An analysis of the technical status of high level radioactive waste and spent fuel management systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

English, T.; Miller, C.; Bullard, E.; Campbell, R.; Chockie, A.; Divita, E.; Douthitt, C.; Edelson, E.; Lees, L.

1977-01-01

The technical status of the old U.S. mailine program for high level radioactive nuclear waste management, and the newly-developing program for disposal of unreprocessed spent fuel was assessed. The method of long term containment for both of these waste forms is considered to be deep geologic isolation in bedded salt. Each major component of both waste management systems is analyzed in terms of its scientific feasibility, technical achievability and engineering achievability. The resulting matrix leads to a systematic identification of major unresolved technical or scientific questions and/or gaps in these programs.

Abyssal seafloor waste isolation: the concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valent, Philip J.; Young, David K.; Sawyer, William B.; Wright, Thomas D.

1998-05-01

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), with industry and university participation, conducted an assessment of the concept of isolating certain wastes (i.e., sewage sludge, fly ash from municipal incinerators, and contaminated dredged material) on the oceans' abyssal seafloor. In this assessment the advantages, disadvantages, and economic and environmental viability of potential engineering methods for achieving abyssal waste isolation were identified and compared. This paper presents background to the Abyssal Plains Waste Isolation (APWI) Project, describes the characteristics of the waste streams and quantities potentially available for disposal via the abyssal isolation concept, summarizes regulations affecting use of the abyssal seafloor for disposal of wastes, and introduces the technical and scientific premises underlying implementation of the concept.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

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

Westinghouse TRU Solutions

This Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR) documents environmental regulatory compliance at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a facility designed for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste, for the reporting period of April 1, 1998, to March 31, 2000. As required by the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA)(Public Law [Pub. L.] 102-579, and amended by Pub. L. 104-201), the BECR documents U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Area Office's (hereinafter the ''CAO'') compliance with applicable environmental protection laws and regulations implemented by agencies of the federal government and the state of New Mexico. An issue was identified inmore » the 1998 BECR relating to a potential cross-connection between the fire-water systems and the site domestic water system. While the CAO and its managing and operating contractor (hereinafter the ''MOC'') believe the site was always in compliance with cross-connection control requirements, hardware and procedural upgrades w ere implemented in March 1999 to strengthen its compliance posture. Further discussion of this issue is presented in section 30.2.2 herein. During this reporting period WIPP received two letters and a compliance order alleging violation of certain requirements outlined in section 9(a)(1) of the LWA. With the exception of one item, pending a final decision by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), all alleged violations have been resolved without the assessment of fines or penalties. Non-mixed TRU waste shipments began on March 26, 1999. Shipments continued through November 26, 1999, the effective date of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (NM4890139088-TSDF). No shipments regulated under the Hazardous Waste Facility Permit were received at WIPP during this BECR reporting period.« less

System for handling and storing radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Anderson, J.K.; Lindemann, P.E.

1982-07-19

A system and method are claimed for handling and storing spent reactor fuel and other solid radioactive waste, including canisters to contain the elements of solid waste, storage racks to hold a plurality of such canisters, storage bays to store these racks in isolation by means of shielded doors in the bays. This system also includes means for remotely positioning the racks in the bays and an access tunnel within which the remotely operated means is located to position a rack in a selected bay. The modular type of these bays will facilitate the construction of additional bays and access tunnel extension.

System for handling and storing radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Anderson, John K.; Lindemann, Paul E.

1984-01-01

A system and method for handling and storing spent reactor fuel and other solid radioactive waste, including canisters to contain the elements of solid waste, storage racks to hold a plurality of such canisters, storage bays to store these racks in isolation by means of shielded doors in the bays. This system also includes means for remotely positioning the racks in the bays and an access tunnel within which the remotely operated means is located to position a rack in a selected bay. The modular type of these bays will facilitate the construction of additional bays and access tunnel extension.

Isolation, identification and characterization of indigenous fungi for bioremediation of hexavalent chromium, nickel and cobalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernahadini, Nelis; Suhandono, Sony; Choesin, Devi N.; Chaerun, Siti K.; Kadarusman, Ade

2014-03-01

Waste from nickel mining of Sorowako in South Sulawesi contains hexavalent chromium, nickel and cobalt metals in high concentration and may have a negative impact to the environment. Common waste treatment systems such as chemical treatment using a reducing reagent may still have a negative impact. Bioremediation using fungi or bacteria becomes more popular because it is an environmentally friendly alternative. The purposes of this study are to isolate and identify indigenous fungi that are resistant to heavy metals (hexavalent chromium, nickel, and cobalt) and are capable of reducing the concentration of metals in mining wastes. Ten fungal isolates were successfully isolated from the soils and pond sediments in the area of nickel mining in Sorowako. Selection of superior isolate was carried out by growing all the isolates on PDA medium, which contained all of the three metals. One superior isolate was identified to be able to grow on medium with concentrations of 6400 ppm hexavalent chromium, 200 ppm nickel and 50 ppm cobalt. Molecular identification and phylogenetic studies of the isolate using fungal PCR primers developed to amplify the ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region showed that the isolate sequence was very close to Trichoderma atroviride with 99.8% similarity. Optimum incubation time for the uptake of hexavalent chromium was 3 days, nickel and cobalt was 5 days, respectively, with an optimum pH of 4.

Water-level data from wells in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, southeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richey, S.F.

1987-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey monitored water levels in wells in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a storage facility constructed in bedded salts in which defense-associated transuranic wastes will be deposited, in southeastern New Mexico during 1977 to 1985. A variety of methods was used to measure water levels. The particular method utilized at a given time depended on several factors, including the amount of condensation in the well, well-head configuration, depth to water, rate of water level change, and availability of equipment. The five methods utilized were: air line, Lynes pressure sentry system, M-scope, steel tape, and winch. (Lantz-PTT)

Characterization of Volume F Trash from the Three FY11 STS Missions: Trash Weights and Categorization and Microbial Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strayer, Richard F.; Hummerick, Mary E.; Richards, Jeffrey T.; McCoy, LaShelle E.; Roberts, Michael S.; Wheller, Raymond M.

2011-01-01

The project reported here provides microbial characterization support to the Waste Management Systems (WMS) element of NASA's Life Support and Habitation Systems (LSHS) program. Conventional microbiological methods were used to detect and enumerate microorganisms in STS Volume F Compartment trash for three shuttle missions: STS 133, 134, and 135. This trash was usually made available within 2 days of landing at KSC. The Volume F bag was weighed, opened and the contents were cataloged and placed into categories: personal hygiene items - inclUding EVA maximum absorbent garments (MAGs) and Elbow packs (daily toilet wipes, etc), drink containers, food waste (and containers), office waste (paper), and packaging materials - plastic film and duct tape. The average wet trash generation rate for the three STS missions was 0.362 % 0.157 kgwet crew 1 d-1 . This was considerably lower and more variable than the average rate for 4 STS missions reported for FY10. Trash subtotals by category: personal hygiene wastes, 56%; drink items, 11 %; food wastes, 18%; office waste, 3%; and plastic film, 12%. These wastes have an abundance of easily biodegraded compounds that can support the growth of microorganisms. Microbial characterization of trash showed that large numbers of bacteria and fungi have taken advantage of this readily available nutrient source to proliferate. Exterior and interior surfaces of plastic film bags containing trash were sampled and counts of cultivatable microbes were generally low and mostly occurred on trash bundles within the exterior trash bags. Personal hygiene wastes, drink containers, and food wastes and packaging all contained high levels of, mostly, aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and lower levels of yeasts and molds. Isolates from plate count media were obtained and identified .and were mostly aerobic heterotrophs with some facultative anaerobes. These are usually considered common environmental isolates on Earth. However, several pathogens were also isolated: Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Isolation of clinically relevant fungal species from solid waste and environment of dental health services.

PubMed

Vieira, C D; de Carvalho, M A R; de Resende, M A; de Menezes Cussiol, N A; Alvarez-Leite, M E; dos Santos, S G; de Oliveira, M B; de Magalhães, T F F; Silva, M X; Nicoli, J R; de Macêdo Farias, L

2010-10-01

This study was undertaken to detect, identify and determine antifungal susceptibility of yeast strains isolated from dental solid waste and to evaluate airborne fungi in the Brazilian dental health care environment and in the waste storage room. A group of 17 yeast strains were identified by macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, API 20C Aux system and Multiplex PCR. All 104 airborne fungal colonies were identified by macroscopic and microscopic morphology. The CLSI broth microdilution method was utilized as the susceptibility test. Candida parapsilosis was the prevailing yeast species recovered from waste, followed by Rhodotorula glutinis. Three strains of Candida guilliermondii presented minimal inhibitory concentration values considered to be susceptible dose dependent (2 μg ml(-1)) to voriconazole. Of all airborne fungal species, 69% were recovered from the waste storage room and 31% were recovered from the clinical/surgical environment. Most of them were identified as Cladosporium spp. These findings reinforce the potential risk of waste handling and point out the need for safe management to minimize the spread of these agents to the environment. Filamentous fungi isolation in almost all sampled environments indicates that a periodic monitoring of airborne microbiota in the dental health care service environment is required. The survival of yeast strains for 48 h suggests that dental waste should be carefully controlled and monitored. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Analogues to features and processes of a high-level radioactive waste repository proposed for Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simmons, Ardyth M.; Stuckless, John S.; with a Foreword by Abraham Van Luik, U.S. Department of Energy

2010-01-01

Natural analogues are defined for this report as naturally occurring or anthropogenic systems in which processes similar to those expected to occur in a nuclear waste repository are thought to have taken place over time periods of decades to millennia and on spatial scales as much as tens of kilometers. Analogues provide an important temporal and spatial dimension that cannot be tested by laboratory or field-scale experiments. Analogues provide one of the multiple lines of evidence intended to increase confidence in the safe geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Although the work in this report was completed specifically for Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste under the U.S. Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the applicability of the science, analyses, and interpretations is not limited to a specific site. Natural and anthropogenic analogues have provided and can continue to provide value in understanding features and processes of importance across a wide variety of topics in addressing the challenges of geologic isolation of radioactive waste and also as a contribution to scientific investigations unrelated to waste disposal. Isolation of radioactive waste at a mined geologic repository would be through a combination of natural features and engineered barriers. In this report we examine analogues to many of the various components of the Yucca Mountain system, including the preservation of materials in unsaturated environments, flow of water through unsaturated volcanic tuff, seepage into repository drifts, repository drift stability, stability and alteration of waste forms and components of the engineered barrier system, and transport of radionuclides through unsaturated and saturated rock zones.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Annual Site Environmental Report for 2014. Emended

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

none,

2015-09-01

The purpose of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Annual Site Environmental Report for 2014 (ASER) is to provide information required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1B, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting. Specifically, the ASER presents summary environmental data to: Characterize site environmental management performance; Summarize environmental occurrences and responses reported during the calendar year (CY); Confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements; Highlight significant environmental accomplishments, including progress toward the DOE environmental sustainability goals made through implementation of the WIPP Environmental Management System (EMS).

In vitro functional properties of crude extracts and isolated compounds from banana pseudostem and rhizome.

PubMed

Kandasamy, Saravanan; Ramu, Sasikala; Aradhya, Somaradhya Mallikarjuna

2016-03-15

Pseudostem and rhizome are the significant bio-waste generated (43.48%) from the banana plant post fruit harvest, which are usually left in the plantation or incinerated and wasted. Amounts used in production for consumption are negligible. However, the material has an important part to play in indigenous systems of medicine. Based on the huge volume of bio-waste generated and its traditional medicinal use, it is worth exploiting it as a source of natural bioactive compounds. In the current study, sequential extracts from banana pseudostem (BPS) and rhizome (BR), and isolated compounds including chlorogenic acid, 4-epicyclomusalenone and cycloeucalenol acetate, were tested for their antimicrobial activity, antiplatelet aggregation and cytotoxicity. Isolated compounds and crude extracts exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacterial and fungal strains, platelet aggregation induced by collagen and cytotoxicity towards human liver cancer (HepG2) cells. Banana plant bio-waste, pseudostem and rhizome may serve as a potential source of multifunctional bioactive compounds and functional ingredient in food and other allied industries. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

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

Poppiti, James; Nelson, Roger; MacMillan, Walter J.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a 655-meter deep mine near Carlsbad, New Mexico, used to dispose the nation’s defense transuranic waste. Limited airborne radioactivity was released from a container of radioactive waste in WIPP on 14 February, 2014. As designed, a mine ventilation filtration system prevented the large scale release of contamination from the underground. However, isolation dampers leaked, which allowed the release of low levels of contaminants after the event until they were sealed. None of the exposed individuals received any recordable dose. While surface contamination was limited, contamination in the ventilation system and portions of themore » underground was substantial. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in the operating ventilation system ensure continued containment during recovery and resumption of disposal operations. However, ventilation flow is restricted since the incident, with all exhaust air directed through the filters. Decontamination and natural fixation by the hygroscopic nature of the salt host rock has reduced the likelihood of further contamination spread. Contamination control and ventilation system operability are crucial for resumption of operations. This article provides an operational assessment and evaluation of these two key areas.« less

Geological considerations in hazardouswaste disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartwright, K.; Gilkeson, R. H.; Johnson, T. M.

1981-12-01

Present regulations assume that long-term isolation of hazardous wastes — including toxic chemical, biological, radioactive, flammable and explosive wastes — may be effected by disposal in landfills that have liners of very low hydraulic conductivity. In reality, total isolation of wastes in humid areas is not possible; some migration of leachate from wastes buried in the gound will always occur. Regulations should provide performance standards applicable on a site-by-site basis rather than rigid criteria for site selection and design. The performance standards should take into account several factors: (1) the categories, segregation, degradation and toxicity of the wastes; (2) the site hydrogeology, which governs the direction and rate of contaminant transport; (3) the attenuation of contaminants by geochemical interactions with geologic materials; and (4) the release rate of unattenuated pollutants to surface or groundwater. An adequate monitoring system is essential. The system should both test the extent to which the operation of the site meets performance standards and provide sufficient warning of pollution problems to allow implementation of remedial measures. In recent years there has been a trend away from numerous, small disposal sites toward fewer and larger sites. The size of a disposal site should be based on the attenuation capacity of the geologic material, which has a finite, though generally not well-defined, limit. For slowly degradable wastes, engineered sites with leachate-collection systems appear to be only a temporary solution since the leachate collected will also require final disposal.

Geological considerations in hazardouswaste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cartwright, K.; Gilkeson, R.H.; Johnson, T.M.

1981-01-01

Present regulations assume that long-term isolation of hazardous wastes - including toxic chemical, biological, radioactive, flammable and explosive wastes - may be effected by disposal in landfills that have liners of very low hydraulic conductivity. In reality, total isolation of wastes in humid areas is not possible; some migration of leachate from wastes buried in the gound will always occur. Regulations should provide performance standards applicable on a site-by-site basis rather than rigid criteria for site selection and design. The performance standards should take into account several factors: (1) the categories, segregation, degradation and toxicity of the wastes; (2) the site hydrogeology, which governs the direction and rate of contaminant transport; (3) the attenuation of contaminants by geochemical interactions with geologic materials; and (4) the release rate of unattenuated pollutants to surface or groundwater. An adequate monitoring system is essential. The system should both test the extent to which the operation of the site meets performance standards and provide sufficient warning of pollution problems to allow implementation of remedial measures. In recent years there has been a trend away from numerous, small disposal sites toward fewer and larger sites. The size of a disposal site should be based on the attenuation capacity of the geologic material, which has a finite, though generally not well-defined, limit. For slowly degradable wastes, engineered sites with leachate-collection systems appear to be only a temporary solution since the leachate collected will also require final disposal. ?? 1981.

Resource conservation and recovery act draft hazardous waste facility permit: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Attachments: Volume 4 of 4

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

Not Available

1993-08-01

Volume IV contains the following attachments for Module IV: VOC monitoring plan for bin-room tests (Appendix D12); bin emission control and VOC monitoring system drawings; bin scale test room ventilation drawings; WIPP supplementary roof support system, underground storage area, room 1, panel 1, DOE/WIPP 91-057; and WIPP supplementary roof support system, room 1, panel 1, geotechnical field data analysis bi-annual report, DOE/WIPP 92-024.

Foaming and emulsifying properties of pectin isolated from different plant materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yancheva, Nikoleta; Markova, Daniela; Murdzheva, Dilyana; Vasileva, Ivelina; Slavov, Anton

2016-03-01

The foaming and emulsifying properties of pectins obtained from waste rose petals, citrus pressings, grapefruit peels and celery were studied. It was found that the highest foaming capacity showed pectin derived from celery. The effect of pectin concentration on the foaming capacity of pectin solutions was investigated. For all the investigated pectins increasing the concentration led to increase of the foaming capacity. Emulsifying activity and emulsion stability of model emulsion systems (50 % oil phase) with 0.6 % pectic solutions were determined. The highest emulsifying activity and stability showed pectin isolated by dilute acid extraction from waste rose petals.

Waste isolation safety assessment program. Task 4. Third contractor information meeting

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

Not Available

1980-06-01

The Contractor Information Meeting (October 14 to 17, 1979) was part of the FY-1979 effort of Task 4 of the Waste Isolation Safety Assessment Program (WISAP): Sorption/Desorption Analysis. The objectives of this task are to: evaluate sorption/desorption measurement methods and develop a standardized measurement procedure; produce a generic data bank of nuclide-geologic interactions using a wide variety of geologic media and groundwaters; perform statistical analysis and synthesis of these data; perform validation studies to compare short-term laboratory studies to long-term in situ behavior; develop a fundamental understanding of sorption/desorption processes; produce x-ray and gamma-emitting isotopes suitable for the study ofmore » actinides at tracer concentrations; disseminate resulting information to the international technical community; and provide input data support for repository safety assessment. Conference participants included those subcontracted to WISAP Task 4, representatives and independent subcontractors to the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation, representatives from other waste disposal programs, and experts in the area of waste/geologic media interaction. Since the meeting, WISAP has been divided into two programs: Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) (modeling efforts) and Waste/Rock Interactions Technology (WRIT) (experimental work). The WRIT program encompasses the work conducted under Task 4. This report contains the information presented at the Task 4, Third Contractor Information Meeting. Technical Reports from the subcontractors, as well as Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), are provided along with transcripts of the question-and-answer sessions. The agenda and abstracts of the presentations are also included. Appendix A is a list of the participants. Appendix B gives an overview of the WRIT program and details the WRIT work breakdown structure for 1980.« less

Recycling Perovskite Solar Cells To Avoid Lead Waste.

PubMed

Binek, Andreas; Petrus, Michiel L; Huber, Niklas; Bristow, Helen; Hu, Yinghong; Bein, Thomas; Docampo, Pablo

2016-05-25

Methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite based solar cells have recently emerged as a serious competitor for large scale and low-cost photovoltaic technologies. However, since these solar cells contain toxic lead, a sustainable procedure for handling the cells after their operational lifetime is required to prevent exposure of the environment to lead and to comply with international electronic waste disposal regulations. Herein, we report a procedure to remove every layer of the solar cells separately, which gives the possibility to selectively isolate the different materials. Besides isolating the toxic lead iodide in high yield, we show that the PbI2 can be reused for the preparation of new solar cells with comparable performance and in this way avoid lead waste. Furthermore, we show that the most expensive part of the solar cell, the conductive glass (FTO), can be reused several times without any reduction in the performance of the devices. With our simple recycling procedure, we address both the risk of contamination and the waste disposal of perovskite based solar cells while further reducing the cost of the system. This brings perovskite solar cells one step closer to their introduction into commercial systems.

Instrumentation used for hydraulic testing of potential water-bearing formations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site in southeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Basler, J.A.

1983-01-01

Requirements for testing hydrologic test wells at the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico, necessitated the use of inflatable formation packers and pressure transducers. Observations during drilling and initial development indicated small formation yields which would require considerable test times by conventional open-casing methods. A pressure-monitoring system was assembled for performance evaluation utilizing commercially available components. Formation pressures were monitored with a down-hole strain-gage transducer. An inflatable packer equipped with a 1/4-inch-diameter steel tube extending through the inflation element permitted sensing formation pressures in isolated test zones. Surface components of the monitoring system provided AC transducer excitation, signal conditioning for recording directly in engineering units, and both analog and digital recording. Continuous surface monitoring of formation pressures provided a means of determining test status and projecting completion times during any phase of testing. Maximum portability was afforded by battery operation with all surface components mounted in a small self-contained trailer. (USGS)

Mapping pocket gopher burrow systems with expanding polyurethane foam

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

Felthauser, M.; McInroy, D.

The impetus for this study arose from the need to isolate buried chemical and radioactive waste from burrowing animals. In a study of barrier materials that inhibit burrowing by pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.) into waste material, it was necessary to map tunnel systems as a function of depth and soil type. A method of mapping burrow systems was needed that would be economical, portable, useful in a variety of soil types, and give accurate, permanent records of burrow configurations. A method is described for injecting an expanding polyurethane foam to map burrow systems in situ.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant No-migration variance petition. Addendum: Volume 7, Revision 1

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

Not Available

1990-03-01

This report describes various aspects of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) including design data, waste characterization, dissolution features, ground water hydrology, natural resources, monitoring, general geology, and the gas generation/test program.

U.S. Department of Energy Implementation of Chemical Evaluation Requirements for Transuranic Waste Disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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

Moon, Alison; Barkley, Michelle; Poppiti, James

This report summarizes new controls designed to ensure that transuranic waste disposed at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) does not contain incompatible chemicals. These new controls include a Chemical Compatibility Evaluation, an evaluation of oxidizing chemicals, and a waste container assessment to ensure that waste is safe for disposal. These controls are included in the Chapter 18 of the Documented Safety Analysis for WIPP (1).

Microbial desalination cell for enhanced biodegradation of waste engine oil using a novel bacterial strain Bacillus subtilis moh3.

PubMed

Sabina, K; Fayidh, Mohammed A; Archana, G; Sivarajan, M; Babuskin, S; Babu, P Azhagu Saravana; Radha, K Krishnan; Sukumar, M

2014-01-01

Microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a bioelectrochemical system developed recently from microbial fuel cells (MFCs), for producing green energy from organic wastes along with desalination of saltwater. MDC is proved to be a better performer than MFC in terms of power output and chemical oxygen demand removal, with desalination as an additional feature. This study investigates the application potential of MDC for integrated biodegradation of waste engine oil. This study showed, for the first time, that waste engine oil could be used as an organic substrate in MDC, achieving biodegradation of engine oil along with considerable desalination and power production. Utilization of these wastes in MDC can protect the environment from waste engine oil contamination. Indigenous oil-degrading bacteria were isolated and identified from engine oil contaminated sludge. Degradation of waste engine oil by these novel isolates was studied in batch cultures and optimized the growth conditions. The same cultures when used in MDC, gave enhanced biodegradation (70.1 +/- 0.5%) along with desalination (68.3 +/- 0.6%) and power production (3.1 +/- 0.3 mW/m2). Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses were performed to characterize the degradation metabolites in the anolyte of MDC which clearly indicated the biodegradation of long chain, branched and cyclic hydrocarbons present in waste engine oil.

