The Fission Surface Power (FSP) Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) is a system-level demonstration of fission power technology intended for use on manned missions to Mars. The Baseline FSP systems consists of a 190 kWt UO2 fast-spectrum reactor cooled by a primary pumped liquid metal loop. This liquid metal loop transfers heat to two intermediate liquid metal loops designed to isolate fission products in the primary loop from the balance of plant. The intermediate liquid metal loops transfer heat to four Stirling Power Conversion Units (PCU), each of which produce 12 kWe (48 kW total) and reject waste heat to two pumped water loops, which transfer the waste heat to titanium-water heat pipe radiators. The FSP TDU simulates a single leg of the baseline FSP system using an electrically heater core simulator, a single liquid metal loop, a single PCU, and a pumped water loop which rejects the waste heat to a Facility Cooling System (FCS). When operated at the nominal operating conditions (modified for low liquid metal flow) during TDU testing the PCU produced 8.9 kW of power at an efficiency of 21.7 percent resulting in a net system power of 8.1 kW and a system level efficiency of 17.2 percent. The reduction in PCU power from levels seen during electrically heated testing is the result of insufficient heat transfer from the NaK heater head to the Stirling acceptor, which could not be tested at Sunpower prior to delivery to the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The maximum PCU power of 10.4 kW was achieved at the maximum liquid metal temperature of 875 K, minimum water temperature of 350 K, 1.1 kg/s liquid metal flow, 0.39 kg/s water flow, and 15.0 mm amplitude at an efficiency of 23.3 percent. This resulted in a system net power of 9.7 kW and a system efficiency of 18.7 percent.

Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, Maxwell H.; Gibson, Marc A.; Geng, Steven; Sanzi, James

2016-01-01

The Fission Surface Power (FSP) Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) is a system-level demonstration of fission power technology intended for use on manned missions to Mars. The Baseline FSP systems consists of a 190 kWt UO2 fast-spectrum reactor cooled by a primary pumped liquid metal loop. This liquid metal loop transfers heat to two intermediate liquid metal loops designed to isolate fission products in the primary loop from the balance of plant. The intermediate liquid metal loops transfer heat to four Stirling Power Conversion Units (PCU), each of which produce 12 kWe (48 kW total) and reject waste heat to two pumped water loops, which transfer the waste heat to titanium-water heat pipe radiators. The FSP TDU simulates a single leg of the baseline FSP system using an electrically heater core simulator, a single liquid metal loop, a single PCU, and a pumped water loop which rejects the waste heat to a Facility Cooling System (FCS). When operated at the nominal operating conditions (modified for low liquid metal flow) during TDU testing the PCU produced 8.9 kW of power at an efficiency of 21.7% resulting in a net system power of 8.1 kW and a system level efficiency of 17.2%. The reduction in PCU power from levels seen during electrically heated testing is the result of insufficient heat transfer from the NaK heater head to the Stirling acceptor, which could not be tested at Sunpower prior to delivery to GRC. The maximum PCU power of 10.4 kW was achieved at the maximum liquid metal temperature of 875 K, minimum water temperature of 350 K, 1.1 kg/s liquid metal flow, 0.39 kg/s water flow, and 15.0 mm amplitude at an efficiency of 23.3%. This resulted in a system net power of 9.7 kW and a system efficiency of 18.7 %.

Partitioning of K, U, and Th between sulfide and silicate liquids - Implications for radioactive heating of planetary cores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murrell, M. T.; Burnett, D. S.

1986-01-01

Experimental partitioning studies are reported of K, U, and Th between silicate and FeFeS liquids designed to test the proposal that actinide partitioning into sulfide liquids is more important then K partitioning in the radioactive heating of planetary cores. For a basaltic liquid at 1450 C and 1.5 GPa, U partitioning into FeFeS liquids is five times greater than K partitioning. A typical value for the liquid partition coefficient for U from a granitic silicate liquid at one atmosphere at 1150 C and low fO2 is about 0.02; the coefficient for Th is similar. At low fO2 and higher temperature, experiments with basaltic liquids produce strong Ca and U partitioning into the sulfide liquid with U coefficient greater than one. The Th coefficient is less strongly affected.

Optical Design Considerations for Efficient Light Collection from Liquid Scintillation Counters

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

Bernacki, Bruce E.; Douglas, Matthew; Erchinger, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

Liquid scintillation counters measure charged particle-emitting radioactive isotopes and are used for environmental studies, nuclear chemistry, and life science. Alpha and beta emissions arising from the material under study interact with the scintillation cocktail to produce light. The prototypical liquid scintillation counter employs low-level photon-counting detectors to measure the arrival of the scintillation light produced as a result of the dissolved material under study interacting with the scintillation cocktail. For reliable operation the counting instrument must convey the scintillation light to the detectors efficiently and predictably. Current best practices employ the use of two or more detectors for coincidence processingmore » to discriminate true scintillation events from background events due to instrumental effects such as photomultiplier tube dark rates, tube flashing, or other light emission not generated in the scintillation cocktail vial. In low background liquid scintillation counters additional attention is paid to shielding the scintillation cocktail from naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) present in the laboratory and within the instruments construction materials. Low background design is generally at odds with optimal light collection. This study presents the evolution of a light collection design for liquid scintillation counting in a low background shield. The basic approach to achieve both good light collection and a low background measurement is described. The baseline signals arising from the scintillation vial are modeled and methods to efficiently collect scintillation light are presented as part of the development of a customized low-background, high sensitivity liquid scintillation counting system.« less

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.

Applying Separations Science to Waste Problems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

inert cathode. Centrifugal Contactor for Processing Liquid Radioactive Waste We have developed an annular centrifugal contactor for use in liquid...radioactive waste. The CMT-designed centrifugal contactor has several advantages over other solvent-extraction equipment currently in use. It requires less...Y-12 Plant, Savannah River Site, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The benefits that make the centrifugal contactor the equipment of choice in the

Optimization of 18 F-syntheses using 19 F-reagents at tracer-level concentrations and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis: Improved synthesis of [18 F]MDL100907.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiang; Dunlow, Ryan; Blackman, Burchelle N; Swenson, Rolf E

2018-05-15

Traditional radiosynthetic optimization faces the challenges of high radiation exposure, cost, and inability to perform serial reactions due to tracer decay. To accelerate tracer development, we have developed a strategy to simulate radioactive 18 F-syntheses by using tracer-level (nanomolar) non-radioactive 19 F-reagents and LC-MS/MS analysis. The methodology was validated with fallypride synthesis under tracer-level 19 F-conditions, which showed reproducible and comparable results with radiosynthesis, and proved the feasibility of this process. Using this approach, the synthesis of [ 18 F]MDL100907 was optimized under 19 F-conditions with greatly improved yield. The best conditions were successfully transferred to radiosynthesis. A radiochemical yield of 19% to 22% was achieved with the radiochemical purity >99% and the molar activity 38.8 to 53.6 GBq/ μmol (n = 3). The tracer-level 19 F-approach provides a high-throughput and cost-effective process to optimize radiosynthesis with reduced radiation exposure. This new method allows medicinal and synthetic chemists to optimize radiolabeling conditions without the need to use radioactivity. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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

Radioactive liquid wastes discharged to ground in the 200 Areas during 1976

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

Mirabella, J.E.

An overall summary is presented giving the radioactive liquid wastes discharged to ground during 1976 and since startup (for both total and decayed depositions) within the Production and Waste Management Division control zone (200 Area plateau). Overall summaries are also presented for 200 East Area and for 200 West Area. The data contain an estimate of the radioactivity discharged to individual ponds, cribs and specific retention sites within the Production and Waste Management Division during 1976 and from startup through December 31, 1976; an estimate of the decayed activities from startup through 1976; the location and reference drawings of eachmore » disposal site; and the usage dates of each disposal site. The estimates for the radioactivity discharged and for decayed activities dicharged from startup through December 31, 1976 are based upon Item 4 of the Bibliography. The volume of liquid discharged to the ponds also includes major nonradioactive streams. The wastes discharged during 1976 to each active disposal site are detailed on a month-to-month basis, along with the monthly maximum concentration and average concentration data. An estimate of the radioactivity discharged to each active site along with the remaining decayed activities is given.« less

Production of 35S for a Liquid Semiconductor Betavoltaic

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

Meier, David E.; Garnov, A. Y.; Robertson, J. D.

2009-10-01

The specific energy density from radioactive decay is five to six orders of magnitude greater than the specific energy density in conventional chemical battery and fuel cell technologies. We are currently investigating the use of liquid semiconductor based betavoltaics as a way to directly convert the energy of radioactive decay into electrical power and potentially avoid the radiation damage that occurs in solid state semiconductor devices due to non-ionizing energy loss. Sulfur-35 was selected as the isotope for the liquid semiconductor demonstrations because it can be produced in high specific activity and it is chemically compatible with known liquid semiconductormore » media.« less

Method for solidification of radioactive and other hazardous waste

DOEpatents

Anshits, Alexander G.; Vereshchagina, Tatiana A.; Voskresenskaya, Elena N.; Kostin, Eduard M.; Pavlov, Vyacheslav F.; Revenko, Yurii A.; Tretyakov, Alexander A.; Sharonova, Olga M.; Aloy, Albert S.; Sapozhnikova, Natalia V.; Knecht, Dieter A.; Tranter, Troy J.; Macheret, Yevgeny

2002-01-01

Solidification of liquid radioactive waste, and other hazardous wastes, is accomplished by the method of the invention by incorporating the waste into a porous glass crystalline molded block. The porous block is first loaded with the liquid waste and then dehydrated and exposed to thermal treatment at 50-1,000.degree. C. The porous glass crystalline molded block consists of glass crystalline hollow microspheres separated from fly ash (cenospheres), resulting from incineration of fossil plant coals. In a preferred embodiment, the porous glass crystalline blocks are formed from perforated cenospheres of grain size -400+50, wherein the selected cenospheres are consolidated into the porous molded block with a binder, such as liquid silicate glass. The porous blocks are then subjected to repeated cycles of saturating with liquid waste, and drying, and after the last cycle the blocks are subjected to calcination to transform the dried salts to more stable oxides. Radioactive liquid waste can be further stabilized in the porous blocks by coating the internal surface of the block with metal oxides prior to adding the liquid waste, and by coating the outside of the block with a low-melting glass or a ceramic after the waste is loaded into the block.

Targets used in the production of radioactive ion beams at the HRIBF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stracener, D. W.; Alton, G. D.; Auble, R. L.; Beene, J. R.; Mueller, P. E.; Bilheux, J. C.

2004-03-01

Radioactive ion beams are produced at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility using the Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) technique where the atoms are produced in a thick target, transported to an ion source, ionized, and extracted from the ion source to form an ion beam. These radioactive ion beams are then accelerated to energies of a few MeV per nucleon and delivered to experimental stations for use in nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics experiments. At the heart of this facility is the RIB production target, where the radioactive nuclei are produced using beams of light ions (p, d, 3He, α) to induce nuclear reactions in the target nuclei. Several target materials have been developed and used successfully, including Al 2O 3, HfO 2, SiC, CeS, liquid Ge, liquid Ni, and a low-density matrix of uranium carbide. The details of these targets and some of the target developments that led to the delivery of high-quality radioactive ion beams are discussed in this paper.

High-level waste tank farm set point document

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

Anthony, J.A. III

1995-01-15

Setpoints for nuclear safety-related instrumentation are required for actions determined by the design authorization basis. Minimum requirements need to be established for assuring that setpoints are established and held within specified limits. This document establishes the controlling methodology for changing setpoints of all classifications. The instrumentation under consideration involve the transfer, storage, and volume reduction of radioactive liquid waste in the F- and H-Area High-Level Radioactive Waste Tank Farms. The setpoint document will encompass the PROCESS AREA listed in the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) (DPSTSA-200-10 Sup 18) which includes the diversion box HDB-8 facility. In addition to the PROCESS AREASmore » listed in the SAR, Building 299-H and the Effluent Transfer Facility (ETF) are also included in the scope.« less

The Radioactivity Characteristics of the NPP Charcoal Sample Contaminated by Carbon-14 - 13531

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

Kim, Hee Reyoung

2013-07-01

The radioactivity of {sup 14}C-contaminated charcoal sample was analyzed by using a high temperature oxidation and liquid scintillation counting method. The radioactivity of the sample was monotonically increased according to the increase of the combustion time at each temperature where the experimental uncertainty was calculated in the 95 % confidence level. It showed that the {sup 14}C radioactivity was not completely extracted from the sample by simply increasing the combustion time unless the combustion temperature was high enough. The higher the combustion temperature was, the higher the recovery during the first 30 minutes was. The first 30 minute recoveries weremore » 100 % at a temperature equal to or greater than 450 deg. C. The ratios of the recovery during the first 30 minutes to the total recovery during whole duration were more than 90 % at each experiment temperature. It was understood that the temperature was a critical factor for the complete removal of the {sup 14}C from the waste sample. (authors)« less

CENDRILLON CONTAINERS FOR THE TRANSPORT AND DISPENSING OF RADIOACTIVE LIQUIDS

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

Vertut, J.

1963-01-01

Pumpkin-shaped containers were developed for safe transport and dispensing of radioactive liquids. Four different sizes varying in capacity from 3.5 to 50 liters are available, However, liquids with criticality hazards cannot be handled in these containers. The shape was chosen to make the container rest firmly on a flat surface and to prevent it from being turned over and remaining upset. The liquid is held in an inner container of stainless steel. It is surrounded by a protective lead shell made in two halves, so that the upper half can be taken off. The lead itself is cast into steelmore » shells to provide additional strength. Both halves are rendered liquid tight by asbestos packing. (M.C.G.)« less

Pressure-Induced Dissolution and Reentrant Formation of Condensed, Liquid-Liquid Phase-Separated Elastomeric α-Elastin.

PubMed

Cinar, Hasan; Cinar, Süleyman; Chan, Hue Sun; Winter, Roland

2018-05-08

We investigated the combined effects of temperature and pressure on liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) phenomena of α-elastin up to the multi-kbar regime. FT-IR spectroscopy, CD, UV/Vis absorption, phase-contrast light and fluorescence microscopy techniques were employed to reveal structural changes and mesoscopic phase states of the system. A novel pressure-induced reentrant LLPS was observed in the intermediate temperature range. A molecular-level picture, in particular on the role of hydrophobic interactions, hydration, and void volume in controlling LLPS phenomena is presented. The potential role of the LLPS phenomena in the development of early cellular compartmentalization is discussed, which might have started in the deep sea, where pressures up to the kbar level are encountered. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Site environmental report for calendar year 2002. DOE operations at the Boeing Company, Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power

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

None

2003-09-30

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2002 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of Boeing' s Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL)). In the past, the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned, company-operated test facility, was located in Area IV. The operations at ETEC included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials. Other activities at ETEC involved the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities that were used for testing liquid metal fast breeder components. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988, and,more » subsequently, all radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the former nuclear facilities and their associated sites. Closure of the liquid metal test facilities began in 1996. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year 2002 continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property ( land, structures, waste), and recycling. All radioactive w astes are processed for disposal at DOE disposal sites and/or other licensed sites approved by DOE for radioactive waste disposal. No liquid radioactive wastes are released into the environment, and no structural debris from buildings w as transferred to municipal landfills or recycled in 2002.« 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.

Iraq liquid radioactive waste tanks maintenance and monitoring program plan.

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

Dennis, Matthew L.; Cochran, John Russell; Sol Shamsaldin, Emad

2011-10-01

The purpose of this report is to develop a project management plan for maintaining and monitoring liquid radioactive waste tanks at Iraq's Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center. Based on information from several sources, the Al-Tuwaitha site has approximately 30 waste tanks that contain varying amounts of liquid or sludge radioactive waste. All of the tanks have been non-operational for over 20 years and most have limited characterization. The program plan embodied in this document provides guidance on conducting radiological surveys, posting radiation control areas and controlling access, performing tank hazard assessments to remove debris and gain access, and conducting routine tankmore » inspections. This program plan provides general advice on how to sample and characterize tank contents, and how to prioritize tanks for soil sampling and borehole monitoring.« less

Test of the electric charge conservation law with Borexino detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vishneva, A.; Agostini, M.; Appel, S.; Bellini, G.; Benziger, J.; Bick, D.; Bonfini, G.; Bravo, D.; Caccianiga, B.; Calaprice, F.; Caminata, A.; Cavalcante, P.; Chepurnov, A.; D' Angelo, D.; Davini, S.; Derbin, A.; Di Noto, L.; Drachnev, I.; Etenko, A.; Fomenko, K.; Franco, D.; Gabriele, F.; Galbiati, C.; Ghiano, C.; Giammarchi, M.; Goeger-Neff, M.; Goretti, A.; Gromov, M.; Hagner, C.; Hungerford, E.; Ianni, Aldo; Ianni, Andrea; Jedrzejczak, K.; Kaiser, M.; Kobychev, V.; Korablev, D.; Korga, G.; Kryn, D.; Laubenstein, M.; Lehnert, B.; Litvinovich, E.; Lombardi, F.; Lombardi, P.; Ludhova, L.; Lukyanchenko, G.; Machulin, I.; Manecki, S.; Maneschg, W.; Marcocci, S.; Meroni, E.; Meyer, M.; Miramonti, L.; Misiaszek, M.; Montuschi, M.; Mosteiro, P.; Muratova, V.; Neumair, B.; Oberauer, L.; Obolensky, M.; Ortica, F.; Pallavicini, M.; Papp, L.; Perasso, L.; Pocar, A.; Ranucci, G.; Razeto, A.; Re, A.; Romani, A.; Roncin, R.; Rossi, N.; Schonert, S.; Semenov, D.; Simgen, H.; Skorokhvatov, M.; Smirnov, O.; Sotnikov, A.; Sukhotin, S.; Suvorov, Y.; Tartaglia, R.; Testera, G.; Thurn, J.; Toropova, M.; Unzhakov, E.; Vogelaar, R. B.; von Feilitzsch, F.; Wang, H.; Weinz, S.; Winter, J.; Wojcik, M.; Wurm, M.; Yokley, Z.; Zaimidoroga, O.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

2016-02-01

The new limit on the electron lifetime is obtained from data of the Borexino experiment. The expected signal from the e → γν decay mode is a 256 keV photon detected in liquid scintillator. Because of the extremely low radioactive background level in the Borexino detector it was possible to improve the previous measurement by two orders of magnitude.

Methods for conversion of carbohydrates in ionic liquids to value-added chemicals

DOEpatents

Zhao, Haibo [The Woodlands, TX; Holladay, Johnathan E [Kennewick, WA; Zhang, Zongchao C [Norwood, NJ

2011-05-10

Methods are described for converting carbohydrates including, e.g., monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides in ionic liquids to value-added chemicals including furans, useful as chemical intermediates and/or feedstocks. Fructose is converted to 5-hydroxylmethylfurfural (HMF) in the presence of metal halide and acid catalysts. Glucose is effectively converted to HMF in the presence of chromium chloride catalysts. Yields of up to about 70% are achieved with low levels of impurities such as levulinic acid.

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

Process for converting sodium nitrate-containing, caustic liquid radioactive wastes to solid insoluble products

DOEpatents

Barney, Gary S.; Brownell, Lloyd E.

1977-01-01

A method for converting sodium nitrate-containing, caustic, radioactive wastes to a solid, relatively insoluble, thermally stable form is provided and comprises the steps of reacting powdered aluminum silicate clay, e.g., kaolin, bentonite, dickite, halloysite, pyrophyllite, etc., with the sodium nitrate-containing radioactive wastes which have a caustic concentration of about 3 to 7 M at a temperature of 30.degree. C to 100.degree. C to thereby entrap the dissolved radioactive salts in the aluminosilicate matrix. In one embodiment the sodium nitrate-containing, caustic, radioactive liquid waste, such as neutralized Purex-type waste, or salts or oxide produced by evaporation or calcination of these liquid wastes (e.g., anhydrous salt cake) is converted at a temperature within the range of 30.degree. C to 100.degree. C to the solid mineral form-cancrinite having an approximate chemical formula 2(NaAlSiO.sub.4) .sup.. xSalt.sup.. y H.sub.2 O with x = 0.52 and y = 0.68 when the entrapped salt is NaNO.sub.3. In another embodiment the sodium nitrate-containing, caustic, radioactive liquid is reacted with the powdered aluminum silicate clay at a temperature within the range of 30.degree. C to 100.degree. C, the resulting reaction product is air dried eitheras loose powder or molded shapes (e.g., bricks) and then fired at a temperature of at least 600.degree. C to form the solid mineral form-nepheline which has the approximate chemical formula of NaAlSiO.sub.4. The leach rate of the entrapped radioactive salts with distilled water is reduced essentially to that of the aluminosilicate lattice which is very low, e.g., in the range of 10.sup.-.sup.2 to 10.sup.-.sup.4 g/cm.sup.2 -- day for cancrinite and 10.sup.-.sup.3 to 10.sup.-.sup.5 g/cm.sup.2 -- day for nepheline.

The nitrate to ammonia and ceramic (NAC) process for the denitration and immobilization of low-level radioactive liquid waste (LLW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muguercia, Ivan

Hazardous radioactive liquid waste is the legacy of more than 50 years of plutonium production associated with the United States' nuclear weapons program. It is estimated that more than 245,000 tons of nitrate wastes are stored at facilities such as the single-shell tanks (SST) at the Hanford Site in the state of Washington, and the Melton Valley storage tanks at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee. In order to develop an innovative, new technology for the destruction and immobilization of nitrate-based radioactive liquid waste, the United State Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the research project which resulted in the technology known as the Nitrate to Ammonia and Ceramic (NAC) process. However, inasmuch as the nitrate anion is highly mobile and difficult to immobilize, especially in relatively porous cement-based grout which has been used to date as a method for the immobilization of liquid waste, it presents a major obstacle to environmental clean-up initiatives. Thus, in an effort to contribute to the existing body of knowledge and enhance the efficacy of the NAC process, this research involved the experimental measurement of the rheological and heat transfer behaviors of the NAC product slurry and the determination of the optimal operating parameters for the continuous NAC chemical reaction process. Test results indicate that the NAC product slurry exhibits a typical non-Newtonian flow behavior. Correlation equations for the slurry's rheological properties and heat transfer rate in a pipe flow have been developed; these should prove valuable in the design of a full-scale NAC processing plant. The 20-percent slurry exhibited a typical dilatant (shear thickening) behavior and was in the turbulent flow regime due to its lower viscosity. The 40-percent slurry exhibited a typical pseudoplastic (shear thinning) behavior and remained in the laminar flow regime throughout its experimental range. The reactions were found to be more efficient in the lower temperature range investigated. With respect to leachability, the experimental final NAC ceramic waste form is comparable to the final product of vitrification, the technology chosen by DOE to treat these wastes. As the NAC process has the potential of reducing the volume of nitrate-based radioactive liquid waste by as much as 70 percent, it not only promises to enhance environmental remediation efforts but also effect substantial cost savings.

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.

What Does an Intermediate Success Rate Mean? An Analysis of a Piagetian Liquid Conservation Task in the Great Apes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suda, Chikako; Call, Josep

2006-01-01

The study investigates what an intermediate success rate means in bonobos, chimpanzees, and orangutans. Apes participated in liquid conservation experiments where they had to track the larger of two different quantities of juice after various kinds of transformations [Suda, C., & Call, J. (2004). Piagetian liquid conservation in the great apes…

Test report dot 7A type a liquid packaging

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

Ketusky, E. T.; Brandjes, C.; Benoit, T. J.

This test report documents the performance of Savannah River National Laboratory’s (SRNL’s) U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Specification 7A; General Packaging, Type A shielded liquid shipping packaging and compliance with the regulatory requirements of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The primary use of this packaging design is for the transport of radioactive liquids of up to 1.3 liters in an unshielded configuration and up to 113 mL of radioactive liquids in a shielded configuration, with no more than an A2 quantity in either configuration, over public highways and/or commercial aircraft. The contents are liquid radioactive materialsmore » sufficiently shielded and within the activity limits specified in173.435 or 173.433 for A2 (normal form) materials, as well as within the analyzed thermal heat limits. Any contents must be compatibly packaged and must be compatible with the packaging. The basic packaging design is based on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Model 9979 Type A fissile shipping packaging designed and tested by SRNL. The shielded liquid configuration consists of the outer and inner drums of the 9979 package with additional low density polyethylene (LDPE) dunnage nesting a tungsten shielded cask assembly (WSCA) within the 30-gallon inner drum. The packaging model for the DOT Specification 7A, Type A liquids packaging is HVYTAL.« 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

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.

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.

Radiochemical Separation and Quantification of Tritium in Metallic Radwastes Generated from CANDU Type NPP - 13279

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

Ahn, H.J.; Choi, K.C.; Choi, K.S.

2013-07-01

As a destructive quantification method of {sup 3}H in low and intermediate level radwastes, bomb oxidation, sample oxidation, and wet oxidation methods have been introduced. These methods have some merits and demerits in the radiochemical separation of {sup 3}H radionuclides. That is, since the bomb oxidation and sample oxidation methods are techniques using heating at high temperature, the separation methods of the radionuclides are relatively simple. However, since {sup 3}H radionuclide has a property of being diffused deeply into the inside of metals, {sup 3}H which is distributed on the surface of the metals can only be extracted if themore » methods are applied. As an another separation method, the wet oxidation method makes {sup 3}H oxidized with an acidic solution, and extracted completely to an oxidized HTO compound. However, incomplete oxidized {sup 3}H compounds, which are produced by reactions of acidic solutions and metallic radwastes, can be released into the air. Thus, in this study, a wet oxidation method to extract and quantify the {sup 3}H radionuclide from metallic radwastes was established. In particular, a complete extraction method and complete oxidation method of incomplete chemical compounds of {sup 3}H using a Pt catalyst were studied. The radioactivity of {sup 3}H in metallic radwastes is extracted and measured using a wet oxidation method and liquid scintillation counter. Considering the surface dose rate of the sample, the appropriate size of the sample was determined and weighed, and a mixture of oxidants was added to a 200 ml round flask with 3 tubes. The flask was quickly connected to the distilling apparatus. 20 mL of 16 wt% H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} was given into the 200-ml round flask through a dropping funnel while under stirring and refluxing. After dropping, the temperature of the mixture was raised to 96 deg. C and the sample was leached and oxidized by refluxing for 3 hours. At that time, the incomplete oxidized {sup 3}H compounds were completely oxidized using the Pt catalysts and produced a stable HTO compound. After that, about a 20 ml solution was distilled in the separation apparatus, and the distillate was mixed with an ultimagold LLT as a cocktail solution. The solution in the vial was left standing for at least 24 hours. The radioactivity of {sup 3}H was counted directly using a liquid scintillation analyzer (Packard, 2500 TR/AB, Alpha and Beta Liquid Scintillation Analyzer). (authors)« less

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.

Exploring Radioactive Decay and Geochronology through Hydrostatic Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claiborne, L. L.; Miller, C. F.

2008-12-01

One of the most essential tools to unraveling Earth's history and the processes involved in shaping our planet is an understanding of deep time and the timescales involved in geologic processes. The primary process that allows quantification of this history is radioactive decay of unstable isotopes within earth materials, and as one of the most essential tools in geology, this concept is taught at all levels of geoscience education. The concept of radioactive decay contains nuances that are often lost on students during lectures, and students often express low confidence in their comprehension of the concept. The goal of this laboratory activity is for students to understand radioactive decay including what controls it, how it proceeds and what information it provides, along with developing higher level scientific skills including making observations and predictions, and creating and interpreting quantitative graphical representations of data. The activity employs graduated beakers, shampoo, and stopwatches. Students pour shampoo put into an upper beaker (representing the parent isotope) with a hole in the base and allow it to flow into a lower beaker (representing the daughter isotope). Students measure changes in liquid depth with time, relating this to the amount of decay and its dependence on the amount of parent available (depth of liquid) and the decay constant (area of the hole in the beaker). Several beakers with varying sized holes illustrate variations specific to the different parent isotopes. They then explore graphical representations of their "decay" data, discovering for themselves which kinds of plots yield the equations and constants that control the decay process and the derived quantity of the "half-life", and are therefore the most useful. Making their own measurements, creating graphs, and then calculating these fundamental quantities is both enlightening and empowering. An advanced variation of this experiment involves students predicting the results and/or designing an experiment to address complex decay chains, where the daughter products are radioactive themselves. This permits them to investigate connections between 'activity' and equilibrium and to understand how disequilibrium can develop and be used for dating. In order to evaluate the success of the activity, each student participates in pre and post assessment including stating their confidence in their understanding of the concept.

Decommissioning and Dismantling of the Floating Maintenance Base 'Lepse' - 13316

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

Field, D.; Mizen, K.

The Lepse was built in Russia in 1934 and commissioned as a dry cargo ship. In 1961 she was re-equipped for use as a nuclear service ship (NSS), specifically a floating maintenance base (FMB), to support the operation of the civilian nuclear fleet (ice-breakers) of the USSR. In 1988 Lepse was taken out of service and in 1990 she was re-classified as a 'berth connected ship', located at a berth near the port of Murmansk under the ownership of Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE) Atomflot. Lepse has special storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel assemblies (SFA) that have been usedmore » to store several hundred SFAs for nearly 40 years. High and intermediate-level liquid radioactive waste (LRW) is also present in the spent nuclear fuel assembly storage channels, in special tanks and also in the SFA cooling circuit. Many of the SFAs stored in Lepse are classified as damaged and cannot be removed using standard procedures. The removal of the SFA and LRW from the Lepse storage facilities is a hazardous task and requires specially designed tools, equipment and an infrastructure in which these can be deployed safely. Lepse is a significant environmental hazard in the North West of Russia. Storing spent nuclear fuel and high-level liquid radioactive waste on board Lepse in the current conditions is not acceptable with respect to Russian Federation health, safety and environmental standards and with international best practice. The approved concept design for the removal of the SFA and LRW and dismantling of Lepse requires that the ship be transported to Nerpa shipyard where specialist infrastructure will be constructed and equipment installed. One of the main complexities of the Project lies within the number of interested stakeholders involved in the Project. The Lepse project has been high focus on the international stage for many years with previous international efforts failing to make significant progress towards the objective of decommissioning Lepse. The Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) approved an internationally funded project to identify and prioritise nuclear and environmental hazards in NW Russia. Within this project the Lepse was recognised as being one of the highest nuclear hazards in NW Russia. Removal of SNF, SRW and LRW from Lepse requires innovative design and development of bespoke equipment. The main drivers of the NDEP Donors are first to safely transport Lepse in 2012 from her current berth close to the local population in Murmansk to the nominated dismantling shipyard, and secondly to raise Lepse from the water in 2013 onto the slip-way at the dismantling shipyard. A description is provided of the approach and progress towards preparing the Lepse for the removal of SFAs and other radioactive waste, to decontaminate and then dismantle the vessel under international donor funding. (authors)« less

Radioactive waste disposal package

DOEpatents

Lampe, Robert F.

1986-11-04

A radioactive waste disposal package comprising a canister for containing vitrified radioactive waste material and a sealed outer shell encapsulating the canister. A solid block of filler material is supported in said shell and convertible into a liquid state for flow into the space between the canister and outer shell and subsequently hardened to form a solid, impervious layer occupying such space.

Radioactive waste disposal package

DOEpatents

Lampe, Robert F.

1986-01-01

A radioactive waste disposal package comprising a canister for containing vitrified radioactive waste material and a sealed outer shell encapsulating the canister. A solid block of filler material is supported in said shell and convertible into a liquid state for flow into the space between the canister and outer shell and subsequently hardened to form a solid, impervious layer occupying such space.

[Microbiological Aspects of Radioactive Waste Storage].

PubMed

Safonov, A V; Gorbunova, O A; German, K E; Zakharova, E V; Tregubova, V E; Ershov, B G; Nazina, T N

2015-01-01

The article gives information about the microorganisms inhabiting in surface storages of solid radioactive waste and deep disposal sites of liquid radioactive waste. It was shown that intensification of microbial processes can lead to significant changes in the chemical composition and physical state of the radioactive waste. It was concluded that the biogeochemical processes can have both a positive effect on the safety of radioactive waste storages (immobilization of RW macrocomponents, a decreased migration ability of radionuclides) and a negative one (biogenic gas production in subterranean formations and destruction of cement matrix).

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000. DOE Operations at The Boeing Company, Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power

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

Rutherford, Phil; Samuels, Sandy; Lee, Majelle

2001-09-01

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2000 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of the Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). In the past, these operations included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials, under the former Atomics International (AI) Division. Other activities included the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities for testing of liquid metal fast breeder components at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned company-operated, test facility within Area IV. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988, andmore » subsequently, all radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the previously used nuclear facilities and associated site areas. Large-scale D&D activities of the sodium test facilities began in 1996. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year of 2000 continue to indicate no significant releases of radioactive material from Rocketdyne sites. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling. All radioactive wastes are processed for disposal at DOE disposal sites and other sites approved by DOE and licensed for radioactive waste. Liquid radioactive wastes are not released into the environment and do not constitute an exposure pathway.« less

Free Radical Polymerization of Styrene: A Radiotracer Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazza, R. J.

1975-01-01

Describes an experiment designed to acquaint the chemistry student with polymerization reactions, vacuum techniques, liquid scintillation counting, gas-liquid chromatography, and the handling of radioactive materials. (MLH)

Comprehensive determination of macrolide antibiotics, their synthesis intermediates and transformation products in wastewater effluents and ambient waters by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Senta, Ivan; Krizman-Matasic, Ivona; Terzic, Senka; Ahel, Marijan

2017-08-04

Macrolide antibiotics are a prominent group of emerging contaminants frequently found in wastewater effluents and wastewater-impacted aquatic environments. In this work, a novel analytical method for simultaneous determination of parent macrolide antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin and roxithromycin), along with their synthesis intermediates, byproducts, metabolites and transformation products in wastewater and surface water was developed and validated. Samples were enriched using solid-phase extraction on Oasis HLB cartridges and analyzed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The target macrolide compounds were separated on an ACE C18 PFP column and detected using multiple reaction monitoring in positive ionization polarity. The optimized method, which included an additional extract clean-up on strong anion-exchange cartridges (SAX), resulted in high recoveries and accuracies, low matrix effects and improved chromatographic separation of the target compounds, even in highly complex matrices, such as raw wastewater. The developed method was applied to the analysis of macrolide compounds in wastewater and river water samples from Croatia. In addition to parent antibiotics, several previously unreported macrolide transformation products and/or synthesis intermediates were detected in municipal wastewater, some of them reaching μg/L levels. Moreover, extremely high concentrations of macrolides up to mg/L level were found in pharmaceutical industry effluents, indicating possible importance of this source to the total loads into ambient waters. The results revealed a significant contribution of synthesis intermediates and transformation products to the overall mass balance of macrolides in the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tank depletion flow controller

DOEpatents

Georgeson, Melvin A.

1976-10-26

A flow control system includes two bubbler tubes installed at different levels within a tank containing such as radioactive liquid. As the tank is depleted, a differential pressure transmitter monitors pressure differences imparted by the two bubbler tubes at a remote, shielded location during uniform time intervals. At the end of each uniform interval, balance pots containing a dense liquid are valved together to equalize the pressures. The resulting sawtooth-shaped signal generated by the differential pressure transmitter is compared with a second sawtooth signal representing the desired flow rate during each time interval. Variations in the two signals are employed by a control instrument to regulate flow rate.

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.

Highly efficient method for production of radioactive silver seed cores for brachytherapy.

PubMed

Cardoso, Roberta Mansini; de Souza, Carla Daruich; Rostelato, Maria Elisa Chuery Martins; Araki, Koiti

2017-02-01

A simple and highly efficient (shorter reaction time and almost no rework) method for production of iodine based radioactive silver seed cores for brachytherapy is described. The method allows almost quantitative deposition of iodine-131 on dozens of silver substrates at once, with even distribution of activity per core and insignificant amounts of liquid and solid radioactive wastes, allowing the fabrication of cheaper radioactive iodine seeds for brachytherapy. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[Selenium status of the inhabitants in the Kaluga region].

PubMed

Golubkina, N A; Mal'tsev, G Iu; Bogdanov, N G; Vlaskina, S G; Alekseeva, I A; Khotimchenko, S A

1995-01-01

The human Se status of 8 areas of Kaluga region was studied. The mean serum Se levels 94 mg/l was significantly lower in the south compared to the northern area 126 mg/l. Areas with radioactive pollution possessed higher percentage of persons with low serum Se concentration than in regions without the pollution. Negative influence of radiation on serum Se level was confirmed also by epidemiological data for workers of Chernobil NNP (65 mg/l-workers attending to the reactor and 69 mg/l-for other employees). The same phenomenon was observed for males of Tula region who had taken part in the liquidation of an accident on the Chernobil NNP compared to other inhabitants of Tula region (78 mg/l and 89 mg/l correspondingly). The lowest antioxidant status (serum vitamin E, C and Se concentrations) in towns of Kaluga region with radioactive pollution possessed males of less than 60 years old.

[Phytoplankton and zooplankton of the industrial reservoir R-9 (Lake Karachay)].

PubMed

Priakhin, E A; Triapitsina, G A; Atamaniuk, N I; Osipov, D I; Stukalov, P M; Ivanov, I A; Popova, I Ia; Akleev, A V

2012-01-01

Planktonic communities of the Reservoir-9 (Lake Karachay, storage reservoir of liquid medium-level radioactive waste of the Mayak Production Association) are exposed to the severe radioactive forcing (in 2010 the total beta-activity of the water was 1.8 x 10(7) Bq/L, total alpha-activity was 1.1 x 10(4) Bq/L), aswell as to the chemical contamination (level of nitrates in water 4.1 g/L). The calculated values of the absorbed dose rate were 130 Gy/day for phytoplankton and 4.0 Gy/day for zooplankton. Extremely low species diversity, the overwhelming dominance of one species (phytoplankton is close to a monoculture of ubiquitous cyanobacteria Geitlerinema amphibium, zooplankton--to a monoculture of rotifers Hexarthrafennica), wide fluctuations in numbers of algae, a low number of zooplankton were the most substantial characteristics of the plankton communities in Lake Karachay. So, plankton communities status is a sign of environmental retrogress in this ecosystem.

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.

Relating dynamics of model unentangled, crystallizable polymeric liquids to their local structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Hong T.; Hoy, Robert S.