DOE's Notification of Planned Change to the EPA 40 CFR Part 194 Certification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Characterization Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Department of Energy's Carlsbad Field Office (DOE/CBFO) provided the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this Notification of Planned Change to accept remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

Safety aspects of nuclear waste disposal in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. E.; Edgecombe, D. S.; Compton, P. R.

1981-01-01

Safety issues involved in the disposal of nuclear wastes in space as a complement to mined geologic repositories are examined as part of an assessment of the feasibility of nuclear waste disposal in space. General safety guidelines for space disposal developed in the areas of radiation exposure and shielding, containment, accident environments, criticality, post-accident recovery, monitoring systems and isolation are presented for a nuclear waste disposal in space mission employing conventional space technology such as the Space Shuttle. The current reference concept under consideration by NASA and DOE is then examined in detail, with attention given to the waste source and mix, the waste form, waste processing and payload fabrication, shipping casks and ground transport vehicles, launch site operations and facilities, Shuttle-derived launch vehicle, orbit transfer vehicle, orbital operations and space destination, and the system safety aspects of the concept are discussed for each component. It is pointed out that future work remains in the development of an improved basis for the safety guidelines and the determination of the possible benefits and costs of the space disposal option for nuclear wastes.

Isolation and characterization of potential lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from freshwater fish processing wastes for application in fermentative utilisation of fish processing waste

PubMed Central

R, Jini; HC, Swapna; Rai, Amit Kumar; R, Vrinda; PM, Halami; NM, Sachindra; N, Bhaskar

2011-01-01

Proteolytic and/or lipolytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from visceral wastes of different fresh water fishes. LAB count was found to be highest in case of visceral wastes of Mrigal (5.88 log cfu/g) and lowest in that of tilapia (4.22 log cfu/g). Morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization of the selected LAB isolates were carried out. Two isolates FJ1 (E. faecalis NCIM5367) and LP3 (P. acidilactici NCIM5368) showed both proteolytic and lipolytic properties. All the six native isolates selected for characterization showed antagonistic properties against several human pathogens. All the native isolates were sensitive to antibiotics cephalothin and clindamycin; and, resistant to cotrimoxazole and vancomycin. Considering individually, P. acidilactici FM37, P. acidilactici MW2 and E. faecalis FD3 were sensitive to erythromycin. The two strains FJ1 (E. faecalis NCIM 5367) and LP3 (P. acidilactici NCIM 5368) that had both proteolytic and lipolytic properties have the potential for application in fermentative recovery of lipids and proteins from fish processing wastes. PMID:24031786

Brine and Gas Flow Patterns Between Excavated Areas and Disturbed Rock Zone in the 1996 Performance Assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for a Single Drilling Intrusion that Penetrates Repository and Castile Brine Reservoir

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

ECONOMY,KATHLEEN M.; HELTON,JON CRAIG; VAUGHN,PALMER

1999-10-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is located in southeastern New Mexico, is being developed for the geologic disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Waste disposal will take place in panels excavated in a bedded salt formation approximately 2000 ft (610 m) below the land surface. The BRAGFLO computer program which solves a system of nonlinear partial differential equations for two-phase flow, was used to investigate brine and gas flow patterns in the vicinity of the repository for the 1996 WIPP performance assessment (PA). The present study examines the implications of modeling assumptionsmore » used in conjunction with BRAGFLO in the 1996 WIPP PA that affect brine and gas flow patterns involving two waste regions in the repository (i.e., a single waste panel and the remaining nine waste panels), a disturbed rock zone (DRZ) that lies just above and below these two regions, and a borehole that penetrates the single waste panel and a brine pocket below this panel. The two waste regions are separated by a panel closure. The following insights were obtained from this study. First, the impediment to flow between the two waste regions provided by the panel closure model is reduced due to the permeable and areally extensive nature of the DRZ adopted in the 1996 WIPP PA, which results in the DRZ becoming an effective pathway for gas and brine movement around the panel closures and thus between the two waste regions. Brine and gas flow between the two waste regions via the DRZ causes pressures between the two to equilibrate rapidly, with the result that processes in the intruded waste panel are not isolated from the rest of the repository. Second, the connection between intruded and unintruded waste panels provided by the DRZ increases the time required for repository pressures to equilibrate with the overlying and/or underlying units subsequent to a drilling intrusion. Third, the large and areally extensive DRZ void volumes is a significant source of brine to the repository, which is consumed in the corrosion of iron and thus contributes to increased repository pressures. Fourth, the DRZ itself lowers repository pressures by providing storage for gas and access to additional gas storage in areas of the repository. Fifth, given the pathway that the DRZ provides for gas and brine to flow around the panel closures, isolation of the waste panels by the panel closures was not essential to compliance with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency's regulations in the 1996 WIPP PA.« less

Whole genome and transcriptome analyses of environmental antibiotic sensitive and multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates exposed to waste water and tap water

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Thomas; Armant, Olivier; Bretschneider, Nancy; Hahn, Alexander; Kirchen, Silke; Seifert, Martin; Dötsch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The fitness of sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different aquatic environments depends on genetic capacities and transcriptional regulation. Therefore, an antibiotic-sensitive isolate PA30 and a multi-resistant isolate PA49 originating from waste waters were compared via whole genome and transcriptome Illumina sequencing after exposure to municipal waste water and tap water. A number of different genomic islands (e.g. PAGIs, PAPIs) were identified in the two environmental isolates beside the highly conserved core genome. Exposure to tap water and waste water exhibited similar transcriptional impacts on several gene clusters (antibiotic and metal resistance, genetic mobile elements, efflux pumps) in both environmental P. aeruginosa isolates. The MexCD-OprJ efflux pump was overexpressed in PA49 in response to waste water. The expression of resistance genes, genetic mobile elements in PA49 was independent from the water matrix. Consistently, the antibiotic sensitive strain PA30 did not show any difference in expression of the intrinsic resistance determinants and genetic mobile elements. Thus, the exposure of both isolates to polluted waste water and oligotrophic tap water resulted in similar expression profiles of mentioned genes. However, changes in environmental milieus resulted in rather unspecific transcriptional responses than selected and stimuli-specific gene regulation. PMID:25186059

Tracking pathogen transmission at the human-wildlife interface: banded mongoose and Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Pesapane, R; Ponder, M; Alexander, K A

2013-06-01

A primary challenge to managing emerging infectious disease is identifying pathways that allow pathogen transmission at the human-wildlife interface. Using Escherichia coli as a model organism, we evaluated fecal bacterial transmission between banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) and humans in northern Botswana. Fecal samples were collected from banded mongoose living in protected areas (n = 87, 3 troops) and surrounding villages (n = 92, 3 troops). Human fecal waste was collected from the same environment (n = 46). Isolates were evaluated for susceptibility to 10 antibiotics. Resistant E. coli isolates from mongoose were compared to human isolates using rep-PCR fingerprinting and MLST-PCR. Antimicrobial resistant isolates were identified in 57 % of the mongoose fecal samples tested (range 31-78% among troops). At least one individual mongoose fecal sample demonstrated resistance to each tested antibiotic, and multidrug resistance was highest in the protected areas (40.9%). E. coli isolated from mongoose and human sources in this study demonstrated an extremely high degree of genetic similarity on rep-PCR (AMOVA, F ST = 0.0027, p = 0.18) with a similar pattern identified on MLST-PCR. Human waste may be an important source of microbial exposure to wildlife. Evidence of high levels of antimicrobial resistance even within protected areas identifies an emerging health threat and highlights the need for improved waste management in these systems.

A PROBABILISTIC METHOD FOR ESTIMATING MONITORING POINT DENSITY FOR CONTAINMENT SYSTEM LEAK DETECTION

EPA Science Inventory

The use of physical and hydraulic containment systems for the isolation of contaminated ground water and aquifer materials ssociated with hazardous waste sites has increased during the last decade. The existing methodologies for monitoring and evaluating leakage from hazardous w...

77 FR 1920 - Second Amended Notice of Intent To Modify the Scope of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-12

... suitable for MOX fuel fabrication is disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico... Waste Processing Facility at SRS or disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. On... are safety (criticality) limits on how much plutonium can be sent to the Defense Waste Processing...

Analysis of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Samples: Integrated Summary Report

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

Britt, Phillip F

2015-03-01

Analysis of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Samples: Integrated Summary Report. Summaries of conclusions, analytical processes, and analytical results. Analysis of samples taken from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico in support of the WIPP Technical Assessment Team (TAT) activities to determine to the extent feasible the mechanisms and chemical reactions that may have resulted in the breach of at least one waste drum and release of waste material in WIPP Panel 7 Room 7 on February 14, 2014. This report integrates and summarizes the results contained in three separate reports, described below, and draws conclusions basedmore » on those results. Chemical and Radiochemical Analyses of WIPP Samples R-15 C5 SWB and R16 C-4 Lip; PNNL-24003, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, December 2014 Analysis of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Underground and MgO Samples by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL); SRNL-STI-2014-00617; Savannah River National Laboratory, December 2014 Report for WIPP UG Sample #3, R15C5 (9/3/14); LLNL-TR-667015; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, January 2015 This report is also contained in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Technical Assessment Team Report; SRNL-RP-2015-01198; Savannah River National Laboratory, March 17, 2015, as Appendix C: Analysis Integrated Summary Report.« less

Development of a Waste Water Regenerative System - Using Sphagnum Moss Ion-exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKeon, M.; Wheeler, R.; Leahy, Jj

The use of inexpensive, light weight and regenerative systems in an enclosed environment is of great importance to sustained existence in such habitats as the International Space Station, Moon or even Mars. Many systems exist which utilise various synthetic ion exchangers to complete the process of waste water clean-up. These systems do have a very good exchange rate for cations but a very low exchange rate for anions. They also have a maximum capacity before they need regeneration. This research proposes a natural alternative to these synthetic ion-exchangers that utilises one of natures greatest ion-exchangers, that of Sphagnum Moss. Sphagna can be predominantly found in the nutrient poor environment of Raised Bogs, a type of isolated wetland with characteristic low pH and little interaction with the surrounding water table. All nutrients come from precipitation. The sphagna have developed as the bog's sponges, soaking up all available nutrients (both cation & anion) from the precipitation and eventually distributing them to the surrounding flora and fauna, through the water. The goal of this research is to use this ability in the processing of waste water from systems similar to isolated microgravity environments, to produce clean water for reuse in these environments. The nutrients taken up by the sphagna will also be utilised as a growth medium for cultivar growth, such as those selected for hydroponics' systems.

Studies on cellulose nanocrystals isolated from groundnut shells.

PubMed

Bano, Saleheen; Negi, Yuvraj Singh

2017-02-10

Today, various renewable biomass resources are accepted as waste material and are mostly burnt or used as cattle feed. The commercial value of these wastes can be increased by utilising them in production of nanomaterials. So, the present work was conducted for isolation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from groundnut shells which are produced annually as waste in large quantity (∼7 million tons). The structural, thermal, morphological & elemental analyses were assessed through corresponding techniques. Light Scattering studies were performed to analyse more likely weight average molecular weight (M w ) & radius of radius (R g ). The high M w ∼10 5 g/mol obtained for CNCs in lithium chloride (LiCl)/N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) system, was an interesting feature which gets affected by LiCl and polymer concentrations. Solution with high polymer and low LiCl concentration was found to show higher values of M w & R g . Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Degradation of immobilized azo dyes by Klebsiella sp. UAP-b5 isolated from maize bioadsorbent.

PubMed

Elizalde-González, M P; Fuentes-Ramírez, L E; Guevara-Villa, M R G

2009-01-30

The degradation of two immobilized dyes by Klebsiella sp. UAP-b5 was studied. In batch experiments, the azo dyestuffs Basic Blue 41 and Reactive Black 5 were immobilized onto corn cobs by adsorption, and the adsorption process was characterized by a pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. Klebsiella sp. UAP-b5 was previously isolated from the corn waste and shown to decolorize these dyes in liquid systems. Here, we demonstrate anaerobic decolorization and reductive biodegradation of these dyes by means of spectrophotometry, HPLC, and IR spectroscopy of the solid waste and desorption solutions. We also demonstrate adsorption of compounds that resemble known degradation products.

Effective remediation of fish processing waste using mixed culture biofilms capable of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification.

PubMed

Markande, Anoop R; Kapagunta, Chandrika; Patil, Pooja S; Nayak, Binaya B

2016-09-01

Fish processing waste water causes pollution and eutrophication of water bodies when released untreated. Use of bacteria capable of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) as biofilms on carriers in a moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) is a popular approach but seldom used for fish processing waste water remediation. Here, we studied the variations in biofilm formation and application activities by isolates Lysinibacillus sp. HT13, Alcaligenes sp. HT15 and Proteus sp. HT37 previously reported by us. While HT13 and HT15 formed significantly higher biofilms in polystyrene microtitre plates than on carriers, HT37 exhibited highest on carriers. A consortium of the three selected bacteria grown as biofilm on MBBR carriers exhibited better remediation of ammonia (200-600 ppm and 50 mM) than the individual isolates on carriers. The mixed biofilm set on the carriers was used for nitrogenous waste removal from fish processing waste water in 2 and 20 L setups. The total nitrogen estimated by elemental analysis showed complete remediation from 250 ppm in both 2 and 20 L waste water systems within 48 h. The usual toxic nitrogenous components-ammonia, nitrite and nitrate were also remediated efficiently. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Chem I Supplement. Chemistry Related to Isolation of High-Level Nuclear Waste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Darleane C.; Choppin, Gregory R.

1986-01-01

Discusses some of the problems associated with the safe disposal of high-level nuclear wastes. Describes several waste disposal plans developed by various nations. Outlines the multiple-barrier concept of isolation in deep geological questions associated with the implementation of such a method. (TW)

10 CFR 63.102 - Concepts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... appropriate; and the sealing of shafts, ramps, and boreholes. (d) Areas related to isolation. Although the... geologic setting that provides isolation of the radioactive waste, make up the geologic repository. (e... will be capable of contributing to the isolation of radioactive waste and thus be a barrier important...

10 CFR 63.102 - Concepts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... appropriate; and the sealing of shafts, ramps, and boreholes. (d) Areas related to isolation. Although the... geologic setting that provides isolation of the radioactive waste, make up the geologic repository. (e... will be capable of contributing to the isolation of radioactive waste and thus be a barrier important...

Whole genome and transcriptome analyses of environmental antibiotic sensitive and multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates exposed to waste water and tap water.

PubMed

Schwartz, Thomas; Armant, Olivier; Bretschneider, Nancy; Hahn, Alexander; Kirchen, Silke; Seifert, Martin; Dötsch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The fitness of sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different aquatic environments depends on genetic capacities and transcriptional regulation. Therefore, an antibiotic-sensitive isolate PA30 and a multi-resistant isolate PA49 originating from waste waters were compared via whole genome and transcriptome Illumina sequencing after exposure to municipal waste water and tap water. A number of different genomic islands (e.g. PAGIs, PAPIs) were identified in the two environmental isolates beside the highly conserved core genome. Exposure to tap water and waste water exhibited similar transcriptional impacts on several gene clusters (antibiotic and metal resistance, genetic mobile elements, efflux pumps) in both environmental P. aeruginosa isolates. The MexCD-OprJ efflux pump was overexpressed in PA49 in response to waste water. The expression of resistance genes, genetic mobile elements in PA49 was independent from the water matrix. Consistently, the antibiotic sensitive strain PA30 did not show any difference in expression of the intrinsic resistance determinants and genetic mobile elements. Thus, the exposure of both isolates to polluted waste water and oligotrophic tap water resulted in similar expression profiles of mentioned genes. However, changes in environmental milieus resulted in rather unspecific transcriptional responses than selected and stimuli-specific gene regulation. © 2014 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Criteria for the Certification and Recertification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's Compliance with the 40 CFR Part 191 Disposal Regulations (40 CFR Part 194)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is responsible for certifying that DOE’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) remains in compliance with environmental standards for the disposal of transuranic waste. 40 CFR Part 194 specifies criteria for certification or recertification of WIPP.

Benchmarking transportation logistics practices for effective system planning

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

Thrower, A.W.; Dravo, A.N.; Keister, M.

2007-07-01

This paper presents preliminary findings of an Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) benchmarking project to identify best practices for logistics enterprises. The results will help OCRWM's Office of Logistics Management (OLM) design and implement a system to move spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) to the Yucca Mountain repository for disposal when that facility is licensed and built. This report suggests topics for additional study. The project team looked at three Federal radioactive material logistics operations that are widely viewed to be successful: (1) the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico; (2)more » the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP); and (3) domestic and foreign research reactor (FRR) SNF acceptance programs. (authors)« less

10 CFR 63.44 - Changes, tests, and experiments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... waste isolation that are described in the SAR (as updated); and (ii) The design and performance... isolation, are operated or controlled. (6) Tests or experiments not described in the SAR (as updated) means... components important to safety, or important to waste isolation, are utilized, controlled, or altered in a...

10 CFR 63.44 - Changes, tests, and experiments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... waste isolation that are described in the SAR (as updated); and (ii) The design and performance... isolation, are operated or controlled. (6) Tests or experiments not described in the SAR (as updated) means... components important to safety, or important to waste isolation, are utilized, controlled, or altered in a...

The second iteration of the Systems Prioritization Method: A systems prioritization and decision-aiding tool for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Volume 2, Summary of technical input and model implementation

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

Prindle, N.H.; Mendenhall, F.T.; Trauth, K.

1996-05-01

The Systems Prioritization Method (SPM) is a decision-aiding tool developed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). SPM provides an analytical basis for supporting programmatic decisions for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to meet selected portions of the applicable US EPA long-term performance regulations. The first iteration of SPM (SPM-1), the prototype for SPM< was completed in 1994. It served as a benchmark and a test bed for developing the tools needed for the second iteration of SPM (SPM-2). SPM-2, completed in 1995, is intended for programmatic decision making. This is Volume II of the three-volume final report of the secondmore » iteration of the SPM. It describes the technical input and model implementation for SPM-2, and presents the SPM-2 technical baseline and the activities, activity outcomes, outcome probabilities, and the input parameters for SPM-2 analysis.« less

Whole-cell based solvent-free system for one-pot production of biodiesel from waste grease.

PubMed

Li, Aitao; Ngo, Thao P N; Yan, Jinyong; Tian, Kaiyuan; Li, Zhi

2012-06-01

A whole-cell based solvent-free system was developed for efficient conversion of waste grease to biodiesel via one-pot esterification and transesterification. By isolation and screening of lipase-producing strains from soil, Serratia marcescens YXJ-1002 was discovered for the biotransformation of grease to biodiesel. The lipase (SML) from this strain was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as an intracellular enzyme, showing 6 times higher whole-cell based hydrolysis activity than that of wild type strain. The recombinant cells were used for biodiesel production from waste grease in one-pot reactions containing no solvent with the addition of methanol in several small portions, and 97% yield of biodiesel (FAME) was achieved under optimized conditions. In addition, the whole-cell biocatalysts showed excellent reusability, retaining 74% productivity after 4 cycles. The developed system, biocatalyst, and process enable the efficient, low-cost, and green production of biodiesel from waste grease, providing with a potential industrial application. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of effectiveness of geologic isolation systems. CIRMIS data system. Volume 3. Generator routines

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

Friedrichs, D.R.; Argo, R.S.

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. The various input parameters required in the analysis are compiled in data systems. The data are organized and preparedmore » by various input subroutines for utilization by the hydraulic and transport codes. The hydrologic models simulate the groundwater flow systems and provide water flow directions, rates, and velocities as inputs to the transport models. Outputs from the transport models are basically graphs of radionuclide concentration in the groundwater plotted against time. After dilution in the receiving surface-water body (e.g., lake, river, bay), these data are the input source terms for the dose models, if dose assessments are required. The dose models calculate radiation dose to individuals and populations. CIRMIS (Comprehensive Information Retrieval and Model Input Sequence) Data System, a storage and retrieval system for model input and output data, including graphical interpretation and display is described. This is the third of four volumes of the description of the CIRMIS Data System.« less

Assessment of effectiveness of geologic isolation systems. CIRMIS data system. Volume 1. Initialization, operation, and documentation

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

Friedrichs, D.R.

1980-01-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. The various input parameters required in the analysis are compiled in data systems. The data are organized and preparedmore » by various input subroutines for use by the hydrologic and transport codes. The hydrologic models simulate the groundwater flow systems and provide water flow directions, rates, and velocities as inputs to the transport models. Outputs from the transport models are basically graphs of radionuclide concentration in the groundwater plotted against time. After dilution in the receiving surface-water body (e.g., lake, river, bay), these data are the input source terms for the dose models, if dose assessments are required. The dose models calculate radiation dose to individuals and populations. CIRMIS (Comprehensive Information Retrieval and Model Input Sequence) Data System, a storage and retrieval system for model input and output data, including graphical interpretation and display is described. This is the first of four volumes of the description of the CIRMIS Data System.« less

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

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

Purnomo, A.S.

2007-07-01

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

Radiation-resistant microorganism

DOEpatents

Fliermans, Carl B.

2007-01-09

An isolated and purified bacterium is provided which was isolated from a high-level radioactive waste site of mixed waste. The isolate has the ability to degrade a wide variety of organic contaminants while demonstrating high tolerance to ionizing radiation. The organism is uniquely suited to bioremediation of a variety or organic contaminants while in the presence of ionizing radiation.

Radiation-resistant microorganism

DOEpatents

Fliermans, Carl B.

2010-06-15

An isolated and purified bacterium is provided which was isolated from a high-level radioactive waste site of mixed waste. The isolate has the ability to degrade a wide variety of organic contaminants while demonstrating high tolerance to ionizing radiation. The organism is uniquely suited to bioremediation of a variety or organic contaminants while in the presence of ionizing radiation.