We study the liquid-state dynamics of a recently developed, crystallizable bead-spring polymer model. The model possesses a single ground state (NCP, wherein monomers close-pack and chains are nematically aligned) for all finite bending stiffnesses kb, but the solid morphologies formed under cooling vary strongly with kb, varying from NCP to amorphous. We find that systems with kb producing amorphous order are good glass-formers exhibiting the classic Vogel-Fulcher slowdown with decreasing temperature T. In contrast, systems with kb producing crystalline solids exhibit a simpler dynamics when kb is small. Larger kb produce more complex dynamics, but these are associated with the existence of an intermediate nematic liquid rather than glassy slowdown. We relate these differences to local, cluster-level structure measured via TCC analyses. Formation propensities and lifetimes of various clusters (associated with amorphous or crystalline order) vary strongly with kb and T. We relate these differences to those measured by the self-intermediate scattering function and other macroscopic measures of dynamics. Our results should aid in understanding the competition between crystallization and glass-formation in synthetic polymers.

Secondary Waste Form Down-Selection Data Package—Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form

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

Qafoku, Nikolla; Westsik, Joseph H.; Strachan, Denis M.

2011-09-12

The Hanford Site in southeast Washington State has 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes stored in 177 underground tanks (ORP 2010). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of River Protection (ORP), through its contractors, is constructing the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to convert the radioactive and hazardous wastes into stable glass waste forms for disposal. Within the WTP, the pretreatment facility will receive the retrieved waste from the tank farms and separate it into two treated process streams. These waste streams will be vitrified, and the resulting waste canisters will be sentmore » to offsite (high-level waste [HLW]) and onsite (immobilized low-activity waste [ILAW]) repositories. As part of the pretreatment and ILAW processing, liquid secondary wastes will be generated that will be transferred to the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) on the Hanford Site for further treatment. These liquid secondary wastes will be converted to stable solid waste forms that will be disposed of in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). To support the selection of a waste form for the liquid secondary wastes from WTP, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has initiated secondary waste form testing work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). In anticipation of a down-selection process for a waste form for the Solidification Treatment Unit to be added to the ETF, PNNL is developing data packages to support that down-selection. The objective of the data packages is to identify, evaluate, and summarize the existing information on the four waste forms being considered for stabilizing and solidifying the liquid secondary wastes. At the Hanford Site, the FBSR process is being evaluated as a supplemental technology for treating and immobilizing Hanford LAW radioactive tank waste and for treating secondary wastes from the WTP pretreatment and LAW vitrification processes.« less

Nucleation via an unstable intermediate phase.

PubMed

Sear, Richard P

2009-08-21

The pathway for crystallization from dilute vapors and solutions is often observed to take a detour via a liquid or concentrated-solution phase. For example, in moist subzero air, droplets of liquid water form, which then freeze. In this example and in many others, an intermediate phase (here liquid water) is dramatically accelerating the kinetics of a phase transition between two other phases (water vapor and ice). Here we study this phenomenon via exact computer simulations of a simple lattice model. Surprisingly, we find that the rate of nucleation of the new equilibrium phase is actually fastest when the intermediate phase is slightly unstable in the bulk, i.e., has a slightly higher free energy than the phase we start in. Nucleation occurs at a concave part of the surface and microscopic amounts of the intermediate phase can form there even before the phase is stable in the bulk. As the nucleus of the equilibrium phase is microscopic, this allows nucleation to occur effectively in the intermediate phase before it is stable in the bulk.

Genetic and Biochemical Basis for the Transformation of Energetic Materials (RDX, TNT, DNTs) by Plants

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

for bound radioactivity in the plants. 14C Distribution in Hydroponic Systems. Plants grown in half-strength Hoagland solutions (29) were used to...sterile hydroponic solutions . In axenic liquid cultures, less than 10% of the initial radioactivity remained in liquid media of live plants while over...poplars at a concentration of 5 mg/L in hydroponic solution (Thompson and Schnoor, 1998) and at 50 mg/kg soil there were adverse effects to seed

Removal of radioactive and other hazardous material from fluid waste

DOEpatents

Tranter, Troy J [Idaho Falls, ID; Knecht, Dieter A [Idaho Falls, ID; Todd, Terry A [Aberdeen, ID; Burchfield, Larry A [W. Richland, WA; Anshits, Alexander G [Krasnoyarsk, RU; Vereshchagina, Tatiana [Krasnoyarsk, RU; Tretyakov, Alexander A [Zheleznogorsk, RU; Aloy, Albert S [St. Petersburg, RU; Sapozhnikova, Natalia V [St. Petersburg, RU

2006-10-03

Hollow glass microspheres obtained from fly ash (cenospheres) are impregnated with extractants/ion-exchangers and used to remove hazardous material from fluid waste. In a preferred embodiment the microsphere material is loaded with ammonium molybdophosphonate (AMP) and used to remove radioactive ions, such as cesium-137, from acidic liquid wastes. In another preferred embodiment, the microsphere material is loaded with octyl(phenyl)-N-N-diisobutyl-carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) and used to remove americium and plutonium from acidic liquid wastes.

Safety evaluation for packaging (onsite) concrete-lined waste packaging

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

Romano, T.

1997-09-25

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed a package to ship Type A, non-transuranic, fissile excepted quantities of liquid or solid radioactive material and radioactive mixed waste to the Central Waste Complex for storage on the Hanford Site.

Identification of a BrOOO- intermediate species in the ozonolysis of bromide at the liquid/vapor interface from liquid jet XPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuzhen; Artiglia, Luca; Orlando, Fabrizio; Corral-Arroyo, Pablo; Edebeli, Jacinta; Ammann, Markus

2017-04-01

Oxidation of bromide by gas phase ozone (O3) in the absence of photochemistry is believed to be one of the important dark reactions to produce HOBr as the starting point of the multiphase cycling reaction mechanisms that release bromide out of sea water, sea spray or marine aerosols from aqueous solution that later drive O3 depleting chemistry in the troposphere [1]. The reaction of bromide with O3 occurs through an acid catalyzed mechanism involving a BrOOO- complex as an intermediate [2]. Slow oxidation of bromide by O3 in the bulk aqueous phase is of limited relevance; previous kinetic experiments have suspected the reaction to be enhanced at the surface of aqueous solutions. Thus, identifying BrOOO- at the interface would be a major step to understanding the multiphase oxidation of bromide with O3. Here, we provide a direct experimental evidence for the formation of a BrOOO- reaction intermediate at the surface by investigating the reaction of aqueous solutions NaBr with gas phase O3 after millisecond time scale exposure using the surface sensitive in situ liquid jet X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) at the Swiss Light Source (SLS). We acquired Br 3d core level spectra of 0.125 M NaBr solution in presence and absence of ozone in the gas phase. We found a new feature with a peak position shifted towards higher binding energy (by ˜0.7 eV) compared to Br-, which was clearly different from the Br 3d core levels spectra of hypobromite and bromate measured with reference solutions. Our results suggest the appearance of the formation of the BrOOO- reaction intermediate as a new component, in agreement with theoretical calculations of the Br- ozonolysis mechanism [3]. Additionally, by varying the photoelectron kinetic energy and thus probe depth via variation of the probing photon energy, the new feature appears to be present near the liquid/vapor interface. Besides, kinetic experiments for the reaction of O3 with bromide are ongoing to investigate the dependence on the temperature, ozone concentration, which may give further information such as the relative oxidation rate at the liquid/vapor interface versus that in the bulk phase. [1] S. Wang, et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015, 112, 9281-9286. [2] Q. Liu, et al., Inorganic Chemistry, 2001, 40, 4436-4442. [3] I. Gladich, et al., The Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2015, 119, 4482-4488.

Dielectric Properties of Low-Level Liquid Waste

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

L. E. Lagos; M. A. Ebadian

1998-10-20

The purpose of this study was to develop a data collection containing values for the dielectric properties of various low-level liquid waste (LLLW) simulants measured as a function of frequency, temperature, and composition. The investigation was motivated by current interest in the use of microwave processing for the treatment of radioactive waste. A large volume of transuranic liquid and sludge produced by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) during the production of nuclear fiel bars is stored at several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites around the United States. Waste storage and disposal space is scarce, expensive, and must bemore » minimized. Thus, several DOE sites are pursuing the use of microwave heating as a means of achieving volume reduction and solidification of low-level liquid wastes. It is important to know which microwave frequencies should be employed tc achieve the most efficient processing at a range of different temperatures. The dielectric properties of the LLLW simulants can be utilized to determine the optimum frequencies for use with a particular LLLW or with other LLLWS of similar composition. Furthermore, nonlinear thermal processes, such as thermal runaway, which occur in the material being treated cannot be modeled without a knowledge of the temperature dependence of the dielectric properties. Often, this data does not exist; however, when it does, only very limited data near room temperature are available. The data collection generated in this study can be used to predict the behavior of a variety of microwave thermal treatment technologies, which have the potential of substantially reducing the volume of the LLLWS that are currently stored at many DOE sites. This information should help the users of the microwave reduction and solidification technology to optimize microwave processes used in the treatment of LLLW. The microwave reduction and solidification technology has clear advantages over other methods of reducing LLLWS. These include the incineration of combustibles, the evaporation of combustibles, the evaporation of liquids, and the compaction of noncombustibles. The handling of radioactive liquid waste is generally carried out within closed systems consisting of highly corrosion-resistant, welded, leak-tight pipes, tanks, and other apparatus. High power microwave processing is a promising technology for reducing risks to the environment and human health, thereby supporting the DOE's decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) objectives.« less

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.

Progesterone transfer among cohabitating female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus).

PubMed

Greville, Lucas J; Pollock, Tyler; Salter, Joseph C; Faure, Paul A; deCatanzaro, Denys

2017-06-01

Experiments using female mice and bats have demonstrated that tritium-labeled 17β-estradiol ( 3 H-E 2 ) can be absorbed via cutaneous and intranasal routes and distributed to reproductive and neural tissues. Radioactivity has also been measured in tissues of untreated females after 48h cohabitation with 3 H-E 2 injected males. The present study was designed to quantify steroid transfer among female bats. Radioactive quantification via liquid scintillation counting revealed absorption of tritium-labeled progesterone ( 3 H-P 4 ) in adult females 1h after cutaneous and intranasal application (10μCi). Subsequently, pairs of mature females were each housed for 48h with a single mature female that had been administered 3 H-P 4 (50μCi) via intraperitoneal injection. Radioactivity was observed in all collected tissues of all non-injected females at levels significantly greater than the control group. Following the same paradigm, radioactivity was not observed in the tissues of untreated female bats that were housed with stimulus females treated with 3 H-E 2 (50μCi). Enzyme immunoassays revealed measurable levels of unconjugated progesterone and estradiol in the urine of female bats, suggesting urine as a vector for steroid transfer. Given that bats of this species live in predominantly female roosts in very close contact, progesterone transfer among individuals is likely to occur in natural roosts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Task 3 - Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste. Semiannual report, November 1, 1996--March 31, 1997

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

Ness, Robert O.; Aulich, Ted R.

1997-12-31

Over the last 50 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has produced a wide variety of radioactive wastes from activities associated with nuclear defense and nuclear power generation. These wastes include low-level radioactive solid wastes, mixed wastes, and transuranic (TRU) wastes. A portion of these wastes consists of high- organic-content materials, such as resins, plastics, and other polymers; synthetic and natural rubbers; cellulosic-based materials; and oils, organic solvents, and chlorinated organic solvents. Many of these wastes contain hazardous and/or pyrophoric materials in addition to radioactive species. Physical forms of the waste include ion-exchange resins used to remove radioactive elementsmore » from nuclear reactor cooling water, lab equipment and tools (e.g., measurement and containment vessels, hoses, wrappings, equipment coverings and components, and countertops), oil products (e.g., vacuum pump and lubrication oils), bags and other storage containers (for liquids, solids, and gases), solvents, gloves, lab coats and anti-contamination clothing, and other items. Major polymer and chemical groups found in high-organic-content radioactive wastes include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), Teflon(TM), polystyrene (PS), nylon, latex, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), vinyl, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polycarbonate, nitriles, Tygon(R), butyl, and Tyvec(R).« less

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

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

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.

Radioactive Iodine Treatment for Hyperthyroidism

MedlinePlus

... other parts of the body. RAI, also called iodine 131 (I-131), is given as a single-dose capsule or liquid. Most often, you will not need a hospital stay. It can take 6 to ... Know? Radioactive iodine is a generally safe treatment that can cure ...

Liquid sodium dip seal maintenance system

DOEpatents

Briggs, Richard L.; Meacham, Sterling A.

1980-01-01

A system for spraying liquid sodium onto impurities associated with liquid dip seals of nuclear reactors. The liquid sodium mixing with the impurities dissolves the impurities in the liquid sodium. The liquid sodium having dissolved and diluted the impurities carries the impurities away from the site thereby cleaning the liquid dip seal and surrounding area. The system also allows wetting of the metallic surfaces of the dip seal thereby reducing migration of radioactive particles across the wetted boundary.

The effectiveness of wastewater treatment in nuclear medicine: Performance data and radioecological considerations.

PubMed

Sudbrock, F; Schomäcker, K; Drzezga, A

2017-01-01

For planned and ongoing storage of liquid radioactive waste in a designated plant for a nuclear medicine therapy ward (decontamination system/decay system), detailed knowledge of basic parameters such as the amount of radioactivity and the necessary decay time in the plant is required. The design of the plant at the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the University of Cologne, built in 2001, was based on assumptions about the individual discharge of activity from patients, which we can now retrospectively validate. The decontamination factor of the plant is at present in the order of 10 -9 for 131 I. The annual discharges have been continuously reduced over the period of operation and are now in the region of a few kilobecquerels. This work emphasizes the high efficacy of the decontamination plant to reduce the amount of radioactivity released from the nuclear medicine ward into the environment to almost negligible levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 17111 - Hazardous Materials Regulations: Combustible Liquids

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-05

... non-bulk packagings in a revised set of requirements for Class 3 materials, thereby eliminating the... material classed as a combustible liquid in a non-bulk packaging unless the combustible liquid is a... package for limited quantities for Class 7 (radioactive materials) could be transported as a combustible...

Temperature tuning of lasing emission from dye-doped liquid crystal at intermediate twisted phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Kuan-Cheng; Lin, Ja-Hon; Jian, Li-Hao; Chen, Yao-Hui; Wu, Jin-Jei

2015-07-01

Temperature tuning of lasing emission from dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) at intermediate twisted phase has been demonstrated in this work. With heavily doping of 42.5% chiral molecules into the nematic liquid crystals, the shifts of photonic bandgap versus temperature is obviously as thermal controlling of the sample below the certain value. By the differential scanning calorimetr measuremet, we demonstrate the phase transition from the CLC to the smectic phase when the temperature is lowered to be about 15°C. Between CLC and smectic phase, the liquid crystal mixtures are operated at intermediate twisted phase that can be used the temperature related refractive mirror. After pump by the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, the lasing emission from this dye doped LC mixtures has been demonstrated whose emission wavelength can be tuned from 566 to 637 nm with 1.4°C variation.

Atomic and electronic structures of an extremely fragile liquid.

PubMed

Kohara, Shinji; Akola, Jaakko; Patrikeev, Leonid; Ropo, Matti; Ohara, Koji; Itou, Masayoshi; Fujiwara, Akihiko; Yahiro, Jumpei; Okada, Junpei T; Ishikawa, Takehiko; Mizuno, Akitoshi; Masuno, Atsunobu; Watanabe, Yasuhiro; Usuki, Takeshi

2014-12-18

The structure of high-temperature liquids is an important topic for understanding the fragility of liquids. Here we report the structure of a high-temperature non-glass-forming oxide liquid, ZrO2, at an atomistic and electronic level. The Bhatia-Thornton number-number structure factor of ZrO2 does not show a first sharp diffraction peak. The atomic structure comprises ZrO5, ZrO6 and ZrO7 polyhedra with a significant contribution of edge sharing of oxygen in addition to corner sharing. The variety of large oxygen coordination and polyhedral connections with short Zr-O bond lifetimes, induced by the relatively large ionic radius of zirconium, disturbs the evolution of intermediate-range ordering, which leads to a reduced electronic band gap and increased delocalization in the ionic Zr-O bonding. The details of the chemical bonding explain the extremely low viscosity of the liquid and the absence of a first sharp diffraction peak, and indicate that liquid ZrO2 is an extremely fragile liquid.

Atomic and electronic structures of an extremely fragile liquid

PubMed Central

Kohara, Shinji; Akola, Jaakko; Patrikeev, Leonid; Ropo, Matti; Ohara, Koji; Itou, Masayoshi; Fujiwara, Akihiko; Yahiro, Jumpei; Okada, Junpei T.; Ishikawa, Takehiko; Mizuno, Akitoshi; Masuno, Atsunobu; Watanabe, Yasuhiro; Usuki, Takeshi

2014-01-01

The structure of high-temperature liquids is an important topic for understanding the fragility of liquids. Here we report the structure of a high-temperature non-glass-forming oxide liquid, ZrO2, at an atomistic and electronic level. The Bhatia–Thornton number–number structure factor of ZrO2 does not show a first sharp diffraction peak. The atomic structure comprises ZrO5, ZrO6 and ZrO7 polyhedra with a significant contribution of edge sharing of oxygen in addition to corner sharing. The variety of large oxygen coordination and polyhedral connections with short Zr–O bond lifetimes, induced by the relatively large ionic radius of zirconium, disturbs the evolution of intermediate-range ordering, which leads to a reduced electronic band gap and increased delocalization in the ionic Zr–O bonding. The details of the chemical bonding explain the extremely low viscosity of the liquid and the absence of a first sharp diffraction peak, and indicate that liquid ZrO2 is an extremely fragile liquid. PMID:25520236

Effect of temperature during wood torrefaction on the formation of lignin liquid intermediates

Treesearch

Manuel Raul Pelaez-Samaniego; Vikram Yadama; Manuel Garcia-Perez; Eini Lowell; Armando G. McDonald

2014-01-01

Torrefaction enhances physical properties of lignocellulosic biomass and improves its grindability. Energy densification, via fuel pellets production, is one of the most promising uses of torrefaction. Lignin contributes to self-bonding of wood particles during pelletization. In biomass thermal pretreatment, part oflignin (in the form of lignin liquid intermediates –...

Determination of low ppm levels of dimethyl sulfate in an aqueous soluble API intermediate using liquid-liquid extraction and GC-MS.

PubMed

Zheng, Jie; Pritts, Wayne A; Zhang, Shuhong; Wittenberger, Steve

2009-12-05

Dimethyl sulfate (DMS) is an alkylating reagent commonly used in organic syntheses and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Due to its potential carcinogenicity, the level of DMS in the API process needs to be carefully monitored. However, in-process testing for DMS is challenging because of its reactivity and polarity as well as complex matrix effects. In this short communication, we report a GC-MS method for determination of DMS in an API intermediate that is a methyl sulfate salt. To overcome the complex matrix interference, DMS and an internal standard, d6-DMS, were extracted from the matrix with methyl tert-butyl ether. GC separation was conducted on a DB-624 column (30 m long, 0.32 mm ID, 1.8 microm film thickness). MS detection was performed on a single-quad Agilent MSD equipped with an electron impact source while the MSD signal was acquired in selected ion monitoring mode. This GC/MS method showed a linear response for DMS equivalent from 1.0 to 60 ppm. The practical quantitation limit for DMS was 1.0 ppm and the practical detection limit was 0.3 ppm. The relative standard derivation for analyte response was found as 0.1% for six injections of a working standard equivalent to 18.6 ppm of DMS. The spike recovery was ranged from 102.1 to 108.5% for a sample of API intermediate spiked with 8.0 ppm of DMS. In summary, the GC/MS method showed adequate specificity, linearity, sensitivity, repeatability and accuracy for determination of DMS in the API intermediate. This method has been successfully applied to study the efficiency of removing DMS from the process.

Detection of free liquid in drums of radioactive waste. [Patent application

DOEpatents

Not Available

1979-10-16

A nondestructive thermal imaging method for detecting the presence of a liquid such as water within a sealed container is described. The process includes application of a low amplitude heat pulse to an exterior surface area of the container, terminating the heat input and quickly mapping the resulting surface temperatures. The various mapped temperature values can be compared with those known to be normal for the container material and substances in contact. The mapped temperature values show up in different shades of light or darkness that denote different physical substances. The different substances can be determined by direct observation or by comparison with known standards. The method is particularly applicable to the detection of liquids above solidified radioactive wastes stored in sealed containers.

The use of denaturing high-pressure liquid chromatography for the detection of mutations in thiopurine methyltransferase.

PubMed

Hall, A G; Hamilton, P; Minto, L; Coulthard, S A

2001-01-30

The level of expression of the enzyme thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) is an important determinant of the metabolism of drugs used both in the treatment of acute leukaemia (6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine) and as an immunosuppressant in patients with autoimmune diseases or following organ transplantation (azathioprine). Studies of enzyme activity in red blood cells have shown that TPMT expression displays genetic polymorphism with 11% of individuals having intermediate and one in 300 undetectable levels. Patients with biallelic mutations and undetectable enzyme activity suffer life-threatening myelosuppression when treated with conventional doses of these drugs. Patients with intermediate activity have an increased risk of drug-associated toxicity. In the Caucasian populations studied to date, intermediate activity is associated with mutations at two sites of the TPMT gene, G460A and A719G (designated TPMT*3A), in 80% of cases. Detection of these mutations has, to date, been based on the analysis of restriction digests of PCR products. In order to simplify this process we have investigated the ability of denaturing high pressure liquid chromatography (DHPLC) to detect the A719G mutation. DHPLC of PCR products from 15 known heterozygotes (TPMT*3A/TPMT*1) and 18 known homozygotes (TPMT*1/TPMT*1) gave a clear pattern difference between the groups and 100% concordance with the results of restriction digests. These results suggest DHPLC represents a valuable technique for accurate and rapid detection of pharmacologically important mutations in the TPMT gene.

[Blood levels of homocysteine by high pressure liquid chromatography and comparison with two other techniques].

PubMed

Ceppa, F; Drouillard, I; Chianea, D; Burnat, P; Perrier, F; Vaillant, C; El Jahiri, Y

1999-01-01

Cardio-vascular diseases are the most common cause of death in industrialized countries. A new marker has emerged among offending risk factors in the past few years: homocysteine. This sulphured amino-acid is an important intermediate in transsulphuration and remethylation reactions of methionine's metabolism. We proposed to evaluate a home made method of determination for this parameter by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and to compare it to fluorescence polarization immunoassay technique (FPIA) and to gaz phase chromatography (CG-SM). This method associated with good sensibility and precision remain much less expensive than FPIA technique.

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

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2007. DOE Operations at The Boeing Company, Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Area IV

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

Liu, Ning; Rutherford, Phil; Lenox, Art

2008-09-30

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2007 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of Boeing’s Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). The Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned, company-operated test facility, was located in Area IV. The operations in Area IV included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials. Other activities in the area involved the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities that were used for testing non-nuclear liquid metal fast breeder components. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988; all subsequentmore » radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the former nuclear facilities and their associated sites. In May 2007, the D&D operations in Area IV were suspended until DOE completes the SSFL Area IV Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The environmental monitoring programs were continued throughout the year. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year 2007 continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling. All radioactive wastes are processed for disposal at DOE disposal sites and/or other licensed sites approved by DOE for radioactive waste disposal. No liquid radioactive wastes were released into the environment in 2007.« less

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2001. DOE Operations at The Boeing Company, Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power

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

Rutherford, Phil; Samuels, Sandy; Leee, Majelle

2002-09-01

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2001 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of the Boeing Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). In the past, these operations included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials under the former Atomics International (AI) Division. Other activities included the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities for testing of liquid metal fast breeder components at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned, company-operated test facility within Area IV. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988,more » and subsequently, all radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the previously used nuclear facilities and associated site areas. Closure of the sodium test facilities began in 1996. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year of 2001 continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling. All radioactive wastes are processed for disposal at DOE disposal sites and other sites approved by DOE and licensed for radioactive waste. Liquid radioactive wastes are not released into the environment and do not constitute an exposure pathway. No structural debris from buildings, released for unrestricted use, was transferred to municipal landfills or recycled in 2001.« less

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2013. DOE Operations at The Boeing Company, Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Area IV

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

None

2014-06-30

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2013 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). The Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned, company-operated test facility, was located in Area IV. The operations in Area IV included development, fabrication, operation and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials. Other activities in the area involved the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities that were used for testing non-nuclear liquid metal fast breeder reactor components. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988,more » and all subsequent radiological work has been directed toward environmental restoration and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the former nuclear facilities and their associated sites. Liquid metal research and development ended in 2002. Since May 2007, the D&D operations in Area IV have been suspended by the DOE, but the environmental monitoring and characterization programs have continued. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year 2013 continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling. Due to the suspension of D&D activities in Area IV, no effluents were released into the atmosphere during 2013. Therefore, the potential radiation dose to the general public through airborne release was zero. Similarly, the radiation dose to an offsite member of the public (maximally exposed individual) due to direct radiation from SSFL is indistinguishable from background. All radioactive wastes are processed for disposal at DOE disposal sites and/or other licensed sites approved by DOE for radioactive waste disposal. No liquid radioactive wastes were released into the environment in 2013.« less

Radiation doses to members of the public near to Sellafield, Cumbria, from liquid discharges 1952-98.

PubMed

Jackson, D; Lambers, B; Gray, J

2000-06-01

Liquid wastes containing low levels of radioactivity have been discharged to the Irish Sea from the nuclear fuel reprocessing site at Sellafield since operations began in the early 1950s, and monitoring of radioactivity in foodstuffs has been undertaken over many years. Based on the best available monitoring data, supplemented by modelled values where necessary, doses to local critical groups have been reassessed using the most recent dosimetry. Contemporary habits data have been used where available, again supplemented by assumed habits where necessary. During the 1950s and 1960s the highest doses were received by individuals consuming Cumbrian Porphyra as laverbread, and peak doses around 0.8 to 1.0 mSv year(-1) have been estimated. During the 1970s and 1980s the critical exposure group switched to consumers of local fish and shellfish, with peak doses possibly reaching 2.5 to 3.0 mSv year(-1). Latterly, doses to all marine-related groups have declined to less than 150 to 200 microSv year(-1). At all times, doses have been within the appropriate limits set for members of the public.

Results from the first use of low radioactivity argon in a dark matter search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agnes, P.; Agostino, L.; Albuquerque, I. F. M.; Alexander, T.; Alton, A. K.; Arisaka, K.; Back, H. O.; Baldin, B.; Biery, K.; Bonfini, G.; Bossa, M.; Bottino, B.; Brigatti, A.; Brodsky, J.; Budano, F.; Bussino, S.; Cadeddu, M.; Cadonati, L.; Cadoni, M.; Calaprice, F.; Canci, N.; Candela, A.; Cao, H.; Cariello, M.; Carlini, M.; Catalanotti, S.; Cavalcante, P.; Chepurnov, A.; Cocco, A. G.; Covone, G.; Crippa, L.; D'Angelo, D.; D'Incecco, M.; Davini, S.; De Cecco, S.; De Deo, M.; De Vincenzi, M.; Derbin, A.; Devoto, A.; Di Eusanio, F.; Di Pietro, G.; Edkins, E.; Empl, A.; Fan, A.; Fiorillo, G.; Fomenko, K.; Forster, G.; Franco, D.; Gabriele, F.; Galbiati, C.; Giganti, C.; Goretti, A. M.; Granato, F.; Grandi, L.; Gromov, M.; Guan, M.; Guardincerri, Y.; Hackett, B. R.; Herner, K.; Hungerford, E. V.; Ianni, Al.; Ianni, An.; James, I.; Jollet, C.; Keeter, K.; Kendziora, C. L.; Kobychev, V.; Koh, G.; Korablev, D.; Korga, G.; Kubankin, A.; Li, X.; Lissia, M.; Lombardi, P.; Luitz, S.; Ma, Y.; Machulin, I. N.; Mandarano, A.; Mari, S. M.; Maricic, J.; Marini, L.; Martoff, C. J.; Meregaglia, A.; Meyers, P. D.; Miletic, T.; Milincic, R.; Montanari, D.; Monte, A.; Montuschi, M.; Monzani, M.; Mosteiro, P.; Mount, B. J.; Muratova, V. N.; Musico, P.; Napolitano, J.; Nelson, A.; Odrowski, S.; Orsini, M.; Ortica, F.; Pagani, L.; Pallavicini, M.; Pantic, E.; Parmeggiano, S.; Pelczar, K.; Pelliccia, N.; Perasso, S.; Pocar, A.; Pordes, S.; Pugachev, D. A.; Qian, H.; Randle, K.; Ranucci, G.; Razeto, A.; Reinhold, B.; Renshaw, A. L.; Romani, A.; Rossi, B.; Rossi, N.; Rountree, D.; Sablone, D.; Saggese, P.; Saldanha, R.; Sands, W.; Sangiorgio, S.; Savarese, C.; Segreto, E.; Semenov, D. A.; Shields, E.; Singh, P. N.; Skorokhvatov, M. D.; Smirnov, O.; Sotnikov, A.; Stanford, C.; Suvorov, Y.; Tartaglia, R.; Tatarowicz, J.; Testera, G.; Tonazzo, A.; Trinchese, P.; Unzhakov, E. V.; Vishneva, A.; Vogelaar, B.; Wada, M.; Walker, S.; Wang, H.; Wang, Y.; Watson, A. W.; Westerdale, S.; Wilhelmi, J.; Wojcik, M. M.; Xiang, X.; Xu, J.; Yang, C.; Yoo, J.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zec, A.; Zhong, W.; Zhu, C.; Zuzel, G.; DarkSide Collaboration

2016-04-01

Liquid argon is a bright scintillator with potent particle identification properties, making it an attractive target for direct-detection dark matter searches. The DarkSide-50 dark matter search here reports the first WIMP search results obtained using a target of low-radioactivity argon. DarkSide-50 is a dark matter detector, using a two-phase liquid argon time projection chamber, located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. The underground argon is shown to contain 39Ar at a level reduced by a factor (1.4 ±0.2 )×103 relative to atmospheric argon. We report a background-free null result from (2616 ±43 ) kg d of data, accumulated over 70.9 live days. When combined with our previous search using an atmospheric argon, the 90% C.L. upper limit on the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross section, based on zero events found in the WIMP search regions, is 2.0 ×10-44 cm2 (8.6 ×10-44 cm2 , 8.0 ×10-43 cm2 ) for a WIMP mass of 100 GeV /c2 (1 TeV /c2 , 10 TeV /c2 ).

Results from the first use of low radioactivity argon in a dark matter search

DOE PAGES

Agnes, P.

2016-04-08

Liquid argon is a bright scintillator with potent particle identification properties, making it an attractive target for direct-detection dark matter searches. The DarkSide-50 dark matter search here reports the first WIMP search results obtained using a target of low-radioactivity argon. DarkSide-50 is a dark matter detector, using two-phase liquid argon time projection chamber, located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. The underground argon is shown to contain Ar-39 at a level reduced by a factor (1.4 +- 0.2) x 10 3 relative to atmospheric argon. We report a background-free null result from (2616 +- 43) kg d of data,more » accumulated over 70.9 live-days. When combined with our previous search using an atmospheric argon, the 90 % C.L. upper limit on the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross section based on zero events found in the WIMP search regions, is 2.0 x 10 -44 cm 2 (8.6 x 10 -44 cm 2, 8.0 x 10 -43 cm 2) for a WIMP mass of 100 GeV/c 2 (1 TeV/c 2 , 10 TeV/c 2).« less

Development of a low background liquid scintillation counter for a shallow underground laboratory

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

Erchinger, Jennifer L.; Aalseth, Craig E.; Bernacki, Bruce E.

2015-08-20

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has recently opened a shallow underground laboratory intended for measurement of lowconcentration levels of radioactive isotopes in samples collected from the environment. The development of a low-background liquid scintillation counter is currently underway to further augment the measurement capabilities within this underground laboratory. Liquid scintillation counting is especially useful for measuring charged particle (e.g., B, a) emitting isotopes with no (orvery weak) gamma-ray yields. The combination of high-efficiency detection of charged particle emission in a liquid scintillation cocktail coupled with the low-background environment of an appropriately-designed shield located in a clean underground laboratory provides the opportunitymore » for increased-sensitivity measurements of a range of isotopes. To take advantage of the 35-meter water-equivalent overburden of the underground laboratory, a series of simulations have evaluated the instrumental shield design requirements to assess the possible background rate achievable. This report presents the design and background evaluation for a shallow underground, low background liquid scintillation counter design for sample measurements.« 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

Secondary Waste Form Down Selection Data Package – Ceramicrete

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

Cantrell, Kirk J.; Westsik, Joseph H.

2011-08-31

As part of high-level waste pretreatment and immobilized low activity waste processing, liquid secondary wastes will be generated that will be transferred to the Effluent Treatment Facility on the Hanford Site for further treatment. These liquid secondary wastes will be converted to stable solid waste forms that will be disposed in the Integrated Disposal Facility. Currently, four waste forms are being considered for stabilization and solidification of the liquid secondary wastes. These waste forms are Cast Stone, Ceramicrete, DuraLith, and Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer. The preferred alternative will be down selected from these four waste forms. Pacific Northwest National Laboratorymore » is developing data packages to support the down selection process. The objective of the data packages is to identify, evaluate, and summarize the existing information on the four waste forms being considered for stabilization and solidification of the liquid secondary wastes. The information included will be based on information available in the open literature and from data obtained from testing currently underway. This data package is for the Ceramicrete waste form. Ceramicrete is a relatively new engineering material developed at Argonne National Laboratory to treat radioactive and hazardous waste streams (e.g., Wagh 2004; Wagh et al. 1999a, 2003; Singh et al. 2000). This cement-like waste form can be used to treat solids, liquids, and sludges by chemical immobilization, microencapsulation, and/or macroencapsulation. The Ceramicrete technology is based on chemical reaction between phosphate anions and metal cations to form a strong, dense, durable, low porosity matrix that immobilizes hazardous and radioactive contaminants as insoluble phosphates and microencapsulates insoluble radioactive components and other constituents that do not form phosphates. Ceramicrete is a type of phosphate-bonded ceramic, which are also known as chemically bonded phosphate ceramics. The Ceramicrete binder is formed through an acid-base reaction between calcined magnesium oxide (MgO; a base) and potassium hydrogen phosphate (KH{sub 2}PO{sub 4}; an acid) in aqueous solution. The reaction product sets at room temperature to form a highly crystalline material. During the reaction, the hazardous and radioactive contaminants also react with KH{sub 2}PO{sub 4} to form highly insoluble phosphates. In this data package, physical property and waste acceptance data for Ceramicrete waste forms fabricated with wastes having compositions that were similar to those expected for secondary waste effluents, as well as secondary waste effluent simulants from the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant were reviewed. With the exception of one secondary waste form formulation (25FA+25 W+1B.A. fabricated with the mixed simulant did not meet the compressive strength requirement), all the Ceramicrete waste forms that were reviewed met or exceeded Integrated Disposal Facility waste acceptance criteria.« less

Circulating microRNA signature as liquid-biopsy to monitor lung cancer in low-dose computed tomography screening.

PubMed

Sestini, Stefano; Boeri, Mattia; Marchiano, Alfonso; Pelosi, Giuseppe; Galeone, Carlotta; Verri, Carla; Suatoni, Paola; Sverzellati, Nicola; La Vecchia, Carlo; Sozzi, Gabriella; Pastorino, Ugo

2015-10-20

Liquid biopsies can detect biomarkers carrying information on the development and progression of cancer. We demonstrated that a 24 plasma-based microRNA signature classifier (MSC) was capable of increasing the specificity of low dose computed tomography (LDCT) in a lung cancer screening trial. In the present study, we tested the prognostic performance of MSC, and its ability to monitor disease status recurrence in LDCT screening-detected lung cancers.Between 2000 and 2010, 3411 heavy smokers enrolled in two screening programmes, underwent annual or biennial LDCT. During the first five years of screening, 84 lung cancer patients were classified according to one of the three MSC levels of risk: high, intermediate or low. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed according to MSC and clinico-pathological information. Follow-up MSC analysis was performed on longitudinal plasma samples (n = 100) collected from 31 patients before and after surgical resection.Five-year survival was 88.9% for low risk, 79.5% for intermediate risk and 40.1% for high risk MSC (p = 0.001). The prognostic power of MSC persisted after adjusting for tumor stage (p = 0.02) and when the analysis was restricted to LDCT-detected cases after exclusion of interval cancers (p < 0.001). The MSC risk level decreased after surgery in 76% of the 25 high-intermediate subjects who remained disease free, whereas in relapsing patients an increase of the MSC risk level was observed at the time of detection of second primary tumor or metastatic progression.These results encourage exploiting the MSC test for lung cancer monitoring in LDCT screening for lung cancer.

Liquid xenon purification, de-radonation (and de-kryptonation)

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

Pocar, Andrea, E-mail: pocar@umass.edu; Physics Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550

Liquid xenon detectors are at the forefront of rare event physics, including searches for neutrino-less double beta decay and WIMP dark matter. The xenon for these experiments needs to be purified from chemical impurities such as electronegative atoms and molecules, which absorb ionization electrons, and VUV (178 nm) scintillation light-absorbing chemical species. In addition, superb purification from radioactive impurities is required. Particularly challenging are radioactive noble isotopes ({sup 85}Kr,{sup 39,42}Ar,{sup 220,222}Rn). Radon is a particularly universal problem, due to the extended decay sequence of its daughters and its ubiquitous presence in detector materials. Purification and de-radonation of liquid xenon aremore » addressed with particular focus on the experience gained with the EXO-200 neutrino-less double beta decay detector.« 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.

Radioactive waste from decommissioning of fast reactors (through the example of BN-800)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rybin, A. A.; Momot, O. A.

2017-01-01

Estimation of volume of radioactive waste from operating and decommissioning of fast reactors is introduced. Preliminary estimation has shown that the volume of RW from decommissioning of BN-800 is amounted to 63,000 cu. m. Comparison of the amount of liquid radioactive waste derived from operation of different reactor types is performed. Approximate costs of all wastes disposal for complete decommissioning of BN-800 reactor are estimated amounting up to approx. 145 million.

Precursor–product relationship between intrahepatic albumin and plasma albumin

PubMed Central

LeBouton, A. V.