VITRIFICATION SYSTEM FOR THE TREATMENT OF PLUTONIUM-BEARING WASTE AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY

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

R. NAKAOKA; G. VEAZEY; ET AL

2001-05-01

A glove box vitrification system is being fabricated to process aqueous evaporator bottom waste generated at the Plutonium Facility (TA-55) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The system will be the first within the U.S. Department of Energy Complex to routinely convert Pu{sup 239}-bearing transuranic (TRU) waste to a glass matrix for eventual disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Currently at LANL, this waste is solidified in Portland cement. Radionuclide loading in the cementation process is restricted by potential radiolytic degradation (expressed as a wattage limit), which has been imposed to prevent the accumulation of flammable concentrations ofmore » H{sub 2} within waste packages. Waste matrixes with a higher water content (e.g., cement) are assigned a lower permissible wattage limit to compensate for their potential higher generation of H{sub 2}. This significantly increases the number of waste packages that must be prepared and shipped, thus driving up the costs of waste handling and disposal. The glove box vitrification system that is under construction will address this limitation. Because the resultant glass matrix produced by the vitrification process is non-hydrogenous, no H{sub 2} can be radiolytically evolved, and drums could be loaded to the maximum allowable limit of 40 watts. In effect, the glass waste form shifts the limiting constraint for loading disposal drums from wattage to the criticality limit of 200 fissile gram equivalents, thus significantly reducing the number of drums generated from this waste stream. It is anticipated that the number of drums generated from treatment of evaporator bottoms will be reduced by a factor of 4 annually when the vitrification system is operational. The system is currently undergoing non-radioactive operability testing, and will be fully operational in the year 2003.« less

TRUPACT-II 157 Examination Report

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

Barry H. O'Brien; Jeffrey M. Lacy; Kip E. Archibald

2003-12-01

This report presents the results of examination and recovery activities performed on the TRUPACT-II 157 shipping container. The container was part of a contact-handled transuranic waste shipment being transported on a truck to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico when an accident occurred. Although the transport vehicle sustained only minor damage, airborne transuranic contamination was detected in air samples extracted from inside TRUPACT-II 157 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Consequently, the shipping container was rejected, resealed, and returned to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory where the payload was disassembled, examined, and recovered for subsequent reshipmentmore » to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. This report documents the results of those activities.« less

Final Inventory Work-Off Plan for ORNL transuranic wastes (1986 version)

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

Dickerson, L.S.

1988-05-01

The Final Inventory Work-Off Plan (IWOP) for ORNL Transuranic Wastes addresses ORNL's strategy for retrieval, certification, and shipment of its stored and newly generated contact-handled (CH) and remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) wastes to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the proposed geologic repository near Carlsbad, New Mexico. This document considers certification compliance with the WIPP waste acceptance criteria (WAC) and is consistent with the US Department of Energy's Long-Range Master Plan for Defense Transuranic Waste Management. This document characterizes Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) TRU waste by type and estimates the number of shipments required to dispose of it; describesmore » the methods, facilities, and systems required for its certification and shipment; presents work-off strategies and schedules for retrieval, certification, and transportation; discusses the resource needs and additions that will be required for the effort and forecasts costs for the long-term TRU waste management program; and lists public documentation required to support certification facilities and strategies. 22 refs., 6 figs., 10 tabs.« less

Fate of selected microorganisms when introduced as cross-contamination inocula into simulated food trash compartment waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strayer, Richard; Hummerick, Mary; Richards, Jeffrey; Birmele, Michele; Roberts, Michael

AdHocReviewCycleID-309796538 NewReviewCycle EmailSubjectPlease review this (?today?) AuthorEm Richard F. (KSC)[DYNAMAC CORP] ReviewingToolsShownOnceurn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smart One goal of Exploration Life Support solid waste processing is to stabilize wastes for storage, mitigate crew risks, and enable resource recovery. Food and crew fecal wastes contain easily biodegraded organic components that support microbial growth. Our objective is to determine a baseline for the fate of selected microbes in wastes prior to processing treatments. Challenge microbes, including human-associated pathogens, were added to unsterilized, simulated food trash solid waste containing a mixed microbial community. The fate of the microbial community and challenge microbes was determined over a 6 week time course of waste storage. Challenge microbes were selected from a list of microorganisms common to residual food or fecal wastes and included: Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger (a common mold), and Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032, a spore-forming bacterium previously isolated from spacecraft assembly facilities selected for its resistance to heat, uv, and desiccation. The trash model simulant contained 80% food trash (food waste and containers) and 20% hygiene wipes. Cultures of challenge microbes were grown overnight on Nutrient Agar (Difco), harvested, re-suspended in physiological saline, and diluted to achieve the desired optical density for inoculation. The six organisms were pooled and inoculated into the simulated food wastes and packaging before manual mixing. Inoculated simulated waste was stored in custom FlexfoilTM gas sampling bags (SKC, Inc.) which were then connected to a gas analysis system designed to supply fresh air to each bag to maintain O2 above 1%. Bag headspace was monitored for CO2 (PP Systems) and O2 (Maxtec). Total microbes were quantified by microscopic direct counts and general cultivation-based methods. Detection and enumeration of challenge microbes was accomplished by cultivation-based microbiological methods with specific selective media and by molecular methods using quantitative stocktickerPCR (qPCR) with stocktickerDNA primers specific for each challenge organism. stocktickerDNA was extracted and purified from residual wastes with a stocktickerDNA isolation kit (Mo Bio), and quantified (NanoDrop) from standard curves prepared from pure culture isolates of each challenge organism. QPCR was conducted on a Roche LightCycler 480 using the Roche stocktickerSYBR Green Master Mix Kit. The identity of all challenge microbes in recovered isolates was verified by stocktickerDNA sequencing (stocktickerABI 3130 Genetic Analyzer - Applied Biosystems). To date, concentrations of challenge microbial populations at concentrations ranging from ˜107 - 108 have been added to simulated food waste and extracted either immediately after mixing or after 1 week of storage. Cultivation-based counts indicated that 5 of 6 challenge microbes could be recovered from simulated food wastes after inoculation for both concentrations. Only S. enterica serovar typhimurium could not be detected at week 0 for the 107 inoculum. Between week 0 and 1, challenge microbes increased in density: S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa increasing up to 4 orders of magnitude from the 107 inoculum. Molecular results for the week 0 and week 1 stored samples indicated that the relative concentrations of target stocktickerDNA for the challenge microbes had increased between 1 and 3 orders of magnitude. These preliminary studies demonstrate that potential problems regarding pathogens as cross-contaminants from other waste streams could develop during storage of space mission solid wastes. Ongoing studies are examining longer storage times up to 6 weeks. The results can be used to determine requirements and criteria for waste treatment prior to storage and provides a means of testing the ability of treatment technologies to limit contaminant survival and proliferation.

The project De Caldas International Project: An example of a large-scale radwaste isolation natural analogue study

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

Shea, M.

1995-09-01

The proper isolation of radioactive waste is one of today`s most pressing environmental issues. Research is being carried out by many countries around the world in order to answer critical and perplexing questions regarding the safe disposal of radioactive waste. Natural analogue studies are an increasingly important facet of this international research effort. The Pocos de Caldas Project represents a major effort of the international technical and scientific community towards addressing one of modern civilization`s most critical environmental issues - radioactive waste isolation.

78 FR 34380 - Biennial Determination of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's Compliance With Applicable Federal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-07

... documentation submitted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the U... requirements designated in Section 9(a)(1) of the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act, as amended. The Secretary of Energy... Act; (3) the Solid Waste Disposal Act; (4) the Safe Drinking Water Act; (5) the Toxic Substances...

Chemical and Biological Investigation of Olive Mill Waste Water - OMWW Secoiridoid Lactones.

PubMed

Vougogiannopoulou, Konstantina; Angelopoulou, Maria T; Pratsinis, Harris; Grougnet, Raphaël; Halabalaki, Maria; Kletsas, Dimitris; Deguin, Brigitte; Skaltsounis, Leandros A

2015-08-01

Olive mill waste water is the major byproduct of the olive oil industry containing a range of compounds related to Olea europaea and olive oil constituents. Olive mill waste water comprises an important environmental problem in olive oil producing countries, but it is also a valuable material for the isolation of high added value compounds. In this study, an attempt to investigate the secoiridoid content of olive mill waste water is described with the aid of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization (±)-high-resolution mass spectrometry and centrifugal partition chromatography methods. In total, seven secoiridoid lactones were isolated, four of which are new natural products. This is the first time that a conjugate of hydroxytyrosol and a secoiridoid lactone has been isolated from olive mill waste water and structurally characterized. Furthermore, the range of isolated compounds allowed for the proposal of a hypothesis for the biotransformation of olive secoiridoids during the production of olive mill waste water. Finally, the ability of the representative compounds to reduce the intracellular reactive oxygen species was assessed with the dichlorofluorescein assay in conjunction with the known antioxidant agent hydroxytyrosol. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

EPA's Review of DOE's Inventory Tracking for TRU Wastes at Waste Control Specialists

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

On April 9, 2014, EPA's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) waste characterization team visited Waste Control Specialists (WCS) to determine whether DOE was meeting EPA's waste inventory tracking requirements at 40 CFR 194.24(c)(4).

Solid wastes from nuclear power production.

PubMed Central

Soule, H F

1978-01-01

Radioactivity in nuclear power effluents is negligible compared to that in retained wastes to be disposed of as solids. Two basic waste categories are those for which shallow disposal is accepted and those for which more extreme isolation is desired. The latter includes "high level" wastes and others contaminated with radionuclides with the unusual combined properties of long radioactive half-life and high specific radiotoxicity. The favored method for extreme isolation is emplacement in a deep stable geologic formation. Necessary technologies for waste treatment and disposal are considered available. The present program to implement these technologies is discussed, including the waste management significance of current policy on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. Recent difficulties with shallow disposal of waste are summarized. PMID:738244

Degradation and depolymerization of plastic waste by local bacterial isolates and bubble column reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussein, Amal A.; Alzuhairi, Mohammed; Aljanabi, Noor H.

2018-05-01

Accumulation of plastics, especially Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is an ever increasing ecological threat due to its excessive usage in everyday human life. Nowadays, there are many methods to get rid of plastic wastes including burning, recycling and burying. However, these methods are not very active since their long period, anaerobic conditions that increase the rate of toxic materials released into the environment. This work aims to study the biological degradation of PET microorganism isolated from soil sample. Thirty eight (38) bacterial isolates were isolated from ten soil and plastic waste sample collected from four different waste disposal sites in Baghdad city during different periods between December 2016 and March 2017. Isolation was performed using enrichment culture method (flasks method) by culturing the soil samples in flasks with MSM medium where there is no carbon source only PET. Results showed that Al-Za'farania sample gave a higher number of isolates (13 isolates), while other samples gave less number of isolates. Screening was performed depending on their ability to grow in liquid MSM which contains PET powder and pieces and change the color of the PET-emulsified liquid medium as well as their ability to form the clear zone on PET-MSM agar. The results showed that NH-D-1 isolate has the higher ability to degrade DPET and PET pieces. According to morphological, biochemical characterization and Vitek-2 technique, the most active isolate was identified as Acinetobacter baumannii.

The speciation and subtyping of campylobacter isolates from sewage plants and waste water from a connected poultry abattoir using molecular techniques.

PubMed Central

Koenraad, P. M.; Ayling, R.; Hazeleger, W. C.; Rombouts, F. M.; Newell, D. G.

1995-01-01

In this study the distribution of phenotypes of campylobacter strains in sewage and surface waters was investigated by subtyping and by speciation of isolates from various aquatic environments. These environments included two municipal sewage plants (SPA and SPB) and waste water from a poultry abattoir (WWA). Both the sewage plants SPA and SPB collected domestic and industrial waste, and SPA received drain water from WWA. SPB received no waste water from any meat-processing plant. The isolates were speciated by PCR and subtyped by PCR/RFLP based on the flagellin PCR products. From all three reservoirs, no Campylobacter lari was isolated, and approximately 80% of the isolates could be identified as C. jejuni and the rest belonged to the C. coli species. The PCR/RFLP typing technique has a high discrimination level and was reproducible between two separate laboratories. The 182 isolates tested yielded 22 distinct Dde I profiles. The results indicate that strains with profiles found in poultry are also detectable in waste water presumed to be solely from domestic and human sources. In addition some strains were unique to the known poultry-related sources, suggesting that avian-specific strains, non-pathogenic to man, may exist in the environment. In contrast some strains were unique to human waste indicating the potential importance of non-poultry sources of infection. No seasonality was observed in the profile distribution. So, at least in the Netherlands, it is unlikely that infections caused by contaminated surface waters contribute to the seasonality of human campylobacteriosis. Images Fig. 1 PMID:8557080

Deep Borehole Field Test Conceptual Design Report

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

Hardin, Ernest L.

This report documents conceptual design development for the Deep Borehole Field Test (DBFT), including test packages (simulated waste packages, not containing waste) and a system for demonstrating emplacement and retrieval of those packages in the planned Field Test Borehole (FTB). For the DBFT to have demonstration value, it must be based on conceptualization of a deep borehole disposal (DBD) system. This document therefore identifies key options for a DBD system, describes an updated reference DBD concept, and derives a recommended concept for the DBFT demonstration. The objective of the DBFT is to confirm the safety and feasibility of the DBDmore » concept for long-term isolation of radioactive waste. The conceptual design described in this report will demonstrate equipment and operations for safe waste handling and downhole emplacement of test packages, while contributing to an evaluation of the overall safety and practicality of the DBD concept. The DBFT also includes drilling and downhole characterization investigations that are described elsewhere (see Section 1). Importantly, no radioactive waste will be used in the DBFT, nor will the DBFT site be used for disposal of any type of waste. The foremost performance objective for conduct of the DBFT is to demonstrate safe operations in all aspects of the test.« less

76 FR 31611 - Biennial Determination of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's Compliance with Applicable Federal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-01

... documentation submitted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the U... requirements designated in Section 9(a)(1) of the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act, as amended. The Secretary of Energy...) the Clean Air Act; (3) the Solid Waste Disposal Act; (4) the Safe Drinking Water Act; (5) the Toxic...

Soil, plant, and structural considerations for surface barriers in arid environments: Application of results from studies in the Mojave Desert near Beatty, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andraski, Brian J.; Prudic, David E.; ,

1997-01-01

The suitability of a waste-burial site depends on hydrologic processes that can affect the near-surface water balance. In addition, the loss of burial trench integrity by erosion and subsidence of trench covers may increase the likelihood of infiltration and percolation, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the site in isolating waste. Although the main components of the water balance may be defined, direct measurements can be difficult, and actual data for specific locations are seldom available. A prevalent assumption is that little or no precipitation will percolate to buried wastes at an arid site. Thick unsaturated zones, which are common to arid regions, are thought to slow water movement and minimize the risk of waste migration to the underlying water table. Thus, reliance is commonly placed on the natural system to isolate contaminants at waste-burial sites in the arid West.Few data are available to test assumptions about the natural soil-water flow systems at arid sites, and even less is known about how the natural processes are altered by construction of a waste-burial facility. The lack of data is the result of technical complexity of hydraulic characterization of the dry, stony soils, and insufficient field studies that account for the extreme temporal and spatial variations in precipitation, soils, and plants in arid regions. In 1976, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a long-term study at a waste site in the Mojave Desert. This paper summarizes the findings of ongoing investigations done under natural-site and waste-burial conditions, and discusses how this information may be applied to the design of surface barriers for waste sites in arid environments.The waste-burial site is in one of the most arid parts of the United States and is about 40 km northeast of Death Valley, near Beatty, Nev. (Figure 1). Precipitation averaged 108 mm/yr during 1981-1992. The water table is 85-115 m below land surface (Fischer, 1992). Sediments are largely alluvial and fluvial deposits (Nichols, 1987). Vegetation is sparse; creosote bush is the dominant species. The waste facility has been used for burial of low-level radioactive waste (1962-1992) and hazardous chemical waste (1970 to present). Burial-trench construction includes excavation of native soil, emplacement of waste, and backfilling with previously stockpiled soil. Only the most recently closed hazardous-waste trench (1991) incorporates a plastic liner in the cover. The surfaces of completed burial trenches and perimeter areas are kept free of vegetation.

Diversity and antibiotic resistance of Aeromonas spp. in drinking and waste water treatment plants.

PubMed

Figueira, Vânia; Vaz-Moreira, Ivone; Silva, Márcia; Manaia, Célia M

2011-11-01

The taxonomic diversity and antibiotic resistance phenotypes of aeromonads were examined in samples from drinking and waste water treatment plants (surface, ground and disinfected water in a drinking water treatment plant, and raw and treated waste water) and tap water. Bacteria identification and intra-species variation were determined based on the analysis of the 16S rRNA, gyrB and cpn60 gene sequences. Resistance phenotypes were determined using the disc diffusion method. Aeromonas veronii prevailed in raw surface water, Aeromonas hydrophyla in ozonated water, and Aeromonas media and Aeromonas puntacta in waste water. No aeromonads were detected in ground water, after the chlorination tank or in tap water. Resistance to ceftazidime or meropenem was detected in isolates from the drinking water treatment plant and waste water isolates were intrinsically resistant to nalidixic acid. Most of the times, quinolone resistance was associated with the gyrA mutation in serine 83. The gene qnrS, but not the genes qnrA, B, C, D or qepA, was detected in both surface and waste water isolates. The gene aac(6')-ib-cr was detected in different waste water strains isolated in the presence of ciprofloxacin. Both quinolone resistance genes were detected only in the species A. media. This is the first study tracking antimicrobial resistance in aeromonads in drinking, tap and waste water and the importance of these bacteria as vectors of resistance in aquatic environments is discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation of bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from pineapple peel waste: Optimization of acid concentration in the hydrolysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anwar, Budiman; Rosyid, Nurul Huda; Effendi, Devi Bentia; Nandiyanto, Asep Bayu Dani; Mudzakir, Ahmad; Hidayat, Topik

2016-02-01

Isolation of needle-shaped bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline with a diameter of 16-64 nm, a fiber length of 258-806 nm, and a degree of crystallinity of 64% from pineapple peel waste using an acid hydrolysis process was investigated. Experimental showed that selective concentration of acid played important roles in isolating the bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from the cellulose source. To achieve the successful isolation of bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline, various acid concentrations were tested. To confirm the effect of acid concentration on the successful isolation process, the reaction conditions were fixed at a temperature of 50°C, a hydrolysis time of 30 minutes, and a bacterial cellulose-to-acid ratio of 1:50. Pineapple peel waste was used as a model for a cellulose source because to the best of our knowledge, there is no report on the use of this raw material for producing bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline. In fact, this material can be used as an alternative for ecofriendly and cost-free cellulose sources. Therefore, understanding in how to isolate bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from pineapple peel waste has the potential for large-scale production of inexpensive cellulose nanocrystalline.

Considerations of the Differences between Bedded and Domal Salt Pertaining to Disposal of Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste

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

Hansen, Francis D.; Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Sobolik, Steven R.

Salt formations hold promise for eternal removal of nuclear waste from our biosphere. Germany and the United States have ample salt formations for this purpose, ranging from flat-bedded formations to geologically mature dome structures. As both nations revisit nuclear waste disposal options, the choice between bedded, domal, or intermediate pillow formations is once again a contemporary issue. For decades, favorable attributes of salt as a disposal medium have been extoled and evaluated, carefully and thoroughly. Yet, a sense of discovery continues as science and engineering interrogate naturally heterogeneous systems. Salt formations are impermeable to fluids. Excavation-induced fractures heal as sealmore » systems are placed or natural closure progresses toward equilibrium. Engineering required for nuclear waste disposal gains from mining and storage industries, as humans have been mining salt for millennia. This great intellectual warehouse has been honed and distilled, but not perfected, for all nuances of nuclear waste disposal. Nonetheless, nations are able and have already produced suitable license applications for radioactive waste disposal in salt. A remaining conundrum is site location. Salt formations provide isolation and geotechnical barriers reestablish impermeability after waste is placed in the geology. Between excavation and closure, physical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and hydrological processes ensue. Positive attributes for isolation in salt have many commonalities independent of the geologic setting. In some cases, specific details of the environment will affect the disposal concept and thereby define interaction of features, events and processes, while simultaneously influencing scenario development. Here we identify and discuss high-level differences and similarities of bedded and domal salt formations. Positive geologic and engineering attributes for disposal purposes are more common among salt formations than are significant differences. Developing models, testing material, characterizing processes, and analyzing performance all have overlapping application regardless of the salt formation of interest.« less

Considerations of the Differences between Bedded and Domal Salt Pertaining to Disposal of Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste

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

Hansen, Francis D.; Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Sobolik, Steven R.

Salt formations hold promise for eternal removal of nuclear waste from our biosphere. Germany and the United States have ample salt formations for this purpose, ranging from flat-bedded formations to geologically mature dome structures. As both nations revisit nuclear waste disposal options, the choice between bedded, domal, or intermediate pillow formations is once again a contemporary issue. For decades, favorable attributes of salt as a disposal medium have been extoled and evaluated, carefully and thoroughly. Yet, a sense of discovery continues as science and engineering interrogate naturally heterogeneous systems. Salt formations are impermeable to fluids. Excavation-induced fractures heal as sealmore » systems are placed or natural closure progresses toward equilibrium. Engineering required for nuclear waste disposal gains from mining and storage industries, as humans have been mining salt for millennia. This great intellectual warehouse has been honed and distilled, but not perfected, for all nuances of nuclear waste disposal. Nonetheless, nations are able and have already produced suitable license applications for radioactive waste disposal in salt. A remaining conundrum is site location. Salt formations provide isolation, and geotechnical barriers reestablish impermeability after waste is placed in the geology. Between excavation and closure, physical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and hydrological processes ensue. Positive attributes for isolation in salt have many commonalities independent of the geologic setting. In some cases, specific details of the environment will affect the disposal concept and thereby define interaction of features, events and processes, while simultaneously influencing scenario development. Here we identify and discuss high-level differences and similarities of bedded and domal salt formations. Positive geologic and engineering attributes for disposal purposes are more common among salt formations than are significant differences. Developing models, testing material, characterizing processes, and analyzing performance all have overlapping application regardless of the salt formation of interest.« less

Environmental Assessment for the Above Ground Storage Capability at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Draft

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

None, None

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is the nation’s only approved repository for the disposal of defense related/defense generated transuranic (TRU) and mixed hazardous TRU waste (henceforth called TRU waste). The mission of the WIPP Project is to realize the safe disposal of TRU waste from TRU waste generator sites in the Department of Energy waste complex. The WIPP Project was authorized by Title II, Section 213(a) of Public Law 96-164 (U. S. Congress 1979). Congress designated the WIPP facility “for the express purpose of providing a research and development facility to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive wastes resultingmore » from the defense activities and programs of the United States exempted from regulation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).” The WIPP facility is operated by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE). Transuranic waste that is disposed in the WIPP facility is defined by Section 2(18) the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992 (LWA) (U. S. Congress, 1992) as: “waste containing more than 100 nanocuries of alpha-emitting transuranic isotopes per gram of waste, with half-lives greater than 20 years, except for: (A) high-level radioactive waste; (B) waste that the Secretary has determined, with the concurrence of the Administrator, does not need the degree of isolation required by the disposal regulations; or (C) waste that the NRC has approved for disposal on a case-by-case basis in accordance with part 61 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).« less

Geological problems in radioactive waste isolation - A world wide review

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

Witherspoon, P.A.

1991-06-01

The problem of isolating radioactive wastes from the biosphere presents specialists in the earth sciences with some of the most complicated problems they have ever encountered. This is especially true for high-level waste (HLW), which must be isolated in the underground and away from the biosphere for thousands of years. The most widely accepted method of doing this is to seal the radioactive materials in metal canisters that are enclosed by a protective sheath and placed underground in a repository that has been carefully constructed in an appropriate rock formation. Much new technology is being developed to solve the problemsmore » that have been raised, and there is a continuing need to publish the results of new developments for the benefit of all concerned. Table 1 presents a summary of the various formations under investigation according to the reports submitted for this world wide review. It can be seen that in those countries that are searching for repository sites, granitic and metamorphic rocks are the prevalent rock type under investigation. Six countries have developed underground research facilities that are currently in use. All of these investigations are in saturated systems below the water table, except the United States project, which is in the unsaturated zone of a fractured tuff.« less

Energy from waste in Europe: an analysis and comparison of the EU 27.

PubMed

Sommer, Manuel; Ragossnig, Arne

2011-10-01

This article focuses on analysing the development of waste-generated energy in the countries of the European Union (EU 27). Besides elaborating the relevant legal and political framework in the waste and energy sector as well as climate protection, the results from correlation analyses based on the databases of the energy statistics from Eurostat are discussed. The share of energy from waste is correlated with macro-economic, waste- and energy-sector-related data, which have been defined as potentially relevant for energy recovery from waste in the countries of the European Union. The results show that a single factor influencing the extent of waste-generated energy could not be isolated as it is being influenced not only by the state of economic development and the state of development of waste management systems in the respective countries but also by energy-sector-related factors and the individual priority settings in those countries. Nevertheless the main driving force for an increase in the utilization of waste for energy generation can be seen in the legal and political framework of the European Union leading to the consequence that market conditions influence the realization of waste management infrastructure for waste-generated energy.

Disaster waste management: a review article.

PubMed

Brown, Charlotte; Milke, Mark; Seville, Erica

2011-06-01

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process. This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.; however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes. It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disaster waste management: A review article

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

Brown, Charlotte, E-mail: charlotte.brown@pg.canterbury.ac.nz; Milke, Mark, E-mail: mark.milke@canterbury.ac.nz; Seville, Erica, E-mail: erica.seville@canterbury.ac.nz

2011-06-15

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process. This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.;more » however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes. It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems.« less

The Challenges of Creating a Real-Time Data Management System for TRU-Mixed Waste at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Plant

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

Paff, S. W; Doody, S.

2003-02-25

This paper discusses the challenges associated with creating a data management system for waste tracking at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Plant (AMWTP) at the Idaho National Engineering Lab (INEEL). The waste tracking system combines data from plant automation systems and decision points. The primary purpose of the system is to provide information to enable the plant operators and engineers to assess the risks associated with each container and determine the best method of treating it. It is also used to track the transuranic (TRU) waste containers as they move throughout the various processes at the plant. And finally, themore » goal of the system is to support paperless shipments of the waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This paper describes the approach, methodologies, the underlying design of the database, and the challenges of creating the Data Management System (DMS) prior to completion of design and construction of a major plant. The system was built utilizing an Oracle database platform, and Oracle Forms 6i in client-server mode. The underlying data architecture is container-centric, with separate tables and objects for each type of analysis used to characterize the waste, including real-time radiography (RTR), non-destructive assay (NDA), head-space gas sampling and analysis (HSGS), visual examination (VE) and coring. The use of separate tables facilitated the construction of automatic interfaces with the analysis instruments that enabled direct data capture. Movements are tracked using a location system describing each waste container's current location and a history table tracking the container's movement history. The movement system is designed to interface both with radio-frequency bar-code devices and the plant's integrated control system (ICS). Collections of containers or information, such as batches, were created across the various types of analyses, which enabled a single, cohesive approach to be developed for verification and validation activities. The DMS includes general system functions, including task lists, electronic signature, non-conformance reports and message systems, that cut vertically across the remaining subsystems. Oracle's security features were utilized to ensure that only authorized users were allowed to log in, and to restrict access to system functionality according to user role.« less

Investigating the Potential Barrier Function of Nanostructured Materials Formed in Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) Designed for Nuclear Waste Isolation.

PubMed

Cuevas, Jaime; Ruiz, Ana Isabel; Fernández, Raúl

2018-02-21

Clay and cement are known nano-colloids originating from natural processes or traditional materials technology. Currently, they are used together as part of the engineered barrier system (EBS) to isolate high-level nuclear waste (HLW) metallic containers in deep geological repositories (DGR). The EBS should prevent radionuclide (RN) migration into the biosphere until the canisters fail, which is not expected for approximately 10 3  years. The interactions of cementitious materials with bentonite swelling clay have been the scope of our research team at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) with participation in several European Union (EU) projects from 1998 up to now. Here, we describe the mineral and chemical nature and microstructure of the alteration rim generated by the contact between concrete and bentonite. Its ability to buffer the surrounding chemical environment may have potential for further protection against RN migration. © 2018 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nitrogen cycling in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems: Challenges for waste refinery and food production processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clauwaert, Peter; Muys, Maarten; Alloul, Abbas; De Paepe, Jolien; Luther, Amanda; Sun, Xiaoyan; Ilgrande, Chiara; Christiaens, Marlies E. R.; Hu, Xiaona; Zhang, Dongdong; Lindeboom, Ralph E. F.; Sas, Benedikt; Rabaey, Korneel; Boon, Nico; Ronsse, Frederik; Geelen, Danny; Vlaeminck, Siegfried E.

2017-05-01

In order to sustain human life in an isolated environment, an efficient conversion of wasted nutrients to food might become mandatory. This is particularly the case for space missions where resupply from earth or in-situ resource utilization is not possible or desirable. A combination of different technologies is needed to allow full recycling of e.g. nitrogenous compounds in space. In this review, an overview is given of the different essential processes and technologies that enable closure of the nitrogen cycle in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS). Firstly, a set of biological and physicochemical refinery stages ensures efficient conversion of waste products into the building blocks, followed by the production of food with a range of biological methods. For each technology, bottlenecks are identified. Furthermore, challenges and outlooks are presented at the integrated system level. Space adaptation and integration deserve key attention to enable the recovery of nitrogen for the production of nutritional food in space, but also in closed loop systems on earth.

Criteria: waste tank isolation and stabilization

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

Metz, W.P.; Ogren, W.E.

1976-09-01

The crystallized Hanford high-level wastes stored in single-shell underground tanks consist of sludges and salt cakes covered with supernatural liquor. Purpose of stabilization and isolation is to reduce the releases and losses as a result of a loss of tank integrity. The tanks will be modified so that no inadvertent liquid additions can be made. Criteria for the isolation and stabilization are given and discussed briefly. (DLC)

Developing an institutional strategy for transporting defense transuranic waste materials

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

Guerrero, J.V.; Kresny, H.S.

In late 1988, the US Department of Energy (DOE) expects to begin emplacing transuranic waste materials in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), an R and D facility to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive wastes resulting from defense program activities. Transuranic wastes are production-related materials, e.g., clothes, rags, tools, and similar items. These materials are contaminated with alpha-emitting transuranium radionuclides with half-lives of > 20 yr and concentrations > 100 nCi/g. Much of the institutional groundwork has been done with local communities and the State of New Mexico on the siting and construction of the facility. A key tomore » the success of the emplacement demonstration, however, will be a qualified transportation system together with institutional acceptance of the proposed shipments. The DOE's Defense Transuranic Waste Program, and its contractors, has lead responsibility for achieving this goal. The Joint Integration Office (JIO) of the DOE, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is taking the lead in implementing an integrated strategy for assessing nationwide institutional concerns over transportation of defense transuranic wastes and in developing ways to resolve or mitigate these concerns. Parallel prototype programs are under way to introduce both the new packaging systems and the institutional strategy to interested publics and organizations.« less

Assessment of effectiveness of geologic isolation systems. CIRMIS data system. Volume 4. Driller's logs, stratigraphic cross section and utility routines

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

Friedrichs, D.R.

1980-01-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologicmore » systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. The various input parameters required in the analysis are compiled in data systems. The data are organized and prepared by various input subroutines for use by the hydrologic and transport codes. The hydrologic models simulate the groundwater flow systems and provide water flow directions, rates, and velocities as inputs to the transport models. Outputs from the transport models are basically graphs of radionuclide concentration in the groundwater plotted against time. After dilution in the receiving surface-water body (e.g., lake, river, bay), these data are the input source terms for the dose models, if dose assessments are required. The dose models calculate radiation dose to individuals and populations. CIRMIS (Comprehensive Information Retrieval and Model Input Sequence) Data System is a storage and retrieval system for model input and output data, including graphical interpretation and display. This is the fourth of four volumes of the description of the CIRMIS Data System.« less

Contaminated product water as the source of Phialemonium curvatum bloodstream infection among patients undergoing hemodialysis.

PubMed

Rao, Carol Y; Pachucki, Constance; Cali, Salvatore; Santhiraj, Mangai; Krankoski, Kathi L K; Noble-Wang, Judith A; Leehey, David; Popli, Subhash; Brandt, Mary E; Lindsley, Mark D; Fridkin, Scott K; Arduino, Matthew J

2009-09-01

We investigated a cluster of cases of bloodstream infection (BSI) due to the mold Phialemonium at a hemodialysis center in Illinois and conducted a cohort study to identify risk factors. Environmental assessment and cohort study. A hemodialysis center in a tertiary care hospital. A case patient was defined as a person who underwent dialysis at the center and had a blood sample that tested positive for Phialemonium curvatum on culture. We reviewed microbiology and medical records and tested water, surface, and dialysate samples by culture. Molds isolated from environmental and clinical specimens were identified by their morphological features and confirmed by sequencing DNA. We identified 2 case patients with BSI due to P. curvatum. Both became febrile and hypotensive while undergoing dialysis on the same machine at the same treatment station, although on different days. Dialysis machines were equipped with waste handling option ports that are used to discard dialyzer priming fluid. We isolated P. curvatum from the product water (ie, water used for dialysis purposes) at 2 of 19 treatment stations, one of which was the implicated station. The source of P. curvatum was likely the water distribution system. To our knowledge, this is the first report of patients acquiring a mold BSI from contaminated product water. The route of exposure in these cases of BSI due to P. curvatum may be related to the malfunction and improper maintenance of the waste handling option ports. Waste handling option ports have been previously implicated as the source of bacterial BSI due to the backflow of waste fluid into a patient's blood line. No additional cases of infection were noted after remediation of the water distribution system and after discontinuing use of waste handling option ports at the facility.

Modeling of transport phenomena in concrete porous media.

PubMed

Plecas, Ilija

2014-02-01

Two fundamental concerns must be addressed when attempting to isolate low-level waste in a disposal facility on land. The first concern is isolating the waste from water, or hydrologic isolation. The second is preventing movement of the radionuclides out of the disposal facility, or radionuclide migration. Particularly, we have investigated here the latter modified scenario. To assess the safety for disposal of radioactive waste-concrete composition, the leakage of 60Co from a waste composite into a surrounding fluid has been studied. Leakage tests were carried out by the original method, developed at the Vinča Institute. Transport phenomena involved in the leaching of a radioactive material from a cement composite matrix are investigated using three methods based on theoretical equations. These are: the diffusion equation for a plane source: an equation for diffusion coupled to a first-order equation, and an empirical method employing a polynomial equation. The results presented in this paper are from a 25-y mortar and concrete testing project that will influence the design choices for radioactive waste packaging for a future Serbian radioactive waste disposal center.

Biogeochemical Investigations to Evaluate the Performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillow, J. B.

2009-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy facility located in southeastern New Mexico, approximately 655 m (2150 ft.) below ground surface in a bedded salt, Permian evaporite formation. This mined geologic repository has been receiving transuranic (TRU) waste from defense-related and environmental-management activities since March 1999. TRU waste contains alpha-emitting transuranic nuclides with half-lives greater than twenty years at concentrations greater than 100 nCi/gram. These actinide-contaminated wastes were generated from nuclear-weapons production and related processing activities. They include various organics, adsorbed liquids, sludges, cellulosics, plastics, rubber, and a variety of metals and cemented materials. An extensive set of investigations were performed to establish the basis for TRU waste disposal at WIPP and to support initial certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A significant element of the conceptual geochemical model for WIPP is the microbiologically-driven reactions leading to biodegradation of organic constituents in TRU wastes, as well as interactions with actinides present in the waste. This presentation will discuss the biogeochemical investigations that were performed to evaluate microbiological activity at WIPP, including studies of gas generation due to biodegradation of cellulose, plastic, and rubber materials and actinide-microbe interactions leading to changes in actinide chemical speciation. Highlights of this work are discussed here. Cellulose biodegradation in salt-brine systems results in the generation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and aqueous fermentation products (low molecular weight organic acids). Hypersaline brine can limit the range of microbial metabolic pathways, due to the energetic stresses of maintaining osmotic balance compatible with metabolic processes. Methanogenesis yields the lowest free energy per mole of carbon and as such is often not detected in microorganisms that thrive in salt-brine environments (halophilic bacteria). However, laboratory tests performed over a period of 10 years demonstrated the production of methane gas from cellulose metabolism. Studies of actinide-microbe interactions revealed the bioaccumulation of uranium in phosphate-rich intracellular granules. These studies advanced the understanding of the metabolism of bacteria in salt-brine systems and the influence of halophilic microbiological activity on WIPP geochemistry.

Case Study in Corporate Memory Recovery: Hanford Tank Farms Miscellaneous Underground Waste Storage Tanks - 15344

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

Washenfelder, D. J.; Johnson, J. M.; Turknett, J. C.

In addition to managing the 177 underground waste storage tanks containing 212,000 m3 (56 million gal) of radioactive waste at the U. S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site 200 Area Tank Farms, Washington River Protection Solutions LLC is responsible for managing numerous small catch tanks and special surveillance facilities. These are collectively known as “MUSTs” - Miscellaneous Underground Storage Tanks. The MUSTs typically collected drainage and flushes during waste transfer system piping changes; special surveillance facilities supported Tank Farm processes including post-World War II uranium recovery and later fission product recovery from tank wastes. Most were removed from service followingmore » deactivation of the single-shell tank system in 1980 and stabilized by pumping the remaining liquids from them. The MUSTs were isolated by blanking connecting transfer lines and adding weatherproofing to prevent rainwater entry. Over the next 30 years MUST operating records were dispersed into large electronic databases or transferred to the National Archives Regional Center in Seattle, Washington. During 2014 an effort to reacquire the historical bases for the MUSTs’ published waste volumes was undertaken. Corporate Memory Recovery from a variety of record sources allowed waste volumes to be initially determined for 21 MUSTs, and waste volumes to be adjusted for 37 others. Precursors and symptoms of Corporate Memory Loss were identified in the context of MUST records recovery.« less

Screening of intact yeasts and cell extracts to reduce Scrapie prions during biotransformation of food waste.

PubMed

Huyben, David; Boqvist, Sofia; Passoth, Volkmar; Renström, Lena; Allard Bengtsson, Ulrika; Andréoletti, Olivier; Kiessling, Anders; Lundh, Torbjörn; Vågsholm, Ivar

2018-02-08

Yeasts can be used to convert organic food wastes to protein-rich animal feed in order to recapture nutrients. However, the reuse of animal-derived waste poses a risk for the transmission of infectious prions that can cause neurodegeneration and fatality in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of yeasts to reduce prion activity during the biotransformation of waste substrates-thereby becoming a biosafety hurdle in such a circular food system. During pre-screening, 30 yeast isolates were spiked with Classical Scrapie prions and incubated for 72 h in casein substrate, as a waste substitute. Based on reduced Scrapie seeding activity, waste biotransformation and protease activities, intact cells and cell extracts of 10 yeasts were further tested. Prion analysis showed that five yeast species reduced Scrapie seeding activity by approximately 1 log10 or 90%. Cryptococcus laurentii showed the most potential to reduce prion activity since both intact and extracted cells reduced Scrapie by 1 log10 and achieved the highest protease activity. These results show that select forms of yeast can act as a prion hurdle during the biotransformation of waste. However, the limited ability of yeasts to reduce prion activity warrants caution as a sole barrier to transmission as higher log reductions are needed before using waste-cultured yeast in circular food systems.

DOD Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-29

8. The equivalent explosive weight of the hybrid rocket system N2O4 liquid oxidizer combined with PBAN solid fuel was evaluated as 15 percent for an...separate isolated system and fitting types to preclude intermixing, and the energetic liquids are of required purity. Otherwise, equivalent...Water outlets in a toxic chemical agent operational facility shall be fitted with backflow devices. C11.8.2.7. Dedicated liquid waste systems

Yucca Mountain, Nevada - A proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levich, R.A.; Stuckless, J.S.

2006-01-01

Yucca Mountain in Nevada represents the proposed solution to what has been a lengthy national effort to dispose of high-level radioactive waste, waste which must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. This chapter reviews the background of that national effort and includes some discussion of international work in order to provide a more complete framework for the problem of waste disposal. Other chapters provide the regional geologic setting, the geology of the Yucca Mountain site, the tectonics, and climate (past, present, and future). These last two chapters are integral to prediction of long-term waste isolation. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Reconsolidated Salt as a Geotechnical Barrier

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

Hansen, Francis D.; Gadbury, Casey

Salt as a geologic medium has several attributes favorable to long-term isolation of waste placed in mined openings. Salt formations are largely impermeable and induced fractures heal as stress returns to equilibrium. Permanent isolation also depends upon the ability to construct geotechnical barriers that achieve nearly the same high-performance characteristics attributed to the native salt formation. Salt repository seal concepts often include elements of reconstituted granular salt. As a specific case in point, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant recently received regulatory approval to change the disposal panel closure design from an engineered barrier constructed of a salt-based concrete to onemore » that employs simple run-of-mine salt and temporary bulkheads for isolation from ventilation. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is a radioactive waste disposal repository for defense-related transuranic elements mined from the Permian evaporite salt beds in southeast New Mexico. Its approved shaft seal design incorporates barrier components comprising salt-based concrete, bentonite, and substantial depths of crushed salt compacted to enhance reconsolidation. This paper will focus on crushed salt behavior when applied as drift closures to isolate disposal rooms during operations. Scientific aspects of salt reconsolidation have been studied extensively. The technical basis for geotechnical barrier performance has been strengthened by recent experimental findings and analogue comparisons. The panel closure change was accompanied by recognition that granular salt will return to a physical state similar to the halite surrounding it. Use of run-of-mine salt ensures physical and chemical compatibility with the repository environment and simplifies ongoing disposal operations. Our current knowledge and expected outcome of research can be assimilated with lessons learned to put forward designs and operational concepts for the next generation of salt repositories. Mined salt repositories have the potential to isolate permanently vast inventories of radioactive and hazardous wastes.« less

Landfill disposal systems.

PubMed

Slimak, K M

1978-12-01

The current status of landfill disposal of hazardous wastes in the United States is indicated by presenting descriptions of six operating landfills. These landfills illustrate the variety of techniques that exist in landfill disposal of hazardous wastes. Although some landfills more effectively isolate hazardous waste than others, all landfills must deal with the following problems. Leachate from hazardous waste landfills is generally highly polluted. Most landfills attempt to contain leachate at the site and prevent its discharge to surface or groundwaters. To retain leachate within a disposal area, subsurface barriers of materials such as concrete, asphalt, butyl rubber, vinyl, and clay are used. It is difficult to assure that these materials can seal a landfill indefinitely. When a subsurface barrier fails, the leachate enters the groundwater in a concentrated, narrow band which may bypass monitoring wells. Once a subsurface barrier has failed, repairs are time-consuming and costly, since the waste above the repair site may have to be removed. The central problem in landfill disposal is leachate control. Recent emphasis has been on developing subsurface barriers to contain the wastes and any leachate. Future emphasis should also be on techniques for removing water from hazardous wastes before they are placed in landfills, and on methods for preventing contact of the wastes with water during and after disposal operations. When leachate is eliminated, the problems of monitoring, and subsurface barrier failure and repair can be addressed, and a waste can be effectively isolated.A surface seal landfill design is recommended for maintaining the dry state of solid hazardous wastes and for controlling leachate. Any impervious liner is utilized over the top of the landfill to prevent surface water from seeping into the waste. The surface barrier is also the site where monitoring and maintenance activities are focused. Barrier failure can be detected by visual inspections and any repairs can be made without disturbing the waste. The surface seal landfill does not employ a subsurface barrier. The surface seal landfill successfully addresses each of the four environmental problems listed above, provided that this landfill design is utilized for dry wastes only and is located at a site which provides protection from groundwater and temporary perched water tables.

Advanced instrumental methods for analyzing organics in solid waste: The use of gas chromatography/matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy (GC/MIIR) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) for waste characterization

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

Raphaelian, L.A.; Boparai, A.S.; Schneider, J.F.

1987-01-01

Objectives of this research project were: (1) to enhance the capabilities of analyzing the complex mixtures found in coal wastes by using gas chromatography/matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy (GC/MIIR); (2) to separate, by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), the complex mixtures found in coal wastes into a few, less-complex mixtures so that analysis by gas chromatography (GC/MS) and GC/MIIR would be simplified. Preliminary results are presented for the mass spectra and infrared spectra of xylene isomers, gas chromatogram of 12 C/sub 2/-Napthalenes, averaged IR spectrum and a comparison of matrix isolation with light-pipe infrared spectra. A SFC chromatogram of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbonsmore » is also presented. 2 refs., 5 figs.« less

Testimony of Dr. Raul A. Deju, Basalt Waste Isolation Project, before the Subcommittee on Energy Research and Production, Committee on Sceince and Technology, United States House of Representatives, March 2, 1983

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

Not Available

1983-01-01

Status of the Basalt Waste Isolation Project is given. Three key concerns have been identified that need to be resolved to either confirm or eliminate the basalts as a potential nuclear waste repository host medium. They are: A thorough understanding of the groundwater hydrology beneath the Hanford Site is needed to assure that a repository in basalt will not contribute unacceptable amounts of contaminants to the accessible environment. Our ability to construct a repository shaft and a network of underground tunnels needs to be fully demonstrated through an exploratory shaft program. Our ability to ultimately seal a repository, such thatmore » its integrity and the isolation of the waste are guaranteed, needs to be demonstrated.« less

The Use of Basalt, Basalt Fibers and Modified Graphite for Nuclear Waste Repository - 12150

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

Gulik, V.I.; Biland, A.B.