1968-01-01

Rats were injected with [3H]leucine, and at various times thereafter labelled albumin was isolated by electrophoresis from their livers and blood plasma. The specific radioactivity of each protein was determined by spectrophotometry and liquid-scintillation spectrometry. Intrahepatic albumin was shown to be identical with plasma albumin by its electrophoretic mobility and antigenicity. It was found that intrahepatic albumin was the direct precursor of plasma albumin. Comparison of their specific radioactivities showed that intrahepatic albumin attained a higher specific radioactivity before plasma albumin. When plasma albumin reached its maximum specific radioactivity, that of intrahepatic albumin had decreased to a similar value. Thereafter, the specific radioactivity of intrahepatic albumin remained lower than that of plasma albumin. PMID:4966084

Process for immobilizing radioactive boric acid liquid wastes

DOEpatents

Greenhalgh, Wilbur O.

1986-01-01

A method of immobilizing boric acid liquid wastes containing radionuclides by neutralizing the solution and evaporating the resulting precipitate to near dryness. The dry residue is then fused into a reduced volume, insoluble, inert, solid form containing substantially all the radionuclides.

Distribution and elimination of [14C] sarafloxacin hydrochloride from tissues of juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gingerich, W.H.; Meinertz, J.R.; Dawson, V.K.; Gofus, J.E.; Delaney, L.J.; Bunnell, P.R.

1995-01-01

The distribution and loss of radioactivity from tissues were determined in 60 juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) following oral dosing with the candidate fish therapeutant Sarafin® ([14C] sarafloxacin hydrochloride) at 10 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days. Twelve groups of 5 fish each were sampled at selected times ranging from 3 to 240 h after the last dose was administered, The concentration and content of sarafloxacin-equivalent activity was determined in liver, gallbladder, kidney, skin, and skinless fillet by sample oxidation and liquid scintillation counting; content of sarafloxacin-equivalent activity was determined in stomach and anterior and posterior intestines, Skinless fillet tissues were also analyzed for sarafloxacin and for potential metabolites by gradient-elution high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with in-line radiometric and fluorescence detection, Loss of radioactivity from the whole body conformed to a bimodal elimination pattern with a rapid initial phase (t1/2=11 h) and a slower secondary phase (t1/2=222 h). Tissue and contents of the gastrointestinal tract (i.e. stomach and anterior and posterior intestines) were a principal depot of activity during the first four sample times (3, 6, 12, and 24 h); the combined head, skeleton, and fins (i.e. residual carcass) were the principal depot of activity in samples taken after 24 h. Of those tissues sampled 3 h after the last dose, relative sarafloxacin concentration was greatest in the liver (4.06 μg equivalents/g) and least in the residual carcass (1.13 μg equivalents/g), Intermediate concentrations were found in the kidney (2.04 μg equivalents/g), skinless fillet (1.71 μg equivalents/ g), and the skin (1.51 μg equivalents/g). Concentrations of sarafloxacin-equivalent residues in edible skinless fillet were consistently among the lowest of all tissues examined. The highest mean concentration of parent-equivalent material in the fillet tissue was found 12 h after administration of the last dose (2.27 μg equivalents/g) and declined thereafter, Sarafloxacin constituted between 80 and 90% of the extractable radioactive residues from the fillet homogenates. No other peaks were resolved in any of the fillet tissue samples analyzed by HPLC with in-line radiometric detection.

A proposed method to minimize waste from institutional radiation safety surveillance programs through the application of expected value statistics.

PubMed

Emery, R J

1997-03-01

Institutional radiation safety programs routinely use wipe test sampling and liquid scintillation counting analysis to indicate the presence of removable radioactive contamination. Significant volumes of liquid waste can be generated by such surveillance activities, and the subsequent disposal of these materials can sometimes be difficult and costly. In settings where large numbers of negative results are regularly obtained, the limited grouping of samples for analysis based on expected value statistical techniques is possible. To demonstrate the plausibility of the approach, single wipe samples exposed to varying amounts of contamination were analyzed concurrently with nine non-contaminated samples. Although the sample grouping inevitably leads to increased quenching with liquid scintillation counting systems, the effect did not impact the ability to detect removable contamination in amounts well below recommended action levels. Opportunities to further improve this cost effective semi-quantitative screening procedure are described, including improvements in sample collection procedures, enhancing sample-counting media contact through mixing and extending elution periods, increasing sample counting times, and adjusting institutional action levels.

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.

Speciation of mercury in sludge solids: washed sludge

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

Bannochie, C. J.; Lourie, A. P.

2017-10-24

The objective of this applied research task was to study the type and concentration of mercury compounds found within the contaminated Savannah River Site Liquid Waste System (SRS LWS). A method of selective sequential extraction (SSE), developed by Eurofins Frontier Global Sciences1,2 and adapted by SRNL, utilizes an extraction procedure divided into seven separate tests for different species of mercury. In the SRNL’s modified procedure four of these tests were applied to a washed sample of high level radioactive waste sludge.

Subthreshold neutron interrogator for detection of radioactive materials

DOEpatents

Evans, Michael L.; Menlove, Howard O.; Baker, Michael P.

1980-01-01

A device for detecting fissionable material such as uranium in low concentrations by interrogating with photoneutrons at energy levels below 500 keV, and typically about 26 keV. Induced fast neutrons having energies above 500 keV by the interrogated fissionable material are detected by a liquid scintillator or recoil proportional counter which is sensitive to the induced fast neutrons. Since the induced fast neutrons are proportional to the concentration of fissionable material, detection of induced fast neutrons indicate concentration of the fissionable material.

A variable conductance gas switch for intermediate temperature operation of liquid He/liquid N2 cryostats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rayner, J. T.; Chuter, T. C.; Mclean, I. S.; Radostitz, J. V.; Nolt, I. G.

1988-01-01

A technique for establishing a stable intermediate temperature stage in liquid He/liquid N2 double vessel cryostats is described. The tertiary cold stage, which can be tuned to any temperature between 10 and 60 K, is ideal for cooling IR sensors for use in astronomy and physics applications. The device is called a variable-conductance gas switch. It is essentially a small chamber, located between the cold stage and liquid helium cold-face, whose thermal conductance may be controlled by varying the pressure of helium gas within the chamber. A key feature of this device is the large range of temperature control achieved with a very small (less than 10 mW) heat input from the cryogenic temperature control switch.

Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 15, Appendix P: waste management

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

Kelly, B.A.

1984-07-01

Since their inception, the DOE facilities on the Oak Ridge Reservation have been the source of a variety of airborne, liquid, and solid wastes which are characterized as nonhazardous, hazardous, and/or radioactive. The major airborne releases come from three primary sources: steam plant emissions, process discharge, and cooling towers. Liquid wastes are handled in various manners depending upon the particular waste, but in general, major corrosive waste streams are neutralized prior to discharge with the discharge routed to holding or settling ponds. The major solid wastes are derived from construction debris, sanitary operation, and radioactive processes, and the machining operationsmore » at Y-12. Nonradioactive hazardous wastes are disposed in solid waste storage areas, shipped to commercial disposal facilities, returned in sludge ponds, or sent to radioactive waste burial areas. The radioactive-hazardous wastes are treated in two manners: storage of the waste until acceptable disposal options are developed, or treatment of the waste to remove or destroy one of the components prior to disposal. 5 references, 4 figures, 13 tables.« less

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.

Process for immobilizing radioactive boric acid liquid wastes

DOEpatents

Greenhalgh, W.O.

1984-05-10

Disclosed is a method of immobilizing boric acid liquid wastes containing radionuclides by neutralizing the solution and evaporating the resulting precipitate to near dryness. The dry residue is then fused into a reduced volume, insoluble, inert, solid form containing substantially all the radionuclides.

A compact ultra-clean system for deploying radioactive sources inside the KamLAND detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banks, T. I.; Freedman, S. J.; Wallig, J.; Ybarrolaza, N.; Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; Ikeda, H.; Inoue, K.; Kishimoto, Y.; Koga, M.; Mitsui, T.; Nakamura, K.; Shimizu, I.; Shirai, J.; Suzuki, A.; Takemoto, Y.; Tamae, K.; Ueshima, K.; Watanabe, H.; Xu, B. D.; Yoshida, H.; Yoshida, S.; Kozlov, A.; Grant, C.; Keefer, G.; Piepke, A.; Bloxham, T.; Fujikawa, B. K.; Han, K.; Ichimura, K.; Murayama, H.; O`Donnell, T.; Steiner, H. M.; Winslow, L. A.; Dwyer, D. A.; McKeown, R. D.; Zhang, C.; Berger, B. E.; Lane, C. E.; Maricic, J.; Miletic, T.; Batygov, M.; Learned, J. G.; Matsuno, S.; Sakai, M.; Horton-Smith, G. A.; Downum, K. E.; Gratta, G.; Efremenko, Y.; Perevozchikov, O.; Karwowski, H. J.; Markoff, D. M.; Tornow, W.; Heeger, K. M.; Detwiler, J. A.; Enomoto, S.; Decowski, M. P.

2015-01-01

We describe a compact, ultra-clean device used to deploy radioactive sources along the vertical axis of the KamLAND liquid-scintillator neutrino detector for purposes of calibration. The device worked by paying out and reeling in precise lengths of a hanging, small-gauge wire rope (cable); an assortment of interchangeable radioactive sources could be attached to a weight at the end of the cable. All components exposed to the radiopure liquid scintillator were made of chemically compatible UHV-cleaned materials, primarily stainless steel, in order to avoid contaminating or degrading the scintillator. To prevent radon intrusion, the apparatus was enclosed in a hermetically sealed housing inside a glove box, and both volumes were regularly flushed with purified nitrogen gas. An infrared camera attached to the side of the housing permitted real-time visual monitoring of the cable's motion, and the system was controlled via a graphical user interface.

Assessment of the genotoxicity of 137Cs radiation using Vicia-micronucleus, Tradescantia-micronucleus and Tradescantia-stamen-hair mutation bioassays.

PubMed

Minouflet, Marion; Ayrault, Sophie; Badot, Pierre-Marie; Cotelle, Sylvie; Ferard, Jean-François

2005-01-01

Since the middle of the 20th century, ionizing radiations from radioactive isotopes including 137Cs have been investigated to determine their genotoxic impact on living organisms. The present study was designed to compare the effectiveness of three plant bioassays to assess DNA damage induced by low doses of 137Cs: Vicia-micronucleus test (Vicia-MCN), Tradescantia-micronucleus test (Trad-MCN) and Tradescantia-stamen-hair mutation test (Trad-SH) were used. Vicia faba (broad bean) and Tradescantia clone 4430 (spiderwort) were exposed to 137Cs according to different scenarios: external and internal (contamination) irradiations. Experiments were conducted with various levels of radioactivity in solution or in soil, using solid or liquid 137Cs sources. The three bioassays showed different sensitivities to the treatments. Trad-MCN appeared to be the most sensitive test (significative response from 1.5 kBq/200 ml after 30 h of contamination). Moreover, at comparable doses, internal irradiations led to larger effects for the three bioassays. These bioassays are effective tests for assessing the genotoxic effects of radioactive 137Cs pollution.

A high-performance liquid chromatography method for the serotonin release assay is equivalent to the radioactive method.

PubMed

Sono-Koree, N K; Crist, R A; Frank, E L; Rodgers, G M; Smock, K J

2016-02-01

The serotonin release assay (SRA) is considered the gold standard laboratory test for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). The historic SRA method uses platelets loaded with radiolabeled serotonin to evaluate platelet activation by HIT immune complexes. However, a nonradioactive method is desirable. We report the performance characteristics of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) SRA method. We validated the performance characteristics of an HPLC-SRA method, including correlation with a reference laboratory using the radioactive method. Serotonin released from reagent platelets was quantified by HPLC using fluorescent detection. Results were expressed as % release and classified as positive, negative, or indeterminate based on previously published cutoffs. Serum samples from 250 subjects with suspected HIT were tested in the HPLC-SRA and with the radioactive method. Concordant classifications were observed in 230 samples (92%). Sera from 41 healthy individuals tested negative. Between-run imprecision studies showed standard deviation of <6 (% release) for positive, weak positive, and negative serum pools. Stability studies demonstrated stability after two freeze-thaw cycles or up to a week of refrigeration. The HPLC-SRA has robust performance characteristics, equivalent to the historic radioactive method, but avoids the complexities of working with radioactivity. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

Separation and quantitation of polyethylene glycols 400 and 3350 from human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Ryan, C M; Yarmush, M L; Tompkins, R G

1992-04-01

Polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG 3350) is useful as an orally administered probe to measure in vivo intestinal permeability to macromolecules. Previous methods to detect polyethylene glycol (PEG) excreted in the urine have been hampered by inherent inaccuracies associated with liquid-liquid extraction and turbidimetric analysis. For accurate quantitation by previous methods, radioactive labels were required. This paper describes a method to separate and quantitate PEG 3350 and PEG 400 in human urine that is independent of radioactive labels and is accurate in clinical practice. The method uses sized regenerated cellulose membranes and mixed ion-exchange resin for sample preparation and high-performance liquid chromatography with refractive index detection for analysis. The 24-h excretion for normal individuals after an oral dose of 40 g of PEG 3350 and 5 g of PEG 400 was 0.12 +/- 0.04% of the original dose of PEG 3350 and 26.3 +/- 5.1% of the original dose of PEG 400.

Radioactive nondestructive test method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Obrien, J. R.; Pullen, K. E.

1971-01-01

Various radioisotope techniques were used as diagnostic tools for determining the performance of spacecraft propulsion feed system elements. Applications were studied in four tasks. The first two required experimental testing involving the propellant liquid oxygen difluoride (OF2): the neutron activation analysis of dissolved or suspended metals, and the use of radioactive tracers to evaluate the probability of constrictions in passive components (orifices and filters) becoming clogged by matter dissolved or suspended in the OF2. The other tasks were an appraisal of the applicability of radioisotope techniques to problems arising from the exposure of components to liquid/gas combinations, and an assessment of the applicability of the techniques to other propellants.

Pressure-induced structural change in liquid GaIn eutectic alloy.

PubMed

Yu, Q; Ahmad, A S; Ståhl, K; Wang, X D; Su, Y; Glazyrin, K; Liermann, H P; Franz, H; Cao, Q P; Zhang, D X; Jiang, J Z

2017-04-25

Synchrotron x-ray diffraction reveals a pressure induced crystallization at about 3.4 GPa and a polymorphic transition near 10.3 GPa when compressed a liquid GaIn eutectic alloy up to ~13 GPa at room temperature in a diamond anvil cell. Upon decompression, the high pressure crystalline phase remains almost unchanged until it transforms to the liquid state at around 2.3 GPa. The ab initio molecular dynamics calculations can reproduce the low pressure crystallization and give some hints on the understanding of the transition between the liquid and the crystalline phase on the atomic level. The calculated pair correlation function g(r) shows a non-uniform contraction reflected by the different compressibility between the short (1st shell) and the intermediate (2nd to 4th shells). It is concluded that the pressure-induced liquid-crystalline phase transformation likely arises from the changes in local atomic packing of the nearest neighbors as well as electronic structures at the transition pressure.

Frequency and Wavevector Dependence of the Atomic Level Stress-Stress Correlation Function in a Model Supercooled Liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levashov, Valentin A.; Morris, James R.; Egami, Takeshi

2012-02-01

Temporal and spatial correlations among the local atomic level shear stresses were studied for a model liquid iron by molecular dynamics simulation [PRL 106,115703]. Integration over time and space of the shear stress correlation function F(r,t) yields viscosity via Green-Kubo relation. The stress correlation function in time and space F(r,t) was Fourier transformed to study the dependence on frequency, E, and wave vector, Q. The results, F(Q,E), showed damped shear stress waves propagating in the liquid for small Q at high and low temperatures. We also observed additional diffuse feature that appears as temperature is reduced below crossover temperature of potential energy landscape at relatively low frequencies at small Q. We suggest that this additional feature might be related to dynamic heterogeneity and boson peaks. We also discuss a relation between the time-scale of the stress-stress correlation function and the alpha-relaxation time of the intermediate self-scattering function S(Q,E).

An open-label, single-dose, phase 1 study of the absorption, metabolism and excretion of quizartinib, a highly selective and potent FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in healthy male subjects, for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

PubMed

Sanga, Madhu; James, Joyce; Marini, Joseph; Gammon, Guy; Hale, Christine; Li, Jianke

2017-10-01

1. Quizartinib absorption, metabolism and excretion were characterized in six healthy men receiving a single oral dose of 60 mg (≈100 μCi) of [ 14 C]-quizartinib. Blood, plasma, urine and faeces were collected ≤336 h postdose. 2. Four hours postdose, maximum mean ± SD blood radioactivity concentrations were 296 ± 67.4 ng equivalents/g. A mean ± SD of 1.64 ± 0.482% and 76.3 ± 6.23% of the dose was recovered in urine and faeces, respectively, within 336 h postdose. 3. Radio-detector high-performance liquid chromatography (radio-HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) showed two main radioactive peaks in plasma, unchanged quizartinib and mono-oxidative metabolite, AC886. Five additional metabolites in plasma were identified by LC-MS, but low levels prevented radio-HPLC detection. Although unchanged quizartinib was the main radioactive component in faeces (mean, 4.0% of administered dose), 15 metabolites representing a mean of 1.0-3.5% of administered dose were found. Quizartinib was predominantly metabolized by phase I biotransformations (oxidation, reduction, dealkylation, deamination, hydrolysis and combinations thereof). 4. This study indicated that quizartinib was rapidly and orally bioavailable, extensively metabolized, with AC886 as the major circulating metabolite, and predominantly eliminated in faeces. Quizartinib was well tolerated in the subjects.

Field testing of particulate matter continuous emission monitors at the DOE Oak Ridge TSCA incinerator. Toxic Substances Control Act.

PubMed

Dunn, James E; Davis, Wayne T; Calcagno, James A; Allen, Marshall W

2002-01-01

A field study to evaluate the performance of three commercially available particulate matter (PM) continuous emission monitors (CEMs) was conducted in 1999-2000 at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator. This study offers unique features that are believed to enhance the collective US experience with PM CEMs. The TSCA Incinerator is permitted to treat PCB-contaminated RCRA hazardous low-level radioactive wastes. The air pollution control system utilizes MACT control technology and is comprised of a rapid quench, venturi scrubber, packed bed scrubber, and two ionizing wet scrubbers in series, which create a saturated flue gas that must be conditioned by the CEMs prior to measurement. The incinerator routinely treats a wide variety of wastes including high and low BTU organic liquids, aqueous, and solid wastes. The various possible combinations for treating liquid and solid wastes may present a challenge in establishing a single, acceptable correlation relationship for individual CEMs. The effect of low-level radioactive material present in the waste is a unique site-specific factor not evaluated in previous tests. The three systems chosen for evaluation were two beta gauge devices and a light scattering device. The performance of the CEMs was evaluated using the requirements in draft Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Performance Specification 11 (PS11) and Procedure 2. The results of Reference Method 5i stack tests for establishing statistical correlations between the reference method data and the CEMs responses are discussed.

Efficient removal of cesium from low-level radioactive liquid waste using natural and impregnated zeolite minerals.

PubMed

Borai, E H; Harjula, R; Malinen, Leena; Paajanen, Airi

2009-12-15

The objective of the proposed work was focused to provide promising solid-phase materials that combine relatively inexpensive and high removal capacity of some radionuclides from low-level radioactive liquid waste (LLRLW). Four various zeolite minerals including natural clinoptilolite (NaNCl), natural chabazite (NaNCh), natural mordenite (NaNM) and synthetic mordenite (NaSM) were investigated. The effective key parameters on the sorption behavior of cesium (Cs-134) were investigated using batch equilibrium technique with respect to the waste solution pH, contacting time, potassium ion concentration, waste solution volume/sorbent weight ratio and Cs ion concentration. The obtained results revealed that natural chabazite (NaNCh) has the higher distribution coefficients and capacity towards Cs ion rather than the other investigated zeolite materials. Furthermore, novel impregnated zeolite material (ISM) was prepared by loading Calix [4] arene bis(-2,3 naphtho-crown-6) onto synthetic mordenite to combine the high removal uptake of the mordenite with the high selectivity of Calix [4] arene towards Cs radionuclide. Comparing the obtained results for both NaSM and the impregnated synthetic mordenite (ISM-25), it could be observed that the impregnation process leads to high improvement in the distribution coefficients of Cs+ ion (from 0.52 to 27.63 L/g). The final objective in all cases was aimed at determining feasible and economically reliable solution to the management of LLRLW specifically for the problems related to the low decontamination factor and the effective recovery of monovalent cesium ion.

Laboratory studies on the removal of radon-born lead from KamLAND's organic liquid scintillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keefer, G.; Grant, C.; Piepke, A.; Ebihara, T.; Ikeda, H.; Kishimoto, Y.; Kibe, Y.; Koseki, Y.; Ogawa, M.; Shirai, J.; Takeuchi, S.; Mauger, C.; Zhang, C.; Schweitzer, G.; Berger, B. E.; Dazeley, S.; Decowski, M. P.; Detwiler, J. A.; Djurcic, Z.; Dwyer, D. A.; Efremenko, Y.; Enomoto, S.; Freedman, S. J.; Fujikawa, B. K.; Furuno, K.; Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; Gratta, G.; Hatakeyama, S.; Heeger, K. M.; Hsu, L.; Ichimura, K.; Inoue, K.; Iwamoto, T.; Kamyshkov, Y.; Karwowski, H. J.; Koga, M.; Kozlov, A.; Lane, C. E.; Learned, J. G.; Maricic, J.; Markoff, D. M.; Matsuno, S.; McKee, D.; McKeown, R. D.; Miletic, T.; Mitsui, T.; Motoki, M.; Nakajima, Kyo; Nakajima, Kyohei; Nakamura, K.; O`Donnell, T.; Ogawa, H.; Piquemal, F.; Ricol, J.-S.; Shimizu, I.; Suekane, F.; Suzuki, A.; Svoboda, R.; Tajima, O.; Takemoto, Y.; Tamae, K.; Tolich, K.; Tornow, W.; Watanabe, Hideki; Watanabe, Hiroko; Winslow, L. A.; Yoshida, S.

2015-01-01

The removal of radioactivity from liquid scintillator has been studied in preparation of a low background phase of KamLAND. This paper describes the methods and techniques developed to measure and efficiently extract radon decay products from liquid scintillator. We report the radio-isotope reduction factors obtained when applying various extraction methods. During this study, distillation was identified as the most efficient method for removing radon-born lead from liquid scintillator.

Laboratory studies on the removal of radon-born lead from KamLAND׳s organic liquid scintillator

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

Keefer, G.; Grant, C.; Piepke, A.

We studied the removal of radioactivity from liquid scintillator in preparation of a low background phase of KamLAND. We describe the methods and techniques developed to measure and efficiently extract radon decay products from liquid scintillator. Lastly, we report the radio-isotope reduction factors obtained when applying various extraction methods. During this study, distillation was identified as the most efficient method for removing radon daughters from liquid scintillator.

Laboratory studies on the removal of radon-born lead from KamLAND׳s organic liquid scintillator

DOE PAGES

Keefer, G.; Grant, C.; Piepke, A.; ...

2014-09-28

We studied the removal of radioactivity from liquid scintillator in preparation of a low background phase of KamLAND. We describe the methods and techniques developed to measure and efficiently extract radon decay products from liquid scintillator. Lastly, we report the radio-isotope reduction factors obtained when applying various extraction methods. During this study, distillation was identified as the most efficient method for removing radon daughters from liquid scintillator.

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

Johnson, Bradley R.

The Hidden Cost of Nuclear Weapons The Cold War arms race drove an intense plutonium production program in the U.S. This campaign produced approximately 100 tons of plutonium over 40 years. The epicenter of plutonium production in the United States was the Hanford site, a 586 square mile reservation owned by the Department of Energy and located on the Colombia River in Southeastern Washington. Plutonium synthesis relied on nuclear reactors to convert uranium to plutonium within the reactor fuel rods. After a sufficient amount of conversion occurred, the rods were removed from the reactor and allowed to cool. They weremore » then dissolved in an acid bath and chemically processed to separate and purify plutonium from the rest of the constituents in the used reactor fuel. The acidic waste was then neutralized using sodium hydroxide and the resulting mixture of liquids and precipitates (small insoluble particles) was stored in huge underground waste tanks. The byproducts of the U.S. plutonium production campaign include over 53 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste stored in 177 large underground tanks at Hanford and another 34 million gallons stored at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. This legacy nuclear waste represents one of the largest environmental clean-up challenges facing the world today. The nuclear waste in the Hanford tanks is a mixture of liquids and precipitates that have settled into sludge. Some of these tanks are now over 60 years old and a small number of them are leaking radioactive waste into the ground and contaminating the environment. The solution to this nuclear waste challenge is to convert the mixture of solids and liquids into a durable material that won't disperse into the environment and create hazards to the biosphere. What makes this difficult is the fact that the radioactive half-lives of some of the radionuclides in the waste are thousands to millions of years long. (The half-life of a radioactive substance is the amount of time it takes for one-half of the material to undergo radioactive decay.) In general, the ideal material would need to be durable for approximately 10 half-lives to allow the activity to decay to negligible levels. However, the potential health effects of each radionuclide vary depending on what type of radiation is emitted, the energy of that emission, and the susceptibility for the human body to accumulate and concentrate that particular element. Consequently, actual standards tend to be based on limiting the dose (energy deposited per unit mass) that is introduced into the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the responsibility to establish standards for nuclear waste disposal to protect the health and safety of the public. For example, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 directed the EPA to establish radiation protection standards for the Yucca Mountain geologic repository for nuclear wastes. The standards for Yucca Mountain were promulgated in 2008, and limit the dose to 15 millirem per year for the first 10,000 years, and 100 milirem per year between 10,000 years and 1 million years (40 CFR Part 197; http://www.epa.gov/radiation/yucca/2008factsheet.html). So, the challenge is two-fold: (1) develop a material (a waste form) that is capable of immobilizing the waste over geologic time scales, and (2) develop a process to convert the radioactive sludge in the tanks into this durable waste form material. Glass: Hard, durable, inert, and with infinite chemical versatility Molten glass is a powerful solvent liquid, which can be designed to dissolve almost anything. When solidified, it can be one of the most chemically inert substances known to man. Nature's most famous analogue to glass is obsidian, a vitreous product of volcanic activity; formations over 17 million years old have been found. Archaeologists have found man-made glass specimens that are five thousand years old.« less

Innovative Process for Comprehensive Treatment of Liquid Radioactive Waste - 12551

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

Penzin, R.A.; Sarychev, G.A.

This paper presents the results of research activities aimed at creation of a principally new LRW distilling treatment method. The new process is based on the instantaneous evaporation method widely used in distillation units. The main difference of the proposed process is that the vapor condensation is conducted without using heat exchangers in practically ideal mode by way of direct contacting in a vapor-liquid system. This process is conducted in a specially designed ejector unit in supersonic mode. Further recuperation of excess heat of vaporization is carried out in a standard heat exchanger. Such an arrangement of the process, togethermore » with use of the barometric height principle, allows to carry out LRW evaporation under low temperatures, which enables to use excess heat from NPS for heating initial LRW. Thermal calculations and model experiments have revealed that, in this case, the expenditure of energy for LRW treatment by distilling will not exceed 3 kilowatt-hour/m{sup 3}, which is comparable with the reverse-osmosis desalination method. Besides, the proposed devices are 4 to 5 times less metal-intensive than standard evaporation units. These devices are also characterized by versatility. Experiments have revealed that the new method can be used for evaporation of practically any types of LRW, including those containing a considerable amount of oil products. Owing to arrangement of the evaporation process at low temperatures, the new devices are not sensitive to 'scale formation'. This is why, they can be used for concentrating brines of up to 500-600 g/l. New types of such evaporating devices can be required both for LRW treatment processes at nuclear-power plants under design and for treating 'non-standard' LRW with complex physicochemical and radionuclide composition resulting from the disaster at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant.) As a result of accidents at nuclear energy objects, as it has recently happened at NPP 'Fukushima-1', personnel faces the necessity to take emergency measures and to use marine water for cooling of reactor zone in contravention of the technological regulations. In these cases significant amount of liquid radioactive wastes of complex physicochemical composition is being generated, the purification of which by traditional methods is close to impossible. According to the practice of elimination of the accident after-effects at NPP 'Fukushima' there are still no technical means for the efficient purification of liquid radioactive wastes of complex composition like marine water from radionuclides. Therefore development of state-of-the-art highly efficient facilities capable of fast and safe purification of big amounts of liquid radioactive wastes of complex physicochemical composition from radionuclides turns to be utterly topical problem. Cesium radionuclides, being extremely dangerous for the environment, present over 90% of total radioactivity contained in liquid radioactive wastes left as a result of accidents at nuclear power objects. For the purpose of radiation accidents aftereffects liquidation VNIIHT proposes to create a plant for LRW reprocessing, consisting of 4 major technological modules: Module of LRW pretreatment to remove mechanical and organic impurities including oil products; Module of sorption purification of LWR by means of selective inorganic sorbents; Module of reverse osmotic purification and desalination; Module of deep evaporation of LRW concentrates. The first free modules are based on completed technological and designing concepts implemented by VNIIHT in the framework of LLRW Project in the period of 2000-2001 in Russia for comprehensive treatment of LWR of atomic fleet. These industrial plants proved to be highly efficient and secure during their long operation life. Module of deep evaporation is a new technological development. It will ensure conduction of evaporation and purification of LRW of different physicochemical composition, including those containing hardness salts, resulted in generation of LRW concentrate 300-600 g/l. The method is based on utilization of supersonic ejector for intensification of thermal physic processes and performance of evaporation in brine recycling mode. All proposed technological solutions are totally based on patented Russian developments. Proposed work will allow to construct modular plants, which will be totally prepared for efficient purification of any types of liquid radioactive wastes from radionuclides in case of force majeure. According to proposed scheme concentration level of cesium radionuclides in safe-for-storage form will make up not less than 5000. With respect to purification from cesium radionuclides of liquid radioactive wastes stored at NPP 'Fukushima' about 10 t of inorganic sorbents, loaded in 160 protective filter-containers, will be required for solving this problem. The amount of secondary wastes will be reduced approximately in 5 times in comparison with traditional schemes, applied in purification of secondary LRW of Fukushima-1 by Areva (France) and Kurion (USA) companies. All units of modular plants will be constructed and manufactured as totally automated, providing their twenty-four-hour safe operation. Modular design will ensure efficiency and let optimize the costs of secondary LRW treatment. In order to ensure off-line operation in emergency conditions the plant should be equipped with auxiliary modules: energy and ventilation ones. Under normal conditions these modules can be stored in 'mothballed' condition at special warehouses under the authority of federal bodies. It will be reasonable to choose required transport facilities, the most suitable for transportation of modules to target destination beforehand, using vessel classification list.« 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.

Collison nebulizer as a new soft ionization source for mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pervukhin, V. V.; Sheven', D. G.; Kolomiets, Yu. N.

2016-08-01

We have proposed that a Collison-type nebulizer be used as an ionization source for mass spectrometry with ionization under atmospheric pressure. This source does not require the use of electric voltage, radioactive sources, heaters, or liquid pumps. It has been shown that the number of ions produced by the 63Ni radioactive source is three to four times larger than the number of ions produced by acoustic ionization sources. We have considered the possibility of using a Collison-type nebulizer in combination with a vortex focusing system as an ion source for extractive ionization of compounds under atmospheric pressure. The ionization of volatile substances in crossflows of a charged aerosol and an analyte (for model compounds of the amine class, viz., diethylaniline, triamylamine, and cocaine) has been investigated. It has been shown that the limit of detecting cocaine vapor by this method is on the level of 4.6 × 10-14 g/cm3.

Derivation of intermediate to silicic magma from the basalt analyzed at the Vega 2 landing site, Venus.

PubMed

Shellnutt, J Gregory

2018-01-01

Geochemical modeling using the basalt composition analyzed at the Vega 2 landing site indicates that intermediate to silicic liquids can be generated by fractional crystallization and equilibrium partial melting. Fractional crystallization modeling using variable pressures (0.01 GPa to 0.5 GPa) and relative oxidation states (FMQ 0 and FMQ -1) of either a wet (H2O = 0.5 wt%) or dry (H2O = 0 wt%) parental magma can yield silicic (SiO2 > 60 wt%) compositions that are similar to terrestrial ferroan rhyolite. Hydrous (H2O = 0.5 wt%) partial melting can yield intermediate (trachyandesite to andesite) to silicic (trachydacite) compositions at all pressures but requires relatively high temperatures (≥ 950°C) to generate the initial melt at intermediate to low pressure whereas at high pressure (0.5 GPa) the first melts will be generated at much lower temperatures (< 800°C). Anhydrous partial melt modeling yielded mafic (basaltic andesite) and alkaline compositions (trachybasalt) but the temperature required to produce the first liquid is very high (≥ 1130°C). Consequently, anhydrous partial melting is an unlikely process to generate derivative liquids. The modeling results indicate that, under certain conditions, the Vega 2 composition can generate silicic liquids that produce granitic and rhyolitic rocks. The implication is that silicic igneous rocks may form a small but important component of the northeast Aphrodite Terra.

Derivation of intermediate to silicic magma from the basalt analyzed at the Vega 2 landing site, Venus

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Geochemical modeling using the basalt composition analyzed at the Vega 2 landing site indicates that intermediate to silicic liquids can be generated by fractional crystallization and equilibrium partial melting. Fractional crystallization modeling using variable pressures (0.01 GPa to 0.5 GPa) and relative oxidation states (FMQ 0 and FMQ -1) of either a wet (H2O = 0.5 wt%) or dry (H2O = 0 wt%) parental magma can yield silicic (SiO2 > 60 wt%) compositions that are similar to terrestrial ferroan rhyolite. Hydrous (H2O = 0.5 wt%) partial melting can yield intermediate (trachyandesite to andesite) to silicic (trachydacite) compositions at all pressures but requires relatively high temperatures (≥ 950°C) to generate the initial melt at intermediate to low pressure whereas at high pressure (0.5 GPa) the first melts will be generated at much lower temperatures (< 800°C). Anhydrous partial melt modeling yielded mafic (basaltic andesite) and alkaline compositions (trachybasalt) but the temperature required to produce the first liquid is very high (≥ 1130°C). Consequently, anhydrous partial melting is an unlikely process to generate derivative liquids. The modeling results indicate that, under certain conditions, the Vega 2 composition can generate silicic liquids that produce granitic and rhyolitic rocks. The implication is that silicic igneous rocks may form a small but important component of the northeast Aphrodite Terra. PMID:29584745

An automated LS(β)- NaI(Tl)(γ) coincidence system as absolute standard for radioactivity measurements.

PubMed

Joseph, Leena; Das, A P; Ravindra, Anuradha; Kulkarni, D B; Kulkarni, M S

2018-07-01

4πβ-γ coincidence method is a powerful and widely used method to determine the absolute activity concentration of radioactive solutions. A new automated liquid scintillator based coincidence system has been designed, developed, tested and established as absolute standard for radioactivity measurements. The automation is achieved using PLC (programmable logic controller) and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition). Radioactive solution of 60 Co was standardized to compare the performance of the automated system with proportional counter based absolute standard maintained in the laboratory. The activity concentrations determined using these two systems were in very good agreement; the new automated system can be used for absolute measurement of activity concentration of radioactive solutions. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Chromatographic separation of radioactive noble gases from xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerib, D. S.; Araújo, H. M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Beltrame, P.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boulton, E. M.; Bramante, R.; Cahn, S. B.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Chiller, A. A.; Chiller, C.; Coffey, T.; Currie, A.; Cutter, J. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Dobson, J. E. Y.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edwards, B. N.; Faham, C. H.; Fiorucci, S.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Gehman, V. M.; Ghag, C.; Gibson, K. R.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Hall, C. R.; Hanhardt, M.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hogan, D. P.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Ignarra, C. M.; Ihm, M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Knoche, R.; Larsen, N. A.; Lee, C.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lesko, K. T.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Manalaysay, A.; Mannino, R. L.; Marzioni, M. F.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mock, J.; Moongweluwan, M.; Morad, J. A.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; O'Sullivan, K.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Pech, K.; Phelps, P.; Reichhart, L.; Rhyne, C.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Stephenson, S.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W.; Tennyson, B. P.; Terman, P. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; To, W. H.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Uvarov, S.; Verbus, J. R.; Webb, R. C.; White, J. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Yazdani, K.; Young, S. K.; Zhang, C.

2018-01-01

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment operates at the Sanford Underground Research Facility to detect nuclear recoils from the hypothetical Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) on a liquid xenon target. Liquid xenon typically contains trace amounts of the noble radioactive isotopes 85Kr and 39Ar that are not removed by the in situ gas purification system. The decays of these isotopes at concentrations typical of research-grade xenon would be a dominant background for a WIMP search experiment. To remove these impurities from the liquid xenon, a chromatographic separation system based on adsorption on activated charcoal was built. 400 kg of xenon was processed, reducing the average concentration of krypton from 130 ppb to 3.5 ppt as measured by a cold-trap assisted mass spectroscopy system. A 50 kg batch spiked to 0.001 g/g of krypton was processed twice and reduced to an upper limit of 0.2 ppt.

Chromatographic separation of radioactive noble gases from xenon

DOE PAGES

Akerib, DS; Araújo, HM; Bai, X; ...

2017-10-31

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment operates at the Sanford Underground Research Facility to detect nuclear recoils from the hypothetical Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) on a liquid xenon target. Liquid xenon typically contains trace amounts of the noble radioactive isotopesmore » $$^{85}$$Kr and $$^{39}$$Ar that are not removed by the in situ gas purification system. The decays of these isotopes at concentrations typical of research-grade xenon would be a dominant background for a WIMP search exmperiment. To remove these impurities from the liquid xenon, a chromatographic separation system based on adsorption on activated charcoal was built. 400 kg of xenon was processed, reducing the average concentration of krypton from 130 ppb to 3.5 ppt as measured by a cold-trap assisted mass spectroscopy system. A 50 kg batch spiked to 0.001 g/g of krypton was processed twice and reduced to an upper limit of 0.2 ppt.« less

Calcined Waste Storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center

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

M. D. Staiger

2007-06-01

This report provides a quantitative inventory and composition (chemical and radioactivity) of calcined waste stored at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. From December 1963 through May 2000, liquid radioactive wastes generated by spent nuclear fuel reprocessing were converted into a solid, granular form called calcine. This report also contains a description of the calcine storage bins.

Low level radioactivity measurements with phoswich detectors using coincident techniques and digital pulse processing analysis.

PubMed

de la Fuente, R; de Celis, B; del Canto, V; Lumbreras, J M; de Celis Alonso, B; Martín-Martín, A; Gutierrez-Villanueva, J L

2008-10-01

A new system has been developed for the detection of low radioactivity levels of fission products and actinides using coincidence techniques. The device combines a phoswich detector for alpha/beta/gamma-ray recognition with a fast digital card for electronic pulse analysis. The phoswich can be used in a coincident mode by identifying the composed signal produced by the simultaneous detection of alpha/beta particles and X-rays/gamma particles. The technique of coincidences with phoswich detectors was proposed recently to verify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (NTBT) which established the necessity of monitoring low levels of gaseous fission products produced by underground nuclear explosions. With the device proposed here it is possible to identify the coincidence events and determine the energy and type of coincident particles. The sensitivity of the system has been improved by employing liquid scintillators and a high resolution low energy germanium detector. In this case it is possible to identify simultaneously by alpha/gamma coincidence transuranic nuclides present in environmental samples without necessity of performing radiochemical separation. The minimum detectable activity was estimated to be 0.01 Bq kg(-1) for 0.1 kg of soil and 1000 min counting.

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.

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

DOEpatents

Zeren, J.D.

1993-12-28

A physical compact vacuum pickup device of critically safe volume and geometric shape is provided for use in radioactive enclosures, such as a small glove box, to facilitate manual cleanup of either wet or dry radioactive material. The device is constructed and arranged so as to remain safe when filled to capacity with plutonium-239 oxide. Two fine mesh filter bags are supported on the exterior of a rigid fine mesh stainless steel cup. This assembly is sealed within, and spaced from, the interior walls of a stainless steel canister. An air inlet communicates with the interior of the canister. A modified conventional vacuum head is physically connected to, and associated with, the interior of the mesh cup. The volume of the canister, as defined by the space between the mesh cup and the interior walls of the canister, forms a critically safe volume and geometric shape for dry radioactive particles that are gathered within the canister. A critically safe liquid volume is maintained by operation of a suction terminating float valve, and/or by operation of redundant vacuum check/liquid drain valves and placement of the air inlet. 5 figures.

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

DOEpatents

Zeren, Joseph D.

1993-12-28

A physical compact vacuum pickup device of critically safe volume and geometric shape is provided for use in radioactive enclosures, such as a small glove box, to facilitate manual cleanup of either wet or dry radioactive material. The device is constructed and arranged so as to remain safe when filled to capacity with plutonium-239 oxide. Two fine mesh filter bags are supported on the exterior of a rigid fine mesh stainless steel cup. This assembly is sealed within, and spaced from, the interior walls of a stainless steel canister. An air inlet communicates with the interior of the canister. A modified conventional vacuum head is physically connected to, and associated with, the interior of the mesh cup. The volume of the canister, as defined by the space between the mesh cup and the interior walls of the canister, forms a critically safe volume and geometric shape for dry radioactive particles that are gathered within the canister. A critically safe liquid volume is maintained by operation of a suction terminating float valve, and/or by operation of redundant vacuum check/liquid drain valves and placement of the air inlet.

Spectroscopic and first-principles calculation studies of the chemical forms of palladium ion in nitric acid solution for development of disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Shinta; Sato, Toshikazu; Yoshida, Tomoko; Nakaya, Masato; Yoshino, Masahito; Nagasaki, Takanori; Inaba, Yusuke; Takeshita, Kenji; Onoe, Jun

2018-04-01

We have investigated the chemical forms of palladium (Pd) ion in nitric acid solution, using XAFS/UV-vis spectroscopic and first-principles methods in order to develop the disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear liquid wastes (HLLW: radioactive metal ions in 2 M nitric acid solution). The results of theoretical calculations and XAFS/UV-vis spectroscopy indicate that Pd is a divalent ion and forms a square-planar complex structure coordinated with four nitrate ions, [Pd(NO3)4]2-, in nitric acid solution. This complex structure is also thermodynamically predicted to be most stable among complexes [Pd(H2O)x(NO3)4-x]x-2 (x = 0-4). Since the overall feature of UV-vis spectra of the Pd complex was independent of nitric acid concentration in the range 1-6 M, the structure of the Pd complex remains unchanged in this range. Furthermore, we examined the influence of γ-ray radiation on the [Pd(NO3)4]2- complex, using UV-vis spectroscopy, and found that UV-vis spectra seemed not to be changed even after 1.0 MGy irradiation. This implies that the Pd complex structure will be still stable in actual HLLW. These findings obtained above are useful information to develop the vitrification processes for disposal of HLLW.

Slow neutron mapping technique for level interface measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zain, R. M.; Ithnin, H.; Razali, A. M.; Yusof, N. H. M.; Mustapha, I.; Yahya, R.; Othman, N.; Rahman, M. F. A.

2017-01-01

Modern industrial plant operations often require accurate level measurement of process liquids in production and storage vessels. A variety of advanced level indicators are commercially available to meet the demand, but these may not suit specific need of situations. The neutron backscatter technique is exceptionally useful for occasional and routine determination, particularly in situations such as pressure vessel with wall thickness up to 10 cm, toxic and corrosive chemical in sealed containers, liquid petroleum gas storage vessels. In level measurement, high energy neutrons from 241Am-Be radioactive source are beamed onto a vessel. Fast neutrons are slowed down mostly by collision with hydrogen atoms of material inside the vessel. Parts of thermal neutron are bounced back towards the source. By placing a thermal detector next to the source, these backscatter neutrons can be measured. The number of backscattered neutrons is directly proportional to the concentration of the hydrogen atoms in front of the neutron detector. As the source and detector moved by the matrix around the side of the vessel, interfaces can be determined as long as it involves a change in hydrogen atom concentration. This paper presents the slow neutron mapping technique to indicate level interface of a test vessel.

Theoretical analysis and experimental investigation on performance of the thermal shield of accelerator cryomodules by thermo-siphon cooling of liquid nitrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, T. S.; Kar, S.; Kumar, M.; Choudhury, A.; Chacko, J.; Antony, J.; Babu, S.; Sahu, S. K.

2015-12-01

Five beam line cryomodules with total 27 superconducting Radio Frequency (RF) cavities are installed and commissioned at IUAC to enhance the energy of heavy ion from 15 UD Pelletron. To reduce the heat load at 4.2 K, liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooled intermediate thermal shield is used for all these cryomodules. For three linac cryomodules, concept of forced flow LN2 cooling is used and for superbuncher and rebuncher, thermo-siphon cooling is incorporated. It is noticed that the shield temperature of superbuncher varies from 90 K to 110 K with respect to liquid nitrogen level. The temperature difference can't be explained by using the basic concept of thermo-siphon with the heat load on up flow line. A simple thermo-siphon experimental set up is developed to simulate the thermal shield temperature profile. Mass flow rate of liquid nitrogen is measured with different heat load on up flow line for different liquid levels. It is noticed that small amount of heat load on down flow line have a significant effect on mass flow rate. The present paper will be investigating the data generated from the thermosiphon experimental set up and a theoretical analysis will be presented here to validate the measured temperature profile of the cryomodule shield.

Structural relaxation in supercooled orthoterphenyl.

PubMed

Chong, S-H; Sciortino, F

2004-05-01

We report molecular-dynamics simulation results performed for a model of molecular liquid orthoterphenyl in supercooled states, which we then compare with both experimental data and mode-coupling-theory (MCT) predictions, aiming at a better understanding of structural relaxation in orthoterphenyl. We pay special attention to the wave number dependence of the collective dynamics. It is shown that the simulation results for the model share many features with experimental data for real system, and that MCT captures the simulation results at the semiquantitative level except for intermediate wave numbers connected to the overall size of the molecule. Theoretical results at the intermediate wave number region are found to be improved by taking into account the spatial correlation of the molecule's geometrical center. This supports the idea that unusual dynamical properties at the intermediate wave numbers, reported previously in simulation studies for the model and discernible in coherent neutron-scattering experimental data, are basically due to the coupling of the rotational motion to the geometrical-center dynamics. However, there still remain qualitative as well as quantitative discrepancies between theoretical prediction and corresponding simulation results at the intermediate wave numbers, which call for further theoretical investigation.

A Genetic and Pharmacological Analysis of Isoprenoid Pathway by LC-MS/MS in Fission Yeast

PubMed Central

Takami, Tomonori; Fang, Yue; Zhou, Xin; Jaiseng, Wurentuya; Ma, Yan; Kuno, Takayoshi

2012-01-01

Currently, statins are the only drugs acting on the mammalian isoprenoid pathway. The mammalian genes in this pathway are not easily amenable to genetic manipulation. Thus, it is difficult to study the effects of the inhibition of various enzymes on the intermediate and final products in the isoprenoid pathway. In fission yeast, antifungal compounds such as azoles and terbinafine are available as inhibitors of the pathway in addition to statins, and various isoprenoid pathway mutants are also available. Here in these mutants, treated with statins or antifungals, we quantified the final and intermediate products of the fission yeast isoprenoid pathway using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. In hmg1-1, a mutant of the gene encoding 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), ergosterol (a final sterol product), and squalene (an intermediate pathway product), were decreased to approximately 80% and 10%, respectively, compared with that of wild-type cells. Consistently in wild-type cells, pravastatin, an HMGR inhibitor decreased ergosterol and squalene, and the effect was more pronounced on squalene. In hmg1-1 mutant and in wild-type cells treated with pravastatin, the decrease in the levels of farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate respectively was larger than that of ergosterol but was smaller than that of squalene. In Δerg6 or Δsts1 cells, mutants of the genes involved in the last step of the pathway, ergosterol was not detected, and the changes of intermediate product levels were distinct from that of hmg1-1 mutant. Notably, in wild-type cells miconazole and terbinafine only slightly decreased ergosterol level. Altogether, these studies suggest that the pleiotropic phenotypes caused by the hmg1-1 mutation and pravastatin might be due to decreased levels of isoprenoid pyrophosphates or other isoprenoid pathway intermediate products rather than due to a decreased ergosterol level. PMID:23145048

In vivo chemistry of iofetamine HCl iodine-123 (IMP)

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

Baldwin, R.M.; Wu, J.L.

1988-01-01

Application of chemical methods for characterizing the in vivo behavior of iofetamine HCI /sup 123/I (IMP) has shed light on the metabolism of iofetamine in animals and humans. A successful technique consists of ethyl acetate extraction of the metabolites from tissue samples acidified with perchloric acid, separation of the mixture by high performance liquid chromatography, and quantitation of the radioactive components with a sensitive scintillation detector. Metabolism of iofetamine HCI /sup 123/I proceeds sequentially from the N-isopropyl group on the amphetamine side chain. The first step, dealkylation to the primary amine p-iodoamphetamine (PIA), occurs readily in the brain, lungs, andmore » liver; activity in the brain and lungs consists of only IMP and PIA even 24 hr after administration. The rate-limiting step appears to be deamination to give the transitory intermediate p-iodophenylacetone, which is rapidly degraded to p-iodobenzoic acid and conjugated with glycine in the liver to give the end product of metabolism, p-iodohippuric acid, which is excreted through the kidneys in the urine.« less

Progress on Cleaning Up the Only Commercial Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Facility to Operate in the United States

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

Jackson, T. J.; MacVean, S. A.; Szlis, K. A.

2002-02-26

This paper describes the progress on cleanup of the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP), an environmental management project located south of Buffalo, NY. The WVDP was the site of the only commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing facility to have operated in the United States (1966 to 1972). Former fuel reprocessing operations generated approximately 600,000 gallons of liquid high-level radioactive waste stored in underground tanks. The U.S. Congress passed the WVDP Act in 1980 (WVDP Act) to authorize cleanup of the 220-acre facility. The facility is unique in that it sits on the 3,345-acre Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC), whichmore » is owned by New York State through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has overall responsibility for the cleanup that is authorized by the WVDP Act, paying 90 percent of the WVDP costs; NYSERDA pays 10 percent. West Valley Nuclear Services Company (WVNSCO) is the management contractor at the WVDP. This paper will provide a description of the many accomplishments at the WVDP, including the pretreatment and near completion of vitrification of all the site's liquid high-level radioactive waste, a demonstration of technologies to characterize the remaining material in the high-level waste tanks, the commencement of decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities to place the site in a safe configuration for long-term site management options, and achievement of several technological firsts. It will also include a discussion of the complexities involved in completing the WVDP due to the various agency interests that require integration for future cleanup decisions.« less

Submersible canned motor transfer pump

DOEpatents

Guardiani, R.F.; Pollick, R.D.; Nyilas, C.P.; Denmeade, T.J.

1997-08-19

A transfer pump is described which is used in a waste tank for transferring high-level radioactive liquid waste from a waste tank and having a column assembly, a canned electric motor means, and an impeller assembly with an upper impeller and a lower impeller connected to a shaft of a rotor assembly. The column assembly locates a motor housing with the electric motor means adjacent to the impeller assembly which creates an hydraulic head, and which forces the liquid waste, into the motor housing to cool the electric motor means and to cool and/or lubricate the radial and thrust bearing assemblies. Hard-on-hard bearing surfaces of the bearing assemblies and a ring assembly between the upper impeller and electric motor means grind large particles in the liquid waste flow. Slots in the static bearing member of the radial bearing assemblies further grind down the solid waste particles so that only particles smaller than the clearances in the system can pass there through, thereby resisting damage to and the interruption of the operation of the transfer pump. The column assembly is modular so that sections can be easily assembled, disassembled and/or removed. A second embodiment employs a stator jacket which provides an alternate means for cooling the electric motor means and lubricating and/or cooling the bearing assemblies, and a third embodiment employs a variable level suction device which allows liquid waste to be drawn into the transfer pump from varying and discrete levels in the waste tank. 17 figs.

Submersible canned motor transfer pump

DOEpatents

Guardiani, Richard F.; Pollick, Richard D.; Nyilas, Charles P.; Denmeade, Timothy J.

1997-01-01

A transfer pump used in a waste tank for transferring high-level radioactive liquid waste from a waste tank and having a column assembly, a canned electric motor means, and an impeller assembly with an upper impeller and a lower impeller connected to a shaft of a rotor assembly. The column assembly locates a motor housing with the electric motor means adjacent to the impeller assembly which creates an hydraulic head, and which forces the liquid waste, into the motor housing to cool the electric motor means and to cool and/or lubricate the radial and thrust bearing assemblies. Hard-on-hard bearing surfaces of the bearing assemblies and a ring assembly between the upper impeller and electric motor means grind large particles in the liquid waste flow. Slots in the static bearing member of the radial bearing assemblies further grind down the solid waste particles so that only particles smaller than the clearances in the system can pass therethrough, thereby resisting damage to and the interruption of the operation of the transfer pump. The column assembly is modular so that sections can be easily assembled, disassembled and/or removed. A second embodiment employs a stator jacket which provides an alternate means for cooling the electric motor means and lubricating and/or cooling the bearing assemblies, and a third embodiment employs a variable level suction device which allows liquid waste to be drawn into the transfer pump from varying and discrete levels in the waste tank.

Storage stability and improvement of intermediate moisture foods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labuza, T. P.

1973-01-01

The rates of chemical reactions which deteriorate foods prepared to an intermediate moisture content and water activity (A sub w 0.6 to 0.9) were studied. The phenomenon of sorption hysteresis was used to prepare model systems and foods to similar A sub w's but different moisture levels so that the separate effects of water binding and water content could be elucidated. It was found that water content is the controlling factor for lipid oxidation in model systems comprised of a solid support and an oxidizable liquid. It was proposed that metal chelating agents like EDTA should give good protection to oxidation. EDTA exhibited the highest efficacy, about 10-15 times better than BHA which is a radical scavenger when studied in the model systems.

A compact ultra-clean system for deploying radioactive sources inside the KamLAND detector

DOE PAGES

Banks, T. I.; Freedman, S. J.; Wallig, J.; ...

2014-10-14

We describe a compact, ultra-clean device used to deploy radioactive sources along the vertical axis of the KamLAND liquid-scintillator neutrino detector for purposes of calibration. The device worked by paying out and reeling in precise lengths of a hanging, small-gauge wire rope (cable); an assortment of interchangeable radioactive sources could be attached to a weight at the end of the cable. All components exposed to the radiopure liquid scintillator were made of chemically compatible UHV-cleaned materials, primarily stainless steel, in order to avoid contaminating or degrading the scintillator. To prevent radon intrusion, the apparatus was enclosed in a hermetically sealedmore » housing inside a glove box, and both volumes were regularly flushed with purified nitrogen gas. Finally, an infrared camera attached to the side of the housing permitted real-time visual monitoring of the cable’s motion, and the system was controlled via a graphical user interface.« less

Radioactive scrap metal decontamination technology assessment report

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

Buckentin, J.M.; Damkroger, B.K.; Schlienger, M.E.

1996-04-01

Within the DOE complex there exists a tremendous quantity of radioactive scrap metal. As an example, it is estimated that within the gaseous diffusion plants there exists in excess of 700,000 tons of contaminated stainless steel. At present, valuable material is being disposed of when it could be converted into a high quality product. Liquid metal processing represents a true recycling opportunity for this material. By applying the primary production processes towards the material`s decontamination and re-use, the value of the strategic resource is maintained while drastically reducing the volume of material in need of burial. Potential processes for themore » liquid metal decontamination of radioactively contaminated metal are discussed and contrasted. Opportunities and technology development issues are identified and discussed. The processes compared are: surface decontamination; size reduction, packaging and burial; melting technologies; electric arc melting; plasma arc centrifugal treatment; air induction melting; vacuum induction melting; and vacuum induction melting and electroslag remelting.« less

Purification and sequencing of the active site tryptic peptide from penicillin-binding protein 1b of Escherichia coli

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

Nicholas, R.A.; Suzuki, H.; Hirota, Y.

This paper reports the sequence of the active site peptide of penicillin-binding protein 1b from Escherichia coli. Purified penicillin-binding protein 1b was labeled with (/sup 14/C)penicillin G, digested with trypsin, and partially purified by gel filtration. Upon further purification by high-pressure liquid chromatography, two radioactive peaks were observed, and the major peak, representing over 75% of the applied radioactivity, was submitted to amino acid analysis and sequencing. The sequence Ser-Ile-Gly-Ser-Leu-Ala-Lys was obtained. The active site nucleophile was identified by digesting the purified peptide with aminopeptidase M and separating the radioactive products on high-pressure liquid chromatography. Amino acid analysis confirmed thatmore » the serine residue in the middle of the sequence was covalently bonded to the (/sup 14/C)penicilloyl moiety. A comparison of this sequence to active site sequences of other penicillin-binding proteins and beta-lactamases is presented.« less

Development of martensitic steels for high neutron damage applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelles, D. S.

1996-12-01

Martensitic stainless steels have been developed for both in-core applications in advanced liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR) and for first wall and structural materials applications for commercial fusion reactors. It can now be shown that these steels can be expected to maintain properties to levels as high as 175 or 200 dpa, respectively. The 12Cr1Mo0.5W0.2C alloy HT-9 has been extensively tested for LMFBR applications and shown to resist radiation damage, providing a creep and swelling resistant alternative to austenitic steels. Degradation of fracture toughness and Charpy impact properties have been observed, but properties are sufficient to provide reliable service. In comparison, alloys with lower chromium contents are found to decarburize in contact with liquid sodium and are therefore not recommended. Tungsten stabilized martensitic stainless steels have appropriate properties for fusion applications. Radioactivity levels are benign less than 500 years after service, radiation damage resistance is excellent, including impact properties, and swelling is modest. This report describes the history of the development effort.

Synthesis and Characterization of Self-Assembled Liquid Crystals: "p"-Alkoxybenzoic Acids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Jana; Grundy, Stephan C.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery; Hartley, C. Scott

2011-01-01

Thermotropic liquid crystal phases are ordered fluids found, for some molecules, at intermediate temperatures between the crystal and liquid states. Although technologically important, these materials typically receive little attention in the undergraduate curriculum. Here, we describe a laboratory activity for introductory organic chemistry…

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 761.65 - Storage for disposal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... storage of non-liquid PCB/ radioactive wastes must be designed to prevent the buildup of liquids if such... conditions: (i) The waste is placed in a pile designed and operated to control dispersal of the waste by wind...) A run-on control system designed, constructed, operated, and maintained such that: (1) It prevents...

SITE GENERATED RADIOLOGICAL WASTE HANDLING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

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

S. C. Khamankar

2000-06-20

The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System handles radioactive waste products that are generated at the geologic repository operations area. The waste is collected, treated if required, packaged for shipment, and shipped to a disposal site. Waste streams include low-level waste (LLW) in solid and liquid forms, as-well-as mixed waste that contains hazardous and radioactive constituents. Liquid LLW is segregated into two streams, non-recyclable and recyclable. The non-recyclable stream may contain detergents or other non-hazardous cleaning agents and is packaged for shipment. The recyclable stream is treated to recycle a large portion of the water while the remaining concentrated wastemore » is packaged for shipment; this greatly reduces the volume of waste requiring disposal. There will be no liquid LLW discharge. Solid LLW consists of wet solids such as ion exchange resins and filter cartridges, as-well-as dry active waste such as tools, protective clothing, and poly bags. Solids will be sorted, volume reduced, and packaged for shipment. The generation of mixed waste at the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) is not planned; however, if it does come into existence, it will be collected and packaged for disposal at its point of occurrence, temporarily staged, then shipped to government-approved off-site facilities for disposal. The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System has equipment located in both the Waste Treatment Building (WTB) and in the Waste Handling Building (WHB). All types of liquid and solid LLW are processed in the WTB, while wet solid waste from the Pool Water Treatment and Cooling System is packaged where received in the WHB. There is no installed hardware for mixed waste. The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System receives waste from locations where water is used for decontamination functions. In most cases the water is piped back to the WTB for processing. The WTB and WHB provide staging areas for storing and shipping LLW packages as well as any mixed waste packages. The buildings house the system and provide shielding and support for the components. The system is ventilated by and connects to the ventilation systems in the buildings to prevent buildup and confine airborne radioactivity via the high efficiency particulate air filters. The Monitored Geologic Repository Operations Monitoring and Control System will provide monitoring and supervisory control facilities for the system.« 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...

Radiometry of liquids: characteristics and systematization of the requirements imposed on it (in Russian)

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

Isakov, L.M.; El'tsin, G.I.

1972-01-01

The requirements imposed on the measurement of the radioactivity of liquids are differentiated as a function of the purpose of the instrument. Five groups of radiometers were examined and for each the individual requirements were characterized. The proposed systematization was oriented toward the ordering of the development of liquid radiometers and a reduction in the number of models without limiting their range of applicability. (tr-auth)

Tunable Quantum Spin Liquidity in the 1 /6 th-Filled Breathing Kagome Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbari-Sharbaf, A.; Sinclair, R.; Verrier, A.; Ziat, D.; Zhou, H. D.; Sun, X. F.; Quilliam, J. A.

2018-06-01

We present measurements on a series of materials, Li2 In1 -xScx Mo3 O8 , that can be described as a 1 /6 th-filled breathing kagome lattice. Substituting Sc for In generates chemical pressure which alters the breathing parameter nonmonotonically. Muon spin rotation experiments show that this chemical pressure tunes the system from antiferromagnetic long range order to a quantum spin liquid phase. A strong correlation with the breathing parameter implies that it is the dominant parameter controlling the level of magnetic frustration, with increased kagome symmetry generating the quantum spin liquid phase. Magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest that this is related to distinct types of charge order induced by changes in lattice symmetry, in line with the theory of Chen et al. [Phys. Rev. B 93, 245134 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevB.93.245134]. The specific heat for samples at intermediate Sc concentration, which have the minimum breathing parameter, show consistency with the predicted U (1 ) quantum spin liquid.

Fail-safe storage rack for irradiated fuel rod assemblies

DOEpatents

Lewis, D.R.

1993-03-23

A fail-safe storage rack is provided for interim storage of spent but radioactive nuclear fuel rod assemblies. The rack consists of a checkerboard array of substantially square, elongate receiving tubes fully enclosed by a double walled container, the outer wall of which is imperforate for liquid containment and the inner wall of which is provided with perforations for admitting moderator liquid flow to the elongate receiving tubes, the liquid serving to take up waste heat from the stored nuclear assemblies and dissipate same to the ambient liquid reservoir. A perforated cover sealing the rack facilitates cooling liquid entry and dissipation.

Fail-safe storage rack for irradiated fuel rod assemblies

DOEpatents

Lewis, Donald R.

1993-01-01

A fail-safe storage rack is provided for interim storage of spent but radioactive nuclear fuel rod assemblies. The rack consists of a checkerboard array of substantially square, elongate receiving tubes fully enclosed by a double walled container, the outer wall of which is imperforate for liquid containment and the inner wall of which is provided with perforations for admitting moderator liquid flow to the elongate receiving tubes, the liquid serving to take up waste heat from the stored nuclear assemblies and dissipate same to the ambient liquid reservoir. A perforated cover sealing the rack facilitates cooling liquid entry and dissipation.

Decontamination and decommissioning of the BORAX-V leach pond. Final report

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

Smith, D.L.

1985-01-01

This report describes the decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) of the BORAX-V leach pond located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The leach pond became radioactively contaminated from the periodic discharge of low-level liquid waste during operation of the Boiling Water Reactor Experiments (BORAX) from 1954 to 1964. This report describes work performed to accomplish the D and D objectives of stabilizing the leach pond and preventing the spread of contamination. D and D of the BORAX-V leach pond consisted to backfilling the pond with clean soil, grading and seeding the area, and erecting a permanent marker tomore » identify very low-level subsurface contamination.« less

Structural, electronic, and dynamical properties of liquid water by ab initio molecular dynamics based on SCAN functional within the canonical ensemble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Lixin; Chen, Mohan; Sun, Zhaoru; Ko, Hsin-Yu; Santra, Biswajit; Dhuvad, Pratikkumar; Wu, Xifan

2018-04-01

We perform ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation of liquid water in the canonical ensemble at ambient conditions using the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-generalized-gradient approximation (GGA) functional approximation and carry out systematic comparisons with the results obtained from the GGA-level Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) functional and Tkatchenko-Scheffler van der Waals (vdW) dispersion correction inclusive PBE functional. We analyze various properties of liquid water including radial distribution functions, oxygen-oxygen-oxygen triplet angular distribution, tetrahedrality, hydrogen bonds, diffusion coefficients, ring statistics, density of states, band gaps, and dipole moments. We find that the SCAN functional is generally more accurate than the other two functionals for liquid water by not only capturing the intermediate-range vdW interactions but also mitigating the overly strong hydrogen bonds prescribed in PBE simulations. We also compare the results of SCAN-based AIMD simulations in the canonical and isothermal-isobaric ensembles. Our results suggest that SCAN provides a reliable description for most structural, electronic, and dynamical properties in liquid water.

Monitoring xenon purity in the LUX detector with a mass spectrometry system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balajthy, Jon; LUX Experiment Collaboration

2015-04-01

The LUX dark matter search experiment is a 350 kg two-phase liquid/gas xenon time projection chamber located at the 4850 ft level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD. To monitor for radioactive impurities such as krypton and impurities which limit charge yield such as oxygen, LUX uses a xenon sampling system consisting of a mass spectrometer and a liquid nitrogen cold trap. The cold trap separates the gaseous impurities from a small sample of xenon and allows them to pass to the mass spectrometer for analysis. We report here on results from the LUX xenon sampling program. We also report on methods to enhance the sensitivity of the cold trap technique in preparation for the next-generation LUX-ZEPLIN experiment which will have even more stringent purity requirements.

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).

Low-level liquid radioactive waste treatment at Murmansk, Russia: Technical design and review of facility upgrade and expansion

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

Dyer, R.S.; Diamante, J.M.; Duffey, R.B.

1996-07-01

The governments of Norway and the US have committed their mutual cooperation and support the Murmansk Shipping Company (MSCo) to expand and upgrade the Low-Level Liquid Radioactive Waste (LLRW) treatment system located at the facilities of the Russian company RTP Atomflot, in Murmansk, Russia. RTP Atomflot provides support services to the Russian icebreaker fleet operated by the MSCo. The objective is to enable Russia to permanently cease disposing of this waste in Arctic waters. The proposed modifications will increase the facility`s capacity from 1,200 m{sup 3} per year to 5,000 m{sup 3} per year, will permit the facility to processmore » high-salt wastes from the Russian Navy`s Northern fleet, and will improve the stabilization and interim storage of the processed wastes. The three countries set up a cooperative review of the evolving design information, conducted by a joint US and Norwegian technical team from April through December, 1995. To ensure that US and Norwegian funds produce a final facility which will meet the objectives, this report documents the design as described by Atomflot and the Russian business organization, ASPECT, both in design documents and orally. During the detailed review process, many questions were generated, and many design details developed which are outlined here. The design is based on the adsorption of radionuclides on selected inorganic resins, and desalination and concentration using electromembranes. The US/Norwegian technical team reviewed the available information and recommended that the construction commence; they also recommended that a monitoring program for facility performance be instituted.« less

Vapor Corrosion Response of Low Carbon Steel Exposed to Simulated High Level Radioactive Waste

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

Wiersma, B

2006-01-26

A program to resolve the issues associated with potential vapor space corrosion and liquid/air interface corrosion in the Type III high level waste tanks is in place. The objective of the program is to develop understanding of vapor space (VSC) and liquid/air interface (LAIC) corrosion to ensure a defensible technical basis to provide accurate corrosion evaluations with regard to vapor space and liquid/air interface corrosion. The results of the FY05 experiments are presented here. The experiments are an extension of the previous research on the corrosion of tank steel exposed to simple solutions to corrosion of the steel when exposedmore » to complex high level waste simulants. The testing suggested that decanting and the consequent residual species on the tank wall is the predominant source of surface chemistry on the tank wall. The laboratory testing has shown that at the boundary conditions of the chemistry control program for solutions greater than 1M NaNO{sub 3}{sup -}. Minor and isolated pitting is possible within crevices in the vapor space of the tanks that contain stagnant dilute solution for an extended period of time, specifically when residues are left on the tank wall during decanting. Liquid/air interfacial corrosion is possible in dilute stagnant solutions, particularly with high concentrations of chloride. The experimental results indicate that Tank 50 would be most susceptible to the potential for liquid/air interfacial corrosion or vapor space corrosion, with Tank 49 and 41 following, since these tanks are nearest to the chemistry control boundary conditions. The testing continues to show that the combination of well-inhibited solutions and mill-scale sufficiently protect against pitting in the Type III tanks.« less

Evidence for a New Intermediate Phase in a Strongly Correlated 2D System near Wigner Crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xuan; Qiu, Richard; Goble, Nicholas; Serafin, Alex; Yin, Liang; Xia, Jian-Sheng; Sullivan, Neil; Pfeiffer, Loren; West, Ken

How the two dimensional (2D) quantum Wigner crystal (WC) transforms into the metallic liquid phase remains an outstanding problem in physics. In theories considering the 2D WC to liquid transition in the clean limit, it was suggested that a number of intermediate phases might exist. We have studied the transformation between the metallic fluid phase and the low magnetic field reentrant insulating phase (RIP) which was interpreted as due to the WC [Qiu et al., PRL 108, 106404 (2012)], in a strongly correlated 2D hole system in GaAs quantum well with large interaction parameter rs (~20-30) and high mobility. Instead of a sharp transition, we found that increasing density (or lowering rs) drives the RIP into a state where the incipient RIP coexists with Fermi liquid. This apparent mixture phase intermediate between Fermi liquid and WC also exhibits a non-trivial temperature dependent resistivity behavior which can be qualitatively understood by the reversed melting of WC in the mixture, in analogy to the Pomeranchuk effect in the solid-liquid mixture of Helium-3. X.G. thanks NSF (DMR-0906415) for supporting work at CWRU. Experiments at the NHMFL High B/T Facility were supported by NSF Grant 0654118 and the State of Florida. L.P. thanks the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and NSF MRSEC (DMR-0819860) for support.

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

Eco-friendly Energy Storage System: Seawater and Ionic Liquid Electrolyte.

PubMed

Kim, Jae-Kwang; Mueller, Franziska; Kim, Hyojin; Jeong, Sangsik; Park, Jeong-Sun; Passerini, Stefano; Kim, Youngsik

2016-01-08

As existing battery technologies struggle to meet the requirements for widespread use in the field of large-scale energy storage, novel concepts are urgently needed concerning batteries that have high energy densities, low costs, and high levels of safety. Here, a novel eco-friendly energy storage system (ESS) using seawater and an ionic liquid is proposed for the first time; this represents an intermediate system between a battery and a fuel cell, and is accordingly referred to as a hybrid rechargeable cell. Compared to conventional organic electrolytes, the ionic liquid electrolyte significantly enhances the cycle performance of the seawater hybrid rechargeable system, acting as a very stable interface layer between the Sn-C (Na storage) anode and the NASICON (Na3 Zr2 Si2 PO12) ceramic solid electrolyte, making this system extremely promising for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly large-scale energy storage. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report, 1980

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

Tichler, J.; Benkovitz, C.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1980 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1980 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants

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

Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1987 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1987 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized. 16 tabs.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants

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

Tichler, J.; Benkovitz, C.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1979 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1979 release data are compared with previous year's releases in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants: Annual report, 1984

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

Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1984 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1984 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants: Annual report, 1985

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

Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1985 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1985 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants

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

Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1988 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1988 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized. 16 tabs.

Sandia National Laboratories support of the Iraq Nuclear Facility Dismantlement and Disposal Program.

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

Cochran, John Russell; Danneels, Jeffrey John

2009-03-01

Because of past military operations, lack of upkeep and looting there are now enormous radioactive waste problems in Iraq. These waste problems include destroyed nuclear facilities, uncharacterized radioactive wastes, liquid radioactive waste in underground tanks, wastes related to the production of yellow cake, sealed radioactive sources, activated metals and contaminated metals that must be constantly guarded. Iraq currently lacks the trained personnel, regulatory and physical infrastructure to safely and securely manage these facilities and wastes. In 2005 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to organize an international cooperative program to assist Iraq with these issues. Soon after, the Iraqmore » Nuclear Facility Dismantlement and Disposal Program (the NDs Program) was initiated by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to support the IAEA and assist the Government of Iraq (GOI) in eliminating the threats from poorly controlled radioactive materials. The Iraq NDs Program is providing support for the IAEA plus training, consultation and limited equipment to the GOI. The GOI owns the problems and will be responsible for implementation of the Iraq NDs Program. Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) is a part of the DOS's team implementing the Iraq NDs Program. This report documents Sandia's support of the Iraq NDs Program, which has developed into three principal work streams: (1) training and technical consultation; (2) introducing Iraqis to modern decommissioning and waste management practices; and (3) supporting the IAEA, as they assist the GOI. Examples of each of these work streams include: (1) presentation of a three-day training workshop on 'Practical Concepts for Safe Disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Waste in Arid Settings;' (2) leading GOI representatives on a tour of two operating low level radioactive waste disposal facilities in the U.S.; and (3) supporting the IAEA's Technical Meeting with the GOI from April 21-25, 2008. As noted in the report, there was significant teaming between the various participants to best help the GOI. On-the-ground progress is the focus of the Iraq NDs Program and much of the work is a transfer of technical and practical skills and knowledge that Sandia uses day-to-day. On-the-ground progress was achieved in July of 2008 when the GOI began the physical cleanup and dismantlement of the Active Metallurgical Testing Laboratory (LAMA) facility at Al Tuwaitha, near Baghdad.« 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.

Modeling and risk assessment of a 30-Year-old subsurface radioactive-liquid drain field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Lon A.; Pohl, Phillip I.

1997-11-01

The contamination from a 30-year-old radioactive liquid drain field was assessed for movement in the subsurface and potential risks to humans. This assessment included determining field concentrations of cesium 137 (137Cs) and other inorganic contaminants and modeling of the flow and transport of the liquid waste that was sent to the drain field. The field investigation detected no contamination deeper than 15 feet (4.6 m) from the bottom of the drain field. Prediction of the water content of the vadose zone showed no saturated conditions for times greater than 10 years after the known infiltration. Sensitivity analysis of the modeling parameters showed the equilibrium sorption coefficient to be the most important factor in predicting the contaminant plumes. Calibration of modeling results with field data gave a 137Cs sorption coefficient that is within the range of values found in the literature. The risk assessment for the site showed that the contamination poses no significant risk to human health.

Development of characterization protocol for mixed liquid radioactive waste classification

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

Zakaria, Norasalwa, E-mail: norasalwa@nuclearmalaysia.gov.my; Wafa, Syed Asraf; Wo, Yii Mei

2015-04-29

Mixed liquid organic waste generated from health-care and research activities containing tritium, carbon-14, and other radionuclides posed specific challenges in its management. Often, these wastes become legacy waste in many nuclear facilities and being considered as ‘problematic’ waste. One of the most important recommendations made by IAEA is to perform multistage processes aiming at declassification of the waste. At this moment, approximately 3000 bottles of mixed liquid waste, with estimated volume of 6000 litres are currently stored at the National Radioactive Waste Management Centre, Malaysia and some have been stored for more than 25 years. The aim of this studymore » is to develop a characterization protocol towards reclassification of these wastes. The characterization protocol entails waste identification, waste screening and segregation, and analytical radionuclides profiling using various analytical procedures including gross alpha/ gross beta, gamma spectrometry, and LSC method. The results obtained from the characterization protocol are used to establish criteria for speedy classification of the waste.« less

Determination of alkylphenols and bisphenol A in seawater samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for compliance with environmental quality standards (Directive 2008/105/EC).

PubMed

Salgueiro-González, N; Concha-Graña, E; Turnes-Carou, I; Muniategui-Lorenzo, S; López-Mahía, P; Prada-Rodríguez, D

2012-02-03

A fast, simple, sensitive and green analytical chemistry method for the simultaneous determination of alkylphenols (4-tert-octylphenol, 4-octylphenol, 4-n-nonylphenol, nonylphenol) and bisphenol A in seawater was developed and validated. The procedure was based on a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) of a small volume of seawater sample (30 mL) using only 100 μL of 1-octanol, combined with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in negative mode (LC-ESI-MS/MS). The matrix effect was studied and compensated using deuterated labelled standards as surrogate standards for the quantitation of target compounds. The analytical features of the proposed method were satisfactory: repeatability and intermediate precision were <10% and recoveries were around 84-104% for all compounds. Uncertainty assessment of measurement was estimated on the basis of an in-house validation according to EURACHEM/CITAC guide. Quantitation limits of the method (MQL) ranged between 0.005 and 0.03 μg L⁻¹, therefore the levels established in the Directive 2008/105/EC were achieved. The applicability of the proposed method was demonstrated analyzing seawater samples from different sites of A Coruña (Northwest of Spain). The analyses showed the presence of all compounds at levels between 0.035 (bisphenol A) and 0.14 μg L⁻¹ (nonylphenol). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of temperature on the durability of class C fly ash belite cement in simulated radioactive liquid waste: synergy of chloride and sulphate ions.