2012-07-01

New materials enhancing the isolation of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel are continuously being developed.. Our research suggests that basalt-based materials, including basalt roving chopped basalt fiber strands, basalt composite rebar and materials based on modified graphite, could be used for enhancing radioactive waste isolation during the storage and disposal phases and maintaining it during a significant portion of the post-closure phase. The basalt vitrification process of nuclear waste is a viable alternative to glass vitrification. Basalt roving, chopped basalt fiber strands and basalt composite rebars can significantly increase the strength and safety characteristics of nuclear waste and spentmore » nuclear fuel storages. Materials based on MG are optimal waterproofing materials for nuclear waste containers. (authors)« less

Nuclear waste management. Semiannual progress report, October 1982-March 1983

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

Chikalla, T.D.; Powell, J.A.

1983-06-01

This document is one of a series of technical progress reports designed to report radioactive waste management programs at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Accomplishments in the following programs are reported: waste stabilization; Materials Characterization Center; waste isolation; low-level waste management; remedial action; and supporting studies.

Genome Sequence of Lysinibacillus sphaericus, a Lignin-Degrading Bacterium Isolated from Municipal Solid Waste Soil.

PubMed

Persinoti, Gabriela F; Paixão, Douglas A A; Bugg, Timothy D H; Squina, Fabio M

2018-05-03

We report here the draft genome sequence of Lysinibacillus sphaericus strain A1, a potential lignin-degrading bacterium isolated from municipal solid waste (MSW) soil and capable of enhancing gas release from lignocellulose-containing soil. Copyright © 2018 Persinoti et al.

10 CFR 63.21 - Content of application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... design bases and their relation to the design criteria. (4) A description of the kind, amount, and... extent to which they affect waste isolation. Investigations must extend from the surface to a depth... barriers important to waste isolation as required by § 63.115. (15) An explanation of measures used to...

10 CFR 63.21 - Content of application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... design bases and their relation to the design criteria. (4) A description of the kind, amount, and... extent to which they affect waste isolation. Investigations must extend from the surface to a depth... barriers important to waste isolation as required by § 63.115. (15) An explanation of measures used to...

Isolation of Thermus strains from hot composts (60 to 80 degrees C).

PubMed Central

Beffa, T; Blanc, M; Lyon, P F; Vogt, G; Marchiani, M; Fischer, J L; Aragno, M

1996-01-01

High numbers (10(7) to 10(10) cells per g [dry weight]) of heterotrophic, gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-sporeforming, aerobic, thermophilic bacteria related to the genus Thermus were isolated from thermogenic composts at temperatures between 65 and 82 degrees C. These bacteria were present in different types of wastes (garden and kitchen wastes and sewage sludge) and in all the industrial composting systems studied (open-air windows, boxes with automated turning and aeration, and closed bioreactors with aeration). Isolates grew fast on a rich complex medium at temperatures between 40 and 80 degrees C, with optimum growth between 65 and 75 degrees C. Nutritional characteristics, total protein profiles, DNA-DNA hybridization (except strain JT4), and restriction fragment length polymorphism profiles of the DNAs coding for the 16S rRNAs (16S rDNAs) showed that Thermus strains isolated from hot composts were closely related to Thermus thermophilus HB8. These newly isolated T. thermophilus strains have probably adapted to the conditions in the hot-compost ecosystem. Heterotrophic, ovalspore-forming, thermophilic bacilli were also isolated from hot composts, but none of the isolates was able to grow at temperatures above 70 degrees C. This is the first report of hot composts as habitats for a high number of thermophilic bacteria related to the genus Thermus. Our study suggests that Thermus strains play an important role in organic-matter degradation during the thermogenic phase (65 to 80 degrees C) of the composting process. PMID:8633870

Zero-leak valve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macglashan, W. F., Jr.

1980-01-01

Zero-leakage valve has fluid-sealing diaphragm support and flat sievelike sealing surface. Diaphragm-support valve is easy to fabricate and requires minimum maintenance. Potential applications include isolation valve for waste systems and remote air-actuated valve. Device is also useful in controlling flow of liquid fluorine and corrosive fluids at high pressures.

Quantitative assessment of distance to collection point and improved sorting information on source separation of household waste.

PubMed

Rousta, Kamran; Bolton, Kim; Lundin, Magnus; Dahlén, Lisa

2015-06-01

The present study measures the participation of households in a source separation scheme and, in particular, if the household's application of the scheme improved after two interventions: (a) shorter distance to the drop-off point and (b) easy access to correct sorting information. The effect of these interventions was quantified and, as far as possible, isolated from other factors that can influence the recycling behaviour. The study was based on households located in an urban residential area in Sweden, where waste composition studies were performed before and after the interventions by manual sorting (pick analysis). Statistical analyses of the results indicated a significant decrease (28%) of packaging and newsprint in the residual waste after establishing a property close collection system (intervention (a)), as well as significant decrease (70%) of the miss-sorted fraction in bags intended for food waste after new information stickers were introduced (intervention (b)). Providing a property close collection system to collect more waste fractions as well as finding new communication channels for information about sorting can be used as tools to increase the source separation ratio. This contribution also highlights the need to evaluate the effects of different types of information and communication concerning sorting instructions in a property close collection system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Project Management Plan for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Experimental Test Program

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

Connolly, M.J.; Sayer, D.L.

1993-11-01

EG&G Idaho, Inc. and Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) are participating in the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory`s (INEL`s) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Experimental Test Program (WETP). The purpose of the INEL WET is to provide chemical, physical, and radiochemical data on transuranic (TRU) waste to be stored at WIPP. The waste characterization data collected will be used to support the WIPP Performance Assessment (PA), development of the disposal No-Migration Variance Petition (NMVP), and to support the WIPP disposal decision. The PA is an analysis required by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 40, Part 191 (40 CFR 191), whichmore » identifies the processes and events that may affect the disposal system (WIPP) and examines the effects of those processes and events on the performance of WIPP. A NMVP is required for the WIPP by 40 CFR 268 in order to dispose of land disposal restriction (LDR) mixed TRU waste in WIPP. It is anticipated that the detailed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) waste characterization data of all INEL retrievably-stored TRU waste to be stored in WIPP will be required for the NMVP. Waste characterization requirements for PA and RCRA may not necessarily be identical. Waste characterization requirements for the PA will be defined by Sandia National Laboratories. The requirements for RCRA are defined in 40 CFR 268, WIPP RCRA Part B Application Waste Analysis Plan (WAP), and WIPP Waste Characterization Program Plan (WWCP). This Project Management Plan (PMP) addresses only the characterization of the contact handled (CH) TRU waste at the INEL. This document will address all work in which EG&G Idaho is responsible concerning the INEL WETP. Even though EG&G Idaho has no responsibility for the work that ANL-W is performing, EG&G Idaho will keep a current status and provide a project coordination effort with ANL-W to ensure that the INEL, as a whole, is effectively and efficiently completing the requirements for WETP.« less

Idaho National Engineering Laboratory code assessment of the Rocky Flats transuranic waste

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

NONE

1995-07-01

This report is an assessment of the content codes associated with transuranic waste shipped from the Rocky Flats Plant in Golden, Colorado, to INEL. The primary objective of this document is to characterize and describe the transuranic wastes shipped to INEL from Rocky Flats by item description code (IDC). This information will aid INEL in determining if the waste meets the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The waste covered by this content code assessment was shipped from Rocky Flats between 1985 and 1989. These years coincide with the dates for information available in themore » Rocky Flats Solid Waste Information Management System (SWIMS). The majority of waste shipped during this time was certified to the existing WIPP WAC. This waste is referred to as precertified waste. Reassessment of these precertified waste containers is necessary because of changes in the WIPP WAC. To accomplish this assessment, the analytical and process knowledge available on the various IDCs used at Rocky Flats were evaluated. Rocky Flats sources for this information include employee interviews, SWIMS, Transuranic Waste Certification Program, Transuranic Waste Inspection Procedure, Backlog Waste Baseline Books, WIPP Experimental Waste Characterization Program (headspace analysis), and other related documents, procedures, and programs. Summaries are provided of: (a) certification information, (b) waste description, (c) generation source, (d) recovery method, (e) waste packaging and handling information, (f) container preparation information, (g) assay information, (h) inspection information, (i) analytical data, and (j) RCRA characterization.« less

Contained recovery of oily waste

DOEpatents

Johnson, Jr., Lyle A.; Sudduth, Bruce C.

1989-01-01

A method is provided for recovering oily waste from oily waste accumulations underground comprising sweeping the oily waste accumulation with hot water to recover said oily waste, wherein said area treated is isolated from surrounding groundwater hydraulically. The hot water may be reinjected after the hot-water displacement or may be treated to conform to any discharge requirements.

Molten carbonate fuel cell

DOEpatents

Kaun, Thomas D.; Smith, James L.

1987-01-01

A molten electrolyte fuel cell with an array of stacked cells and cell enclosures isolating each cell except for access to gas manifolds for the supply of fuel or oxidant gas or the removal of waste gas, the cell enclosures collectively providing an enclosure for the array and effectively avoiding the problems of electrolyte migration and the previous need for compression of stack components, the fuel cell further including an inner housing about and in cooperation with the array enclosure to provide a manifold system with isolated chambers for the supply and removal of gases. An external insulated housing about the inner housing provides thermal isolation to the cell components.

Molten carbonate fuel cell

DOEpatents

Kaun, T.D.; Smith, J.L.

1986-07-08

A molten electrolyte fuel cell is disclosed with an array of stacked cells and cell enclosures isolating each cell except for access to gas manifolds for the supply of fuel or oxidant gas or the removal of waste gas. The cell enclosures collectively provide an enclosure for the array and effectively avoid the problems of electrolyte migration and the previous need for compression of stack components. The fuel cell further includes an inner housing about and in cooperation with the array enclosure to provide a manifold system with isolated chambers for the supply and removal of gases. An external insulated housing about the inner housing provides thermal isolation to the cell components.

Technical basis for external dosimetry at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

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

Bradley, E.W.; Wu, C.F.; Goff, T.E.

1993-12-31

The WIPP External Dosimetry Program, administered by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Waste Isolation Division, for the US Department of Energy (DOE), provides external dosimetry support services for operations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Site. These operations include the receipt, experimentation with, storage, and disposal of transuranic (TRU) wastes. This document describes the technical basis for the WIPP External Radiation Dosimetry Program. The purposes of this document are to: (1) provide assurance that the WIPP External Radiation Dosimetry Program is in compliance with all regulatory requirements, (2) provide assurance that the WIPP External Radiation Dosimetry Program is derived from amore » sound technical base, (3) serve as a technical reference for radiation protection personnel, and (4) aid in identifying and planning for future needs. The external radiation exposure fields are those that are documented in the WIPP Final Safety Analysis Report.« less

Evaluation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Public Outreach Program during the Certification Process at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) contracted with Phoenix Environmental and EnviroIssues to evaluate the effectiveness of its public outreach program during its certification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, NM.

No-migration variance petition. Appendices C--J: Volume 5, Revision 1

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

Not Available

1990-03-01

Volume V contains the appendices for: closure and post-closure plans; RCRA ground water monitoring waver; Waste Isolation Division Quality Program Manual; water quality sampling plan; WIPP Environmental Procedures Manual; sample handling and laboratory procedures; data analysis; and Annual Site Environmental Monitoring Report for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Technical Assessment Team Report

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

None, None

This report provides the results of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) technical assessment led by the Savannah River National Laboratory and conducted by a team of experts in pertinent disciplines from SRNL and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL).

DOE's Remote-Handled TRU Waste Characterization Program: Implementation Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste characterization, which involves obtaining chemical, radiological, and physical data, is a primary component of ensuring compliance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) with regulatory requirements.

75 FR 70584 - Criteria for the Certification and Recertification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-18

...With this document, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recertifies that the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) continues to comply with the ``Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High- Level and Transuranic (TRU) Radioactive Waste.'' EPA initially certified that WIPP met applicable regulatory requirements on May 18, 1998, and the first shipment of waste was received at WIPP on March 26, 1999. The first Compliance Recertification Application (CRA) was submitted by DOE to EPA on March 26, 2004, and the Agency's first recertification decision was issued on March 29, 2006.

Isolation and characterization of onion degrading bacteria from onion waste produced in South Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

PubMed

Rinland, María Emilia; Gómez, Marisa Anahí

2015-03-01

Onion production in Argentina generates a significant amount of waste. Finding an effective method to recycle it is a matter of environmental concern. Among organic waste reuse techniques, anaerobic digestion could be a valuable alternative to current practices. Substrate inoculation with appropriate bacterial strains enhances the rate-limiting step (hydrolysis) of anaerobic digestion of biomass wastes. Selection of indigenous bacteria with the ability to degrade onion waste could be a good approach to find a suitable bioaugmentation or pretreatment agent. We isolated bacterial strains from onion waste in different degradation stages and from different localities. In order to characterize and select the best candidates, we analyzed the growth patterns of the isolates in a medium prepared with onion juice as the main source of nutrients and we evaluated carbon source utilization. Nine strains were selected to test their ability to grow using onion tissue and the five most remarkable ones were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Strains belonged to the genera Pseudoxanthomonas, Bacillus, Micrococcus and Pseudomonas. Two strains, Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtillis MB2-62 and Pseudomonas poae VE-74 have characteristics that make them promising candidates for bioaugmentation or pretreatment purposes.

Agricultural waste from the tequila industry as substrate for the production of commercially important enzymes.

PubMed

Huitron, C; Perez, R; Sanchez, A E; Lappe, P; Rocha Zavaleta, L

2008-01-01

Approximately 1 million tons of Agave tequilana plants are processed annually by the Mexican Tequila industry generating vast amounts of agricultural waste. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of Agave tequilana waste as substrate for the production of commercially important enzymes. Two strains of Aspergillus niger (CH-A-2010 and CH-A-2016), isolated from agave fields, were found to grow and propagate in submerged cultures using Agave tequilana waste as substrate. Isolates showed simultaneous extracellular inulinase, xylanase, pectinase, and cellulase activities. Aspergillus CH-A-2010 showed the highest production of inulinase activity (1.48 U/ml), whereas Aspergillus niger CH-A-2016 produced the highest xylanase (1.52 U/ml) and endo-pectinase (2.7U/ml) activities. In both cases production of enzyme activities was significantly higher on Agave tequilana waste than that observed on lemon peel and specific polymeric carbohydrates. Enzymatic hydrolysis of raw A. tequilana stems and leaves, by enzymes secreted by the isolates yielded maximum concentrations of reducing sugars of 28.2 g/l, and 9.9 g/l respectively. In conclusion, Agave tequilana waste can be utilized as substrate for the production of important biotechnological enzymes.

Innovations in the Assay of Un-Segregated Multi-Isotopic Grade TRU Waste Boxes with SuperHENC and FRAM Technology

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

Simpson, A. P.; Barber, S.; Abdurrahman, N. M.

2006-07-01

The Super High Efficiency Neutron Coincidence Counter (SuperHENC) was originally developed by BIL Solutions Inc., Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) for assay of transuranic (TRU) waste in Standard Waste Boxes (SWB) at Rocky Flats. This mobile system was a key component in the shipment of over 4,000 SWBs to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The system was WIPP certified in 2001 and operated at the site for four years. The success of this system, a passive neutron coincidence counter combined with high resolution gamma spectroscopy, led to themore » order of two new units, delivered to Hanford in 2004. Several new challenges were faced at Hanford: For example, the original RFETS system was calibrated for segregated waste streams such that metals, plastics, wet combustibles and dry combustibles were separated by 'Item Description Codes' prior to assay. Furthermore, the RFETS mission of handling only weapons grade plutonium, enabled the original SuperHENC to benefit from the use of known Pu isotopics. Operations at Hanford, as with most other DOE sites, generate un-segregated waste streams, with a wide diversity of Pu isotopics. Consequently, the new SuperHENCs are required to deal with new technical challenges. The neutron system's software and calibration methodology have been modified to encompass these new requirements. In addition, PC-FRAM software has been added to the gamma system, providing a robust isotopic measurement capability. Finally a new software package has been developed that integrates the neutron and gamma data to provide a final assay results and analysis report. The new system's performance has been rigorously tested and validated against WIPP quality requirements. These modifications, together with the mobile platform, make the new SuperHENC far more versatile in handling diverse waste streams and allow for rapid redeployment around the DOE complex. (authors)« less

Conduct of Operations. MAS-121. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to teach trainees to apply conduct of operations principles to their area(s) of responsibility. The following topics are covered in the module's individual…

Regulatory Organizations and Their Requirements. MAS-113. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to enable trainees to identify regulatory organizations and oversight groups and monitor and provide guidance in the implementation of the requirements of…

Organizing. MAS-108. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to enable trainees to organize work activities efficiently and effectively. The first section of the module is an introduction that includes a terminal objective and…

Industrial Safety. MAS-123. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to prepare trainees to promote and monitor the industrial safety program at their plant. The following topics are covered in the module's individual sections:…

Purchasing and Accounting. MAS-116. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to prepare trainees to perform purchasing and accounting tasks efficiently and effectively. The first section is an introduction to the module. The next three…

Penicillium pedernalense sp. nov., isolated from whiteleg shrimp heads waste compost.

PubMed

Laich, Federico; Andrade, Jacinto

2016-11-01

Novel Penicillium-like strains were isolated during the characterization of the mycobiota community dynamics associated with shrimp waste composting. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial β-tubulin (BenA) gene and the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) sequences revealed that the novel strains were members of section Lanata-Divaricata and were closely related to Penicillium infrabuccalum DAOMC 250537T. On the basis of morphological and physiological characterization, and phylogenetic analysis, a novel Penicillium species, Penicillium pedernalense sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is F01-11T (=CBS 140770T=CECT 20949T), which was isolated from whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) heads waste compost in the Pedernales region (Manabí province, Ecuador).

Expert System for Building TRU Waste Payloads - 13554

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

Bruemmer, Heather; Slater, Bryant

2013-07-01

The process for grouping TRU waste drums into payloads for shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for disposal is a very complex process. Transportation and regulatory requirements must be met, along with striving for the goals of shipment efficiency: maximize the number of waste drums in a shipment and minimize the use of empty drums which take up precious underground storage space. The restrictions on payloads range from weight restrictions, to limitations on flammable gas in the headspace, to minimum TRU alpha activity concentration requirements. The Overpack and Payload Assistant Tool (OPAT) has been developed as a mixed-initiativemore » intelligent system within the WIPP Waste Data System (WDS) to guide the construction of multiple acceptable payloads. OPAT saves the user time while at the same time maximizes the efficiency of shipments for the given drum population. The tool provides the user with the flexibility to tune critical factors that guide OPAT's operation based on real-time feedback concerning the results of the execution. This feedback complements the user's external knowledge of the drum population (such as location of drums, known challenges, internal shipment goals). This work demonstrates how software can be utilized to complement the unique domain knowledge of the users. The mixed-initiative approach combines the insight and intuition of the human expert with the proficiency of automated computational algorithms. The result is the ability to thoroughly and efficiently explore the search space of possible solutions and derive the best waste management decision. (authors)« less

Control technology for integrated circuit fabrication at Honeywell Optoelectronics Division, Richardson, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. K.; Ungers, L. J.

1984-07-01

A walk through survey of the integrated circuit fabrication operation revealed that engineering controls consisted of general and local ventilation, and isolation enclosure of the epitaxy and gas cylinder storage areas. The gas storage room was maintained at a slight negative pressure and gas monitoring was conducted. Liquid wastes were segregated according to type. Acidic wastes were pumped to a drain that carried them to a waste treatment system where they were neutralized with sodium hydroxide. Organic wastes were placed in containers which were taken to an outdoor area behind the facility where they were emptied into drums for disposal. The facility had no routine industrial hygiene program. Smocks, gloves, and safety glasses were required in all fabrication areas. Respirators were available in case of emergency. Preplacement medical examinations were not administered. Quarterly urinalyses for arsenic (7440382) exposure were conducted on all employees performing sawing operations.

Biodegradation of nicotine by a newly isolated Pseudomonas stutzeri JZD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petricevic, Jelena; Gujanicic, Vera; Radic, Danka; Jovicic Petrovic, Jelena; Jovic, Jelena; Raicevic, Vera

2013-04-01

The tobacco-manufacturing process and all activities that use tobacco, produce solid or liquid wastes with high concentrations of nicotine. Nicotine is a significant toxic waste product in tobacco industry. This waste is classified as 'toxic and hazardous' by European Union regulations when the nicotine content exceeds 500 milligrams per kilogram dry weight. Therefore, there is a major environmental requirement to remove nicotine from tobacco wastes. Bioremediation techniques which involve nicotine degradation by microorganisms have attracted attention during the last years, because microorganisms have the potential to reduce nicotine levels in tobacco and to detoxify tobacco wastes. The aim of this study is isolation and identification of nicotine degraded bacteria and optimization of nicotine degradation in laboratory conditions. An aerobic bacterial strain capable of effectively degrading nicotine was isolated from the tobacco industry waste, Serbia. After isolation, the liquid culture was spread onto the solid plates of the nicotine inorganic salt medium using the dilution plate method. Cell morphology of strain was observed by a light microscope and physiological characteristics were determined by Api technique and sequence analyzes of 16S rDNA. This isolate was identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri based on morphology, physiological characteristics, and Apiweb technique. Comparison with sequences available in data library showed the 99% similarity with 16S rDNA gene sequence of the species Pseudomonas stutzeri ( GenBank Acc. No. CP003725). We analyzed the effect of initial nicotine concentration (1g/L, 1.5 g/L, 2.5 g/L) on microbial activity in aim to optimize biodegradation. The effect of cultivation temperature (25°C; 30°C; 37°C) on nicotine degradation by P. stutzeri was evaluated after 24 h of cultivation, with 1.5 g/L nicotine added as the sole carbon source. Effect of biodegradation has depended on initial concentration. During incubation, number of bacteria was increased in all variants of initial concentrations. Nicotine degradation rate increased with increasing cultivation temperature. The optimal temperature was 37°C. The results suggest that the P. stutzeri may be useful for bioremediation of nicotine-polluted waste and confirms its possible application in solving of nicotine contamination problems. Key words: Pseudomonas stutzeri, biodegradation; nicotine; waste

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

Funk, David John

The inadvertent creation of transuranic waste carrying hazardous waste codes D001 and D002 requires the treatment of the material to eliminate the hazardous characteristics and allow its eventual shipment and disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report briefly summarizes the surrogate testing that was done in support of our understanding of this waste form.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

1990-01-01

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

An overview of EPA regulation of the safe disposal of transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

PubMed

Wolbarst, A B; Forinash, E K; Byrum, C O; Peake, R T; Marcinowski, F; Kruger, M U

2001-02-01

In March of 1999, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeast New Mexico, the world's first deep geological repository for radioactive materials, began receiving defense-related transuranic waste. The WIPP was designed and constructed by the U.S. Department of Energy, but critical to its opening was certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the repository complies with the radioactive waste disposal regulations set forth as environmental radiation protection standards (40 CFR Part 191) and compliance criteria (40 CFR Part 194). This paper provides a summary of the regulatory process, including the Environmental Protection Agency's waste containment, groundwater protection, and individual dose regulations for the WIPP; the Department of Energy's performance assessment and the other parts of its compliance certification application; and the Environmental Protection Agency's review and analysis of the compliance certification application and related documentation.

Dose rate prediction methodology for remote handled transuranic waste workers at the waste isolation pilot plant.

PubMed

Hayes, Robert

2002-10-01

An approach is described for estimating future dose rates to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant workers processing remote handled transuranic waste. The waste streams will come from the entire U.S. Department of Energy complex and can take on virtually any form found from the processing sequences for defense-related production, radiochemistry, activation and related work. For this reason, the average waste matrix from all generator sites is used to estimate the average radiation fields over the facility lifetime. Innovative new techniques were applied to estimate expected radiation fields. Non-linear curve fitting techniques were used to predict exposure rate profiles from cylindrical sources using closed form equations for lines and disks. This information becomes the basis for Safety Analysis Report dose rate estimates and for present and future ALARA design reviews when attempts are made to reduce worker doses.

Final environmental impact statement. Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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

Not Available

1980-10-01

This volume contains the appendices for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Alternative geologic environs are considered. Salt, crystalline rock, argillaceous rock, and tuff are discussed. Studies on alternate geologic regions for the siting of WIPP are reviewed. President Carter's message to Congress on the management of radioactive wastes and the findings and recommendations of the interagency review group on nuclear waste management are included. Selection criteria for the WIPP site including geologic, hydrologic, tectonic, physicochemical compatability, and socio-economic factors are presented. A description of the waste types and the waste processing procedures aremore » given. Methods used to calculate radiation doses from radionuclide releases during operation are presented. A complete description of the Los Medanos site, including archaeological and historic aspects is included. Environmental monitoring programs and long-term safety analysis program are described. (DMC)« less

Environmental considerations in the selection of isolation gowns: A life cycle assessment of reusable and disposable alternatives.

PubMed

Vozzola, Eric; Overcash, Michael; Griffing, Evan

2018-04-11

Isolation gowns serve a critical role in infection control by protecting healthcare workers, visitors, and patients from the transfer of microorganisms and body fluids. The decision of whether to use a reusable or disposable garment system is a selection process based on factors including sustainability, barrier effectiveness, cost, and comfort. Environmental sustainability is increasingly being used in the decision-making process. Life cycle assessment is the most comprehensive and widely used tool used to evaluate environmental performance. The environmental impacts of market-representative reusable and disposable isolation gown systems were compared using standard life cycle assessment procedures. The basis of comparison was 1,000 isolation gown uses in a healthcare setting. The scope included the manufacture, use, and end-of-life stages of the gown systems. At the healthcare facility, compared to the disposable gown system, the reusable gown system showed a 28% reduction in energy consumption, a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 41% reduction in blue water consumption, and a 93% reduction in solid waste generation. Selecting reusable garment systems may result in significant environmental benefits compared to selecting disposable garment systems. By selecting reusable isolation gowns, healthcare facilities can add these quantitative benefits directly to their sustainability scorecards. Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Waste generated in high-rise buildings construction: a quantification model based on statistical multiple regression.

PubMed

Parisi Kern, Andrea; Ferreira Dias, Michele; Piva Kulakowski, Marlova; Paulo Gomes, Luciana

2015-05-01

Reducing construction waste is becoming a key environmental issue in the construction industry. The quantification of waste generation rates in the construction sector is an invaluable management tool in supporting mitigation actions. However, the quantification of waste can be a difficult process because of the specific characteristics and the wide range of materials used in different construction projects. Large variations are observed in the methods used to predict the amount of waste generated because of the range of variables involved in construction processes and the different contexts in which these methods are employed. This paper proposes a statistical model to determine the amount of waste generated in the construction of high-rise buildings by assessing the influence of design process and production system, often mentioned as the major culprits behind the generation of waste in construction. Multiple regression was used to conduct a case study based on multiple sources of data of eighteen residential buildings. The resulting statistical model produced dependent (i.e. amount of waste generated) and independent variables associated with the design and the production system used. The best regression model obtained from the sample data resulted in an adjusted R(2) value of 0.694, which means that it predicts approximately 69% of the factors involved in the generation of waste in similar constructions. Most independent variables showed a low determination coefficient when assessed in isolation, which emphasizes the importance of assessing their joint influence on the response (dependent) variable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of thermophilic bacteria in solid-waste composting.

PubMed Central

Strom, P F

1985-01-01

The thermophilic microbiota of solid-waste composting, with major emphasis on Bacillus spp., was examined with Trypticase soy broth (BBL Microbiology Systems) with 2% agar as the initial plating medium. Five 4.5-liter laboratory units at 49 to 69 degrees C were fed a mixture of dried table scraps and shredded newspaper. The composting plants treating refuse at Altoona, Pa., and refuse-sludge at Leicester, England, were also sampled. Of 652 randomly picked colonies, 87% were identified as Bacillus spp. Other isolates included two genera of unidentified nonsporeforming bacteria (one of gram-negative small rods and the other of gram-variable coccobacilli), the actinomycetes Streptomyces spp. and Thermoactinomyces sp., and the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Among the Bacillus isolates, the following, in order of decreasing frequency, were observed: B. circulans complex, B. stearothermophilus, B. coagulans types A and B, B. licheniformis, B. brevis, B. sphaericus, Bacillus spp. types i and ii, and B. subtilis. About 15% of the Bacillus isolates could be assigned to species only by allowing for greater variability in one or more characteristics than has been reported by other authors for their strains. In particular, growth at higher temperatures than previously reported was found for strains of several species. A small number of Bacillus isolates (less than 2%) could not be assigned to any recognized species. PMID:4083886

Adopted technologies and basis for selection at municipal solid waste landfill facilities constructed in recent years in Japan.

PubMed

Asakura, Hiroshi; Matsuto, Toshihiko; Inoue, Yuzo

2010-08-01

In Japan, as the construction of new landfill facilities has become extremely difficult and the number of sites procured for landfill construction has decreased due to the 'not in my back yard' (NIMBY) syndrome, it has been assumed that the adoption of new technologies has increased. As the performance of new technologies exceeds that of conventional technologies, it is also assumed that residents would prefer the use of these new technologies and therefore any construction plans should be devised to ensure their use to ensure residents' satisfaction. In the present study, the technologies adopted for municipal solid waste landfill facilities constructed in recent years (2000 to 2004) in Japan and the bases for their adoption were investigated by means of a questionnaire survey. One of the main bases for the adoption of new technologies was the request by residents for new technology for roofing, rather than the other for new technologies for barrier systems, leachate treatment, and monitoring. In addition, it is possible that the municipalities did not recognize the difference between conventional and new technologies as defined in this study. The roof-type landfill that isolates waste from the surrounding environment was one of the requirements for the construction of new landfill facilities identified in the present investigation, and in this regard waste isolation should be required in all circumstances.

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

Weaver, Douglas James

The mission of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is to demonstrate the safe, environmentally sound, cost effective, permanent disposal of Transuranic (TRU) waste left from production of nuclear weapons.

Historical Background on Assessment the Performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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

Rechard, R.P.

1999-06-01

In 1979, six years after selecting the Delaware Basin as a potential disposal area, Congress authorized the US Department of Energy to build the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico, as a research and development facility for the safe management, storage, and disposal of waste contaminated with transuranic radioisotopes. In 1998, 19 years after authorization and 25 years after site selection, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified that the WIPP disposal system complied with its regulations. The EPA's decision was primarily based on the results from a performance assessment conducted in 1996. This performance assessment wasmore » the culmination of four preliminary performance assessments conducted between 1989 and 1992. This report provides a historical setting and context for how the performance of the deep geologic repository at the WIPP was analyzed. Also included is background on political forces acting on the project. For example, the federal requirement to provide environmental impact statements and negotiated agreements with the State of New Mexico influenced the type of scientific areas that were investigated and the engineering analysis prior to 1989 for the WIPP.« less

Bacteria isolated from amoebae/bacteria consortium

DOEpatents

Tyndall, R.L.

1995-05-30

New protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. Consortia and bacteria isolated therefrom are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. Consortia, bacteria isolated therefrom, and dispersants isolated therefrom are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

Bacteria isolated from amoebae/bacteria consortium

DOEpatents

Tyndall, Richard L.

1995-01-01

New protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. Consortia and bacteria isolated therefrom are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. Consortia, bacteria isolated therefrom, and dispersants isolated therefrom are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

Plant and Industry Experience. MAS-122. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to prepare trainees to use plant and industry experience to improve plant safety and reliability. The following topics are covered in the module's individual…

Communications. MAS-106. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to enable trainees to communicate effectively in the workplace. The first section of the module is an introduction that includes a terminal objective and opening remarks…

Introduction to the MAST Program. MAS-100. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to provide participants with knowledge and skills necessary to take full advantage of the MAST learning experience. The module contains program guidelines, sample…

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

Witherspoon, P.A.

The problem of isolating radioactive wastes from the biosphere presents specialists in the fields of earth sciences with some of the most complicated problems they have ever encountered. This is especially true for high level waste (HLW) which must be isolated in the underground and away from the biosphere for thousands of years. Essentially every country that is generating electricity in nuclear power plants is faced with the problem of isolating the radioactive wastes that are produced. The general consensus is that this can be accomplished by selecting an appropriate geologic setting and carefully designing the rock repository. Much newmore » technology is being developed to solve the problems that have been raised and there is a continuing need to publish the results of new developments for the benefit of all concerned. The 28th International Geologic Congress that was held July 9--19, 1989 in Washington, DC provided an opportunity for earth scientists to gather for detailed discussions on these problems. Workshop W3B on the subject, Geological Problems in Radioactive Waste Isolation -- A World Wide Review'' was organized by Paul A Witherspoon and Ghislain de Marsily and convened July 15--16, 1989 Reports from 19 countries have been gathered for this publication. Individual papers have been cataloged separately.« less

Nucleic acid isolation

DOEpatents

Longmire, J.L.; Lewis, A.K.; Hildebrand, C.E.

1988-01-21

A method is provided for isolating DNA from eukaryotic cell and flow sorted chromosomes. When DNA is removed from chromosome and cell structure, detergent and proteolytic digestion products remain with the DNA. These products can be removed with organic extraction, but the process steps associated with organic extraction reduces the size of DNA fragments available for experimental use. The present process removes the waste products by dialyzing a solution containing the DNA against a solution containing polyethylene glycol (PEG). The waste products dialyze into the PEG leaving isolated DNA. The remaining DNA has been prepared with fragments containing more than 160 kb. The isolated DNA has been used in conventional protocols without effect on the protocol.

Comparison of isolate dadih with yeast dadih in improving nutrition quality of Cassava Waste (CW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginting, N.

2018-03-01

The cassava industry in North Sumatra Province was one of the most significant agricultural industries. Waste from the cassava industry which was called cassava waste/CW/Onggok was used as feed for ruminants such as cattle, sheep and monogastric such as pigs. The low nutrients in CW caused the need to find a way for improving the nutrients quality. This research was conducted with the aim to help livestockers to ferment their livestock feed. This study compared the ability of fermentation between dadih isolate with dadih yeast. Dadih is traditional food in Indonesia where milk is fermented in bamboo tube. Dadih yeast was made by mixing dadih and whey with flour, made in around shape and sun dried. The results showed that pH of CW by dadih isolate was the lowest while crude protein, crude fiber and fat in CW treated with dadih isolate were improved significantly compared either to control or to dadih starter while fermented CW was better than non-fermented CW. It was recommended livestockers to ferment CW by using either by dadih isolate or dadih starter.

10 CFR 61.13 - Technical analyses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61... characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate... inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification...

10 CFR 61.13 - Technical analyses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61... characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate... inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification...

10 CFR 61.13 - Technical analyses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61... characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate... inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification...

10 CFR 61.13 - Technical analyses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61... characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate... inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification...

Use of Solid Waste (Foundry Slag) Mortar and Bamboo Reinforcement in Seismic Analysis for Single Storey Masonry Building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, S.; Husain, A.; Ghani, F.; Alam, M. N.

2013-11-01

The conversion of large amount of solid waste (foundry slag) into alternate source of building material will contribute not only as a solution to growing waste problem, but also it will conserve the natural resources of other building material and thereby reduce the cost of construction. The present work makes an effort to safe and economic use of recycle mortar (1:6) as a supplementary material. Conventional and recycled twelve prisms were casted with varying percentage of solid waste (foundry slag) added (0, 10, 20, 30 %) replacing cement by weight and tested under compression testing machine. As the replacement is increasing, the strength is decreasing. 10 % replacement curve is very closed to 0 % whereas 20 % is farther and 30 % is farthest. 20 % replacement was chosen for dynamic testing as its strength is within permissible limit as per IS code. A 1:4 scale single storey brick model with half size brick was fabricated on shake table in the lab for dynamic testing using pure friction isolation system (coarse sand as friction material µ = 0.34). Pure friction isolation technique can be adopted economically in developing countries where low-rise building prevails due to their low cost. The superstructure was separated from the foundation at plinth level, so as to permit sliding of superstructure during severe earthquake. The observed values of acceleration and displacement responses compare fairly with the analytical values of the analytical model. It also concluded that 20 % replacement of cement by solid waste (foundry slag) could be safely adopted without endangering the safety of the masonry structures under seismic load.To have an idea that how much energy is dissipated through this isolation, the same model with fixed base was tested and results were compared with the isolated free sliding model and it has been observed that more than 60 % energy is dissipated through this pure friction isolation technique. In case of base isolation, no visible cracks were observed up to the table force of 4.25 kN (1,300 rpm), whereas for fixed base failure started at 800 rpm.To strengthen the fixed base model, bamboo reinforcement were used for economical point of view. Another model of same dimension with same mortar ratio was fabricated on the shake table with bamboo reinforcement as plinth band and lintel band. In addition another four round bamboo bars of 3 mm diameter were placed at each of the four corners of the model. The building model was tested and found very encouraging and surprising results. The model failure started at 1,600 rpm, which means that this model is surviving the double force in comparison with the non-bamboo reinforcement.

Summary of Uranium Solubility Studies in Concrete Waste Forms and Vadose Zone Environments

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

Golovich, Elizabeth C.; Wellman, Dawn M.; Serne, R. Jeffrey

2011-09-30

One of the methods being considered for safely disposing of Category 3 low-level radioactive wastes is to encase the waste in concrete. Concrete encasement would contain and isolate the waste packages from the hydrologic environment and act as an intrusion barrier. The current plan for waste isolation consists of stacking low-level waste packages on a trench floor, surrounding the stacks with reinforced steel, and encasing these packages in concrete. These concrete-encased waste stacks are expected to vary in size with maximum dimensions of 6.4 m long, 2.7 m wide, and 4 m high. The waste stacks are expected to havemore » a surrounding minimum thickness of 15 cm of concrete encasement. These concrete-encased waste packages are expected to withstand environmental exposure (solar radiation, temperature variations, and precipitation) until an interim soil cover or permanent closure cover is installed and to remain largely intact thereafter. Any failure of concrete encasement may result in water intrusion and consequent mobilization of radionuclides from the waste packages. This report presents the results of investigations elucidating the uranium mineral phases controlling the long-term fate of uranium within concrete waste forms and the solubility of these phases in concrete pore waters and alkaline, circum-neutral vadose zone environments.« less

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of clinically relevant bacteria isolated from dental waste and waste workers' hands, mucosas and coats.

PubMed

Tagliaferri, T L; Vieira, C D; de Carvalho, M A R; Ladeira, L C D; Magalhães, P P; de Macêdo Farias, L; Dos Santos, S G

2017-10-01

Infectious wastes are potential sources of pathogenic micro-organisms, which may represent a risk to the professionals who manage them. In this study, we aimed to characterize the infectious bacteria present in dental waste and waste workers. The dental waste produced over 24 h was collected and waste workers were sampled by swabbing. Isolate resistance profiles were characterized by Vitek ® and PCR and biofilm formation by Congo Red agar, string test and microtitre assay. To assess similarity between the waste and the workers' samples, a random amplified polymorphic DNA test was used. Twenty-eight bacteria were identified as clinically relevant. The most frequent gene was bla TEM present in five Gram-negative micro-organisms, and one bla SHV in Klebsiella pneumoniae. All Pseudomonas aeruginosa were positive to extracellular polymeric substances formation, except one isolated from a worker. Klebsiella pneumoniae had negative results for the string test. Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed better adherence at 25°C after 48 h of incubation and K. pneumonia had the best biofilm formation at the same temperature, after 24 h. The similarity between P. aeruginosa recovered from dental waste and from workers was low, however, it is important to note that a pathogen was found on a worker's hands and that improvements in biosafety are required. Infectious dental waste can contain clinically relevant bacteria with important resistance and biofilm profiles. These micro-organisms could be transmitted to waste workers, other professionals and patients if the principles of biosafety measures are neglected. To our knowledge, no study has ever evaluated the microbial characterization and the potential contamination risk of dental infectious waste and waste handlers. The presence of clinically relevant bacteria in the hands and nasal mucosa of waste workers highlights the need for studies in this field to clarify the risk of these pathogens in dental healthcare services, and to stress the need for an efficient waste management. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

The magnitude and relevance of the February 2014 radiation release from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant repository in New Mexico, USA.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Lemons, B G; White, C R

2016-09-15

After almost fifteen years of successful waste disposal operations, the first unambiguous airborne radiation release from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was detected beyond the site boundary on February 14, 2014. It was the first accident of its kind in the 15-year operating history of the WIPP. The accident released moderate levels of radioactivity into the underground air. A small but measurable amount of radioactivity also escaped to the surface through the ventilation system and was detected above ground. The dominant radionuclides released were americium and plutonium, in a ratio consistent with the known content of a breached drum. The radiation release was caused by a runaway chemical reaction inside a transuranic (TRU) waste drum which experienced a seal and lid failure, spewing radioactive materials into the repository. According to source-term estimation, approximately 2 to 10Ci of radioactivity was released from the breached drum into the underground, and an undetermined fraction of that source term became airborne, setting off an alarm and triggering the closure of seals designed to force exhausting air through a system of filters including high-efficiency-particulate-air (HEPA) filters. Air monitoring across the WIPP site intensified following the first reports of radiation detection underground to determine the extent of impact to WIPP personnel, the public, and the environment, if any. This article attempts to compile and interpret analytical data collected by an independent monitoring program conducted by the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center (CEMRC) and by a compliance-monitoring program conducted by the WIPP's management and operating contractor, the Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), LLC., in response to the accident. Both the independent and the WIPP monitoring efforts concluded that the levels detected were very low and localized, and no radiation-related health effects among local workers or the public would be expected. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Bioleaching of Gold and Silver from Waste Printed Circuit Boards by Pseudomonas balearica SAE1 Isolated from an e-Waste Recycling Facility.

PubMed

Kumar, Anil; Saini, Harvinder Singh; Kumar, Sudhir

2018-02-01

Indigenous bacterial strain Pseudomonas balearica SAE1, tolerant to e-waste toxicity was isolated from an e-waste recycling facility Exigo Recycling Pvt. Ltd., India. Toxicity tolerance of bacterial strain was analyzed using crushed (particle size ≤150 µm) waste computer printed circuit boards (PCBs)/liter (L) of culture medium. The EC 50 value for SAE1 was 325.7 g/L of the e-waste pulp density. Two-step bioleaching was then applied to achieve the dissolution of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) from the e-waste. To maximize precious metal dissolution, factors including pulp density, glycine concentration, pH level, and temperature were optimized. The optimization resulted in 68.5 and 33.8% of Au and Ag dissolution, respectively, at a pH of 9.0, a pulp density of 10 g/L, a temperature of 30 °C, and a glycine concentration of 5 g/L. This is the first study of Au and Ag bioleaching using indigenous e-waste bacteria and its analysis to determine e-waste toxicity tolerance.

RH-TRU Waste Shipments from Battelle Columbus Laboratories to the Hanford Nuclear Facility for Interim Storage

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

Eide, J.; Baillieul, T. A.; Biedscheid, J.

2003-02-26

Battelle Columbus Laboratories (BCL), located in Columbus, Ohio, must complete decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities for nuclear research buildings and grounds by 2006, as directed by Congress. Most of the resulting waste (approximately 27 cubic meters [m3]) is remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste destined for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The BCL, under a contract to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Ohio Field Office, has initiated a plan to ship the TRU waste to the DOE Hanford Nuclear Facility (Hanford) for interim storage pending the authorization of WIPP for the permanent disposal of RH-TRU waste. Themore » first of the BCL RH-TRU waste shipments was successfully completed on December 18, 2002. This BCL shipment of one fully loaded 10-160B Cask was the first shipment of RH-TRU waste in several years. Its successful completion required a complex effort entailing coordination between different contractors and federal agencies to establish necessary supporting agreements. This paper discusses the agreements and funding mechanisms used in support of the BCL shipments of TRU waste to Hanford for interim storage. In addition, this paper presents a summary of the efforts completed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the 10-160B Cask system. Lessons learned during this process are discussed and may be applicable to other TRU waste site shipment plans.« less

Utilization of Solid Waste as a Substrate for Production of Oil from Oleaginous Microorganisms.

PubMed

Laker, Fortunate; Agaba, Arnold; Akatukunda, Andrew; Gazet, Robert; Barasa, Joshua; Nanyonga, Sarah; Wendiro, Deborah; Wacoo, Alex Paul

2018-01-01

The overwhelming demand of oil and fats to meet the ever increasing needs for biofuel, cosmetics production, and other industrial purposes has enhanced a number of innovations in this industry. One such innovation is the use of microorganisms as alternative sources of oil and fats. Organic solid waste that is causing a big challenge of disposal worldwide is biodegradable and can be utilized as substrate for alternative oil production. The study evaluated the potential of isolated yeast-like colonies to grow and accumulate oil by using organic solid waste as substrate. Of the 25 yeast-like colonies isolated from the soil samples collected from three different suburbs in Kampala district, Uganda, 20 were screened positive for accumulation of lipid but only 2 were oleaginous. The NHC isolate with the best oil accumulation potential of 48.8% was used in the central composite design (CCD) experiments. The CCD experimental results revealed a maximum oil yield of 61.5% from 1.25 g/L cell biomass at 10 g/L of solid waste and temperature of 25°C. The study revealed that organic solid waste could be used as a substrate for microbial oil production.