PubMed

Guerrero, A; Goñi, S; Allegro, V R

2009-06-15

The durability of class C fly ash belite cement (FABC-2-W) in simulated radioactive liquid waste (SRLW) rich in a mixed sodium chloride and sulphate solution is presented here. The effect of the temperature and potential synergic effect of chloride and sulfate ions are discussed. This study has been carried out according to the Koch-Steinegger test, at the temperature of 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C during a period of 180 days. The durability has been evaluated by the changes of the flexural strength of mortar, fabricated with this cement, immersed in a simulated radioactive liquid waste rich in sulfate (0.5M), chloride (0.5M) and sodium (1.5M) ions--catalogued like severely aggressive for the traditional Portland cement--and demineralised water, which was used as reference. The reaction mechanism of sulphate, chloride and sodium ions with the mortar was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosity and pore-size distribution, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the chloride binding and formation of Friedel's salt was inhibited by the presence of sulphate. Sulphate ion reacts preferentially with the calcium aluminate hydrates forming non-expansive ettringite which precipitated inside the pores; the microstructure was refined and the mechanical properties enhanced. This process was faster and more marked at 40 degrees C.

Separating and stabilizing phosphate from high-level radioactive waste: process development and spectroscopic monitoring.

PubMed

Lumetta, Gregg J; Braley, Jenifer C; Peterson, James M; Bryan, Samuel A; Levitskaia, Tatiana G

2012-06-05

Removing phosphate from alkaline high-level waste sludges at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State is necessary to increase the waste loading in the borosilicate glass waste form that will be used to immobilize the highly radioactive fraction of these wastes. We are developing a process which first leaches phosphate from the high-level waste solids with aqueous sodium hydroxide, and then isolates the phosphate by precipitation with calcium oxide. Tests with actual tank waste confirmed that this process is an effective method of phosphate removal from the sludge and offers an additional option for managing the phosphorus in the Hanford tank waste solids. The presence of vibrationally active species, such as nitrate and phosphate ions, in the tank waste processing streams makes the phosphate removal process an ideal candidate for monitoring by Raman or infrared spectroscopic means. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were acquired for all phases during a test of the process with actual tank waste. Quantitative determination of phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate in the liquid phases was achieved by Raman spectroscopy, demonstrating the applicability of Raman spectroscopy for the monitoring of these species in the tank waste process streams.

Sorption reaction mechanism of some hazardous radionuclides from mixed waste by impregnated crown ether onto polymeric resin.

PubMed

Shehata, F A; Attallah, M F; Borai, E H; Hilal, M A; Abo-Aly, M M

2010-02-01

A novel impregnated polymeric resin was practically tested as adsorbent material for removal of some hazardous radionuclides from radioactive liquid waste. The applicability for the treatment of low-level liquid radioactive waste was investigated. The material was prepared by loading 4,4'(5')di-t-butylbenzo 18 crown 6 (DtBB18C6) onto poly(acrylamide-acrylic acid-acrylonitril)-N, N'-methylenediacrylamide (P(AM-AA-AN)-DAM). The removal of (134)Cs, (60)Co, (65)Zn , and ((152+154))Eu onto P(AM-AA-AN)-DAM/DtBB18C6 was investigated using a batch equilibrium technique with respect to the pH, contact time, and temperature. Kinetic models are used to determine the rate of sorption and to investigate the mechanism of sorption process. Five kinetics models, pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intra-particle diffusion, homogeneous particle diffusion (HPDM), and Elovich models, were used to investigate the sorption process. The obtained results of kinetic models predicted that, pseudo-second-order is applicable; the sorption is controlled by particle diffusion mechanism and the process is chemisorption. The obtained values of thermodynamics parameters, DeltaH degrees , DeltaS degrees , and DeltaG degrees indicated that the endothermic nature, increased randomness at the solid/solution interface and the spontaneous nature of the sorption processes. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cold Test Operation of the German VEK Vitrification Plant

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

Fleisch, J.; Schwaab, E.; Weishaupt, M.

2008-07-01

In 2007 the German High-Level Liquid Waste (HLLW) Vitrification plant VEK (Verglasungseinrichtung Karlsruhe) has passed a three months integral cold test operation as final step before entering the hot phase. The overall performance of the vitrification process equipment with a liquid-fed ceramic glass melter as main component proved to be completely in line with the requirements of the regulatory body. The retention efficiency of main radioactive-bearing elements across melter and wet off-gas treatment system exceeded the design values distinctly. The strategy to produce a specified waste glass could be successfully demonstrated. The results of the cold test operation allow enteringmore » the next step of hot commissioning, i.e. processing of approximately 2 m{sup 3} of diluted HLLW. In summary: An important step of the VEK vitrification plant towards hot operation has been the performance of the cold test operation from April to July 2007. This first integral operation was carried out under boundary conditions and rules established for radioactive operation. Operation and process control were carried out following the procedure as documented in the licensed operational manuals. The function of the process technology and the safe operation could be demonstrated. No severe problems were encountered. Based on the positive results of the cold test, application of the license for hot operation has been initiated and is expected in the near future. (authors)« less

Radwaste desk reference - Volume 3, Part 2: Liquid waste management. Final report

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

Deltete, D.; Fisher, S.; Kelly, J.J.

1994-05-01

EPRI began, in late in 1987, to produce a Radwaste Desk Reference that would allow each of the member utilities access to the available information and expertise on radwaste management. EPRI considers this important because radwaste management involves a wide variety of scientific and engineering disciplines. These include chemical and mechanical engineering, chemistry, and health physics. Radwaste management also plays a role in implementing a wide variety of regulatory requirements. These include plant-specific technical specifications, NRC standards for protection against radiation, DOT transportation regulations and major environmental legislation such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. EPRI chose a questionmore » and answer format because it could be easily accessed by radwaste professionals with a variety of interests. The questions were generated at two meetings of utility radwaste professionals and EPRI contractors. Volume 1, which is already in publication, addresses dry active waste generation, processing and measurement. Volume 2 addresses low level waste storage, transportation and disposal. This volume, Volume 3, is being issued in two parts. Part 1 concentrates on the processing of liquid radioactive waste, whereas Part 2, included here, addresses liquid waste management. It includes extensive information and operating practices related to liquid waste generation and control, liquid waste processing systems at existing U.S. nuclear plants, processes for managing wet wastes (handling, dewatering, solidifying, processing, and packaging), and liquid waste measurement and analysis.« less

Viscosity of thickened fluids that relate to the Australian National Standards.

PubMed

Karsten Hadde, Enrico; Ann Yvette Cichero, Julie; Michael Nicholson, Timothy

2016-08-01

In 2007, Australia published standardized terminology and definitions for three levels of thickened fluids used in the management of dysphagia. This study examined the thickness of the current Australian National Fluid Standards rheologically (i.e. viscosity, yield stress) and correlated these results with the "fork test", as described in the national standards. Clinicians who prescribe or work with thickened liquids and laypersons were recruited to categorize 15 different thickened fluids of known viscosities using the fork test. The mean apparent viscosity and the yield stress for each fluid category were calculated. Clear responses were obtained by both clinicians and laypersons for very thin fluids (< 90 mPa.s) and very thick fluids (> 1150 mPa.s), but large variations of responses were seen for intermediate viscosities. Measures of viscosity and yield stress were important in allocating liquids to different categories. Three bands of fluid viscosity with distinct intermediate band gaps and associated yield stress measures were clearly identifiable and are proposed as objective complements to the Australian National Standards. The "fork test" provides rudimentary information about both viscosity and yield stress, but is an inexact measure of both variables.

Separation system

DOEpatents

Rubin, Leslie S.

1986-01-01

A separation system for dewatering radioactive waste materials includes a disposal container, drive structure for receiving the container, and means for releasably attaching the container to the drive structure. Separation structure disposed in the container adjacent the inner surface of the side wall structure retains solids while allowing passage of liquids. Inlet port structure in the container top wall is normally closed by first valve structure that is centrifugally actuated to open the inlet port and discharge port structure at the container periphery receives liquid that passes through the separation structure and is normally closed by second valve structure that is centrifugally actuated to open the discharge ports. The container also includes coupling structure for releasable engagement with the centrifugal drive structure. Centrifugal force produced when the container is driven in rotation by the drive structure opens the valve structures, and radioactive waste material introduced into the container through the open inlet port is dewatered, and the waste is compacted. The ports are automatically closed by the valves when the container drum is not subjected to centrifugal force such that containment effectiveness is enhanced and exposure of personnel to radioactive materials is minimized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report 1991, Volume 12

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

Tichler, J.; Doty, K.; Congemi, J.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1991 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1991 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data Covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report, 1982. Volume 3

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

Tichler, J.; Norden, K.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1982 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1982 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Volume 11: Annual report, 1990

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

Tichler, J.; Doty, K.; Congemi, J.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1990 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1990 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report 1978

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

Tichler, J.; Benkovitz, C.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commerical light water reactors during 1978 have been compiled and reported. Data on soild waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1978 release data are compared with previous years releases in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report 1981. Vol. 2

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

Tichler, J.; Benkovitz, C.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1981 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1981 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report, 1983. Volume 4

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

Tichler, J.; Norden, K.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1983 have been compiled and reported. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1983 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

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.

In situ dynamic observations of perovskite crystallisation and microstructure evolution intermediated from [PbI6]4- cage nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Qin; Zhao, Lichen; Wu, Jiang; Gao, Ke; Luo, Deying; Jiang, Yufeng; Zhang, Ziyi; Zhu, Chenhui; Schaible, Eric; Hexemer, Alexander; Wang, Cheng; Liu, Yi; Zhang, Wei; Grätzel, Michael; Liu, Feng; Russell, Thomas P.; Zhu, Rui; Gong, Qihuang

2017-06-01

Hybrid lead halide perovskites have emerged as high-performance photovoltaic materials with their extraordinary optoelectronic properties. In particular, the remarkable device efficiency is strongly influenced by the perovskite crystallinity and the film morphology. Here, we investigate the perovskites crystallisation kinetics and growth mechanism in real time from liquid precursor continually to the final uniform film. We utilize some advanced in situ characterisation techniques including synchrotron-based grazing incident X-ray diffraction to observe crystal structure and chemical transition of perovskites. The nano-assemble model from perovskite intermediated [PbI6]4- cage nanoparticles to bulk polycrystals is proposed to understand perovskites formation at a molecular- or nano-level. A crystallisation-depletion mechanism is developed to elucidate the periodic crystallisation and the kinetically trapped morphology at a mesoscopic level. Based on these in situ dynamics studies, the whole process of the perovskites formation and transformation from the molecular to the microstructure over relevant temperature and time scales is successfully demonstrated.

In situ dynamic observations of perovskite crystallisation and microstructure evolution intermediated from [PbI6]4− cage nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Hu, Qin; Zhao, Lichen; Wu, Jiang; Gao, Ke; Luo, Deying; Jiang, Yufeng; Zhang, Ziyi; Zhu, Chenhui; Schaible, Eric; Hexemer, Alexander; Wang, Cheng; Liu, Yi; Zhang, Wei; Grätzel, Michael; Liu, Feng; Russell, Thomas P.; Zhu, Rui; Gong, Qihuang

2017-01-01

Hybrid lead halide perovskites have emerged as high-performance photovoltaic materials with their extraordinary optoelectronic properties. In particular, the remarkable device efficiency is strongly influenced by the perovskite crystallinity and the film morphology. Here, we investigate the perovskites crystallisation kinetics and growth mechanism in real time from liquid precursor continually to the final uniform film. We utilize some advanced in situ characterisation techniques including synchrotron-based grazing incident X-ray diffraction to observe crystal structure and chemical transition of perovskites. The nano-assemble model from perovskite intermediated [PbI6]4− cage nanoparticles to bulk polycrystals is proposed to understand perovskites formation at a molecular- or nano-level. A crystallisation-depletion mechanism is developed to elucidate the periodic crystallisation and the kinetically trapped morphology at a mesoscopic level. Based on these in situ dynamics studies, the whole process of the perovskites formation and transformation from the molecular to the microstructure over relevant temperature and time scales is successfully demonstrated. PMID:28635947

Calcination process for radioactive wastes

DOEpatents

Kilian, Douglas C.

1976-05-04

The present invention provides a method for minimizing the volatilization of chlorides during solidification in a fluidized-bed calciner of liquids containing sodium, nitrate and chloride ions. Zirconium and fluoride are introduced into the liquid, and one-half mole of calcium nitrate is added per mole of fluoride present in the liquid mixture. The mixture is calcined in the fluidized-bed calciner at about 500.degree.C., producing a high bulk density calcine product containing the chloride, thus tying up the chloride in the solid product and minimizing chloride volatilization.

SAMPLING SYSTEM

DOEpatents

Hannaford, B.A.; Rosenberg, R.; Segaser, C.L.; Terry, C.L.

1961-01-17

An apparatus is given for the batch sampling of radioactive liquids such as slurries from a system by remote control, while providing shielding for protection of operating personnel from the harmful effects of radiation.

Bioprocessing of a stored mixed liquid waste

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

Wolfram, J.H.; Rogers, R.D.; Finney, R.

1995-12-31

This paper describes the development and results of a demonstration for a continuous bioprocess for mixed waste treatment. A key element of the process is an unique microbial strain which tolerates high levels of aromatic solvents and surfactants. This microorganism is the biocatalysis of the continuous flow system designed for the processing of stored liquid scintillation wastes. During the past year a process demonstration has been conducted on commercial formulation of liquid scintillation cocktails (LSC). Based on data obtained from this demonstration, the Ohio EPA granted the Mound Applied Technologies Lab a treatability permit allowing the limited processing of actualmore » mixed waste. Since August 1994, the system has been successfully processing stored, {open_quotes}hot{close_quotes} LSC waste. The initial LSC waste fed into the system contained 11% pseudocumene and detectable quantities of plutonium. Another treated waste stream contained pseudocumene and tritium. Data from this initial work shows that the hazardous organic solvent, and pseudocumene have been removed due to processing, leaving the aqueous low level radioactive waste. Results to date have shown that living cells are not affected by the dissolved plutonium and that 95% of the plutonium was sorbed to the biomass. This paper discusses the bioprocess, rates of processing, effluent, and the implications of bioprocessing for mixed waste management.« less

Four methods for determining the composition of trace radioactive surface contamination of low-radioactivity metal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Keeffe, H. M.; Burritt, T. H.; Cleveland, B. T.; Doucas, G.; Gagnon, N.; Jelley, N. A.; Kraus, C.; Lawson, I. T.; Majerus, S.; McGee, S. R.; Myers, A. W.; Poon, A. W. P.; Rielage, K.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Rosten, R. C.; Stonehill, L. C.; VanDevender, B. A.; Van Wechel, T. D.

2011-12-01

Four methods for determining the composition of low-level uranium- and thorium-chain surface contamination are presented. One method is the observation of Cherenkov light production in water. In two additional methods a position-sensitive proportional counter surrounding the surface is used to make both a measurement of the energy spectrum of alpha particle emissions and also coincidence measurements to derive the thorium-chain content based on the presence of short-lived isotopes in that decay chain. The fourth method is a radiochemical technique in which the surface is eluted with a weak acid, the eluate is concentrated, added to liquid scintillator and assayed by recording beta-alpha coincidences. These methods were used to characterize two 'hotspots' on the outer surface of one of the 3He proportional counters in the Neutral Current Detection array of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory experiment. The methods have similar sensitivities, of order tens of ng, to both thorium- and uranium-chain contamination.

An ultra-low background PMT for liquid xenon detectors

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. S.; Bai, X.; Bernard, E.; ...

2012-11-15

Results are presented from radioactivity screening of two models of photomultiplier tubes designed for use in current and future liquid xenon experiments. The Hamamatsu 5.6 cm diameter R8778 PMT, used in the LUX dark matter experiment, has yielded a positive detection of four common radioactive isotopes: 238U, 232Th, 40K, and 60Co. Screening of LUX materials has rendered backgrounds from other detector materials subdominant to the R8778 contribution. A prototype Hamamatsu 7.6 cm diameter R11410 MOD PMT has also been screened, with benchmark isotope counts measured at <0.4 238U / <0.3 232Th / < 8.3 40K / 2.0+-0.2 60Co mBq/PMT. This represents a large reduction, equal to a change of xmore » $$\\frac{1}{24}$$ 238U / x $$\\frac{1}{9}$$ 232Th / x $$\\frac{1}{8}$$ 40K per PMT, between R8778 and R11410 MOD, concurrent with a doubling of the photocathode surface area (4.5 cm to 6.4 cm diameter). 60Co measurements are comparable between the PMTs, but can be significantly reduced in future R11410 MOD units through further material selection. Assuming PMT activity equal to the measured 90% upper limits, Monte Carlo estimates indicate that replacement of R8778 PMTs with R11410 MOD PMTs will change LUX PMT electron recoil background contributions by a factor of x $$\\frac{1}{25}$$ after further material selection for 60Co reduction, and nuclear recoil backgrounds by a factor of \\times $$\\frac{1}{36}$$. The strong reduction in backgrounds below the measured R8778 levels makes the R11410 MOD a very competitive technology for use in large-scale liquid xenon detectors.« less

Natural Radium Detection and Inventory Flux of Isotopes in Particulate and Dissolved Phases of Seawater at Kapar Coastal Area Caused by Coal-Fired Power Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, N.; Ariffin, N. A. N.; Mohamed, C. A. R.

2016-07-01

Distribution of 226Ra and 228Ra radioactive in marine have been studied at Kapar coastal area that closed to Sultan Salahudin Abdul Aziz Shah (SJSSAS) power station. The concentration level of 226Ra and 228Ra were measured in seawater include total suspended solids (TSSrw) and dissolved phases from September 2006 to February 2008. The measurement technique used for 226Ra and 228Ra was using cation exchange column and counted using Liquid Scintillator Ciunter (LSC). The radioactivities of 226Rasw and 228Rasw in the dissolved phase of seawater ranged from 1.29 ± 0.52 mBq/L - 3.69 ± 1.29 mBq/L and 2.12 ± 0.71 mbq/L - 17.07 ± 6.03 mBq/L respectively. The measurement of radioactivities of radium isotopes in the particulate phase of seawater ranged from 15.62 ± 1.99 Bq/kg - 241.76 ± 100.23 Bq/kg (226Ratsw) and 7.19 ± 3.21 Bq/kg - 879.66 ± 365.74 Bq/kg (228Ratsw). Radium isotopes inventory in this study showed that suspended solid have higher inventory value than seawater and sediment. Study also found that suspended solid play an important role for flux contribution at seawater. Based on the finding, the radioactivity concentration of 226Ra and 228Ra is higher in particulate phase than in dissolved phase.

Advanced evaporator technology progress report FY 1992

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

Chamberlain, D.; Hutter, J.C.; Leonard, R.A.

1995-01-01

This report summarizes the work that was completed in FY 1992 on the program {open_quotes}Technology Development for Concentrating Process Streams.{close_quotes} The purpose of this program is to evaluate and develop evaporator technology for concentrating radioactive waste and product streams such as those generated by the TRUEX process. Concentrating these streams and minimizing the volume of waste generated can significantly reduce disposal costs; however, equipment to concentrate the streams and recycle the decontaminated condensates must be installed. LICON, Inc., is developing an evaporator that shows a great deal of potential for this application. In this report, concepts that need to bemore » incorporated into the design of an evaporator operated in a radioactive environment are discussed. These concepts include criticality safety, remote operation and maintenance, and materials of construction. Both solubility and vapor-liquid equilibrium data are needed to design an effective process for concentrating process streams. Therefore, literature surveys were completed and are summarized in this report. A model that is being developed to predict vapor phase compositions is described. A laboratory-scale evaporator was purchased and installed to study the evaporation process and to collect additional data. This unit is described in detail. Two new LICON evaporators are being designed for installation at Argonne-East in FY 1993 to process low-level radioactive waste generated throughout the laboratory. They will also provide operating data from a full-sized evaporator processing radioactive solutions. Details on these evaporators are included in this report.« less

Records of wells, test borings, and some measured geologic sections near the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, Cattaraugus County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergeron, M.P.

1985-01-01

The Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC) is a 3 ,336-acre tract of land in northern Cattaraugus County, NY, about 30 mi south of Buffalo. In 1963, 247 acres within the WNYNSC was developed for a nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant and ancillary facilities, including (1) a receiving and storage facility to store fuel prior to reprocessing, (2) underground storage tanks for liquid high-level radioactive wastes from fuel reprocessing, (3) a low-level wastewater treatment plant, and (4) two burial grounds for shallow burial of solid radioactive waste. A series of geologic and hydrologic investigations was done as part of the initial development and construction of the facilities by numerous agencies during 1960-62; these produced a large quantity of well data, some of which are difficult to locate or obtain. This report is a compilation of well and boring data collected during this period. The data include records of 236 wells, geologic logs of 145 wells and 167 test borings, and descriptions of 20 measured geologic sections. Two oversized maps show locations of the reported data. (USGS)

Method of detecting leakage of reactor core components of liquid metal cooled fast reactors

DOEpatents

Holt, Fred E.; Cash, Robert J.; Schenter, Robert E.

1977-01-01

A method of detecting the failure of a sealed non-fueled core component of a liquid-metal cooled fast reactor having an inert cover gas. A gas mixture is incorporated in the component which includes Xenon-124; under neutron irradiation, Xenon-124 is converted to radioactive Xenon-125. The cover gas is scanned by a radiation detector. The occurrence of 188 Kev gamma radiation and/or other identifying gamma radiation-energy level indicates the presence of Xenon-125 and therefore leakage of a component. Similarly, Xe-126, which transmutes to Xe-127 and Kr-84, which produces Kr-85.sup.m can be used for detection of leakage. Different components are charged with mixtures including different ratios of isotopes other than Xenon-124. On detection of the identifying radiation, the cover gas is subjected to mass spectroscopic analysis to locate the leaking component.

Thermal-gradient migration of brine inclusions in salt crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagnik, S. K.

1982-09-01

High level nuclear waste disposal in a geologic repository was proposed. Natural salt deposits which are considered contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms which is undesirable. In this work, thermal gradient migration of both all liquid and gas liquid inclusions was experimentally studied in synthetic single crystals of NaCl and KCl using a hot stage attachment to an optical microscope which was capable of imposing temperature gradients and axial compressive loads on the crystals. The migration velocities of the inclusion shape and size are discussed.

DEAP-3600 Dark Matter Search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuźniak, M.; Amaudruz, P.-A.; Batygov, M.; Beltran, B.; Bonatt, J.; Boulay, M. G.; Broerman, B.; Bueno, J. F.; Butcher, A.; Cai, B.; Chen, M.; Chouinard, R.; Cleveland, B. T.; Dering, K.; DiGioseffo, J.; Duncan, F.; Flower, T.; Ford, R.; Giampa, P.; Gorel, P.; Graham, K.; Grant, D. R.; Guliyev, E.; Hallin, A. L.; Hamstra, M.; Harvey, P.; Jillings, C. J.; Lawson, I.; Li, O.; Liimatainen, P.; Majewski, P.; McDonald, A. B.; McElroy, T.; McFarlane, K.; Monroe, J.; Muir, A.; Nantais, C.; Ng, C.; Noble, A. J.; Ouellet, C.; Palladino, K.; Pasuthip, P.; Peeters, S. J. M.; Pollmann, T.; Rau, W.; Retière, F.; Seeburn, N.; Singhrao, K.; Skensved, P.; Smith, B.; Sonley, T.; Tang, J.; Vázquez-Jáuregui, E.; Veloce, L.; Walding, J.; Ward, M.; DEAP Collaboration

2016-04-01

The DEAP-3600 experiment is located 2 km underground at SNOLAB, in Sudbury, Ontario. It is a single-phase detector that searches for dark matter particle interactions within a 1000-kg fiducial mass target of liquid argon. A first generation prototype detector (DEAP-1) with a 7-kg liquid argon target mass demonstrated a high level of pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) for reducing β / γ backgrounds and helped to develop low radioactivity techniques to mitigate surface-related α backgrounds. Construction of the DEAP-3600 detector is nearly complete and commissioning is starting in 2014. The target sensitivity to spin-independent scattering of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) on nucleons of 10-46cm2 will allow one order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over current searches at 100 GeV WIMP mass. This paper presents an overview and status of the DEAP-3600 project and discusses plans for a future multi-tonne experiment, DEAP-50T.

Estimating Residual Solids Volume In Underground Storage Tanks

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

Clark, Jason L.; Worthy, S. Jason; Martin, Bruce A.

2014-01-08

The Savannah River Site liquid waste system consists of multiple facilities to safely receive and store legacy radioactive waste, treat, and permanently dispose waste. The large underground storage tanks and associated equipment, known as the 'tank farms', include a complex interconnected transfer system which includes underground transfer pipelines and ancillary equipment to direct the flow of waste. The waste in the tanks is present in three forms: supernatant, sludge, and salt. The supernatant is a multi-component aqueous mixture, while sludge is a gel-like substance which consists of insoluble solids and entrapped supernatant. The waste from these tanks is retrieved andmore » treated as sludge or salt. The high level (radioactive) fraction of the waste is vitrified into a glass waste form, while the low-level waste is immobilized in a cementitious grout waste form called saltstone. Once the waste is retrieved and processed, the tanks are closed via removing the bulk of the waste, chemical cleaning, heel removal, stabilizing remaining residuals with tailored grout formulations and severing/sealing external penetrations. The comprehensive liquid waste disposition system, currently managed by Savannah River Remediation, consists of 1) safe storage and retrieval of the waste as it is prepared for permanent disposition; (2) definition of the waste processing techniques utilized to separate the high-level waste fraction/low-level waste fraction; (3) disposition of LLW in saltstone; (4) disposition of the HLW in glass; and (5) closure state of the facilities, including tanks. This paper focuses on determining the effectiveness of waste removal campaigns through monitoring the volume of residual solids in the waste tanks. Volume estimates of the residual solids are performed by creating a map of the residual solids on the waste tank bottom using video and still digital images. The map is then used to calculate the volume of solids remaining in the waste tank. The ability to accurately determine a volume is a function of the quantity and quality of the waste tank images. Currently, mapping is performed remotely with closed circuit video cameras and still photograph cameras due to the hazardous environment. There are two methods that can be used to create a solids volume map. These methods are: liquid transfer mapping / post transfer mapping and final residual solids mapping. The task is performed during a transfer because the liquid level (which is a known value determined by a level measurement device) is used as a landmark to indicate solids accumulation heights. The post transfer method is primarily utilized after the majority of waste has been removed. This method relies on video and still digital images of the waste tank after the liquid transfer is complete to obtain the relative height of solids across a waste tank in relation to known and usable landmarks within the waste tank (cooling coils, column base plates, etc.). In order to accurately monitor solids over time across various cleaning campaigns, and provide a technical basis to support final waste tank closure, a consistent methodology for volume determination has been developed and implemented at SRS.« less

Submersible canned motor mixer pump

DOEpatents

Guardiani, R.F.; Pollick, R.D.

1997-10-07

A mixer pump is described used in a waste tank for mobilizing high-level radioactive liquid waste having a column assembly containing power cables, a motor housing with electric motor means which includes a stator can of a stator assembly and a rotor can of a rotor assembly, and an impeller assembly with an impeller connected to a shaft of the rotor assembly. The column assembly locates the motor housing with the electric motor means adjacent to the impeller which creates an hydraulic head, and which forces the liquid waste into the motor housing to cool the electric motor means and to lubricate radial and thrust bearing assemblies. Hard-on-hard bearing surfaces of the bearing assemblies and a ring assembly between the impeller and electric motor means act to grind down large particles in the liquid waste flow. These larger particles are received in slots in the static bearing members of the radial bearing assemblies. Only solid waste particles smaller than the clearances in the system can pass there through, thereby resisting damage to and the interruption of the operation of the mixer pump. 10 figs.

Submersible canned motor mixer pump

DOEpatents

Guardiani, Richard F.; Pollick, Richard D.

1997-01-01

A mixer pump used in a waste tank for mobilizing high-level radioactive liquid waste having a column assembly containing power cables, a motor housing with electric motor means which includes a stator can of a stator assembly and a rotor can of a rotor assembly, and an impeller assembly with an impeller connected to a shaft of the rotor assembly. The column assembly locates the motor housing with the electric motor means adjacent to the impeller which creates an hydraulic head, and which forces the liquid waste into the motor housing to cool the electric motor means and to lubricate radial and thrust bearing assemblies. Hard-on-hard bearing surfaces of the bearing assemblies and a ring assembly between the impeller and electric motor means act to grind down large particles in the liquid waste flow. These larger particles are received in slots in the static bearing members of the radial bearing assemblies. Only solid waste particles smaller than the clearances in the system can pass therethrough, thereby resisting damage to and the interruption of the operation of the mixer pump.

Physics Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1976

1976-01-01

Described are 13 physics experiments/demonstrations applicable to introductory physics courses. Activities include: improved current balance, division circuits, liquid pressure, convection, siphons, oscillators and modulation, electrical resistance, soap films, Helmholtz coils, radioactive decay, and springs. (SL)

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...

Effect of milk on somatostatin degradation in suckling rat jejunum in vivo.

PubMed

Rao, R K; Davis, T P; Williams, C; Koldovsky, O

1999-01-01

Somatostatin-14 is present in breast milk, and intact somatostatin-14 has been recovered from gastric lumen of infants. Studies have shown that somatostatin-14 is metabolized in the intestinal luminal contents in vitro, which could be prevented by the presence of breast milk. In this study, the effect of milk on stability of somatostatin-14 in suckling rat jejunum in vivo was examined. 125I-Somatostatin-14[Tyr 11] was administered to the isolated jejunal loops in anesthetized suckling rats in the absence or presence of milk, fractions of milk, or known protease-peptidase inhibitors. Structural integrity of 125I-somatostatin-14[Tyr 11] recovered from tissues at different intervals was analyzed by gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography. Radioactivity rapidly disappeared from the jejunal lumen with a 50% clearance achieved by 1.2 minutes. Gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses showed that 125I-somatostatin- 14[Tyr 11] was rapidly degraded into smaller fragments. At 1 minute, jejunal luminal radioactivity was eluted in a major peak with retention time of 42.4 minutes, along with other minor peaks (retention time, 5.6, 8.0, 10.4, and 14.4 minutes); only a trace amount of intact 125I-somatostatin-14[Tyr 11] (retention time, 44.8 minutes) was present. Coadministration of rat's milk or its soluble fraction increased the level of intact 125I-somatostatin-14[Tyr 11] in the jejunal lumen and jejunal tissue. Presence of rat's milk-casein or peptidase inhibitors (bestatin, phosphoramidon, or Bowman-Birk inhibitor), however, failed to increase the level of intact 125I-somatostatin-14[Tyr 11]. These results suggest that somatostatin-14 is rapidly degraded in the jejunal lumen of suckling rats, and that milk-borne peptidase inhibitors prevent this somatostatin-14 degradation.

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.

New Standards in Liquid Waste Treatment at Fukushima Dai-ichi - 13134

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

Sylvester, Paul; Milner, Tim; Ruffing, Jennifer

The earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 severely damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant leading to the most severe nuclear incident since Chernobyl. Ongoing operations to cool the damaged reactors at the site have led to the generation of highly radioactive coolant water. This is currently mainly treated to remove Cs-137 and Cs-134 and passed through a reverse osmosis (RO) unit to reduce the salinity before being cycled back to the reactors. Because only the Cs isotopes are removed, the RO reject water still contains many radioactive isotopes and this has led to the accumulation of over 200,000 cubicmore » meters (52 million gallons) of extremely contaminated water which is currently stored on site in tanks. EnergySolutions, in partnership with Toshiba, were contracted to develop a system to reduce 62 isotopes in this waste down to allowable levels. This was a significant technical challenge given the high background salt content of the wastewater, the variation in aqueous chemistry of the radioactive isotopes and the presence of non-active competing ions (e.g. Ca and Mg) which inhibit the removal of isotopes such as Sr-89 and Sr-90. Extensive testing was performed to design a suitable system that could meet the required decontamination goals. These tests were performed over a 6 month period at facilities available in the nearby Fukushima Dai-ni laboratory using actual waste samples. This data was then utilized to design a Multi Radioactive Nuclides Removal System (MRRS) for Fukushima which is a modified version of EnergySolutions' proprietary Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS)'. The stored tank waste is fed into a preliminary precipitation system where iron flocculation is performed to remove a number of isotopes, including Sb-125, Ru-106, Mn-54 and Co-60. The supernatant is then fed into a second precipitation tank where the pH is adjusted and the bulk of the Mg, Ca and Sr precipitated out as carbonates and hydroxides. After passing through a cross-flow ultrafiltration membrane, the permeate then goes through a total of 14 fixed ion exchange and adsorbent columns followed by a disposable polishing column to polish the residual isotopes down to allowable levels. At the end of the system, the effluent is filtered for a final time to removal any particulates that may have been picked up from the media columns and then stored prior to analysis. (authors)« less

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.

A novel method for rapid in vitro radiobioassay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crawford, Evan Bogert

Rapid and accurate analysis of internal human exposure to radionuclides is essential to the effective triage and treatment of citizens who have possibly been exposed to radioactive materials in the environment. The two most likely scenarios in which a large number of citizens would be exposed are the detonation of a radiation dispersal device (RDD, "dirty bomb") or the accidental release of an isotope from an industrial source such as a radioisotopic thermal generator (RTG). In the event of the release and dispersion of radioactive materials into the environment in a large city, the entire population of the city -- including all commuting workers and tourists -- would have to be rapidly tested, both to satisfy the psychological needs of the citizens who were exposed to the mental trauma of a possible radiation dose, and to satisfy the immediate medical needs of those who received the highest doses and greatest levels of internal contamination -- those who would best benefit from rapid, intensive medical care. In this research a prototype rapid screening method to screen urine samples for the presence of up to five isotopes, both individually and in a mixture, has been developed. The isotopes used to develop this method are Co-60, Sr-90, Cs-137, Pu-238, and Am-241. This method avoids time-intensive chemical separations via the preparation and counting of a single sample on multiple detectors, and analyzing the spectra for isotope-specific markers. A rapid liquid-liquid separation using an organic extractive scintillator can be used to help quantify the activity of the alpha-emitting isotopes. The method provides quantifiable results in less than five minutes for the activity of beta/gamma-emitting isotopes when present in the sample at the intervention level as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and quantifiable results for the activity levels of alpha-emitting isotopes present at their respective intervention levels in approximately 30 minutes of sample preparation and counting time. Radiation detector spectra -- e.g. those from high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma detectors and liquid scintillation detectors -- which contain decay signals from multiple isotopes often have overlapping signals: the counts from one isotope's decay can appear in energy channels associated with another isotope's decay, complicating the calculation of each isotope's activity. The uncertainties associated with analyzing these spectra have been traced in order to determine the effects of one isotope's count rate on the sensitivity and uncertainty associated with each other isotope. The method that was developed takes advantage of activated carbon filtration to eliminate quenching effects and to make the liquid scintillation spectra from different urine samples comparable. The method uses pulse-shape analysis to reduce the interference from beta emitters in the liquid scintillation spectrum and improve the minimum detectable activity (MDA) and minimum quantifiable activity (MQA) for alpha emitters. The method uses an HPGe detector to quantify the activity of gamma emitters, and subtract their isotopes' contributions to the liquid scintillation spectra via a calibration factor, such that the pure beta and pure alpha emitters can be identified and quantified from the resulting liquid scintillation spectra. Finally, the method optionally uses extractive scintillators to rapidly separate the alpha emitters from the beta emitters when the activity from the beta emitters is too great to detect or quantify the activity from the alpha emitters without such a separation. The method is able to detect and quantify all five isotopes, with uncertainties and biases usually in the 10-40% range, depending upon the isotopic mixtures and the activity ratios between each of the isotopes.

Biodegradation of imidazolium ionic liquids by activated sludge microorganisms.

PubMed

Liwarska-Bizukojc, Ewa; Maton, Cedric; Stevens, Christian V

2015-11-01

Biological properties of ionic liquids (ILs) have been usually tested with the help of standard biodegradation or ecotoxicity tests. So far, several articles on the identification of intermediate metabolites of microbiological decay of ILs have been published. Simultaneously, the number of novel ILs with unrecognized characteristics regarding biodegradability and effect on organisms and environment is still increasing. In this work, seven imidazolium ionic liquids of different chemical structure were studied. Three of them are 1-alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bromides, while the other four are tetra- or completely substituted imidazolium iodides. This study focused on the identification of intermediate metabolites of the aforementioned ionic liquids subjected to biodegradation in a laboratory activated sludge system. Both fully substituted ionic liquids and 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bromide were barely biodegradable. In the case of two of them, no biotransformation products were detected. The elongation of the alkyl side chain made the IL more susceptible for microbiological decomposition. 1-Decyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bromide was biotransformed most easily. Its primary biodegradation up to 100 % could be achieved. Nevertheless, the cleavage of the imidazolium ring has not been observed.

METHOD OF SEPARATING FROTHS FROM LIQUIDS

DOEpatents

Monet, G.P.

1958-01-21

A method for separating solids and precipitates from liquids is described. The method is particularly adapted for and valuable in processing highly radioactive solutions. It consists in essence, in employing the principles of froth flotation to effect the separation of approximately 99% of the solids present. An apparatus, consisting of a system of pipes, valves and vessels, for carrying out the process of this patent is also described therein.

41 CFR 109-40.5005 - Description of property for shipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... AVIATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND MOTOR VEHICLES 40-TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT 40.50-Bills of Lading... explosives, radioactive materials, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizers, or poison A or poison B...

41 CFR 109-40.5005 - Description of property for shipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... AVIATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND MOTOR VEHICLES 40-TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT 40.50-Bills of Lading... explosives, radioactive materials, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizers, or poison A or poison B...