Problem Solving and Decision Making. MAS-105. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to enable trainees to solve problems and make decisions in an efficient and effective manner. The first section of the module is an introduction that includes a terminal…

Assessment for the management of NORM wastes in conventional hazardous and nonhazardous waste landfills.

PubMed

Mora, Juan C; Baeza, Antonio; Robles, Beatriz; Sanz, Javier

2016-06-05

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) wastes are generated in huge quantities in several industries and their management has been carried out under considerations of industrial non-radioactive wastes, before the concern on the radioactivity content was included in the legislation. Therefore these wastes were conditioned using conventional methods and the waste disposals were designed to isolate toxic elements from the environment for long periods of time. Spanish regulation for these conventional toxic waste disposals includes conditions that assure adequate isolation to minimize the impact of the wastes to the environment in present and future conditions. After 1996 the radiological impact of the management of NORM wastes is considered and all the aspects related with natural radiations and the radiological control regarding the management of residues from NORM industries were developed in the new regulation. One option to be assessed is the disposal of NORM wastes in hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposals, as was done before this new regulation. This work analyses the management of NORM wastes in these landfills to derive the masses that can be disposed without considerable radiological impact. Generic dose assessments were carried out under highly conservative hypothesis and a discussion on the uncertainty and variability sources was included to provide consistency to the calculations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial Characterization Space Solid Wastes Treated with a Heat Melt Compactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strayer, Richard F.; Hummerick, Mary E.; Richards, Jeffrey T.; McCoy LaShelle E.; Roberts, Michael S.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2012-01-01

The on going purpose of the project efforts was to characterize and determine the fate of microorganisms in space-generated solid wastes before and after processing by candidate solid waste processing. For FY 11, the candidate technology that was assessed was the Heat Melt Compactor (HMC). The scope included five HMC. product disks produced at ARC from either simulated space-generated trash or from actual space trash, Volume F compartment wet waste, returned on STS 130. This project used conventional microbiological methods to detect and enumerate microorganisms in heat melt compaction (HMC) product disks as well as surface swab samples of the HMC hardware before and after operation. In addition, biological indicators were added to the STS trash prior to compaction in order to determine if these spore-forming bacteria could survive the HMC processing conditions, i.e., high temperature (160 C) over a long duration (3 hrs). To ensure that surface dwelling microbes did not contaminate HMC product disk interiors, the disk surfaces were sanitized with 70% alcohol. Microbiological assays were run before and after sanitization and found that sanitization greatly reduced the number of identified isolates but did not totally eliminate them. To characterize the interior of the disks, ten 1.25 cm diameter core samples were aseptically obtained for each disk. These were run through the microbial characterization analyses. Low counts of bacteria, on the order of 5 to 50 per core, were found, indicating that the HMC operating conditions might not be sufficient for waste sterilization. However, the direct counts were 6 to 8 orders of magnitude greater, indicating that the vast majority of microbes present in the wastes were dead or non-cultivable. An additional indication that the HMC was sterilizing the wastes was the results from the added commercial spore test strips to the wastes prior to HMC operation. Nearly all could be recovered from the HMC disks post-operation and all were showed negative growth when run through the manufacturer's protocol, meaning that the 106 or so spores impregnated into the strips were dead. Control test strips, i.e., not exposed to the HMC conditions were all strongly positive. One area of concern is that the identities of isolates from the cultivable counts included several human pathogens, namely Staphylococcus aureus. The project reported here provides microbial characterization support to the Waste Management Systems element of the Life Support and Habitation Systems program.

Biotechnological potential of Bacillus salmalaya 139SI: a novel strain for remediating water polluted with crude oil waste.

PubMed

Ismail, Salmah; Dadrasnia, Arezoo

2015-01-01

Environmental contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons, mainly crude oil waste from refineries, is becoming prevalent worldwide. This study investigates the bioremediation of water contaminated with crude oil waste. Bacillus salamalaya 139SI, a bacterium isolated from a private farm soil in the Kuala Selangor in Malaysia, was found to be a potential degrader of crude oil waste. When a microbial population of 108 CFU ml-1 was used, the 139SI strain degraded 79% and 88% of the total petroleum hydrocarbons after 42 days of incubation in mineral salt media containing 2% and 1% of crude oil waste, respectively, under optimum conditions. In the uninoculated medium containing 1% crude oil waste, 6% was degraded. Relative to the control, the degradation was significantly greater when a bacteria count of 99 × 108 CFU ml-1 was added to the treatments polluted with 1% oil. Thus, this isolated strain is useful for enhancing the biotreatment of oil in wastewater.

Biotechnological Potential of Bacillus salmalaya 139SI: A Novel Strain for Remediating Water Polluted with Crude Oil Waste

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Environmental contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons, mainly crude oil waste from refineries, is becoming prevalent worldwide. This study investigates the bioremediation of water contaminated with crude oil waste. Bacillus salamalaya 139SI, a bacterium isolated from a private farm soil in the Kuala Selangor in Malaysia, was found to be a potential degrader of crude oil waste. When a microbial population of 108 CFU ml-1 was used, the 139SI strain degraded 79% and 88% of the total petroleum hydrocarbons after 42 days of incubation in mineral salt media containing 2% and 1% of crude oil waste, respectively, under optimum conditions. In the uninoculated medium containing 1% crude oil waste, 6% was degraded. Relative to the control, the degradation was significantly greater when a bacteria count of 99 × 108 CFU ml-1 was added to the treatments polluted with 1% oil. Thus, this isolated strain is useful for enhancing the biotreatment of oil in wastewater. PMID:25875763

Enhancing pesticide degradation using indigenous microorganisms isolated under high pesticide load in bioremediation systems with vermicomposts.

PubMed

Castillo Diaz, Jean Manuel; Delgado-Moreno, Laura; Núñez, Rafael; Nogales, Rogelio; Romero, Esperanza

2016-08-01

In biobed bioremediation systems (BBSs) with vermicomposts exposed to a high load of pesticides, 6 bacteria and 4 fungus strains were isolated, identified, and investigated to enhance the removal of pesticides. Three different mixtures of BBSs composed of vermicomposts made from greenhouse (GM), olive-mill (OM) and winery (WM) wastes were contaminated, inoculated, and incubated for one month (GMI, OMI and WMI). The inoculums maintenance was evaluated by DGGE and Q-PCR. Pesticides were monitored by HPLC-DAD. The highest bacterial and fungal abundance was observed in WMI and OMI respectively. In WMI, the consortia improved the removal of tebuconazole, metalaxyl, and oxyfluorfen by 1.6-, 3.8-, and 7.7-fold, respectively. The dissipation of oxyfluorfen was also accelerated in OMI, with less than 30% remaining after 30d. One metabolite for metalaxyl and 4 for oxyfluorfen were identified by GC-MS. The isolates could be suitable to improve the efficiency of bioremediation systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variable thickness transient ground-water flow model. Volume 3. Program listings

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

Reisenauer, A.E.

1979-12-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (OWNI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologicmore » systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. Hydrologic and transport models are available at several levels of complexity or sophistication. Model selection and use are determined by the quantity and quality of input data. Model development under AEGIS and related programs provides three levels of hydrologic models, two levels of transport models, and one level of dose models (with several separate models). This is the third of 3 volumes of the description of the VTT (Variable Thickness Transient) Groundwater Hydrologic Model - second level (intermediate complexity) two-dimensional saturated groundwater flow.« less

Nucleic acid isolation process

DOEpatents

Longmire, Jonathan L.; Lewis, Annette K.; Hildebrand, Carl E.

1990-01-01

A method is provided for isolating DNA from eukaryotic cell and flow sorted chromosomes. When DNA is removed from chromosome and cell structure, detergent and proteolytic digestion products remain with the DNA. These products can be removed with organic extraction, but the process steps associated with organic extraction reduce the size of DNA fragments available for experimental use. The present process removes the waste products by dialyzing a solution containing the DNA against a solution containing polyethylene glycol (PEG). The waste products dialyze into the PEG leaving isolated DNA. The remaining DNA has been prepared with fragments containing more than 160 kb. The isolated DNA has been used in conventional protocols without affect on the protocol.

[Habitability and biological life support systems for man].

PubMed

Gazenko, O G; Grigor'ev, A I; Meleshko, G I; Shepelev, E Ia

1990-01-01

This paper discusses general concepts and specific details of the habitability of space stations and planetary bases completely isolated from the Earth for long periods of time. It emphasizes inadequacy of the present-day knowledge about natural conditions that provide a biologically acceptable environment on the Earth as well as lack of information about life support systems as a source of consumables (oxygen, water, food) and a tool for waste management. The habitability of advanced space vehicles is closely related to closed bioregenerative systems used as life support systems.

Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by isolated fungi in solid waste medium.

PubMed

Zahra, Sahebnazar; Abbas, Shojaosadati Seyed; Mahsa, Mohammad-Taheri; Mohsen, Nosrati

2010-03-01

In this study, biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by isolated landfill-source fungi was evaluated in a controlled solid waste medium. The fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Fusarium solani, were isolated from samples taken from an aerobic aged municipal landfill in Tehran. These fungi could degrade LDPE via the formation of a biofilm in a submerged medium. In the sterilized solid waste medium, LPDE films were buried for 100 days in a 1-L flask containing 400 g sterile solid waste raw materials at 28 degrees C. Each fungus was added to a separate flask. The moisture content and pH of the media were maintained at the optimal levels for each fungus. Photo-oxidation (25 days under UV-irradiation) was used as a pretreatment of the LDPE samples. The progress of the process was monitored by measurement of total organic carbon (TOC), pH, temperature and moisture. The results obtained from monitoring the process using isolated fungi under sterile conditions indicate that these fungi are able to grow in solid waste medium. The results of FT-IR and SEM analyses show that A. terreus and A. fumigatus, despite the availability of other organic carbon of materials, could utilize LDPE as carbon source. While there has been much research in the field of LDPE biodegradation under solid conditions, this is the first report of degradation of LDPE by A. fumigatus. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by isolated fungi in solid waste medium

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

Zahra, Sahebnazar; Abbas, Shojaosadati Seyed, E-mail: sa_shoja@modares.ac.i; Mahsa, Mohammad-Taheri

In this study, biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by isolated landfill-source fungi was evaluated in a controlled solid waste medium. The fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Fusarium solani, were isolated from samples taken from an aerobic aged municipal landfill in Tehran. These fungi could degrade LDPE via the formation of a biofilm in a submerged medium. In the sterilized solid waste medium, LPDE films were buried for 100 days in a 1-L flask containing 400 g sterile solid waste raw materials at 28 deg. C. Each fungus was added to a separate flask. The moisture content and pHmore » of the media were maintained at the optimal levels for each fungus. Photo-oxidation (25 days under UV-irradiation) was used as a pretreatment of the LDPE samples. The progress of the process was monitored by measurement of total organic carbon (TOC), pH, temperature and moisture. The results obtained from monitoring the process using isolated fungi under sterile conditions indicate that these fungi are able to grow in solid waste medium. The results of FT-IR and SEM analyses show that A. terreus and A. fumigatus, despite the availability of other organic carbon of materials, could utilize LDPE as carbon source. While there has been much research in the field of LDPE biodegradation under solid conditions, this is the first report of degradation of LDPE by A. fumigatus.« less

Draft Genome Sequence of a Tetrabromobisphenol A–Degrading Strain, Ochrobactrum sp. T, Isolated from an Electronic Waste Recycling Site

PubMed Central

Liang, Zhishu; Li, Guiying; Zhang, Guoxia; Das, Ranjit

2016-01-01

Ochrobactrum sp. T was previously isolated from a sludge sample collected from an electronic waste recycling site and characterized as a unique tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)–degrading bacterium. Here, the draft genome sequence (3.9 Mb) of Ochrobactrum sp. T is reported to provide insights into its diversity and its TBBPA biodegradation mechanism in polluted environments. PMID:27445374

Recovery and characterization of proteins from pangas (Pangasius pangasius) processing waste obtained through pH shift processing.

PubMed

Surasani, Vijay Kumar Reddy; Kudre, Tanaji; Ballari, Rajashekhar V

2018-04-01

Study was conducted to recover proteins from pangas (Pangasius pangasius) processing waste (fillet frames) using pH shift method and to characterize the recovered isolates. pH 2.0 from acidic range and pH 13.0 from alkaline range were found to have maximum protein recovery (p < 0.05). During the recovery process, acidic pH (pH 2.0) was found to have minimal effect on proteins resulting in more stable isolates and strong protein gels. Alkaline pH (pH 13.0) caused protein denaturation resulting in less stable proteins and poor gel network. Both acidic and alkaline-aided processing caused significant (p < 0.05) reductions in total lipid, myoglobin, and pigment content thus by resulting in whiter protein isolates and gels. The content of total essential amino acids increased during pH shift processing, indicating the enrichment of essential amino acids. No microbial counts were detected in any of the isolates prepared using acid and alkaline extraction methods. pH shift processing was found to be promising in the utilization of fish processing waste for the recovery of functional proteins from pangas processing waste thus by reducing the supply demand gap as well pollution problems.

SY Tank Farm ventilation isolation option risk assessment report

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

Powers, T.B.; Morales, S.D.

The safety of the 241-SY Tank Farm ventilation system has been under extensive scrutiny due to safety concerns associated with tank 101-SY. Hydrogen and other gases are generated and trapped in the waste below the liquid surface. Periodically, these gases are released into the dome space and vented through the exhaust system. This attention to the ventilation system has resulted in the development of several alternative ventilation system designs. The ventilation system provides the primary means of mitigation of accidents associated with flammable gases. This report provides an assessment of various alternatives ventilation system designs.

Sublimation as a Landform-Shaping Process on Pluto

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, J. M.; Howard, A. D.; White, O. L.; Umurhan, O. M.; Schenk, P. M.; Beyer, R. A.; McKinnon, W. B.; Singer, K. N.; Spencer, J. R.; Stern, S. A.;

Exploration of indigenous bacteria in an intensive aquaculture system of African catfish (Clarias sp.) in Banyuwangi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prayogo; Rahardja, B. S.; Asshanti, A. N.; Dewi, N. N.; Santanumurti, M. B.

2018-04-01

Intensive African catfish culture in tarpaulin pond was popular in Banyuwangi, Indonesia since the government supported the fisheries sector. Unfortunately, the failure of African catfish culture still occurred since the waste from fish metabolite process and feed residue decreased the water quality. Bacteria in the water could be the solution to increase the success rate of aquaculture by improving the water quality. This study purpose was to obtained indigenous bacteria in intensive aquaculture system of African catfish to improve water quality. This study successfully isolated bacteria contained with amylase, protease and lipase characteristic. Isolated bacteria in this study were identified as Pseudomonas pseudomallei (97.81%), Bacillus subtilis (95.81%) and Pseudomonas stutzeri (61.21%).

TRU waste absorbent addition project at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

PubMed

Colson, R Griff; Auman, Laurence E

2003-08-01

ABSTRACT In order to meet a commitment to ship 3,100 m3 of transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) developed a process to add absorbent to TRU waste drums that did not meet WIPP waste acceptance criteria. The development, implementation, and safe completion of this project contributed to the INEEL's success in meeting the commitment three months early.

Method of separating bacteria from free living amoebae

DOEpatents

Tyndall, Richard L.

1994-01-01

New protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. Consortia and bacteria isolated therefrom are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. Consortia, bacteria isolated therefrom, and dispersants isolated therefrom are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

Method of dispersing a hydrocarbon using bacteria

DOEpatents

Tyndall, Richard L.

1996-01-01

New protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. Consortia and bacteria isolated therefrom are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. Consortia, bacteria isolated therefrom, and dispersants isolated therefrom are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

Project characteristics monitoring report: BWIP (Basalt Waste Isolation Program) repository project

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

Friedli, E.A.; Herborn, D.I.; Taylor, C.D.

1988-03-01

This monitoring report has been prepared to show compliance with provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) and to provide local and state government agencies with information concerning the Basalt Waste Isolation Program (BWIP). This report contains data for the time period May 26, 1986 to February 1988. The data include employment figures, salaries, project purchases, taxes and fees paid, worker survey results, and project closedown personal interview summaries. This information has become particularly important since the decision in December 1987 to stop all BWIP activities except those for site reclamation. The Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Actmore » of 1987 requires nonreclamation work at the Hanford Site to stop as of March 22, 1988. 7 refs., 6 figs., 28 tabs.« less

Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1981

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

Auerbach, S.I.; Reichle, D.E.

1982-04-01

Research programs from the following sections and programs are summarized: aquatic ecology, environmental resources, earth sciences, terrestrial ecology, advanced fossil energy program, toxic substances program, environmental impacts program, biomass, low-level waste research and development program, US DOE low-level waste management program, and waste isolation program.

Hazards Associated with Legacy Nitrate Salt Waste Drums Managed under the Container Isolation Plan

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

Funk, David John; Clark, David Lewis

At present, there are 29 drums of nitrate waste salts (oxidizers with potentially acidic liquid bearing RCRA characteristics D001 and D002) that are awaiting processing, specifically to eliminate these characteristics and to allow for ultimate disposition at WIPP. As a result of the Feb. 14th, 2014 drum breach at WIPP, and the subsequent identification of the breached drum as a product ofLANL TRU waste disposition on May 15th, 2014, these 29 containers were moved into the Perrnacon in Dome 231 at TA-54 Area G, as part of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) approved container isolation plan. The plan ismore » designed to mitigate hazards associated with the nitrate salt bearing waste stream. The purpose of this document is to articulate the hazards associated with un-remediated nitrate salts while in storage at LANL. These hazards are distinctly different from the Swheat-remediated nitrate salt bearing drums, and this document is intended to support the request to remove the un-remediated drums from management under the container isolation plan. Plans to remediate and/or treat both of these waste types are being developed separately, and are beyond the scope of this document.« less

Geologic isolation of nuclear waste at high latitudes: the role of ice sheets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Person, M.; McIntosh, J.; Iverson, N.; Neuzil, C.E.; Bense, V.

2012-01-01

Geologic isolation of high-level nuclear waste from the biosphere requires special consideration in countries at high latitudes (>40°N) owing to the possibility of future episodes of continental glaciation (Talbot 1999). It is now widely recognized that Pleistocene continental glaciations have had a profound effect on rates of sediment erosion (Cuffey & Paterson 2010) and deformation including tectonic thrusting (Pedersen 2005) as well as groundwater flow (Person et al. 2007; Lemieux et al. 2008a,b,c). In addition, glacial mechanical loads may have generated anomalous, or fossil, pore pressures within certain clay-rich confining units (e.g. Vinard et al. 2001). Because high-level nuclear wastes must be isolated from the biosphere as long as 1 million years (McMurry et al. 2003), the likelihood of one or more continental ice sheets overrunning high-latitude sites must be considered.

33 CFR 158.120 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., London, SE1 7SR, England. Medical waste means isolation wastes, infectious agents, human blood and blood... or facility which is a base of operations for ships serving the mineral and oil industry. Noxious...

33 CFR 158.120 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., London, SE1 7SR, England. Medical waste means isolation wastes, infectious agents, human blood and blood... or facility which is a base of operations for ships serving the mineral and oil industry. Noxious...

Study of extraterrestrial disposal of radioactive wastes. Part 3: Preliminary feasibility screening study of space disposal of the actinide radioactive wastes with 1 percent and 0.1 percent fission product contamination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyland, R. E.; Wohl, M. L.; Finnegan, P. M.

1973-01-01

A preliminary study was conducted of the feasibility of space disposal of the actinide class of radioactive waste material. This waste was assumed to contain 1 and 0.1 percent residual fission products, since it may not be feasible to completely separate the actinides. The actinides are a small fraction of the total waste but they remain radioactive much longer than the other wastes and must be isolated from human encounter for tens of thousands of years. Results indicate that space disposal is promising but more study is required, particularly in the area of safety. The minimum cost of space transportation would increase the consumer electric utility bill by the order of 1 percent for earth escape and 3 percent for solar escape. The waste package in this phase of the study was designed for normal operating conditions only; the design of next phase of the study will include provisions for accident safety. The number of shuttle launches per year required to dispose of all U.S. generated actinide waste with 0.1 percent residual fission products varies between 3 and 15 in 1985 and between 25 and 110 by 2000. The lower values assume earth escape (solar orbit) and the higher values are for escape from the solar system.

Regulatory basis for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant performance assessment

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

HOWARD,BRYAN A.; CRAWFORD,M.B.; GALSON,D.A.

2000-05-22

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is the first operational repository designed for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste from the defense programs of the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for certifications and regulation of the WIPP facility for the radioactive components of the waste. The EPA has promulgated general radioactive waste disposal standards at 40 CFR Part 191. and WIPP-specific criteria to implement and interpret the generic disposal standards at 40 CFR Part 194. In October 1996. the DOE submitted its Compliance Certification Application (CCA) to the EPA tomore » demonstrate compliance with the disposal standards at Subparts B and C of 40 CFR Part 191. This paper summarizes the development of the overall legal framework for radioactive waste disposal at the WIPP, the parallel development of the WIPP performance assessment (PA), and how the EPA disposal standards and implementing criteria formed the basis for the CCA WIPP PA. The CCA resulted in a certification in May 1998 by the EPA of the WIPP'S compliance with the EPA's disposal standard, thus enabling the WIPP to begin radioactive waste disposal.« less

Skatole remediation potential of Rhodopseudomonas palustris WKU-KDNS3 isolated from an animal waste lagoon.