41 CFR 109-40.5005 - Description of property for shipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AVIATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND MOTOR VEHICLES 40-TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT 40.50-Bills of Lading... explosives, radioactive materials, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizers, or poison A or poison B...

41 CFR 109-40.5005 - Description of property for shipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... AVIATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND MOTOR VEHICLES 40-TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT 40.50-Bills of Lading... explosives, radioactive materials, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizers, or poison A or poison B...

41 CFR 109-40.5005 - Description of property for shipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AVIATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND MOTOR VEHICLES 40-TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT 40.50-Bills of Lading... explosives, radioactive materials, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizers, or poison A or poison B...

Radioactivity levels in major French rivers: summary of monitoring chronicles acquired over the past thirty years and current status.

PubMed

Eyrolle, Frédérique; Claval, David; Gontier, Gilles; Antonelli, Christelle

2008-07-01

Since the beginning of the 1990 s, liquid releases of gamma-emitting radionuclides from French nuclear facilities have generally fallen by almost 85%. Almost 65% of gamma-emitting liquid effluents released into freshwater rivers concerned the River Rhône (Southeast France), with around 85% of this originating from the Marcoule spent fuel reprocessing plant. Upstream of French nuclear plants, artificial radionuclides still detected by gamma spectrometry in 2006, include (137)Cs, (131)I as well as (60)Co, (58)Co and (54)Mn in the case of the Rhine (Switzerland nuclear industries). In the wake of the fallout from the Chernobyl accident, (103)Ru, (106)Rh-Ru, (110 m)Ag, (141)Ce and (129)Te were detected in rivers in the east of France. Some of these radionuclides were found in aquatic plants until 1989. In eastern France, (137)Cs activity in river sediments and mosses is still today two to three times greater than that observed in similar environments in western France. No (134)Cs has been detected upstream of nuclear plants in French rivers since 2001. Downstream of nuclear plants, the gamma emitters still detected regularly in rivers in 2006 are (137)Cs, (134)Cs, (60)Co, (58)Co, (110 m)Ag, (54)Mn, (131)I, together with (241)Am downstream of the Marcoule spent fuel reprocessing plant. Alpha and beta emitters such as plutonium isotopes and (90)Sr first entered freshwaters at the early 1950s due to the leaching of soils contaminated by atmospheric fallout from nuclear testing. These elements were also introduced, in the case of the Rhône River, via effluent from the Marcoule reprocessing plant. Until the mid 1990 s, plutonium isotope levels observed in the lower reaches of the Rhône were 10 to 1000 times higher than those observed in other French freshwaters. Data gathered over a period of almost thirty years of radioecological studies reveal that the only radionuclides detected in fish muscles are (137)Cs, (90)Sr, plutonium isotopes and (241)Am. At the scale of the French territory, there is no significant difference since the mid 1990 s between (137)Cs activity observed downstream of nuclear facilities and that observed upstream, whether in sediments, mosses and fish. Finally, this study highlights that the natural radioactivity of surface freshwaters are around 25 times greater than artificial radioactivity from gamma emitters. However, non gamma emitters released by nuclear industries, such as (3)H, may lead to artificial activity levels 2 to 20 times higher than natural levels.

Transdiaphragmatic transport of tracer albumin from peritoneal to pleural liquid measured in rats.

PubMed

Lai-Fook, Stephen J; Houtz, Pamela K; Jones, Philip D

2005-12-01

In conscious Wistar-Kyoto rats, we studied the uptake of radioactive tracer (125)I-albumin into the pleural space and circulation after intraperitoneal (IP) injections with 1 or 5 ml of Ringer solution (3 g/dl albumin). Postmortem, we sampled pleural liquid, peritoneal liquid, and blood plasma 2-48 h after IP injection and measured their radioactivity and protein concentration. Tracer concentration was greater in pleural liquid than in plasma approximately 3 h after injection with both IP injection volumes. This behavior indicated transport of tracer through the diaphragm into the pleural space. A dynamic analysis of the tracer uptake with 5-ml IP injections showed that at least 50% of the total pleural flow was via the diaphragm. A similar estimate was derived from an analysis of total protein concentrations. Both estimates were based on restricted pleural capillary filtration and unrestricted transdiaphragmatic transport. The 5-ml IP injections did not change plasma protein concentration but increased pleural and peritoneal protein concentrations from control values by 22 and 30%, respectively. These changes were consistent with a small (approximately 8%) increase in capillary filtration and a small (approximately 20%) reduction in transdiaphragmatic flow from control values, consistent with the small (3%) decrease in hydration measured in diaphragm muscle. Thus the pleural uptake of tracer via the diaphragm with the IP injections occurred by the near-normal transport of liquid and protein.

Hanford High-Level Waste Vitrification Program at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: technology development - annotated bibliography

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

Larson, D.E.

1996-09-01

This report provides a collection of annotated bibliographies for documents prepared under the Hanford High-Level Waste Vitrification (Plant) Program. The bibliographies are for documents from Fiscal Year 1983 through Fiscal Year 1995, and include work conducted at or under the direction of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The bibliographies included focus on the technology developed over the specified time period for vitrifying Hanford pretreated high-level waste. The following subject areas are included: General Documentation; Program Documentation; High-Level Waste Characterization; Glass Formulation and Characterization; Feed Preparation; Radioactive Feed Preparation and Glass Properties Testing; Full-Scale Feed Preparation Testing; Equipment Materials Testing; Meltermore » Performance Assessment and Evaluations; Liquid-Fed Ceramic Melter; Cold Crucible Melter; Stirred Melter; High-Temperature Melter; Melter Off-Gas Treatment; Vitrification Waste Treatment; Process, Product Control and Modeling; Analytical; and Canister Closure, Decontamination, and Handling« less

A Gaussian theory for fluctuations in simple liquids.

PubMed

Krüger, Matthias; Dean, David S

2017-04-07

Assuming an effective quadratic Hamiltonian, we derive an approximate, linear stochastic equation of motion for the density-fluctuations in liquids, composed of overdamped Brownian particles. From this approach, time dependent two point correlation functions (such as the intermediate scattering function) are derived. We show that this correlation function is exact at short times, for any interaction and, in particular, for arbitrary external potentials so that it applies to confined systems. Furthermore, we discuss the relation of this approach to previous ones, such as dynamical density functional theory as well as the formally exact treatment. This approach, inspired by the well known Landau-Ginzburg Hamiltonians, and the corresponding "Model B" equation of motion, may be seen as its microscopic version, containing information about the details on the particle level.

A Gaussian theory for fluctuations in simple liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krüger, Matthias; Dean, David S.

2017-04-01

Assuming an effective quadratic Hamiltonian, we derive an approximate, linear stochastic equation of motion for the density-fluctuations in liquids, composed of overdamped Brownian particles. From this approach, time dependent two point correlation functions (such as the intermediate scattering function) are derived. We show that this correlation function is exact at short times, for any interaction and, in particular, for arbitrary external potentials so that it applies to confined systems. Furthermore, we discuss the relation of this approach to previous ones, such as dynamical density functional theory as well as the formally exact treatment. This approach, inspired by the well known Landau-Ginzburg Hamiltonians, and the corresponding "Model B" equation of motion, may be seen as its microscopic version, containing information about the details on the particle level.

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.

NONDESTRUCTIVE QUALITY CONTROL: SOME SPECIAL METHODS OF IRRADIATION TESTING

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

Van der Klis, T.

1961-06-10

S>Various methods, using open radioactive sources are discussed. In one method, oil is used containing Pd/sup 109/ which is adsorbed by Mg compounds with which the object to be tested is covered after it has been enveloped in a photographic film. Another method consists of coking the material in the radioactive oil and then scanning it with a suitable detector. A third method, applied especially to porous materials, uses pressure to promote the penetration of the radioactive oil into the cracks and fissures. The filtered particle technique is also used for detection of cracks or cavities in porous materials, suchmore » as ceramics, cement, graphite pressed powdered metals, and sintered carbides. In this method, radioactive liquids are used along with fluid fluorescent substances. Finally, a method is mentioned in which radioactive powder is made to adhere to the surface of the investigated objects by means of an electrostatic charge. This method is used for quality control of china, glass, email, and electric insulation material. (OID)« less

Bolt failure detection

DOEpatents

Sutton, Jr., Harry G.

1984-01-01

Bolts of a liquid metal fast breeder reactor, each bolt provided with an internal chamber filled with a specific, unique radioactive tag gas. Detection of the tag gas is indicative of a crack in an identifiable bolt.

Investigation of three-dimensional localisation of radioactive sources using a fast organic liquid scintillator detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamage, K. A. A.; Joyce, M. J.; Taylor, G. C.

2013-04-01

In this paper we discuss the possibility of locating radioactive sources in space using a scanning-based method, relative to the three-dimensional location of the detector. The scanning system comprises an organic liquid scintillator detector, a tungsten collimator and an adjustable equatorial mount. The detector output is connected to a bespoke fast digitiser (Hybrid Instruments Ltd., UK) which streams digital samples to a personal computer. A radioactive source has been attached to a vertical wall and the data have been collected in two stages. In the first case, the scanning system was placed a couple of metres away from the wall and in the second case it moved few centimetres from the previous location, parallel to the wall. In each case data were collected from a grid of measurement points (set of azimuth angles for set of elevation angles) which covered the source on the wall. The discrimination of fast neutrons and gamma rays, detected by the organic liquid scintillator detector, is carried out on the basis of pulse gradient analysis. Images are then produced in terms of the angular distribution of events for total counts, gamma rays and neutrons for both cases. The three-dimensional location of the neutron source can be obtained by considering the relative separation of the centres of the corresponding images of angular distribution of events. The measurements have been made at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, UK.

Optimization and validation of liquid chromatography and headspace-gas chromatography based methods for the quantitative determination of capsaicinoids, salicylic acid, glycol monosalicylate, methyl salicylate, ethyl salicylate, camphor and l-menthol in a topical formulation.

PubMed

Pauwels, Jochen; D'Autry, Ward; Van den Bossche, Larissa; Dewever, Cédric; Forier, Michel; Vandenwaeyenberg, Stephanie; Wolfs, Kris; Hoogmartens, Jos; Van Schepdael, Ann; Adams, Erwin

2012-02-23

Capsaicinoids, salicylic acid, methyl and ethyl salicylate, glycol monosalicylate, camphor and l-menthol are widely used in topical formulations to relieve local pain. For each separate compound or simple mixtures, quantitative analysis methods are reported. However, for a mixture containing all above mentioned active compounds, no assay methods were found. Due to the differing physicochemical characteristics, two methods were developed and optimized simultaneously. The non-volatile capsaicinoids, salicylic acid and glycol monosalicylate were analyzed with liquid chromatography following liquid-liquid extraction, whereas the volatile compounds were analyzed with static headspace-gas chromatography. For the latter method, liquid paraffin was selected as compatible dilution solvent. The optimized methods were validated in terms of specificity, linearity, accuracy and precision in a range of 80% to 120% of the expected concentrations. For both methods, peaks were well separated without interference of other compounds. Linear relationships were demonstrated with R² values higher than 0.996 for all compounds. Accuracy was assessed by performing replicate recovery experiments with spiked blank samples. Mean recovery values were all between 98% and 102%. Precision was checked at three levels: system repeatability, method precision and intermediate precision. Both methods were found to be acceptably precise at all three levels. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of some real samples (cutaneous sticks). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiological assessment of target materials for accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vickers, Linda Diane

This dissertation issues the first published document of the radiation absorbed dose rate (rad-h-1) to tissue from radioactive spallation products in Ta, W, Pb, Bi, and LBE target materials used in Accelerator Transmutation of Waste (ATW) applications. No previous works have provided an estimate of the absorbed dose rate (rad-h-1) from activated targets for ATW applications. The results of this dissertation are useful for planning the radiological safety assessment to personnel, and for the design, construction, maintenance, and disposition of target materials of high-energy particle accelerators for ATW applications (Charlton, 1996). In addition, this dissertation provides the characterization of target materials of high-energy particle accelerators for the parameters of: (1) spallation neutron yield (neutrons/proton), (2) spallation products yield (nuclides/proton), (3) energy-dependent spallation neutron fluence distribution, (4) spallation neutron flux, (5) identification of radioactive spallation products for consideration in safety of personnel to high radiation dose rates, and (6) identification of the optimum geometrical dimensions for the target applicable to the maximum radial spallation neutron leakage from the target. Pb and Bi target materials yielded the lowest absorbed dose rates (rad-h -1) for a 10-year irradiation/50-year decay scheme, and would be the preferred target materials for consideration of the radiological safety of personnel during ATW operations. A beneficial characteristic of these target materials is that they do not produce radioactive transuranic isotopes, which have very long half-lives and require special handling and disposition requirements. Furthermore, the targets are not considered High-Level Waste (HLW) such as reactor spent fuel for disposal purposes. It is a basic ATW system requirement that the spallation target after it has been expended should be disposable as Class C low-level radioactive waste. Therefore, the disposal of Pb and Bi targets would be optimally beneficial to the economy and environment. Future studies should relate the target performance to other system parameters, specifically solid and liquid blanket systems that contain the radioactive waste to be transmuted. The methodology of this dissertation may be applied to any target material of a high-energy particle accelerator.

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

Agnes, P.; Albuquerque, I. F. M.; Alexander, T.

This paper describes the design, fabrication, commissioning and use of a CALibration source Insertion System (CALIS) in the DarkSide-50 direct dark matter search experiment. CALIS deploys radioactive sources into the liquid scintillator veto to characterize the detector response and detection efficiency of the DarkSide-50 Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber, and the surrounding 30 t organic liquid scintillator neutron veto. It was commissioned in September 2014 and has been used successfully in several gamma and neutron source campaigns since then. A description of the hardware and an excerpt of calibration analysis results are given below.

Production of radioactive isotopes through cosmic muon spallation in KamLAND

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

Abe, S.; Furuno, K.; Gando, Y.

2010-02-15

Radioactive isotopes produced through cosmic muon spallation are a background for rare-event detection in nu detectors, double-beta-decay experiments, and dark-matter searches. Understanding the nature of cosmogenic backgrounds is particularly important for future experiments aiming to determine the pep and CNO solar neutrino fluxes, for which the background is dominated by the spallation production of {sup 11}C. Data from the Kamioka liquid-scintillator antineutrino detector (KamLAND) provides valuable information for better understanding these backgrounds, especially in liquid scintillators, and for checking estimates from current simulations based upon MUSIC, FLUKA, and GEANT4. Using the time correlation between detected muons and neutron captures, themore » neutron production yield in the KamLAND liquid scintillator is measured to be Y{sub n}=(2.8+-0.3)x10{sup -4} mu{sup -1} g{sup -1} cm{sup 2}. For other isotopes, the production yield is determined from the observed time correlation related to known isotope lifetimes. We find some yields are inconsistent with extrapolations based on an accelerator muon beam experiment.« less

Study of the Production of Radioactive Isotopes through Cosmic Muon Spallation in KamLAND

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

KamLAND Collaboration; Abe, S.; Enomoto, S.

2009-06-30

Radioactive isotopes produced through cosmic muon spallation are a background for rare event detection in {nu} detectors, double-beta-decay experiments, and dark-matter searches. Understanding the nature of cosmogenic backgrounds is particularly important for future experiments aiming to determine the pep and CNO solar neutrino fluxes, for which the background is dominated by the spallation production of {sup 11}C. Data from the Kamioka Liquid scintillator Anti-Neutrino Detector (KamLAND) provides valuable information for better understanding these backgrounds, especially in liquid scintillator, and for checking estimates from current simulations based upon MUSIC, FLUKA, and Geant4. Using the time correlation between detected muons and neutronmore » captures, the neutron production yield in the KamLAND liquid scintillator is measured to be (2.8 {+-} 0.3) x 10{sup -4} n/({mu} {center_dot} (g/cm{sup 2})). For other isotopes, the production yield is determined from the observed time correlation related to known isotope lifetimes. We find some yields are inconsistent with extrapolations based on an accelerator muon beam experiment.« less

Fines classification based on sensitivity to pore-fluid chemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jang, Junbong; Santamarina, J. Carlos

2016-01-01

The 75-μm particle size is used to discriminate between fine and coarse grains. Further analysis of fine grains is typically based on the plasticity chart. Whereas pore-fluid-chemistry-dependent soil response is a salient and distinguishing characteristic of fine grains, pore-fluid chemistry is not addressed in current classification systems. Liquid limits obtained with electrically contrasting pore fluids (deionized water, 2-M NaCl brine, and kerosene) are combined to define the soil “electrical sensitivity.” Liquid limit and electrical sensitivity can be effectively used to classify fine grains according to their fluid-soil response into no-, low-, intermediate-, or high-plasticity fine grains of low, intermediate, or high electrical sensitivity. The proposed methodology benefits from the accumulated experience with liquid limit in the field and addresses the needs of a broader range of geotechnical engineering problems.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Volume 13, Annual report 1992

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

Tichler, J.; Doty, K.; Lucadamo, K.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1992 have been compiled and reported. The summary data for the years 1973 through 1991 are included for comparison. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1992 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants. Annual report 1989: Volume 10

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

Tichler, J.; Norden, K.; Congemi, J.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1989 have been compiled and reported. The summary data for the years 1970 through 1988 are included for comparison. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1989 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

Radioactive materials released from nuclear power plants: Annual report, 1993. Volume 14

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

Tichler, J.; Doty, K.; Lucadamo, K.

Releases of radioactive materials in airborne and liquid effluents from commercial light water reactors during 1993 have been compiled and reported. The summary data for the years 1974 through 1992 are included for comparison. Data on solid waste shipments as well as selected operating information have been included. This report supplements earlier annual reports issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The 1993 release data are summarized in tabular form. Data covering specific radionuclides are summarized.

A Collison nebulizer as an ion source for mass spectrometry analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pervukhin, V. V.; Sheven', D. G.; Kolomiets, Yu. N.

2014-12-01

It is proposed to use a Collison nebulizer as a source of ionization for mass-spectrometry with ionization at atmospheric pressure. This source does not require an electric voltage, radioactive sources, heaters, or liquid pumps. It is shown that the number of ions produced by the Collison nebulizer is ten times greater than the quantity of ions produced by the 63Ni radioactive source and three to four times greater than the number of ions produced with sonic ionization devices.

A Programmable Liquid Collimator for Both Coded Aperture Adaptive Imaging and Multiplexed Compton Scatter Tomography

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

environments where a source is either weak or shielded. A vehicle of this type could survey large areas after a nuclear attack or a nuclear reactor accident...to prevent its detection by γ-rays. The best application for unmanned vehicles is the detection of radioactive material after a nuclear reactor ...accident or a nuclear weapon detonation [70]. Whether by a nuclear detonation or a nuclear reactor accident, highly radioactive substances could be dis

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)

Bioanalysis works in the IAA AMS facility: Comparison of AMS analytical method with LSC method in human mass balance study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyaoka, Teiji; Isono, Yoshimi; Setani, Kaoru; Sakai, Kumiko; Yamada, Ichimaro; Sato, Yoshiaki; Gunji, Shinobu; Matsui, Takao

2007-06-01

Institute of Accelerator Analysis Ltd. (IAA) is the first Contract Research Organization in Japan providing Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) analysis services for carbon dating and bioanalysis works. The 3 MV AMS machines are maintained by validated analysis methods using multiple control compounds. It is confirmed that these AMS systems have reliabilities and sensitivities enough for each objective. The graphitization of samples for bioanalysis is prepared by our own purification lines including the measurement of total carbon content in the sample automatically. In this paper, we present the use of AMS analysis in human mass balance and metabolism profiling studies with IAA 3 MV AMS, comparing results obtained from the same samples with liquid scintillation counting (LSC). Human samples such as plasma, urine and feces were obtained from four healthy volunteers orally administered a 14C-labeled drug Y-700, a novel xanthine oxidase inhibitor, of which radioactivity was about 3 MBq (85 μCi). For AMS measurement, these samples were diluted 100-10,000-fold with pure-water or blank samples. The results indicated that AMS method had a good correlation with LSC method (e.g. plasma: r = 0.998, urine: r = 0.997, feces: r = 0.997), and that the drug recovery in the excreta exceeded 92%. The metabolite profiles of plasma, urine and feces obtained with HPLC-AMS corresponded to radio-HPLC results measured at much higher radioactivity level. These results revealed that AMS analysis at IAA is useful to measure 14C-concentration in bioanalysis studies at very low radioactivity level.

A Simple Treatment of the Liquidity Trap for Intermediate Macroeconomics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buttet, Sebastien; Roy, Udayan

2014-01-01

Several leading undergraduate intermediate macroeconomics textbooks now include a simple reduced-form New Keynesian model of short-run dynamics (alongside the IS-LM model). Unfortunately, there is no accompanying description of how the zero lower bound on nominal interest rates affects the model. In this article, the authors show how the…

Radiation shielding estimates for manned Mars space flight.

PubMed

Dudkin, V E; Kovalev, E E; Kolomensky, A V; Sakovich, V A; Semenov, V F; Demin, V P; Benton, E V

1992-01-01

In the analysis of the required radiation shielding protection of spacecraft during a Mars flight, specific effects of solar activity (SA) on the intensity of galactic and solar cosmic rays were taken into consideration. Three spaceflight periods were considered: (1) maximum SA; (2) minimum SA; and (3) intermediate SA, when intensities of both galactic and solar cosmic rays are moderately high. Scenarios of spaceflights utilizing liquid-propellant rocket engines, low- and intermediate-thrust nuclear electrojet engines, and nuclear rocket engines, all of which have been designed in the Soviet Union, are reviewed. Calculations were performed on the basis of a set of standards for radiation protection approved by the U.S.S.R. State Committee for Standards. It was found that the lowest estimated mass of a Mars spacecraft, including the radiation shielding mass, obtained using a combination of a liquid propellant engine with low and intermediate thrust nuclear electrojet engines, would be 500-550 metric tons.

Recommendations to the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) for Review Criteria for Alternative Methods of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal. Task 2A. Below-Ground Vaults.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

Settlements ........ 2.6-21 2.6.2.7.4.2 Total Settleme. t ... 2.6-21 2.6.2.7.4.3 Lateral Deformations ........ 2.6-22 2.6.2.7.5 Limits for Soil Loads and...otherwise specified, such as construction loads , etc. 2.1-2 F - Loads due to lateral and vertical pressure of incidental liquids. H - Loads due to lateral ...design loads , as well as forces and moments imposed by the continuity of the structural framing system. Columns should be designed to sustain all design

Rheological properties of the product slurry of the Nitrate to Ammonia and Ceramic (NAC) process

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

Muguercia, I.; Yang, G.; Ebadian, M.A.

The Nitrate to Ammonia and Ceramic (NAC) process is an innovative technology for immobilizing the liquid from Low Level radioactive Waste (LLW). An experimental study was conducted to measure the rheological properties of the pipe flow of the NAC product slurry. Test results indicate that the NAC product slurry has a profound rheological behavior. At low solids concentration, the slurry exhibits a typical dilatant fluid (or shear thinning)fluid. The transition from dilatant fluid to pseudo-plastic fluid will occur at between 25% to 30% solids concentration in temperature ranges of 50--80{degree}C. Correlation equations are developed based on the test data.

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.

Environmental Releases for Calendar Year 2001

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

DYEKMAN, D L

2002-08-01

This report fulfills the annual reporting requirements of US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Program. The report contains tabular data summaries on air emissions and liquid effluents released to the environment as well as nonroutine releases during calendar year (CY) 2001. These releases, bearing radioactive and hazardous substances, were from Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI), CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. (CHG), and Fluor Hanford (FH) managed facilities and activities. These data were obtained from direct sampling and analysis and from estimates based upon approved release factors. This report further serves as a supplemental resource to the Hanfordmore » Site Environmental Report (HSER PNNL-13910), published by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. HSER includes a yearly accounting of the impacts on the surrounding populace and environment from major activities at the Hanford Site. HSER also summarizes the regulatory compliance status of the Hanford Site. Tables ES-1 through ES-5 display comprehensive data summaries of CY2001 air emission and liquid effluent releases. The data displayed in these tables compiles the following: Radionuclide air emissions; Nonradioactive air emissions; Radionuclides in liquid effluents discharged to ground; Total volumes and flow rates of radioactive liquid effluents discharged to ground; and Radionuclides discharged to the Columbia River.« less

Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1994

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

NONE

1996-07-01

This report describes environmental monitoring activities at Los Alamos National Laboratory for 1994. Data were collected to assess external penetrating radiation, airborne emissions, liquid effluents, radioactivity of environmental materials and food stuffs, and environmental compliance.

Maintenance Free Fluidic Transfer and Mixing Devices for Highly Radioactive Applications - Design, Development, Deployment and Operational Experience

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

Phillips, C.; Richardson, J. E.; Fallows, P.

2006-07-01

Power Fluidics is the generic name for a range of maintenance-free fluid transfer and mixing devices, capable of handling a wide range of highly radioactive fluids, jointly developed by British Nuclear Group, its US-based subsidiary BNG America, and AEA Technology. Power Fluidic devices include Reverse Flow Diverters (RFDs), Vacuum Operated Slug Lifts (VOSLs), and Air Lifts, all of which have an excellent proven record for pumping radioactive liquids and sludges. Variants of the RFD, termed Pulse Jet Mixers (PJMs) are used to agitate and mix tank contents, where maintenance-free equipment is desirable, and where a high degree of homogenization ismore » necessary. The equipment is designed around the common principle of using compressed air to provide the motive force to transfer liquids and sludges. These devices have no moving parts in contact with the radioactive medium and therefore require no maintenance in radioactive areas of processing plants. Once commissioned, Power Fluidic equipment has been demonstrated to operate for the life of the facility. Over 800 fluidic devices continue to operate safely and reliably in British Nuclear Group's nuclear facilities at the Sellafield site in the United Kingdom, and some of these have done so for almost 40 years. More than 400 devices are being supplied by AEA Technology and BNG America for the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State, USA. This paper discusses: - Principles of operation of fluidic pumps and mixers. - Selection criteria and design of fluidic pumps and mixers. - Operational experience of fluidic pumps and mixers in the United Kingdom. - Applications of fluidic pumps and mixers at the U.S. Department of Energy nuclear sites. (authors)« less

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.

Determination of transfer rate and nature of the residue(s) in milk from {sup 14}C-atrazine cows

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

Thalacker, F.W.; Ash, S.G.; Simoneaux, B.J.

1996-10-01

In order to determine the rate of transfer and the nature of the atrazine residues present in milk, lactating dairy cattle were treated with atrazine at three concentrations, 0.764 ppm, 0.0747 ppm and 0.0085 ppm (dry weight of food consumed). The concentrations were selected to bridge the gap between the concentration used for EPA metabolism studies (10 ppm) and the potential exposure level of dairy cattle to atrazine and its chlorotriazine metabolites through feed. The cattle were dosed following the morning milking for nine consecutive days with a single capsule bolus of {sup 14}C-atrazine. Milk was collected twice daily andmore » aliquots of each milking and the individual cow`s daily pool of milk were analyzed by liquid scinitllation counting (LSC). The concentrations of {sup 14}C-residues in the milk plateaued on approximately day 3 and the mean {sup 14}C-atrazine levels in milk were 11.2 ppb, 1.13 ppb and 0.152 ppb for the high, middle and low dosed animals, respectively. The transfer of radioactive level of exposure to {sup 14}C-atrazine. The nature of the residues in milk were determined by extracting milk samples and analysis by HPLC, TLC or Aminex chromatography. Diaminchlorotriazine was the only chlorinated metabolite in the milk, constituting approximately 65% to 75% of the total radioactive residues (TRR).« less

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...

Corrosion Management of the Hanford High-Level Nuclear Waste Tanks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beavers, John A.; Sridhar, Narasi; Boomer, Kayle D.

2014-03-01

The Hanford site is located in southeastern Washington State and stores more than 200,000 m3 (55 million gallons) of high-level radioactive waste resulting from the production and processing of plutonium. The waste is stored in large carbon steel tanks that were constructed between 1943 and 1986. The leak and structurally integrity of the more recently constructed double-shell tanks must be maintained until the waste can be removed from the tanks and encapsulated in glass logs for final disposal in a repository. There are a number of corrosion-related threats to the waste tanks, including stress-corrosion cracking, pitting corrosion, and corrosion at the liquid-air interface and in the vapor space. This article summarizes the corrosion management program at Hanford to mitigate these threats.

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...

Slosh characteristics of aggregated intermediate bulk containers on single-unit trucks : technology brief.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

The motion of the liquid in a container, known as slosh, can cause the vehicle carrying the liquid to move appreciably beyond its normal stopping point or normal turning path. Sloshing is most pronounced when a cargo tank is partly full. The dynamics...

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

Treatment of radioactive liquid waste (Co-60) by sorption on Zeolite Na-A prepared from Iraqi kaolin.

PubMed

Mustafa, Yasmen A; Zaiter, Maysoon J

2011-11-30

Iraqi synthetic zeolite type Na-A has been suggested as ion exchange material to treat cobalt-60 in radioactive liquid waste which came from neutron activation for corrosion products. Batch experiments were conducted to find out the equilibrium isotherm for source sample. The equilibrium isotherm for radioactive cobalt in the source sample showed unfavorable type, while the equilibrium isotherm for the total cobalt (the radioactive and nonradioactive cobalt) in the source sample showed a favorable type. The ability of Na-A zeolite to remove cobalt from wastewater was checked for high cobalt concentration (822 mg/L) in addition to low cobalt concentration in the source sample (0.093 mg/L). A good fitting for the experimental data with Langmuir equilibrium model was observed. Langmuir constant qm which is related to monolayer adsorption capacity for low and high cobalt concentration was determined to be 0.021 and 140 mg/g(zeolite). The effects of important design variables on the zeolite column performance were studied these include initial concentration, flow rate, and bed depth. The experimental results have shown that high sorption capacity can be obtained at high influent concentration, low flow rate, and high bed depth. Higher column performance was obtained at higher bed depth. Thomas model was employed to predict the breakthrough carves for the above variables. A good fitting was observed with correlation coefficients between 0.915 and 0.985. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PILOT-SCALE TEST RESULTS OF A THIN FILM EVAPORATOR SYSTEM FOR MANAGEMENT OF LIQUID HIGH-LEVEL WASTES AT THE HANFORD SITE WASHINGTON USA -11364

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

CORBETT JE; TEDESCH AR; WILSON RA

2011-02-14

A modular, transportable evaporator system, using thin film evaporative technology, is planned for deployment at the Hanford radioactive waste storage tank complex. This technology, herein referred to as a wiped film evaporator (WFE), will be located at grade level above an underground storage tank to receive pumped liquids, concentrate the liquid stream from 1.1 specific gravity to approximately 1.4 and then return the concentrated solution back into the tank. Water is removed by evaporation at an internal heated drum surface exposed to high vacuum. The condensed water stream will be shipped to the site effluent treatment facility for final disposal.more » This operation provides significant risk mitigation to failure of the aging 242-A Evaporator facility; the only operating evaporative system at Hanford maximizing waste storage. This technology is being implemented through a development and deployment project by the tank farm operating contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), for the Office of River Protection/Department of Energy (ORPIDOE), through Columbia Energy and Environmental Services, Inc. (Columbia Energy). The project will finalize technology maturity and install a system at one of the double-shell tank farms. This paper summarizes results of a pilot-scale test program conducted during calendar year 2010 as part of the ongoing technology maturation development scope for the WFE.« 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

Frequency modulation detection atomic force microscopy in the liquid environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarvis, S. P.; Ishida, T.; Uchihashi, T.; Nakayama, Y.; Tokumoto, H.

True atomic resolution imaging using frequency modulation detection is already well established in ultra-high vacuum. In this paper we demonstrate that it also has great potential in the liquid environment. Using a combination of magnetic activation and high-aspect-ratio carbon nanotube probes, we show that imaging can be readily combined with point spectroscopy, revealing both the tip-sample interaction and the structure of the intermediate liquid.

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...

An epistemology on the nature of polymers.

PubMed

Laridjani, Mortéza; Leboucher, Pierre

2014-01-01

Liquids have neither a periodic structure nor the completely random character of gases therefore the detailed study of their x-ray scattering diagram encounters many difficulties. The idea of periodic regularity in molecules of liquid polymers has been an attractive proposition for the simple interpretation of liquid polymer x-ray diagrams. The categorisation of polymer substances as being between a crystal phase with a perfect order and an amorphous disordered state is an over simplification of the complex reality. For obtaining structural information, during the early stages of the application of x-ray diffraction, a near crystalline model of the molecular arrangements in liquids was utilised. However, the results from these investigations led to just an approximation of the crystalline state. Our studies have analysed the real image of Fourier space of liquid polymers, for the first time, using anomalous diffractometry. The findings show the precise atomic structure of liquid polymers when transformed, by cooling, to solid polymers. We demonstrate that there is an intermediate ordered structure, characterised by the real full image of Fourier space. This prominent state of matter, an intermediate ordered structure, is defined by a regular unit cell with a five-fold symmetry. These structural atomic studies contribute to a more detailed understanding of the properties of polymers than the traditional studies of the degree of crystallinity.

An Epistemology on the Nature of Polymers

PubMed Central

Laridjani, Mortéza; Leboucher, Pierre

2014-01-01

Liquids have neither a periodic structure nor the completely random character of gases therefore the detailed study of their x-ray scattering diagram encounters many difficulties. The idea of periodic regularity in molecules of liquid polymers has been an attractive proposition for the simple interpretation of liquid polymer x-ray diagrams. The categorisation of polymer substances as being between a crystal phase with a perfect order and an amorphous disordered state is an over simplification of the complex reality. For obtaining structural information, during the early stages of the application of x-ray diffraction, a near crystalline model of the molecular arrangements in liquids was utilised. However, the results from these investigations led to just an approximation of the crystalline state. Our studies have analysed the real image of Fourier space of liquid polymers, for the first time, using anomalous diffractometry. The findings show the precise atomic structure of liquid polymers when transformed, by cooling, to solid polymers. We demonstrate that there is an intermediate ordered structure, characterised by the real full image of Fourier space. This prominent state of matter, an intermediate ordered structure, is defined by a regular unit cell with a five-fold symmetry. These structural atomic studies contribute to a more detailed understanding of the properties of polymers than the traditional studies of the degree of crystallinity. PMID:25329440

Storage Stability and Improvement of Intermediate Moisture Foods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labuza, T. P.

1976-01-01

Shelf life tests are used to estimate the rate of nonenzymatic browning; however, controlling the reducing sugar levels below 23:1 molar ratio to amines, slows the rate. In addition, liquid glycols surpress browning. The protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis W can be used to estimate nutrition losses during browning. At high temperatures (80 to 120 C) used in processing intermediate moisture foods (IMF), vitamin C destruction shifts to a zero order mechanism. BHA and BHT are the most effective antioxidants against rancidity. In shelf life testing however, 45 C should be the maximum temperature used. Water binding agents are studied. The five isotherms of thirteen humectants were determined. The results show that neither the method of addition nor sequence of addition affects the a sub u lowering ability of these humectants. Results were used to formulate shelf stable IMF processed cheese foods with at least four months shelf life.

High fidelity simulation and analysis of liquid jet atomization in a gaseous crossflow at intermediate Weber numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaoyi; Soteriou, Marios C.

2016-08-01

Recent advances in numerical methods coupled with the substantial enhancements in computing power and the advent of high performance computing have presented first principle, high fidelity simulation as a viable tool in the prediction and analysis of spray atomization processes. The credibility and potential impact of such simulations, however, has been hampered by the relative absence of detailed validation against experimental evidence. The numerical stability and accuracy challenges arising from the need to simulate the high liquid-gas density ratio across the sharp interfaces encountered in these flows are key reasons for this. In this work we challenge this status quo by presenting a numerical model able to deal with these challenges, employing it in simulations of liquid jet in crossflow atomization and performing extensive validation of its results against a carefully executed experiment with detailed measurements in the atomization region. We then proceed to the detailed analysis of the flow physics. The computational model employs the coupled level set and volume of fluid approach to directly capture the spatiotemporal evolution of the liquid-gas interface and the sharp-interface ghost fluid method to stably handle high liquid-air density ratio. Adaptive mesh refinement and Lagrangian droplet models are shown to be viable options for computational cost reduction. Moreover, high performance computing is leveraged to manage the computational cost. The experiment selected for validation eliminates the impact of inlet liquid and gas turbulence and focuses on the impact of the crossflow aerodynamic forces on the atomization physics. Validation is demonstrated by comparing column surface wavelengths, deformation, breakup locations, column trajectories and droplet sizes, velocities, and mass rates for a range of intermediate Weber numbers. Analysis of the physics is performed in terms of the instability and breakup characteristics and the features of downstream flow recirculation, and vortex shedding. Formation of "Λ" shape windward column waves is observed and explained by the combined upward and lateral surface motion. The existence of Rayleigh-Taylor instability as the primary mechanism for the windward column waves is verified for this case by comparing wavelengths from the simulations to those predicted by linear stability analyses. Physical arguments are employed to postulate that the type of instability manifested may be related to conditions such as the gas Weber number and the inlet turbulence level. The decreased column wavelength with increasing Weber number is found to cause enhanced surface stripping and early depletion of liquid core at higher Weber number. A peculiar "three-streak-two-membrane" liquid structure is identified at the lowest Weber number and explained as the consequence of the symmetric recirculation zones behind the jet column. It is found that the vortical flow downstream of the liquid column resembles a von Karman vortex street and that the coupling between the gas flow and droplet transport is weak for the conditions explored.

High fidelity simulation and analysis of liquid jet atomization in a gaseous crossflow at intermediate Weber numbers

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

Li, Xiaoyi, E-mail: lixy2@utrc.utc.com; Soteriou, Marios C.

Recent advances in numerical methods coupled with the substantial enhancements in computing power and the advent of high performance computing have presented first principle, high fidelity simulation as a viable tool in the prediction and analysis of spray atomization processes. The credibility and potential impact of such simulations, however, has been hampered by the relative absence of detailed validation against experimental evidence. The numerical stability and accuracy challenges arising from the need to simulate the high liquid-gas density ratio across the sharp interfaces encountered in these flows are key reasons for this. In this work we challenge this status quomore » by presenting a numerical model able to deal with these challenges, employing it in simulations of liquid jet in crossflow atomization and performing extensive validation of its results against a carefully executed experiment with detailed measurements in the atomization region. We then proceed to the detailed analysis of the flow physics. The computational model employs the coupled level set and volume of fluid approach to directly capture the spatiotemporal evolution of the liquid-gas interface and the sharp-interface ghost fluid method to stably handle high liquid-air density ratio. Adaptive mesh refinement and Lagrangian droplet models are shown to be viable options for computational cost reduction. Moreover, high performance computing is leveraged to manage the computational cost. The experiment selected for validation eliminates the impact of inlet liquid and gas turbulence and focuses on the impact of the crossflow aerodynamic forces on the atomization physics. Validation is demonstrated by comparing column surface wavelengths, deformation, breakup locations, column trajectories and droplet sizes, velocities, and mass rates for a range of intermediate Weber numbers. Analysis of the physics is performed in terms of the instability and breakup characteristics and the features of downstream flow recirculation, and vortex shedding. Formation of “Λ” shape windward column waves is observed and explained by the combined upward and lateral surface motion. The existence of Rayleigh-Taylor instability as the primary mechanism for the windward column waves is verified for this case by comparing wavelengths from the simulations to those predicted by linear stability analyses. Physical arguments are employed to postulate that the type of instability manifested may be related to conditions such as the gas Weber number and the inlet turbulence level. The decreased column wavelength with increasing Weber number is found to cause enhanced surface stripping and early depletion of liquid core at higher Weber number. A peculiar “three-streak-two-membrane” liquid structure is identified at the lowest Weber number and explained as the consequence of the symmetric recirculation zones behind the jet column. It is found that the vortical flow downstream of the liquid column resembles a von Karman vortex street and that the coupling between the gas flow and droplet transport is weak for the conditions explored.« less

Liquid discharges from patients undergoing 131I treatments.

PubMed

Barquero, R; Basurto, F; Nuñez, C; Esteban, R

2008-10-01

This work discusses the production and management of liquid radioactive wastes as excretas from patients undergoing therapy procedures with 131I radiopharmaceuticals in Spain. The activity in the sewage has been estimated with and without waste radioactive decay tanks. Two common therapy procedures have been considered, the thyroid cancer (4.14 GBq administered per treatment), and the hyperthyroidism (414 MBq administered per treatment). The calculations were based on measurements of external exposure around the 244 hyperthyroidism patients and 23 thyroid cancer patients. The estimated direct activity discharged to the sewage for two thyroid carcinomas and three hyperthyroidisms was 14.57 GBq and 1.27 GBq, respectively, per week; the annual doses received by the most exposed individual (sewage worker) were 164 microSv and 13 microSv, respectively. General equations to calculate the activity as a function of the number of patient treated each week were also obtained.

Laboratory-scale integrated ARP filter test

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

Poirier, M.; Burket, P.

2016-03-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is currently treating radioactive liquid waste with the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). Recently, the low filter flux through the ARP of approximately 5 gallons per minute has limited the rate at which radioactive liquid waste can be treated. Salt Batch 6 had a lower processing rate and required frequent filter cleaning. There is a desire to understand the causes of the low filter flux and to increase ARP/MCU throughput. This task attempted to simulate the entire ARP process, including multiple batches (5), washing, chemical cleaning, andmore » blending the feed with heels and recycle streams. The objective of the tests was to determine whether one of these processes is causing excessive fouling of the crossflow or secondary filter. The authors conducted the tests with feed solutions containing 6.6 M sodium Salt Batch 6 simulant supernate with no MST.« less

Boron removal in radioactive liquid waste by forward osmosis membrane

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

Doo Seong Hwang; Hei Min Choi; Kune Woo Lee

2013-07-01

This study investigated the treatment of boric acid contained in liquid radioactive waste using a forward osmosis membrane. The boron permeation through the membrane depends on the type of membrane, membrane orientation, pH of the feed solution, salt and boron concentration in the feed solution, and osmotic pressure of the draw solution. The boron flux begins to decline from pH 7 and increases with an increase of the osmotic driving force. The boron flux decreases slightly with the salt concentration, but is not heavily influenced by a low salt concentration. The boron flux increases linearly with the concentration of boron.more » No element except for boron was permeated through the FO membrane in the multi-component system. The maximum boron flux is obtained in an active layer facing a draw solution orientation of the CTA-ES membrane under conditions of less than pH 7 and high osmotic pressure. (authors)« less

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.

Controlling the intermediate structure of an ionic liquid for f-block element separations

DOE PAGES

Abney, Carter W.; Do, Changwoo; Luo, Huimin; ...

2017-04-19

Recent research has revealed molecular structure beyond the inner coordination sphere is essential in defining the performance of separations processes, but nevertheless remains largely unexplored. Here we apply small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to investigate the structure of an ionic liquid system studied for f-block element separations. SANS data reveal dramatic changes in the ionic liquid microstructure (~150 Å) which we demonstrate can be controlled by judicious selection of counter ion. Mesoscale structural features (> 500 Å) are also observed as a function of metal concentration. XAFS analysis supports formation of extended aggregatemore » structures, similar to those observed in traditional solvent extraction processes, and suggest additional parallels may be drawn from further study. As a result, achieving precise tunability over the intermediate features is an important development in controlling mesoscale structure and realizing advanced new forms of soft matter.« less

NIMROD: The Near and InterMediate Range Order Diffractometer of the ISIS second target station.

PubMed

Bowron, D T; Soper, A K; Jones, K; Ansell, S; Birch, S; Norris, J; Perrott, L; Riedel, D; Rhodes, N J; Wakefield, S R; Botti, A; Ricci, M-A; Grazzi, F; Zoppi, M

2010-03-01

NIMROD is the Near and InterMediate Range Order Diffractometer of the ISIS second target station. Its design is optimized for structural studies of disordered materials and liquids on a continuous length scale that extends from the atomic, upward of 30 nm, while maintaining subatomic distance resolution. This capability is achieved by matching a low and wider angle array of high efficiency neutron scintillation detectors to the broad band-pass radiation delivered by a hybrid liquid water and liquid hydrogen neutron moderator assembly. The capabilities of the instrument bridge the gap between conventional small angle neutron scattering and wide angle diffraction through the use of a common calibration procedure for the entire length scale. This allows the instrument to obtain information on nanoscale systems and processes that are quantitatively linked to the local atomic and molecular order of the materials under investigation.

In situ dynamic observations of perovskite crystallisation and microstructure evolution intermediated from [PbI 6] 4– cage nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Hu, Qin; Zhao, Lichen; Wu, Jiang; ...

2017-06-21

Hybrid lead halide perovskites have emerged as high-performance photovoltaic materials with their extraordinary optoelectronic properties. In particular, the remarkable device efficiency is strongly influenced by the perovskite crystallinity and the film morphology. Here, we investigate the perovskites crystallisation kinetics and growth mechanism in real time from liquid precursor continually to the final uniform film. We utilize some advanced in situ characterisation techniques including synchrotron-based grazing incident X-ray diffraction to observe crystal structure and chemical transition of perovskites. The nano-assemble model from perovskite intermediated [PbI 6] 4– cage nanoparticles to bulk polycrystals is proposed to understand perovskites formation at a molecular-more » or nano-level. A crystallisation-depletion mechanism is developed to elucidate the periodic crystallisation and the kinetically trapped morphology at a mesoscopic level. Based on these in situ dynamics studies, the whole process of the perovskites formation and transformation from the molecular to the microstructure over relevant temperature and time scales is successfully demonstrated.« less

Concentration gradient of oxalate from cortex to papilla in rat kidney.

PubMed

Nakatani, Tatsuya; Ishii, Keiichi; Sugimoto, Toshikado; Kamikawa, Sadanori; Yamamoto, Keisuke; Yoneda, Yukio; Kanazawa, Toshinao; Kishimoto, Taketoshi

2003-02-01

The kidney eliminates the major fraction of plasma oxalate. It is well known that oxalate is freely filtered by glomeruli and secreted by the proximal tubules. However, the renal handling of oxalate in distal nephrons, which is considered as playing an important role in stone formation, remains obscure. At 15-180 min after intravenous injection of 14C-oxalate to rats, the intrarenal localization of radioactivity was quantitatively measured by the radioluminographic method using a bioimaging analyzer. Tissue radioactivity was compared with plasma, and urinary radioactivities were measured by a liquid scintillation counter. The control study was conducted with 14C-inulin. The radioactivity of 14C-oxalate in the papilla was 10 times greater than in the cortex and eight times greater than in the medulla 180 min after injection when almost no radioactivity was present in the urine. In contrast, the radioactivity of 14C-inulin was nine times less in the papilla than in the cortex at the same time. Oxalate remains in the renal papilla for an extended period. This accumulation of oxalate may be attributed to calcium oxalate crystal fixation along the deep nephron which is considered to be the first step of stone formation.

Silver oxide nanocrystals anchored on titanate nanotubes and nanofibers: promising candidates for entrapment of radioactive iodine anions.

PubMed

Yang, Dongjiang; Liu, Hongwei; Liu, Long; Sarina, Sarina; Zheng, Zhanfeng; Zhu, Huaiyong

2013-11-21

Iodine radioisotopes are released into the environment by the nuclear industry and medical research institutions using radioactive materials. The (129)I(-) anion is one of the more mobile radioactive species due to a long half-life, and it is a great challenge to design long-term management solutions for such radioactive waste. In this study, a new adsorbent structure with the potential to efficiently remove radioactive iodine anions (I(-)) from water is devised: silver oxide (Ag2O) nanocrystals firmly anchored on the surface of titanate nanotubes and nanofibers via coherent interfaces between Ag2O and titanate phases. I(-) anions in fluids can easily access the Ag2O nanocrystals and be efficiently trapped by forming AgI precipitate that firmly attaches to the adsorbent. Due to their one-dimensional morphology, the new adsorbents can be readily dispersed in liquids and easily separated after purification; and the adsorption beds loaded with the adsorbents can permit high flux. This significantly enhances the adsorption efficiency and reduces the separation costs. The proposed structure reveals a new direction in developing efficient adsorbents for the removal of radioactive anions from wastewater.

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.

Subseabed storage of radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Peter M.

The subject of the storage of nuclear wastes products incites emotional responses from the public, and thus the U.S. Subseabed Disposal Program will have to make a good case for waste storage beneath the ocean floor. The facts attendant, however, describe circumstances necessitating cool-headed analysis to achieve a solution to the growing nuclear waste problem. Emotion aside, a good case indeed is being made for safe disposal beneath the ocean floor.The problems of nuclear waste storage are acute. A year ago, U.S. military weapons production had accumulated over seventy-five million gallons of high-level radioactive liquid waste; solid wastes, such as spent nuclear fuel rods from reactors, amounted to more than 12,000 tons. These wastes are corrosive and will release heat for 1000 years or more. The wastes will remain dangerously radioactive for a period of 10,000 years. There are advantages in storing the wastes on land, in special underground repositories, or on the surface. These include the accessibility to monitor the waste and the possibility of taking action should a container rupture occur, and thus the major efforts to determine suitable disposal at this time are focused on land-based storage. New efforts, not to be confused with ocean dumping practices of the past, are demonstrating that waste containers isolated in the clays and sediments of the ocean floor may be superior (Environ. Sci. Tech., 16, 28A-37A 1982).

Implementation of an evaporative oxidation process for treatment of aqueous mixed wastes

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

Bounini, L.; Stelmach, J.

1995-12-31

The US Department of Energy and Rust Geotech conducted treatability tests for mixed wastes with a pilot-scale evaporative oxidation unit known as the mini-PO*WW*ER unit. In the evaporative oxidation process, water and volatile organic compounds are vaporized and passed through a catalytic oxidizer to destroy the organic compounds. Nonvolatiles are concentrated into a brine that may be solidified. Ten experiment runs were made. The oxidation of the unit was calculated using total organic carbon analyses of feed and composite product condensate samples. These data indicate that the technology is capable of achieving oxidation efficiencies as high as 99.999 percent onmore » mixed wastes when the bed temperature is near 600 C, residence times are about 0.2 seconds, and adequate oxygen flow is maintained. Concentrations of the tested volatile organic compounds in the product-condensate composite samples were well below standards for wastewaters. Combined gross alpha and beta radioactivity levels in the samples were below detection limites of 12.5 pico-Cu/l, so the liquid would not qualify as a radioactive waste. Thus, the product condensate process by the process is not restricted as either hazardous or mixed waste and is suitable for direct disposal. The brines produced were not considered mixed waste and could be handled and disposed of as radioactive waste.« less

Hanford Soil Inventory Model (SIM-v2) Calculated Radionuclide Inventory of Direct Liquid Discharges to Soil in the Hanford Site's 200 Areas.

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

Nichols, William E.; Zaher, U.; Agnew, S.

The Hanford soil inventory model (SIM) provides the basic radionuclide and chemical soil inventories from historical liquid discharges to about 400 sites at the Hanford Site. Although liquid discharge inventory for chemicals is part of the SIM implementation, only radionuclide inventory is discussed here since the focus of this ECF is on providing radionuclides inputs for the composite analysis (CA) per DOE Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, requirements. Furthermore, discharged inventories are only estimated for the soluble portions of the liquid discharges to waste sites/waste management areas located on the 200 Area of the Hanford Site (Central Plateau).

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

Rosendahl, S., E-mail: rosendahl@wwu.de; Brown, E.; Fieguth, A.

The separation of krypton and xenon is of particular importance for the field of direct dark matter search with liquid xenon detectors. The intrinsic contamination of the xenon with radioactive {sup 85}Kr makes a significant background for these kinds of low count-rate experiments and has to be removed beforehand. This can be achieved by cryogenic distillation, a technique widely used in industry, using the different vapor pressures of krypton and xenon. In this paper, we present an investigation on the separation performance of a single stage distillation system using a radioactive {sup 83m}Kr-tracer method. The separation characteristics under different operationmore » conditions are determined for very low concentrations of krypton in xenon at the level of {sup 83m}Kr/Xe = 1.9 ⋅ 10{sup −15}, demonstrating, that cryogenic distillation in this regime is working. The observed separation is in agreement with the expectation from the different volatilities of krypton and xenon. This cryogenic distillation station is the first step on the way to a multi-stage cryogenic distillation column for the next generation of direct dark matter experiment XENON1T.« less

Rail assembly for use in a radioactive environment

DOEpatents

Watts, Ralph E.

1989-01-01

An improved rail assembly and method of construction thereof is disclosed herein that is particularly adapted for use with a crane trolley in a hot cell environment which is exposed to airborne and liquidborne radioactive contaminants. The rail assembly is generally comprised of a support wall having an elongated, rail-housing recess having a floor, side wall and ceiling. The floor of the recess is defined at least in part by the load-bearing surface of a rail, and is substantially flat, level and crevice-free to facilitate the drainage of liquids out of the recess. The ceiling of the recess overhangs and thereby captures trolley wheels within the recess to prevent them from becoming dislodged from the recess during a seismic disturbance. Finally, the interior of the recess includes a power track having a slot for receiving a sliding electrical connector from the crane trolley. The power track is mounted in an upper corner of the recess with its connector-receiving groove oriented downwardly to facilitate the drainage of liquidborne contaminants and to discourage the collection of airborne contaminants within the track.

Correlating the stretched-exponential and super-Arrhenius behaviors in the structural relaxation of glass-forming liquids.

PubMed

Wang, Lianwen; Li, Jiangong; Fecht, Hans-Jörg

2011-04-20

Following the report of a single-exponential activation behavior behind the super-Arrhenius structural relaxation of glass-forming liquids in our preceding paper, we find that the non-exponentiality in the structural relaxation of glass-forming liquids is straightforwardly determined by the relaxation time, and could be calculated from the measured relaxation data. Comparisons between the calculated and measured non-exponentialities for typical glass-forming liquids, from fragile to intermediate, convincingly support the present analysis. Hence the origin of the non-exponentiality and its correlation with liquid fragility become clearer.

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

Thirty-year solid waste generation forecast for facilities at SRS

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

Not Available

1994-07-01

The information supplied by this 30-year solid waste forecast has been compiled as a source document to the Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement (WMEIS). The WMEIS will help to select a sitewide strategic approach to managing present and future Savannah River Site (SRS) waste generated from ongoing operations, environmental restoration (ER) activities, transition from nuclear production to other missions, and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) programs. The EIS will support project-level decisions on the operation of specific treatment, storage, and disposal facilities within the near term (10 years or less). In addition, the EIS will provide a baseline for analysis ofmore » future waste management activities and a basis for the evaluation of the specific waste management alternatives. This 30-year solid waste forecast will be used as the initial basis for the EIS decision-making process. The Site generates and manages many types and categories of waste. With a few exceptions, waste types are divided into two broad groups-high-level waste and solid waste. High-level waste consists primarily of liquid radioactive waste, which is addressed in a separate forecast and is not discussed further in this document. The waste types discussed in this solid waste forecast are sanitary waste, hazardous waste, low-level mixed waste, low-level radioactive waste, and transuranic waste. As activities at SRS change from primarily production to primarily decontamination and decommissioning and environmental restoration, the volume of each waste s being managed will change significantly. This report acknowledges the changes in Site Missions when developing the 30-year solid waste forecast.« less

Molecular dynamics study of polysaccharides in binary solvent mixtures of an ionic liquid and water.

PubMed

Liu, Hanbin; Sale, Kenneth L; Simmons, Blake A; Singh, Seema

2011-09-01

Some ionic liquids (ILs) have great promise as effective solvents for biomass pretreatment, and there are several that have been reported that can dissolve large amounts of cellulose. The solubilized cellulose can then be recovered by addition of antisolvents, such as water or ethanol, and this regeneration process plays an important role in the subsequent enzymatic saccharification reactions and in the recovery of the ionic liquid. To date, little is known about the fundamental intermolecular interactions that drive the dissolution and subsequent regeneration of cellulose in complex mixtures of ionic liquids, water, and cellulose. To investigate these interactions, in this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to study binary and ternary mixtures of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) with water and a cellulose oligomer. Simulations of a cellulose oligomer dissolved in three concentrations of binary mixtures of [C2mim][OAc] and water were used to represent the ternary system in the dissolution phase (high [C2mim][OAc] concentration) and present during the initial phase of the regeneration step (intermediate and low [C2mim][OAc] concentrations). The MD analysis of the structure and dynamics that exist in these binary and ternary mixtures provides information on the key intermolecular interactions between cellulose and [C2mim][OAc] that lead to dissolution of cellulose and the key intermolecular interactions in the intermediate states of cellulose precipitation as a function of water content in the cellulose/IL/water system. The analysis of this intermediate state provides new insight into the molecular driving forces present in this ternary system. © 2011 American Chemical Society

DECAY OF INCORPORATED RADIOACTIVE PHOSPHORUS DURING REPRODUCTION OF BACTERIOPHAGE T2

PubMed Central

Stent, Gunther S.

1955-01-01

The multiplication of vegetative T2 bacteriophage in B/r bacteria has been followed by studying the lethal effects of decay of incorporated radiophosphorus P32 at various stages of the eclipse period. Experiment I. Non-radioactive B/r bacteria were infected with highly radioactive (i.e. P32-unstable) T2 and infection allowed to proceed at 37°C. for various numbers of minutes before freezing the infected cells and storing them in liquid nitrogen. The longer development had been allowed to proceed at 37°C. before freezing, the slower the inactivation of the frozen infective centers by P32 decay. Samples which were frozen after incubation for 9 minutes were completely stable. Experiment II. Radioactive B/r bacteria in radioactive growth medium were infected with non-radioactive (i.e. stable) T2 and incubated for various lengths of time before being frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen, like those of Experiment I. In this case, the infective centers were stable to P32 decay as long as they were frozen before the end of the eclipse period. The T2 progeny phages issuing from the infected bacteria were P32-unstable. Experiment III. Radioactive B/r bacteria in radioactive medium were infected with radioactive (i.e. P32-unstable) T2 and otherwise incubated and frozen like those of the first two experiments. In this case, the same progressive stabilization, of the infective centers towards inactivation by P32 decay was observed as that found in Experiment I. The ability to yield infective progeny of infected bacteria incubated for 10 minutes at 37°C. before freezing could no longer be destroyed by P32 decay. The progeny issuing from the infected cells were as unstable as the parental phage. These results could be explained by one of three general hypotheses. As vegetative phage begins to multiply, it is possible that: (a) there is a high probability that any part of the vegetative phage already duplicated can be saved after its destruction by P32 decay through a process analogous to multiplicity reactivation or, (b) there occurs a change in state of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) preliminary to or in the course of its replication that renders it refractory to destruction by P32 decay, or, finally (c) there occurs a transfer of the genetic factors from the DNA of the infecting phage to another substance not sensitive to destruction by P32 decay. PMID:13242767

Filtration device for active effluents

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

Guerin, M.; Meunier, G.

1994-12-31

Among the various techniques relating to solid/liquid separations, filtration is currently utilized for treating radioactive effluents. After testing different equipments on various simulated effluents, the Valduc Center has decided to substitute a monoplate filter for a rotative diatomite precoated filter.

Synthesis and characterization of a radiolabeled derivative of the phencyclidine/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ligand (+)MK-801 with high specific radioactivity

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

Keana, J.F.W.; Scherz, M.W.; Quarum, M.

1988-01-01

A (/sup 3/H)-labelled derivative of the drug (+)MK-801 with a high specific radioactivity was synthesized by first preparing a tribromo derivative of (+)MK-801 followed by catalytic reduction in the presence of (/sup 3/H)-gas and subsequent purification of the radioactive product by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). This resulted in pure (+) (/sup 3/H)MK-801 with a specific radioactivity of 97 Ci/mmol. The (+) (/sup 3/H)MK-801 was shown to interact with high affinity and selectivity with the phencyclidine (PCP) receptor in guinea pig brain membrane suspensions. The PCP receptor is associated with a cation channel that is chemically gated by glutamatemore » and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Drugs that interact with the PCP receptor block this channel. The (+) (/sup 3/H)MK-801 described here will be useful to investigate the biochemistry of PCP/NMDA receptors in experiments where a high specific radioactivity is essential.« 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

Spectroscopic Investigation of the Primary Reaction Intermediates in the Oxidation of Levitated Droplets of Energetic Ionic Liquids.

PubMed

Brotton, Stephen J; Lucas, Michael; Chambreau, Steven D; Vaghjiani, Ghanshyam L; Yu, Jiang; Anderson, Scott L; Kaiser, Ralf I

2017-12-21

The production of the next generation of hypergolic, ionic-liquid-based fuels requires an understanding of the reaction mechanisms between the ionic liquid and oxidizer. We probed reactions between a levitated droplet of 1-methyl-4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium dicyanamide ([MAT][DCA]), with and without hydrogen-capped boron nanoparticles, and the nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) oxidizer. The apparatus exploits an ultrasonic levitator enclosed within a pressure-compatible process chamber equipped with complementary Raman, ultraviolet-visible, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic probes. Vibrational modes were first assigned to the FTIR and Raman spectra of droplets levitated in argon. Spectra were subsequently collected for pure and boron-doped [MAT][DCA] exposed to nitrogen dioxide. By comparison with electronic structure calculations, some of the newly formed modes suggest that the N atom of the NO 2 molecule bonds to a terminal N on the dicyanamide anion yielding [O 2 N-NCNCN] - . This represents the first spectroscopic evidence of a key reaction intermediate in the oxidation of levitated ionic liquid droplets.

Emergency core cooling system

DOEpatents

Schenewerk, William E.; Glasgow, Lyle E.

1983-01-01

A liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor provided with an emergency core cooling system includes a reactor vessel which contains a reactor core comprising an array of fuel assemblies and a plurality of blanket assemblies. The reactor core is immersed in a pool of liquid metal coolant. The reactor also includes a primary coolant system comprising a pump and conduits for circulating liquid metal coolant to the reactor core and through the fuel and blanket assemblies of the core. A converging-diverging venturi nozzle with an intermediate throat section is provided in between the assemblies and the pump. The intermediate throat section of the nozzle is provided with at least one opening which is in fluid communication with the pool of liquid sodium. In normal operation, coolant flows from the pump through the nozzle to the assemblies with very little fluid flowing through the opening in the throat. However, when the pump is not running, residual heat in the core causes fluid from the pool to flow through the opening in the throat of the nozzle and outwardly through the nozzle to the assemblies, thus providing a means of removing decay heat.

Kerr-AdS analogue of triple point and solid/liquid/gas phase transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altamirano, Natacha; Kubizňák, David; Mann, Robert B.; Sherkatghanad, Zeinab

2014-02-01

We study the thermodynamic behavior of multi-spinning d = 6 Kerr-anti de Sitter black holes in the canonical ensemble of fixed angular momenta J1 and J2. We find, dependent on the ratio q = J2/J1, qualitatively different interesting phenomena known from the ‘every day thermodynamics’ of simple substances. For q = 0 the system exhibits recently observed reentrant large/small/large black hole phase transitions, but for 0 < q ≪ 1 we find an analogue of a ‘solid/liquid’ phase transition. Furthermore, for q ∈ (0.00905, 0.0985) the system displays the presence of a large/intermediate/small black hole phase transition with two critical and one triple (or tricritical) points. This behavior is reminiscent of the solid/liquid/gas phase transition except that the coexistence line of small and intermediate black holes does not continue for an arbitrary value of pressure (similar to the solid/liquid coexistence line) but rather terminates at one of the critical points. Finally, for q > 0.0985 we observe the ‘standard liquid/gas behavior’ of the Van der Waals fluid.

Measurement of Geo-neutrinos with KamLAND

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

Yamada, Satoru

2011-11-23

Radioactive isotopes inside the Earth produce geo-neutrinos through beta decays. Geo-neutrinos could be direct probes to investigate the interior of the Earth as a supplement to the current geophysical survey that mainly relies on an indirect seismic approach. After the Kamioka liquid scintillator antineutrino detector (KamLAND) reported the first indication of geo-neutrinos in 2005, we have accumulated data for a total of 2,135 days of live-time and achieved a lower background level by purifying liquid scintillator. The number of obtained geo-neutrino events is 106{sub -28}{sup +29} corresponding to an electron antineutrino flux of 4.3{sub -1.1}{sup +1.2}x10{sup 6} cm{sup -2} s{supmore » -1} from {sup 238}U and {sup 232}Th series at the Earth's surface. The null hypothesis for the existence of geo-neutrinos is excluded at the 99.997% confidence level. We combined this precise result with that of the Borexino experiment to obtain 20.0{sub -8.6}{sup +8.8} TW as a contribution of {sup 238}U and {sup 232}Th to the Earth heat flow.« less

Heat exchanger with intermediate evaporating and condensing fluid

DOEpatents

Fraas, Arthur P.

1978-01-01

A shell and tube-type heat exchanger, such as a liquid sodium-operated steam generator for use in nuclear reactors, comprises a shell containing a primary fluid tube bundle, a secondary fluid tube bundle at higher elevation, and an intermediate fluid vaporizing at the surface of the primary fluid tubes and condensing at the surface of the secondary fluid tubes.

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

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2004. DOE Operations at The Boeing Company Santa Susana Field Laboratory

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

Liu, Ning; Rutherford, Phil; Lee, Majelle

2005-09-01

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2004 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of Boeing’s Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). In the past, the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned, company-operated test facility, was located in Area IV. The operations in Area IV included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials. Other activities in the area involved the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities that were used for testing non-nuclear liquid metal fast breeder components. All nuclear work was terminated inmore » 1988; all subsequent radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the former nuclear facilities and their associated sites. Closure of the liquid metal test facilities began in 1996. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year 2004 continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling.« less

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2006. DOE Operations at The Boeing Company Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Area IV

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

Liu, Ning; Rutherford, Phil

2007-09-01

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2006 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of Boeing’s Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). In the past, the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned, company-operated test facility, was located in Area IV. The operations in Area IV included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials. Other activities in the area involved the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities that were used for testing non-nuclear liquid metal fast breeder components. All nuclear work was terminated inmore » 1988; all subsequent radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the former nuclear facilities and their associated sites. Closure of the liquid metal test facilities began in 1996. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year 2006 continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling.« less

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2003 DOE Operations at The Boeing Company, Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power

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

Liu, Ning; Rutherford, Phil; Samuels, Sandy

2004-09-30

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2003 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of Boeing Rocketdyne’s Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). In the past, the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned, company-operated test facility, was located in Area IV. The operations at ETEC included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials. Other activities at ETEC involved the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities that were used for testing liquid metal fast breeder components. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988; allmore » subsequent radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the former nuclear facilities and their associated sites. Closure of the liquid metal test facilities began in 1996. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year 2003 continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling.« less

Disposal of radioactive iodine in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, R. E.; Defield, J. G.

1978-01-01

The possibility of space disposal of iodine waste from nuclear power reactors is investigated. The space transportation system utilized relies upon the space shuttle, a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen orbit transfer vehicle, and a solid propellant final stage. The iodine is assumed to be in the form of either an iodide or an iodate, and calculations assume that the final destination is either solar orbit or solar system escape. It is concluded that space disposal of iodine is feasible.

Enhancement of light yield and stability of radio-pure tetraphenyl-butadiene based coatings for VUV light detection in cryogenic environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baudis, L.; Benato, G.; Dressler, R.; Piastra, F.; Usoltsev, I.; Walter, M.

2015-09-01

The detection of VUV scintillation light in (liquid) argon (LAr) detectors commonly includes a reflector with a fluorescent coating, converting UV photons to visible light. The light yield of these detectors depends directly on the conversion efficiency. Several coating/reflector combinations were produced using VM2000, a specular reflecting multi-layer polymer, and Tetratex®, a diffuse reflecting PTFE fabric, as reflector foils. The light yield of these coatings was optimised and has been measured in a dedicated liquid argon setup built at the University of Zurich. It employs a small, 1.3 kg LAr cell viewed by a 3-inch, low radioactivity PMT of type R11065-10 from Hamamatsu. The cryogenic stability of these coatings was additionally studied. The optimum reflector/coating combination was found to be Tetratex® dip-coated with Tetraphenyl-butadiene with a thickness of 0.9 mg/cm2, resulting in a 3.6 times higher light yield compared to uncoated VM2000. Its performance was stable in long-term measurements, performed up to 100 days in liquid argon. This coated reflector was also investigated concerning radioactive impurities and found to be suitable for current and upcoming low-background experiments. Therefore it is used for the liquid argon veto in Phase II of the GERDA neutrinoless double beta decay experiment.

Maximum Potential Hydrogen Gas Retention in the sRF Resin Ion Exchange Column for the LAWPS Process

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

Gauglitz, Phillip A.; Wells, Beric E.; Bottenus, Courtney LH

The Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) is being developed to provide treated supernatant liquid from the Hanford tank farms directly to the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Vitrification Facility at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The design and development of the LAWPS is being conducted by Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC. A key process in LAWPS is the removal of radioactive Cs in ion exchange (IX) columns filled with spherical resorcinol-formaldehyde (sRF) resin. One accident scenario being evaluated is the loss of liquid flow through the sRF resin bed after it has been loaded with radioactive Cs and hydrogenmore » gas is being generated by radiolysis. In normal operations, the generated hydrogen is expected to remain dissolved in the liquid and be continuously removed by liquid flow. For an accident scenario with a loss of flow, hydrogen gas can be retained within the IX column both in the sRF resin and below the bottom screen that supports the resin within the column. The purpose of this report is to summarize calculations that estimate the upper-bound volume of hydrogen gas that can be retained in the column and potentially be released to the headspace of the IX column or to process equipment connected to the IX column and, thus, pose a flammability hazard.« 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.

Development of the reactor antineutrino detection technology within the iDream project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gromov, M.; Kuznetsov, D.; Murchenko, A.; Novikova, G.; Obinyakov, B.; Oralbaev, A.; Plakitina, K.; Skorokhvatov, M.; Sukhotin, S.; Chepurnov, A.; Etenko, A.

2017-12-01

The iDREAM (industrial Detector for reactor antineutrino monitoring) project is aimed at remote monitoring of the operating modes of the atomic reactor on nuclear power plant to ensure a technical support of IAEA non-proliferation safeguards. The detector is a scintillator spectrometer. The sensitive volume (target) is filled with a liquid organic scintillator based on linear alkylbenzene where reactor antineutrinos will be detected via inverse beta-decay reaction. We present first results of laboratory tests after physical launch. The detector was deployed at sea level without background shielding. The number of calibrations with radioactive sources was conducted. All data were obtained by means of a slow control system which was put into operation.

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

Final Report - "Foaming and Antifoaming and Gas Entrainment in Radioactive Waste Pretreatment and Immobilization Processes"

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

Wasan, Darsh T.

2007-10-09

The Savannah River Site (SRS) and Hanford site are in the process of stabilizing millions of gallons of radioactive waste slurries remaining from production of nuclear materials for the Department of Energy (DOE). The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at SRS is currently vitrifying the waste in borosilicate glass, while the facilities at the Hanford site are in the construction phase. Both processes utilize slurry-fed joule-heated melters to vitrify the waste slurries. The DWPF has experienced difficulty during operations. The cause of the operational problems has been attributed to foaming, gas entrainment and the rheological properties of the process slurries.more » The rheological properties of the waste slurries limit the total solids content that can be processed by the remote equipment during the pretreatment and meter feed processes. Highly viscous material can lead to air entrainment during agitation and difficulties with pump operations. Excessive foaming in waste evaporators can cause carryover of radionuclides and non-radioactive waste to the condensate system. Experimental and theoretical investigations of the surface phenomena, suspension rheology and bubble generation of interactions that lead to foaming and air entrainment problems in the DOE High Level and Low Activity Radioactive Waste separation and immobilization processes were pursued under this project. The first major task accomplished in the grant proposal involved development of a theoretical model of the phenomenon of foaming in a three-phase gas-liquid-solid slurry system. This work was presented in a recently completed Ph.D. thesis (9). The second major task involved the investigation of the inter-particle interaction and microstructure formation in a model slurry by the batch sedimentation method. Both experiments and modeling studies were carried out. The results were presented in a recently completed Ph.D. thesis. The third task involved the use of laser confocal microscopy to study the effectiveness of three slurry rheology modifiers. An effective modifier was identified which resulted in lowering the yield stress of the waste simulant. Therefore, the results of this research have led to the basic understanding of the foaming/antifoaming mechanism in waste slurries as well as identification of a rheology modifier, which enhances the processing throughput, and accelerates the DOE mission. The objectives of this research effort were to develop a fundamental understanding of the physico-chemical mechanisms that produced foaming and air entrainment in the DOE High Level (HLW) and Low Activity (LAW) radioactive waste separation and immobilization processes, and to develop and test advanced antifoam/defoaming/rheology modifier agents. Antifoams/rheology modifiers developed from this research ere tested using non-radioactive simulants of the radioactive wastes obtained from Hanford and the Savannah River Site (SRS).« less

Demolition and removal of radioactively contaminated concrete soil: Aerosol control and monitoring

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

Newton, G.J.; Hoover, M.D.; Grace, A.C. III

1995-12-01

From 1963 to 1985, two concrete-lined ponds were used to reduce the volume of radioactive liquids from the Institute`s research programs. Following withdrawal of the {open_quotes}hot ponds{close_quotes} from active use, the residual sludges and plastic liners of the ponds were removed and shipped to a radioactive waste disposal site. From 1987 to 1994, the concrete structures remained undisturbed pending environmental restoration on the site. Restoration began in 1994 and was completed in 1995. Restoration involved mechanical breakup and removal of the concrete structures and removal of areas of contaminated soils from the site. This report describes the design and resultsmore » of the aerosol control and monitoring program that was conducted to ensure protection of workers and the environment during the restoration process. The aerosol control and monitoring strategy developed for remediation of the ITRI hot ponds was successful both in preventing dispersion of radioactive dusts and in demonstrating that exposures of workers and offsite releases were within statutory limits.« less

A Model for Remote Depth Estimation of Buried Radioactive Wastes Using CdZnTe Detector.

PubMed

Ukaegbu, Ikechukwu Kevin; Gamage, Kelum A A

2018-05-18

This paper presents the results of an attenuation model for remote depth estimation of buried radioactive wastes using a Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detector. Previous research using an organic liquid scintillator detector system showed that the model is able to estimate the depth of a 329-kBq Cs-137 radioactive source buried up to 12 cm in sand with an average count rate of 100 cps. The results presented in this paper showed that the use of the CZT detector extended the maximum detectable depth of the same radioactive source to 18 cm in sand with a significantly lower average count rate of 14 cps. Furthermore, the model also successfully estimated the depth of a 9-kBq Co-60 source buried up to 3 cm in sand. This confirms that this remote depth estimation method can be used with other radionuclides and wastes with very low activity. Finally, the paper proposes a performance parameter for evaluating radiation detection systems that implement this remote depth estimation method.

Supported liquid inorganic membranes for nuclear waste separation

DOEpatents

Bhave, Ramesh R; DeBusk, Melanie M; DelCul, Guillermo D; Delmau, Laetitia H; Narula, Chaitanya K

2015-04-07

A system and method for the extraction of americium from radioactive waste solutions. The method includes the transfer of highly oxidized americium from an acidic aqueous feed solution through an immobilized liquid membrane to an organic receiving solvent, for example tributyl phosphate. The immobilized liquid membrane includes porous support and separating layers loaded with tributyl phosphate. The extracted solution is subsequently stripped of americium and recycled at the immobilized liquid membrane as neat tributyl phosphate for the continuous extraction of americium. The sequestered americium can be used as a nuclear fuel, a nuclear fuel component or a radiation source, and the remaining constituent elements in the aqueous feed solution can be stored in glassified waste forms substantially free of americium.

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.

Waste Generated from LMR-AMTEC Reactor Concept

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

Hasan, Ahmed; Mohamed, Yasser, T.; Mohammaden, Tarek, F.

2003-02-25

The candidate Liquid Metal Reactor-Alkali Metal Thermal -to- Electric Converter (LMR-AMTEC) is considered to be the first reactor that would use pure liquid potassium as a secondary coolant, in which potassium vapor aids in the conversion of thermal energy to electric energy. As with all energy production, the thermal generation of electricity produces wastes. These wastes must be managed in ways which safeguard human health and minimize their impact on the environment. Nuclear power is the only energy industry, which takes full responsibility for all its wastes. Based on the candidate design of the LMR-AMTEC components and the coolant types,more » different wastes will be generated from LMR. These wastes must be classified and characterized according to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulation, CFR. This paper defines the waste generation and waste characterization from LMR-AMTEC and reviews the applicable U.S. regulations that govern waste transportation, treatment, storage and final disposition. The wastes generated from LMR-AMTEC are characterized as: (1) mixed waste which is generated from liquid sodium contaminated by fission products and activated corrosion products; (2) hazardous waste which is generated from liquid potassium contaminated by corrosion products; (3) spent nuclear fuel; and (4) low-level radioactive waste which is generated from the packing materials (e.g. activated carbon in cold trap and purification units). The regulations and management of these wastes are summarized in this paper.« less

Potential migration of buoyant LNAPL from intermediate level waste (ILW) emplaced in a geological disposal facility (GDF) for U.K. radioactive waste.

PubMed

Benbow, Steven J; Rivett, Michael O; Chittenden, Neil; Herbert, Alan W; Watson, Sarah; Williams, Steve J; Norris, Simon

2014-10-15

A safety case for the disposal of Intermediate Level (radioactive) Waste (ILW) in a deep geological disposal facility (GDF) requires consideration of the potential for waste-derived light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) to migrate under positive buoyancy from disposed waste packages. Were entrainment of waste-derived radionuclides in LNAPL to occur, such migration could result in a shorter overall travel time to environmental or human receptors than radionuclide migration solely associated with the movement of groundwater. This paper provides a contribution to the assessment of this issue through multiphase-flow numerical modelling underpinned by a review of the UK's ILW inventory and literature to define the nature of the associated ILW LNAPL source term. Examination has been at the waste package-local GDF environment scale to determine whether proposed disposal of ILW would lead to significant likelihood of LNAPL migration, both from waste packages and from a GDF vault into the local host rock. Our review and numerical modelling support the proposition that the release of a discrete free phase LNAPL from ILW would not present a significant challenge to the safety case even with conservative approximations. 'As-disposed' LNAPL emplaced with the waste is not expected to pose a significant issue. 'Secondary LNAPL' generated in situ within the disposed ILW, arising from the decomposition of plastics, in particular PVC (polyvinyl chloride), could form the predominant LNAPL source term. Released high molecular weight phthalate plasticizers are judged to be the primary LNAPL potentially generated. These are expected to have low buoyancy-based mobility due to their very low density contrast with water and high viscosity. Due to the inherent uncertainties, significant conservatisms were adopted within the numerical modelling approach, including: the simulation of a deliberately high organic material--PVC content wastestream (2D03) within an annular grouted waste package vulnerable to LNAPL release; upper bound inventory estimates of LNAPLs; incorporating the lack of any hydraulic resistance of the package vent; the lack of any degradation of dissolved LNAPL; and, significantly, the small threshold displacement pressure assumed at which LNAPL is able to enter initially water-saturated pores. Initial scoping calculations on the latter suggested that the rate at which LNAPL is able to migrate from a waste package is likely to be very small and insignificant for likely representative displacement pressure data: this represents a key result. Adopting a conservative displacement pressure, however, allowed the effect of other features and processes in the system to be assessed. High LNAPL viscosity together with low density contrast with water reduces LNAPL migration potential. Migration to the host rock is less likely if waste package vent fluxes are small, solubility limits are high and path lengths through the backfill are short. The capacity of the system to dissolve all of the free LNAPL will, however, depend on groundwater availability. Even with the conservatisms invoked, the overall conclusion of model simulations of intact and compromised (cracked or corroded) waste packages, for a range of realistic ILW LNAPL scenarios, is that it is unlikely that significant LNAPL would be able to migrate from the waste packages and even more unlikely it would be sufficiently persistent to reach the host rock immediately beyond the GDF. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Terminal steps of bacteriochlorophyll a phytol formation in purple photosynthetic bacteria

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

Shioi, Y.; Sasa, T.

1984-04-01

Four chemically different bacteriochlorophylls (Bchls) a esterified with geranylgeraniol, dihydrogeranyl-geraniol, tetrahydrogeraniol, and phytol have been detected by high-pressure liquid chromatography in cell extracts from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides and Chromatium vinosum. Bchl a containing phytol is the principal component, and the other three Bchls a comprise about 4% of the total Bchls a in stationary-phase cells of R. sphaeroides and C. vinosum. The high levels of the minor pigments occur in the beginning of Bchl a phytol formation, indicating that they are not degradation products, but intermediates of Bchl a phytol formation.

Liquid conservation in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) and humans (Homo sapiens): individual differences and perceptual strategies.

PubMed

Call, J; Rochat, P

1996-09-01

Four orangutans (1 juvenile, 2 subadults, and 1 adult) and ten 6-8-year-old children were tested in 4 liquid conservation tasks of increasing levels of difficulty. Task difficulty depended on the type of transformation (continuous vs. discontinuous quantities) and the relative contrast between the shapes of the containers. Results indicate that orangutans did not display conservation in the strict sense; instead they showed "partial" conservation (intermediate reactions according to J. Piaget & B. Inhelder, 1941). In contrast, some of the children provided evidence of conservation in all 4 tasks, showing "true" or logically necessary conservation in the original sense proposed by J. Piaget and B. Inhelder (1941). Although orangutans did not show conservation in the strict sense, as J. Piaget (1955) and others have generally agreed it should be defined, orangutans behaved as individual and creative problem solvers, adopting different perceptual strategies depending on the task.

In situ differentiation and evolution of potassic syenites from Svidnya, Bulgaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyulgerov, Momchil; Platevoet, Bernard

2013-12-01

Potassic syenites from Svidnya, Bulgaria crop out as small isolated bodies as the primary for this intrusion liquid has basic to intermediate composition. The evolution in a closed magma chamber created plutonic rocks ranging from basic (melasyenite) to acid (granite) and from metaluminous to peralkaline. The most mafic varieties show cumulative textures typical for orthocumulates with cumulus phases clinopyroxene, biotite, apatite and potassium feldspar as gravitational settling is a viable process for separation of particles in the bottom parts of magma chamber. In the middle stratigraphic level of biggest body modal igneous layering with development of dark (clinopyroxene + amphibole) and light (potassium feldspar) laminas was observed. Oscillatory crystallization around eutectic point resulted in cyclic separation of mafic and felsic phases in repetitive layers. Fractionation of Ca- and Al-rich phases—clinopyroxene, biotie and potassium feldspar created peralkaline residual liquid strongly enriched in HFS elements.

Emulsion Liquid Membrane Removal of Arsenic and Strontium from Wastewater: AN Experimental and Theoretical Study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ding-Wei

The emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) technique has been successfully applied on the removal of arsenic (As) from metallurgical wastewater and the removal of strontium (Sr) from radioactive wastewater. This study consisted of experimental work and mathematical modeling. Extraction of arsenic by an emulsion liquid membrane was firstly investigated. The liquid membrane used was composed of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol (2EHA) as the extractant, ECA4360J as the surfactant, and Exxsol D-80 solvent (or heptane) as the diluent. The sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions were used as the external and internal phases, respectively. The arsenic removal efficiency reached 92% within 15 minutes in one stage. Extraction and stripping chemistries were postulated and investigated. It was observed that extraction efficiency and rate increase with the increase of acidic strength and alkali strength in the external and internal phases, respectively. It was also observed that the removal selectivity of arsenic over copper is extremely high. Strontium-90 is one of the major radioactive metals appearing in nuclear wastewater. The emulsion liquid membrane process was investigated as a separation method by using the non-radioactive ^{87}Sr as its substitute. In our study, the membrane phase was composed of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as the extractant, ECA4360J as the surfactant and Exxsol D-80 as the diluent. A sulfuric acid solution was used in the internal phase as the stripping agent. The pH range in the external phase was determined by the extraction isotherm. Under the most favorable operating condition, the strontium removal efficiency can reach 98% in two minutes. Mass transfer of the emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) system was modeled mathematically. Our model took into account the following: mass transfer of solute across the film between the external phase and the membrane phase, chemical equilibrium of the extraction reaction at the external phase-membrane interface, simultaneous diffusion of the solute-carrier complex inside the globule membrane phase and stripping of the complex at the membrane-internal phase interface, chemical equilibrium of the stripping reaction at the membrane-internal phase interface and leakage of the solute from the internal phase to the external phase. Resulting simultaneous partial differential equations were solved analytically by the Laplace transform method. Four dimensionless groups were found with special physical meanings to characterize the emulsion liquid membrane systems. It not only predicted the concentration of solute in the external phase versus time, but also gave the concentration profile inside the membrane globule and the interfacial concentration at the external-membrane phase interface at different time. The model predicted very well the experimental data obtained from the removal of arsenic and strontium by the emulsion liquid membranes.

Efficient Removal of Cationic and Anionic Radioactive Pollutants from Water Using Hydrotalcite-Based Getters.

PubMed

Bo, Arixin; Sarina, Sarina; Liu, Hongwei; Zheng, Zhanfeng; Xiao, Qi; Gu, Yuantong; Ayoko, Godwin A; Zhu, Huaiyong

2016-06-29

Hydrotalcite (HT)-based materials are usually applied to capture anionic pollutants in aqueous solutions. Generally considered anion exchangers, their ability to capture radioactive cations is rarely exploited. In the present work, we explored the ability of pristine and calcined HT getters to effectively capture radioactive cations (Sr(2+) and Ba(2+)) which can be securely stabilized at the getter surface. It is found that calcined HT outperforms its pristine counterpart in cation removal ability. Meanwhile, a novel anion removal mechanism targeting radioactive I(-) is demonstrated. This approach involves HT surface modification with silver species, namely, Ag2CO3 nanoparticles, which can attach firmly on HT surface by forming coherent interface. This HT-based anion getter can be further used to capture I(-) in aqueous solution. The observed I(-) uptake mechanism is distinctly different from the widely reported ion exchange mechanism of HT and much more efficient. As a result of the high local concentrations of precipitants on the getters, radioactive ions in water can be readily immobilized onto the getter surface by forming precipitates. The secured ionic pollutants can be subsequently removed from water by filtration or sedimentation for safe disposal. Overall, these stable, inexpensive getters are the materials of choice for removal of trace ionic pollutants from bulk radioactive liquids, especially during episodic environmental crisis.

Cooperative Activated Transport of Dilute Penetrants in Viscous Molecular and Polymer Liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweizer, Kenneth; Zhang, Rui

We generalize the force-level Elastically Collective Nonlinear Langevin Equation theory of activated relaxation in one-component supercooled liquids to treat the hopping transport of a dilute penetrant in a dense hard sphere fluid. The new idea is to explicitly account for the coupling between penetrant displacement and a local matrix cage re-arrangement which facilitates its hopping. A temporal casuality condition is employed to self-consistently determine a dimensionless degree of matrix distortion relative to the penetrant jump distance using the dynamic free energy concept. Penetrant diffusion becomes increasingly coupled to the correlated matrix displacements for larger penetrant to matrix particle size ratio (R) and/or attraction strength (physical bonds), but depends weakly on matrix packing fraction. In the absence of attractions, a nearly exponential dependence of penetrant diffusivity on R is predicted in the intermediate range of 0.2

Theoretical model for the discrete flexoelectric effect and a description for the sequence of intermediate smectic phases with increasing periodicity.

PubMed

Emelyanenko, A V; Osipov, M A

2003-11-01

A general phenomenological description and a simple molecular model is proposed for the "discrete" flexoelectric effect in tilted smectic liquid crystal phases. This effect defines a polarization in a smectic layer induced by a difference of director orientations in the two smectic layers adjacent to it. It is shown that the "discrete" flexoelectric effect is determined by electrostatic dipole-quadrupole interaction between positionally correlated molecules located in adjacent smectic layers, while the corresponding dipole-dipole interaction is responsible for a coupling between polarization vectors in neighboring layers. It is shown that a simple phenomenological model of a ferrielectric smectic liquid crystal, which has recently been proposed in the literature, can be used to describe the whole sequence of intermediate chiral smectic C* phases with increasing periods, and to determine the nonplanar structure of each phase without additional assumptions. In this sequence the phases with three- and four-layer periodicities have the same structure, as observed in the experiment. The theory predicts also the structure of intermediate phases with longer periods that have not been studied experimentally so far. The structures of intermediate phases with periodicities of up to nine layers are presented together with the phase diagrams, and a relationship between molecular chirality and the three-dimensional structure of intermediate phases is discussed. It is considered also how the coupling between the spontaneous polarization determined by molecular chirality and the induced polarization determined by the discrete flexoelectric effect stabilizes the nonplanar structure of intermediate phases.

Study on the temperature-dependent coupling among viscosity, conductivity and structural relaxation of ionic liquids.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi; Yonezawa, Takuya; Koda, Shinobu

2015-07-15

The frequency-dependent viscosity and conductivity of three imidazolium-based ionic liquids were measured at several temperatures in the MHz region, and the results are compared with the intermediate scattering functions determined by neutron spin echo spectroscopy. The relaxations of both the conductivity and the viscosity agree with that of the intermediate scattering function at the ionic correlation when the relaxation time is short. As the relaxation time increases, the relaxations of the two transport properties deviate to lower frequencies than that of the ionic structure. The deviation begins at a shorter relaxation time for viscosity than for conductivity, which explains the fractional Walden rule between the zero-frequency values of the shear viscosity and the molar conductivity.

Geohydrologic conditions at the nuclear-fuels reprocessing plant and waste-management facilities at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, Cattaraugus County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergeron, M.P.; Kappel, W.M.; Yager, R.M.

1987-01-01

A nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant, a high-level radioactive liquid-waste tank complex, and related waste facilities occupy 100 hectares (ha) within the Western New York Nuclear Service Center near West Valley, N.Y. The facilities are underlain by glacial and postglacial deposits that fill an ancestrial bedrock valley. The main plant facilities are on an elevated plateau referred to as the north plateau. Groundwater on the north plateau moves laterally within a surficial sand and gravel from the main plant building to areas northeast, east, and southeast of the facilities. The sand and gravel ranges from 1 to 10 m thick and has a hydraulic conductivity ranging from 0.1 to 7.9 m/day. Two separate burial grounds, a 4-ha area for low-level radioactive waste disposal and a 2.9-ha area for disposal of higher-level waste are excavated into a clay-rich till that ranges from 22 to 28 m thick. Migration of an organic solvent from the area of higher level waste at shallow depth in the till suggests that a shallow, fractured, oxidized, and weathered till is a significant pathway for lateral movement of groundwater. Below this zone, groundwater moves vertically downward through the till to recharge a lacustrine silt and fine sand. Within the saturated parts of the lacustrine unit, groundwater moves laterally to the northeast toward Buttermilk Creek. Hydraulic conductivity of the till, based on field and laboratory analyses , ranges from 0.000018 to 0.000086 m/day. (USGS)

CALIS—A CALibration Insertion System for the DarkSide-50 dark matter search experiment

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

Agnes, P.; Albuquerque, I. F. M.; Alexander, T.

This paper describes the design, fabrication, commissioning and use of a CALibration source Insertion System (CALIS) in the DarkSide-50 direct dark matter search experiment. CALIS deploys radioactive sources into the liquid scintillator veto to characterize the detector response and detection efficiency of the DarkSide-50 Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber, and the surrounding 30 t organic liquid scintillator neutron veto. It was commissioned in September 2014 and has been used successfully in several gamma and neutron source campaigns since then. A description of the hardware and an excerpt of calibration analysis results are given below.

CALIS—A CALibration Insertion System for the DarkSide-50 dark matter search experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agnes, P.; Albuquerque, I. F. M.; Alexander, T.; Alton, A. K.; Asner, D. M.; Back, H. O.; Baldin, B.; Biery, K.; Bocci, V.; Bonfini, G.; Bonivento, W.; Bossa, M.; Bottino, B.; Brigatti, A.; Brodsky, J.; Budano, F.; Bussino, S.; Cadeddu, M.; Cadonati, L.; Cadoni, M.; Calaprice, F.; Canci, N.; Candela, A.; Caravati, M.; Cariello, M.; Carlini, M.; Catalanotti, S.; Cavalcante, P.; Chepurnov, A.; Cicalò, C.; Cocco, A. G.; Covone, G.; D'Angelo, D.; D'Incecco, M.; Davini, S.; De Cecco, S.; De Deo, M.; De Vincenzi, M.; Derbin, A.; Devoto, A.; Di Eusanio, F.; Di Pietro, G.; Dionisi, C.; Edkins, E.; Empl, A.; Fan, A.; Fiorillo, G.; Fomenko, K.; Forster, G.; Franco, D.; Gabriele, F.; Galbiati, C.; Giagu, S.; Giganti, C.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Goretti, A. M.; Granato, F.; Grandi, L.; Gromov, M.; Guan, M.; Guardincerri, Y.; Hackett, B. R.; Herner, K.; Hughes, D.; Humble, P.; Hungerford, E. V.; Ianni, Al.; Ianni, An.; James, I.; Johnson, T. N.; Jollet, C.; Keeter, K.; Kendziora, C. L.; Koh, G.; Korablev, D.; Korga, G.; Kubankin, A.; Li, X.; Lissia, M.; Loer, B.; Lombardi, P.; Longo, G.; Ma, Y.; Machado, A. A.; Machulin, I. N.; Mandarano, A.; Mari, S. M.; Maricic, J.; Marini, L.; Martoff, C. J.; Meregaglia, A.; Meyers, P. D.; Milincic, R.; Miller, J. D.; Montanari, D.; Monte, A.; Mount, B. J.; Muratova, V. N.; Musico, P.; Napolitano, J.; Navrer Agasson, A.; Odrowski, S.; Orsini, M.; Ortica, F.; Pagani, L.; Pallavicini, M.; Pantic, E.; Parmeggiano, S.; Pelczar, K.; Pelliccia, N.; Pocar, A.; Pordes, S.; Pugachev, D. A.; Qian, H.; Randle, K.; Ranucci, G.; Razeti, M.; Razeto, A.; Reinhold, B.; Renshaw, A. L.; Rescigno, M.; Riffard, Q.; Romani, A.; Rossi, B.; Rossi, N.; Rountree, D.; Sablone, D.; Saggese, P.; Saldanha, R.; Sands, W.; Savarese, C.; Schlitzer, B.; Segreto, E.; Semenov, D. A.; Shields, E.; Singh, P. N.; Skorokhvatov, M. D.; Smirnov, O.; Sotnikov, A.; Stanford, C.; Suvorov, Y.; Tartaglia, R.; Tatarowicz, J.; Testera, G.; Tonazzo, A.; Trinchese, P.; Unzhakov, E. V.; Verducci, M.; Vishneva, A.; Vogelaar, B.; Wada, M.; Walker, S.; Wang, H.; Wang, Y.; Watson, A. W.; Westerdale, S.; Wilhelmi, J.; Wojcik, M. M.; Xiang, Xi.; Xiao, X.; Xu, J.; Yang, C.; Zec, A.; Zhong, W.; Zhu, C.; Zuzel, G.

2017-12-01

This paper describes the design, fabrication, commissioning and use of a CALibration source Insertion System (CALIS) in the DarkSide-50 direct dark matter search experiment. CALIS deploys radioactive sources into the liquid scintillator veto to characterize the detector response and detection efficiency of the DarkSide-50 Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber, and the surrounding 30 t organic liquid scintillator neutron veto. It was commissioned in September 2014 and has been used successfully in several gamma and neutron source campaigns since then. A description of the hardware and an excerpt of calibration analysis results are given below.

CALIS—A CALibration Insertion System for the DarkSide-50 dark matter search experiment

DOE PAGES

Agnes, P.; Albuquerque, I. F. M.; Alexander, T.; ...

2017-12-18

This paper describes the design, fabrication, commissioning and use of a CALibration source Insertion System (CALIS) in the DarkSide-50 direct dark matter search experiment. CALIS deploys radioactive sources into the liquid scintillator veto to characterize the detector response and detection efficiency of the DarkSide-50 Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber, and the surrounding 30 t organic liquid scintillator neutron veto. It was commissioned in September 2014 and has been used successfully in several gamma and neutron source campaigns since then. A description of the hardware and an excerpt of calibration analysis results are given below.

Validation of a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method to determine six polyether ionophores in raw, UHT, pasteurized and powdered milk.

PubMed

Pereira, Mararlene Ulberg; Spisso, Bernardete Ferraz; Jacob, Silvana do Couto; Monteiro, Mychelle Alves; Ferreira, Rosana Gomes; Carlos, Betânia de Souza; da Nóbrega, Armi Wanderley

2016-04-01

This study aimed to validate a method developed for the determination of six antibiotics from the polyether ionophore class (lasalocid, maduramicin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin and semduramicin) at residue levels in raw, UHT, pasteurized and powdered milk using QuEChERS extraction and high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The validation was conducted under an in-house laboratory protocol that is primarily based on 2002/657/EC Decision, but takes in account the variability of matrix sources. Overall recoveries between 93% and 113% with relative standard deviations up to 16% were obtained under intermediate precision conditions. CCα calculated values did not exceed 20% the Maximum Residue Limit for monensin and 25% the Maximum Levels for all other substances. The method showed to be simple, fast and suitable for verifying the compliance of raw and processed milk samples regarding the limits recommended by Codex Alimentarius and those adopted in European Community for polyether ionophores. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Agnes, P.; et al.

The DarkSide-50 experiment, located at the “Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (INFN)”, is based on low-radioactivity argon double phase time projection chamber, surrounded by an active liquid scintillator veto, designed for the zero background achievement. The liquid argon features sufficient self shielding and easy scalability to multi-tons scale. The impressive reduction of the 39Ar isotope (compared to the atmospheric argon), along with the excellent pulse shape discrimination, make this technology a possible candidate for the forthcoming generation of multi-ton Dark Matter experiments.

Principles of Product Quality Control of German Radioactive Waste Forms from the Reprocessing of Spent Fuel: Vitrification, Compaction and Numerical Simulation - 12529

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

Tietze-Jaensch, Holger; Schneider, Stephan; Aksyutina, Yuliya

2012-07-01

The German product quality control is inter alia responsible for control of two radioactive waste forms of heat generating waste: a) homogeneous vitrified HLW and b) heterogeneous compacted hulls, end-pieces and technological metallic waste. In either case, significantly different metrology is employed at the site of the conditioning plant for the obligatory nuclide inventory declaration. To facilitate an independent evaluation and checking of the accompanying documentation numerical simulations are carried out. The physical and chemical properties of radioactive waste residues are used to assess the data consistency and uncertainty margins, as well as to predict the long-term behavior of themore » radioactive waste. This is relevant for repository acceptance and safety considerations. Our new numerical approach follows a bottom-up simulation starting from the burn-up behavior of the fuel elements in the reactor core. The output of these burn-up calculations is then coupled with a program that simulates the material separation in the subsequent dissolution and extraction processes normalized to the mass balance. Follow-up simulations of the separated reprocessing lines of a) the vitrification of highly-active liquid and b) the compaction of residual intermediate-active metallic hulls remaining after fuel pellets dissolution, end-pieces and technological waste, allows calculating expectation values for the various repository relevant properties of either waste stream. The principles of the German product quality control of radioactive waste residues from the spent fuel reprocessing have been introduced and explained. Namely, heat generating homogeneous vitrified HLW and heterogeneous compacted metallic MLW have been discussed. The advantages of a complementary numerical property simulation have been made clear and examples of benefits are presented. We have compiled a new program suite to calculate the physical and radio-chemical properties of common nuclear waste residues. The immediate benefit is the independent assessment of radio-active inventory declarations and much facilitated product quality control of waste residues that need to be returned to Germany and submitted to a German HLW-repository requirements. Wherever possible, internationally accepted standard programs are used and embedded. The innovative coupling of burn-up calculations (SCALE) with neutron and gamma transport codes (MCPN-X) allows an application in the world of virtual waste properties. If-then-else scenarios of hypothetical waste material compositions and distributions provide valuable information of long term nuclide property propagation under repository conditions over a very long time span. Benchmarking the program with real residue data demonstrates the power and remarkable accuracy of this numerical approach, boosting the reliability of the confidence aforementioned numerous applications, namely the proof tool set for on-the-spot production quality checking and data evaluation and independent verification. Moreover, using the numerical bottom-up approach helps to avoid the accumulation of fake activities that may gradually build up in a repository from the so-called conservative or penalizing nuclide inventory declarations. The radioactive waste properties and the hydrolytic and chemical stability can be predicted. The interaction with invasive chemicals can be assessed and propagation scenarios can be developed from reliable and sound data and HLW properties. Hence, the appropriate design of a future HLW repository can be based upon predictable and quality assured waste characteristics. (authors)« less

Therapeutic applications of radioactive (131)iodine: Procedures and incidents with capsules.

PubMed

Al Aamri, Marwa; Ravichandran, Ramamoorthy; Binukumar, John Pichy; Al Balushi, Naima

2016-01-01

Treatments for thyrotoxicosis and carcinoma thyroid are carried out by oral administration of radioactive iodine ((131)I) in the form of liquid or capsules. The liquid form of (131)I has higher risk factors such as vapourization, spillage and need for management of higher activity wastes. Use of (131)I in capsule form simplify procedures of handling compared to liquid form of (131)I. The guidelines of safe handling and quality assurance aspects for therapeutic use (131)I are well outlined by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports. A few unusual incidents with I-131 capsules encountered in the past need to be highlighted from health physics point of view. In Royal Hospital, Oman, I-131 is imported in capsules, and the total activity handled/year steadily increased over 10 years. Discrete activities range from 185 MBq (5 mCi) up to 7.4 GBq (200 mCi). In four incidents deviations in standard operational procedures were recorded. Nature of incidents is described as follows: (1) After assay of activity, the capsule was directly put in the lead container with missing of inner cap. (2) Patient poured water in the Perspex tube, when the capsule was handed over to her, making an emergency situation. (3) In 3 high activity capsules (2 nos 2.96 GBq, 1 no. 4.26 GBq), observed sticky behavior in capsule holder on the 2(nd) day post receipt, which were in order on the 1(st) day. (4) A capsule could not be swallowed by a patient, which was taken back from the mouth. Monitoring of patient later did not show residual ingested activity. The report documents some of the unusual incidents for information to other centers engaged in such radioactive administrations.

ICPP tank farm closure study. Volume 1

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

Spaulding, B.C.; Gavalya, R.A.; Dahlmeir, M.M.

1998-02-01

The disposition of INEEL radioactive wastes is now under a Settlement Agreement between the DOE and the State of Idaho. The Settlement Agreement requires that existing liquid sodium bearing waste (SBW), and other liquid waste inventories be treated by December 31, 2012. This agreement also requires that all HLW, including calcined waste, be disposed or made road ready to ship from the INEEL by 2035. Sodium bearing waste (SBW) is produced from decontamination operations and HLW from reprocessing of SNF. SBW and HLW are radioactive and hazardous mixed waste; the radioactive constituents are regulated by DOE and the hazardous constituentsmore » are regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Calcined waste, a dry granular material, is produced in the New Waste Calcining Facility (NWCF). Two primary waste tank storage locations exist at the ICPP: Tank Farm Facility (TFF) and the Calcined Solids Storage Facility (CSSF). The TFF has the following underground storage tanks: four 18,400-gallon tanks (WM 100-102, WL 101); four 30,000-gallon tanks (WM 103-106); and eleven 300,000+ gallon tanks. This includes nine 300,000-gallon tanks (WM 182-190) and two 318,000 gallon tanks (WM 180-181). This study analyzes the closure and subsequent use of the eleven 300,000+ gallon tanks. The 18,400 and 30,000-gallon tanks were not included in the work scope and will be closed as a separate activity. This study was conducted to support the HLW Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) waste separations options and addresses closure of the 300,000-gallon liquid waste storage tanks and subsequent tank void uses. A figure provides a diagram estimating how the TFF could be used as part of the separations options. Other possible TFF uses are also discussed in this study.« less

Temperature and intensity dependence of the performance of an electron-irradiated (AlGa)As/GaAs solar cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swartz, C. K.; Hart, R. E., Jr.

1979-01-01

The performance of a Hughes, liquid-phase epitaxial 2 centimeter-by-2 centimeter, (AlGa)As/GaAs solar cell was measured before and after irradiations with 1 MeV electrons to fluences of 1 x 10 to the 16th power electrons/sq cm. The temperature dependence of performance was measured over the temperature range 135 to 415 K at each fluence level. In addition, temperature dependences were measured at five intensity levels from 137 to 2.57 mW/sq cm before irradiation and after a fluence of 1 x 10 to the 16th power electrons/sq cm. For the intermediate fluences, performance was measured as a function of intensity at 298 K only.

Level crossing analysis of chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization: Towards a common description of liquid-state and solid-state cases

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

Sosnovsky, Denis V.; Ivanov, Konstantin L., E-mail: ivanov@tomo.nsc.ru; Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 2, 630090, Novosibirsk

Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (CIDNP) is an efficient method of creating non-equilibrium polarization of nuclear spins by using chemical reactions, which have radical pairs as intermediates. The CIDNP effect originates from (i) electron spin-selective recombination of radical pairs and (ii) the dependence of the inter-system crossing rate in radical pairs on the state of magnetic nuclei. The CIDNP effect can be investigated by using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) methods. The gain from CIDNP is then two-fold: it allows one to obtain considerable amplification of NMR signals; in addition, it provides a very useful tool for investigating elusive radicals andmore » radical pairs. While the mechanisms of the CIDNP effect in liquids are well established and understood, detailed analysis of solid-state CIDNP mechanisms still remains challenging; likewise a common theoretical frame for the description of CIDNP in both solids and liquids is missing. Difficulties in understanding the spin dynamics that lead to the CIDNP effect in the solid-state case are caused by the anisotropy of spin interactions, which increase the complexity of spin evolution. In this work, we propose to analyze CIDNP in terms of level crossing phenomena, namely, to attribute features in the CIDNP magnetic field dependence to Level Crossings (LCs) and Level Anti-Crossings (LACs) in a radical pair. This approach allows one to describe liquid-state CIDNP; the same holds for the solid-state case where anisotropic interactions play a significant role in CIDNP formation. In solids, features arise predominantly from LACs, since in most cases anisotropic couplings result in perturbations, which turn LCs into LACs. We have interpreted the CIDNP mechanisms in terms of the LC/LAC concept. This consideration allows one to find analytical expressions for a wide magnetic field range, where several different mechanisms are operative; furthermore, the LAC description gives a way to determine CIDNP sign rules. Thus, LCs/LACs provide a consistent description of CIDNP in both liquids and solids with the prospect of exploiting it for the analysis of short-lived radicals and for optimizing the polarization level.« 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...

Laser-muon spin spectroscopy in liquids - a technique to study the excited state chemistry of transients.

PubMed

Ghandi, Khashayar; Clark, Ian P; Lord, James S; Cottrell, Stephen P

2007-01-21

This study introduces laser-muon spin spectroscopy in the liquid phase, which extends muonium chemistry in liquids to the realm of excited states and enables the detection of muoniated molecules by their spin evolution after laser excitation. This leads to new opportunities to study the Kinetic Isotope Effects (KIEs) of muonium/atomic hydrogen reactions and to probe transient chemistry in radiolysis processes involved in muonium formation, as well as muoniated intermediates in excited states.

Increased brain radioactivity by intranasal 32P-labeled siRNA dendriplexes within in situ-forming mucoadhesive gels

PubMed Central

Perez, Ana Paula; Mundiña-Weilenmann, Cecilia; Romero, Eder Lilia; Morilla, Maria Jose

2012-01-01

Background Molecules taken up by olfactory and trigeminal nerve neurons directly access the brain by the nose-to-brain pathway. In situ-forming mucoadhesive gels would increase the residence time of intranasal material, favoring the nose-to-brain delivery. In this first approach, brain radioactivity after intranasal administration of 32P-small interference RNA (siRNA) complexed with poly(amidoamine) G7 dendrimers (siRNA dendriplexes) within in situ-forming mucoadhesive gels, was determined. Materials 32P-siRNA dendriplexes were incorporated into in situ-forming mucoadhesive gels prepared by blending thermosensitive poloxamer (23% w/w) with mucoadhesive chitosan (1% w/w, PxChi) or carbopol (0.25% w/w, PxBCP). Rheological properties, radiolabel release profile, and local toxicity in rat nasal mucosa were determined. The best-suited formulation was intranasally administered to rats, and blood absorption and brain distribution of radioactivity were measured. Results The gelation temperature of both formulations was 23°C. The PxChi liquid showed non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behavior of high consistency and difficult manipulation, and the gel retained 100% of radiolabel after 150 minutes. The PxCBP liquid showed a Newtonian behavior of low viscosity and easy manipulation, while in the gel phase showed apparent viscosity similar to that of the mucus but higher than that of aqueous solution. The gel released 35% of radiolabel and the released material showed silencing activity in vitro. Three intranasal doses of dendriplexes in PxCBP gel did not damage the rat nasal mucosa. A combination of 32P-siRNA complexation with dendrimers, incorporation of the dendriplexes into PxCBP gel, and administration of two intranasal doses was necessary to achieve higher brain radioactivity than that achieved by intravenous dendriplexes or intranasal naked siRNA. Conclusion The increased radioactivity within the olfactory bulb suggested that the combination above mentioned favored the mediation of a direct brain delivery. PMID:22457595

Radioactive emission data from Canadian nuclear generating stations, 1988 to 1997. Report number INFO-0210/Rev.8

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

NONE

1998-12-31

This edition incorporates histograms for each nuclear generating station (NGS) displaying the annual gaseous emissions containing tritium, in the form of tritium oxide, noble gases, iodine-131, and radioactive particulates, as well as the annual liquid emissions containing tritium, in the form of tritiated water, and gross beta-gamma activity. For Pickering NGS A and Gentilly 2, annual emissions of carbon-14 are depicted; and for Darlington NGS A, airborne emissions of elemental tritium since 1988 are shown. In each case, the emission data are compared to the derived emission limits.

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.

A NEW, SMALL DRYING FACILITY FOR WET RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND LIQUIDS

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

Oldiges, Olaf; Blenski, Hans-Juergen

2003-02-27

Due to the reason, that in Germany every Waste, that is foreseen to be stored in a final disposal facility or in a long time interim storage facility, it is necessary to treat a lot of waste using different drying technologies. In Germany two different drying facilities are in operation. The GNS Company prefers a vacuum-drying-technology and has built and designed PETRA-Drying-Facilities. In a lot of smaller locations, it is not possible to install such a facility because inside the working areas of that location, the available space to install the PETRA-Drying-Facility is too small. For that reason, GNS decidedmore » to design a new, small Drying-Facility using industrial standard components, applying the vacuum-drying-technology. The new, small Drying-Facility for wet radioactive waste and liquids is presented in this paper. The results of some tests with a prototype facility are shown in chapter 4. The main components of that new facility are described in chapter 3.« less

Photochemical oxidation: A solution for the mixed waste dilemma

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

Prellberg, J.W.; Thornton, L.M.; Cheuvront, D.A.

1995-12-31

Numerous technologies are available to remove organic contamination from water or wastewater. A variety of techniques also exist that are used to neutralize radioactive waste. However, few technologies can satisfactorily address the treatment of mixed organic/radioactive waste without creating unacceptable secondary waste products or resulting in extremely high treatment costs. An innovative solution to the mixed waste problem is on-site photochemical oxidation. Liquid-phase photochemical oxidation has a long- standing history of successful application to the destruction of organic compounds. By using photochemical oxidation, the organic contaminants are destroyed on-site leaving the water, with radionuclides, that can be reused or disposedmore » of as appropriate. This technology offers advantages that include zero air emissions, no solid or liquid waste formation, and relatively low treatment cost. Discussion of the photochemical process will be described, and several case histories from recent design testing, including cost analyses for the resulting full-scale installations, will be presented as examples.« less

MEANS FOR SHIELDING AND COOLING REACTORS

DOEpatents

Wigner, E.P.; Ohlinger, L.A.; Young, G.J.; Weinberg, A.M.

1959-02-10

Reactors of the water-cooled type and a means for shielding such a rcactor to protect operating personnel from harmful radiation are discussed. In this reactor coolant tubes which contain the fissionable material extend vertically through a mass of moderator. Liquid coolant enters through the bottom of the coolant tubes and passes upwardly over the fissionable material. A shield tank is disposed over the top of the reactor and communicates through its bottom with the upper end of the coolant tubes. A hydrocarbon shielding fluid floats on the coolant within the shield tank. With this arrangements the upper face of the reactor can be opened to the atmosphere through the two superimposed liquid layers. A principal feature of the invention is that in the event radioactive fission products enter thc coolant stream. imposed layer of hydrocarbon reduces the intense radioactivity introduced into the layer over the reactors and permits removal of the offending fuel material by personnel shielded by the uncontaminated hydrocarbon layer.

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

ARSENIC DETERMINATION IN SALINE WATERS UTILIZING A TUBULAR MEMBRANE AS A GAS-LIQUID SEPATRATOR FOR HYDRIDE GENERATION INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETRY

EPA Science Inventory

A tubular silicone rubber membrane is evaluated as a gas-liquid separator for the determination of arsenic in saline waters via HG-ICP-MS. The system was optimized in terms of NaBH and HCI concentrations. The intermediate gas and carrier gas were optimized in terms of sensitiity ...

Method for passive cooling liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors, and system thereof

DOEpatents

Hunsbedt, Anstein; Busboom, Herbert J.

1991-01-01

A liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor having a passive cooling system for removing residual heat resulting from fuel decay during reactor shutdown. The passive cooling system comprises a plurality of partitions surrounding the reactor vessel in spaced apart relation forming intermediate areas for circulating heat transferring fluid which remove and carry away heat from the reactor vessel.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet for the determination of triazine and triazoles in mineral water samples.

PubMed

Bolzan, Cátia M; Caldas, Sergiane S; Guimarães, Bruno S; Primel, Ednei G

2016-09-01

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method for the determination of atrazine, simazine, cyproconazole, tebuconazole, and epoxiconazole in mineral water employing the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of a floating organic drop with determination by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has been developed. A mixed solution of 250 μL 1-dodecanol and 1250 μL methanol was injected rapidly into 10 mL aqueous solution (pH 7.0) with 2% w/v NaCl. After centrifugation for 5 min at 2000 rpm, the organic solvent droplets floated on the surface of the aqueous solution and the floating solvent solidified. The method limits of detection were between 3.75 and 37.5 ng/L and limits of quantification were between 12.5 and 125 ng/L. The recoveries ranged from 70 to 118% for repeatability and between 76 and 95% for intermediate precision with a relative standard deviation from 2 to 18% for all compounds. Low matrix effect was observed. The proposed method can be successfully applied in routine analysis for determination of pesticide residues in mineral water samples, allowing for monitoring of triazine and triazoles at levels below the regulatory limits set by international and national legislations. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.