PubMed

Sharma, N; Doerner, K C; Alok, P C; Choudhary, M

2015-03-01

Skatole (3MI) is a major contributor to the malodor emission resulting from ruminant and human faeces. The remediation of malodor has been a major challenge for the animal production industry. In this investigation, a pure culture of purple nonsulphur bacterium capable of degrading 3MI was isolated from a swine waste lagoon using an enrichment technique and identified as Rhodopseudomonas palustris WKU-KDNS3 based on 16S rRNA analysis and UV-visible spectroscopy. The cell structure of the organism was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Growth profile and 3MI removal pattern were determined using media supplemented with 0.1 μmol 3MI under short-term and long-term aerobic growth conditions. The organism grew on 3MI media as luxuriantly as control (without 3MI). Growth of R. palustris WKU-KDNS3 demonstrated a significant reduction in the level of 3MI (>48%) in 72 h. The level of 3MI dropped further by >93% of the total concentration present in the medium in 21 days. Skatole remediation potential of R. palustris WKU-KDNS3 can be judiciously utilized in various animal and industrial waste treatment systems. Odour pollution is a serious environmental problem, particularly in the agriculture industry, and technologies based on chemical remediation are less effective and cost prohibitive. In this study, the newly isolated Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain WKU-KDNS3 causes biodegradation of 3-methylindole (skatole), which is one of the most offensive odorants present in wastewater lagoons. Aerobic degradation of this widely spread aromatic pollutant by Rhodopseudomonas strain is a significant finding that enhances the present understanding about metabolic versatility of purple photosynthetic nonsulphur bacteria. The remediation potential of R. palustris WKU-KDNS3 can also be gainfully utilized in various waste treatment facilities. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

C.R.O.P. - Combined Regenerative Organic food Production: Employing the benefits of natural communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bornemann, Gerhild; Hauslage, Jens; Hemmersbach, Ruth; Hendrik Anken, Ralf; Moeller, Ralf; Wasser, Kai; Tonat, Tim

The reutilization of nutrients bound in organic wastes for food crop cultivation is a central topic of BLSS (Bioregenerative Life Support System) research. The conversion of organic wastes into inorganic compounds utilizable by plants proceeds stepwise and each step is carried out by specific microorganisms with varying environmental demands. In BLSS design different steps are often allocated to different treatment units. Each unit is inoculated with selected microbial cultures and provides optimal growth conditions for these. The compartmented set-up is also often used in public wastewater treatment. But as wastewaters usually carry their decomposers with them, specified inoculates are only applied in special cases. Due to the highly variable composition of wastewater, diverse communities of microorganisms are found in treatment plants enabling these to cope with the unpredictable substrate. Although in isolated space habitats, microorganisms necessary for degradation will also be present on wastes and in wastewaters, their diversity will be limited to those species introduced into the system until launch. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a stable microbial community in the waste processing system that is capable to degrade all kinds of wastes, including micropollutants like pharmaceutical residues, before launch. The C.R.O.P. project aims at combining the utilization of liquid and solid organic wastes with soilless plant cultivation. The envisioned waste processing system is a trickling filter designed to join all required functions in one compartment thus reducing size and weight. To achieve this, the filter medium provides habitats with differing conditions so that a diverse microbial community grows as biofilm on its surface. We assume that, once established, such a quasi-natural community makes the system multifunctional with regard to the substrates that can be degraded, and stable with regard to invasion of undesirable microorganisms. Our current research focuses on the characterisation of the system’s capability to degrade different substrates like urine and plant wastes and the usability of the filtrate as fertilizer. Molecular analyses revealed a variety of different microorganisms in the filters. Future research will address the question how to introduce specialised microorganisms into the system to enable it to degrade micropollutants, and the question how to maintain these during periods of absence of their substrate.

Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus sp. GZT, a 2,4,6-Tribromophenol-Degrading Strain Isolated from the River Sludge of an Electronic Waste-Dismantling Region

PubMed Central

Liang, Zhishu; Li, Guiying; Das, Ranjit

2016-01-01

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Bacillus sp. strain GZT, a 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP)-degrading bacterium previously isolated from an electronic waste-dismantling region. The draft genome sequence is 5.18 Mb and has a G+C content of 35.1%. This is the first genome report of a brominated flame retardant-degrading strain. PMID:27257197

A process for complete biodegradation of shrimp waste by a novel marine isolate Paenibacillus sp. AD with simultaneous production of chitinase and chitin oligosaccharides.

PubMed

Kumar, Aditya; Kumar, Deepak; George, Nancy; Sharma, Prince; Gupta, Naveen

2018-04-01

Disposal of chitinaceous waste is a major problem of seafood industry. Most of the known chitinolytic organisms have been studied with respect to pure chitin as substrate. Use of these organisms for degradation of seafood waste has not been explored much. In present study a marine bacterium capable of proficiently degrading shrimp waste with co-production of value added products like chitinase and chitin oligosaccharides was isolated from seafood waste dumping sites. On 16s rRNA and biochemical analysis bacterium was found to be a novel species of genus Paenibacillus.Under optimized condition complete shrimp waste degradation (99%) was achieved along with chitinase yield of 20.01 IUml -1 . SEM and FTIR showed the structural changes and breakage of bonds typical to that of chitin, which indicated that this process can be used for the degradation of other chitinaceous material also. Thin layer chromatography revealed the presence of chitin oligosaccharides of various degree of polymerization in the hydrolysate. Complete degradation of shrimp waste by Paenibacillus sp. AD makes it a potential candidate for the bioremediation of seafood waste at large scale. Concomitant production of chitinase and chitin oligosaccharides further makes the process economical and commercially viable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Suppressive composts from organic wastes as agents of biological control of fusariosis in Tatartan Republic (Russia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gumerova, Raushaniya; Galitskaya, Polina; Beru, Franchesca; Selivanovskaya, Svetlana

2015-04-01

Plant diseases are one of the seriously limiting factors of agriculture efficiency around the world. Diseases caused by fungi are the major threat to plants. Crop protection in modern agriculture heavily depends on chemical fungicides. Disadvantages of chemical pesticides soon became apparent as damage to the environment and a hazard to human health. In this regard use of biopesticides becomes an attractive alternative method of plant protection. For biological control of fungal plant diseases, separate bacterial or fungal strains as well as their communities can be used. Biopreparations must consist of microbes that are typical for local climate and soil conditions and therefore are able to survive in environments for a long time. Another option of plant pests' biological control is implementation of suppressive composts made of agricultural or other organic wastes. These composts can not only prevent the development of plant diseases, but also improve the soil fertility. The objective of this work was estimation of potential of composts and strains isolated from these composts as means for biological control of fusariosis that is one of the most widespread plant soil born disease. The composts were made up of the commonly produced agricultural wastes produced in Tatarstan Republic (Russia). Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici was used as a model phytopathogen. Ten types of organic waste (Goat manure (GM), Chicken dung (CD), Chicken dung with straw addition (CS), Rabbit dung (RD), Cow manure (CM), Rerotting pork manure (RPM), Fresh pork manure (FPM), Pork manure with sawdust and straw (PMS), the remains of plants and leaves (PL), the vegetable waste (VW) were sampled in the big farms situated in Tatarstan Republic which is one of the main agricultural regions of Russia. The initial wastes were composted for 150 days. Further, the following characteristics of the composts were assessed: pH, electro conductivity, TOC, DOC, Ntot. On petri dishes with meat pepton agar, the composts and their water extracts were checked towards their ability to inhibit growth of F. oxysporum. It was shown that three composts - CD, FPM and RD - possessed suppressiveness towards the model phytopathogen. From these three wastes, 28 bacterial and fungal strains were isolated and, in their turn, checked towards their ability to inhibit F. oxysporum. It was demonstrated that five of the isolated strains are highly suppressive to model test-object (the growth area of F. oxysporum did not exceed 30%), six of the stains were moderate suppressive (the growth area of F. oxysporum ranged from 35% to 60%), and other strains did not cause negative effects for the model phytopathogen. Further, we will check the composts and the isolated strains using the model system "soil - tomato plant - phytopathogen". As a result, effective composts and strains will be recommended as agents for biological control of fungal diseases in the region. Besides, the structure of bacterial and fungal community of the composts with suppressive properties will be assessed using 454-pyrosequencing.

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

CIRMIS Data system. Volume 2. Program listings

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

Friedrichs, D.R.

1980-01-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (OWNI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologicmore » systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. The various input parameters required in the analysis are compiled in data systems. The data are organized and prepared by various input subroutines for utilization by the hydraulic and transport codes. The hydrologic models simulate the groundwater flow systems and provide water flow directions, rates, and velocities as inputs to the transport models. Outputs from the transport models are basically graphs of radionuclide concentration in the groundwater plotted against time. After dilution in the receiving surface-water body (e.g., lake, river, bay), these data are the input source terms for the dose models, if dose assessments are required.The dose models calculate radiation dose to individuals and populations. CIRMIS (Comprehensive Information Retrieval and Model Input Sequence) Data System is a storage and retrieval system for model input and output data, including graphical interpretation and display. This is the second of four volumes of the description of the CIRMIS Data System.« less

Engineering study of 50 miscellaneous inactive underground radioactive waste tanks located at the Hanford Site, Washington

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

Freeman-Pollard, J.R.

1994-03-02

This engineering study addresses 50 inactive underground radioactive waste tanks. The tanks were formerly used for the following functions associated with plutonium and uranium separations and waste management activities in the 200 East and 200 West Areas of the Hanford Site: settling solids prior to disposal of supernatant in cribs and a reverse well; neutralizing acidic process wastes prior to crib disposal; receipt and processing of single-shell tank (SST) waste for uranium recovery operations; catch tanks to collect water that intruded into diversion boxes and transfer pipeline encasements and any leakage that occurred during waste transfer operations; and waste handlingmore » and process experimentation. Most of these tanks have not been in use for many years. Several projects have, been planned and implemented since the 1970`s and through 1985 to remove waste and interim isolate or interim stabilize many of the tanks. Some tanks have been filled with grout within the past several years. Responsibility for final closure and/or remediation of these tanks is currently assigned to several programs including Tank Waste Remediation Systems (TWRS), Environmental Restoration and Remedial Action (ERRA), and Decommissioning and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Closure (D&RCP). Some are under facility landlord responsibility for maintenance and surveillance (i.e. Plutonium Uranium Extraction [PUREX]). However, most of the tanks are not currently included in any active monitoring or surveillance program.« less

Transmission and adaptation of chronic wasting disease to hamsters and transgenic mice: evidence for strains.

PubMed

Raymond, Gregory J; Raymond, Lynne D; Meade-White, Kimberly D; Hughson, Andrew G; Favara, Cynthia; Gardner, Donald; Williams, Elizabeth S; Miller, Michael W; Race, Richard E; Caughey, Byron

2007-04-01

In vitro screening using the cell-free prion protein conversion system indicated that certain rodents may be susceptible to chronic wasting disease (CWD). Therefore, CWD isolates from mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk were inoculated intracerebrally into various rodent species to assess the rodents' susceptibility and to develop new rodent models of CWD. The species inoculated were Syrian golden, Djungarian, Chinese, Siberian, and Armenian hamsters, transgenic mice expressing the Syrian golden hamster prion protein, and RML Swiss and C57BL10 wild-type mice. The transgenic mice and the Syrian golden, Chinese, Siberian, and Armenian hamsters had limited susceptibility to certain of the CWD inocula, as evidenced by incomplete attack rates and long incubation periods. For serial passages of CWD isolates in Syrian golden hamsters, incubation periods rapidly stabilized, with isolates having either short (85 to 89 days) or long (408 to 544 days) mean incubation periods and distinct neuropathological patterns. In contrast, wild-type mouse strains and Djungarian hamsters were not susceptible to CWD. These results show that CWD can be transmitted and adapted to some species of rodents and suggest that the cervid-derived CWD inocula may have contained or diverged into at least two distinct transmissible spongiform encephalopathy strains.

Characterization of bacterial isolates from rubber dump site and their use in biodegradation of isoprene in batch and continuous bioreactors.

PubMed

Srivastva, Navnita; Shukla, Awadhesh Kumar; Singh, Ram Sharan; Upadhyay, Siddh Nath; Dubey, Suresh Kumar

2015-01-01

Bacterial isolates from contaminated soil of a waste rubber dumping site were isolated and characterized using biochemical and molecular approaches. Isoprene degradation kinetics in batch mode (isoprene concentration: 100-1000 ppm) revealed the degradation efficiency of isolates as: Pseudomonas sp. (83%)>Alcaligenes sp. (70%)>Klebsiella sp. (68.5%). The most efficient isolate Pseudomonas sp. was finally inoculated in a specifically designed bioreactor system comprising a bioscrubber and a biofilter packed with polyurethane foam connected in series. The bioscrubber and biofilter units when operated in a series showed more than 90% removal efficiency up to the inlet loading rate (IL) of 371.1g/m(3)/h. Maximum elimination capacity (EC) of biofilter was found to be an order of magnitude greater than that for bioscrubber. Oxidative cleavage of the double bond of isoprene has been revealed through IR spectra of the leachate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of NASA programs in applying aerospace technology to energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwenk, F. C.

1981-01-01

NASA's role in energy research and development, with the aid of aerospace technology, is reviewed. A brief history, which began in 1974 with studies of solar energy systems on earth, is presented, and the major energy programs, consisting of over 60 different projects, are described, and include solar terrestrial systems, conservation and fossil energy systems, and space utilization systems. Special attention is given to the Satellite Power System and the isolation of nuclear wastes in space. Emerging prospects for NASA programs in energy technology include bioenergy, and ocean thermal energy conversion, coal extraction and conversion technologies, and support to the nuclear industry in power plant systems safety.

Generic Argillite/Shale Disposal Reference Case

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

Zheng, Liange; Colon, Carlos Jové; Bianchi, Marco

Radioactive waste disposal in a deep subsurface repository hosted in clay/shale/argillite is a subject of widespread interest given the desirable isolation properties, geochemically reduced conditions, and widespread geologic occurrence of this rock type (Hansen 2010; Bianchi et al. 2013). Bianchi et al. (2013) provides a description of diffusion in a clay-hosted repository based on single-phase flow and full saturation using parametric data from documented studies in Europe (e.g., ANDRA 2005). The predominance of diffusive transport and sorption phenomena in this clay media are key attributes to impede radionuclide mobility making clay rock formations target sites for disposal of high-level radioactivemore » waste. The reports by Hansen et al. (2010) and those from numerous studies in clay-hosted underground research laboratories (URLs) in Belgium, France and Switzerland outline the extensive scientific knowledge obtained to assess long-term clay/shale/argillite repository isolation performance of nuclear waste. In the past several years under the UFDC, various kinds of models have been developed for argillite repository to demonstrate the model capability, understand the spatial and temporal alteration of the repository, and evaluate different scenarios. These models include the coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical (THM) and Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) models (e.g. Liu et al. 2013; Rutqvist et al. 2014a, Zheng et al. 2014a) that focus on THMC processes in the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) bentonite and argillite host hock, the large scale hydrogeologic model (Bianchi et al. 2014) that investigates the hydraulic connection between an emplacement drift and surrounding hydrogeological units, and Disposal Systems Evaluation Framework (DSEF) models (Greenberg et al. 2013) that evaluate thermal evolution in the host rock approximated as a thermal conduction process to facilitate the analysis of design options. However, the assumptions and the properties (parameters) used in these models are different, which not only make inter-model comparisons difficult, but also compromise the applicability of the lessons learned from one model to another model. The establishment of a reference case would therefore be helpful to set up a baseline for model development. A generic salt repository reference case was developed in Freeze et al. (2013) and the generic argillite repository reference case is presented in this report. The definition of a reference case requires the characterization of the waste inventory, waste form, waste package, repository layout, EBS backfill, host rock, and biosphere. This report mainly documents the processes in EBS bentonite and host rock that are potentially important for performance assessment and properties that are needed to describe these processes, with brief description other components such as waste inventory, waste form, waste package, repository layout, aquifer, and biosphere. A thorough description of the generic argillite repository reference case will be given in Jové Colon et al. (2014).« less

Finite-element three-dimensional ground-water (FE3DGW) flow model - formulation, program listings and users' manual

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

Gupta, S.K.; Cole, C.R.; Bond, F.W.

1979-12-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (OWNI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologicmore » systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. Hydrologic and transport models are available at several levels of complexity or sophistication. Model selection and use are determined by the quantity and quality of input data. Model development under AEGIS and related programs provides three levels of hydrologic models, two levels of transport models, and one level of dose models (with several separate models). This document consists of the description of the FE3DGW (Finite Element, Three-Dimensional Groundwater) Hydrologic model third level (high complexity) three-dimensional, finite element approach (Galerkin formulation) for saturated groundwater flow.« less

Method of dispersing a hydrocarbon using bacteria

DOEpatents

Tyndall, R.L.

1996-09-24

A new protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. The isolated consortia and bacteria are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. The isolated consortia, bacteria, and dispersants are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT (WIPP): THE NATIONS' SOLUTION TO NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE AND DISPOSAL ISSUES

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

Lopez, Tammy Ann

2014-07-17

In the southeastern portion of my home state of New Mexico lies the Chihuahauan desert, where a transuranic (TRU), underground disposal site known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) occupies 16 square miles. Full operation status began in March 1999, the year I graduated from Los Alamos High School, in Los Alamos, NM, the birthplace of the atomic bomb and one of the nation’s main TRU waste generator sites. During the time of its development and until recently, I did not have a full grasp on the role Los Alamos was playing in regards to WIPP. WIPP is usedmore » to store and dispose of TRU waste that has been generated since the 1940s because of nuclear weapons research and testing operations that have occurred in Los Alamos, NM and at other sites throughout the United States (U.S.). TRU waste consists of items that are contaminated with artificial, man-made radioactive elements that have atomic numbers greater than uranium, or are trans-uranic, on the periodic table of elements and it has longevity characteristics that may be hazardous to human health and the environment. Therefore, WIPP has underground rooms that have been carved out of 2,000 square foot thick salt formations approximately 2,150 feet underground so that the TRU waste can be isolated and disposed of. WIPP has operated safely and successfully until this year, when two unrelated events occurred in February 2014. With these events, the safety precautions and measures that have been operating at WIPP for the last 15 years are being revised and improved to ensure that other such events do not occur again.« less

Performance Assessment of a Generic Repository in Bedded Salt for DOE-Managed Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, E. R.; Sevougian, S. D.; Hammond, G. E.; Frederick, J. M.; Mariner, P. E.

2016-12-01

A mined repository in salt is one of the concepts under consideration for disposal of DOE-managed defense-related spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high level waste (HLW). Bedded salt is a favorable medium for disposal of nuclear waste due to its low permeability, high thermal conductivity, and ability to self-heal. Sandia's Generic Disposal System Analysis framework is used to assess the ability of a generic repository in bedded salt to isolate radionuclides from the biosphere. The performance assessment considers multiple waste types of varying thermal load and radionuclide inventory, the engineered barrier system comprising the waste packages, backfill, and emplacement drifts, and the natural barrier system formed by a bedded salt deposit and the overlying sedimentary sequence (including an aquifer). The model simulates disposal of nearly the entire inventory of DOE-managed, defense-related SNF (excluding Naval SNF) and HLW in a half-symmetry domain containing approximately 6 million grid cells. Grid refinement captures the detail of 25,200 individual waste packages in 180 disposal panels, associated access halls, and 4 shafts connecting the land surface to the repository. Equations describing coupled heat and fluid flow and reactive transport are solved numerically with PFLOTRAN, a massively parallel flow and transport code. Simulated processes include heat conduction and convection, waste package failure, waste form dissolution, radioactive decay and ingrowth, sorption, solubility limits, advection, dispersion, and diffusion. Simulations are run to 1 million years, and radionuclide concentrations are observed within an aquifer at a point approximately 4 kilometers downgradient of the repository. The software package DAKOTA is used to sample likely ranges of input parameters including waste form dissolution rates and properties of engineered and natural materials in order to quantify uncertainty in predicted concentrations and sensitivity to input parameters. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

New Mexicans debate nuclear waste disposal

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

Lepkowski, W.

1979-01-01

A brief survey of the background of the Waste Isolation Plant (WIPP) at Carlsbad, New Mexico and the forces at play around WIPP is presented. DOE has plans to establish by 1988 an underground repository for nuclear wastes in the salt formations near Carlsbad. Views of New Mexicans, both pro and con, are reviewed. It is concluded that DOE will have to practice public persuasion to receive approval for the burial of wastes in New Mexico.

Alkaline bioleaching of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash by autochthonous extremophiles.

PubMed

Ramanathan, Thulasya; Ting, Yen-Peng

2016-10-01

The increasing demand for energy and the generation of solid waste have caused an alarming rise in fly ash production globally. Since heavy metals continue to be in demand for the production of materials, resource recovery from the recycling of these wastes has the potential to delay the depletion of natural ores. The use of microorganisms for the leaching of metals, in a process called bioleaching, is an eco-friendly and economical way to treat the metal-laden wastes. Bioleaching of fly ash is challenging due largely to the alkaline nature and toxic levels of heavy metals which are detrimental to microbial growth and bioleaching activity. The present work reports the isolation of indigenous bacteria from a local landfill site and their bioleaching performance [corrected]. 38 autochthonous strains of bacteria were isolated from eight samples collected and plated on five different media. 18 of the isolates showed bioleaching potential, with significant alkaline pH or fly ash tolerance. Genetic characterization of the strains revealed a dominance of Firmicutes, with Alkalibacterium sp. TRTYP6 showing highest fly ash tolerance of up to 20% w/v fly ash, and growth over a pH range 8-12.5. The organism selectively recovered about 52% Cu from the waste. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a study on bioleaching with extreme alkaliphiles is reported. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving methane yield and quality via co-digestion of cow dung mixed with food waste.

PubMed

Awasthi, Sanjeev Kumar; Joshi, Rutu; Dhar, Hiya; Verma, Shivpal; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Varjani, Sunita; Sarsaiya, Surendra; Zhang, Zengqiang; Kumar, Sunil

2018-03-01

Methane (CH 4 ) production and quality were enhanced by the co-digestion of cow dung and food waste (FW) mixed with organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) under optimized conditions in bench and semi continuous-scale mode for a period of 30 days. A bacterium capable of high yield of CH 4 was enriched and isolated by employing activated sewage sludge as the inoculums. The thirteen bacterial isolates were identified through morphological and biochemical tests. Gas chromatography was used to analyze the chemical compositions of the generated biogas. CH 4 yields were significantly higher during co-digestion of Run II (7.59 L) than Run I (3.7 L). Therefore, the co-digestion of FW with OFMSW and Run II was observed to be a competent method for biogas conversion from organic waste resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Issues in establishing an aerosol radiological baseline for the waste isolation pilot plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico.

PubMed

Rodgers, J C; Kenney, J W

1997-02-01

The Department of Energy has constructed a deep geologic repository for defense transuranic waste disposal. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, located in Southeastern New Mexico, is slated to receive transuranic waste by truck delivery beginning in 1998. The Environmental Evaluation Group (EEG) provides an independent evaluation of the impact on the health and environment in New Mexico of the WIPP project. Since 1985, the EEG has operated a network of air monitoring sites around WIPP and in nearby communities. The radionuclide concentration data from these air samples have been assembled into a useful baseline data base after resolution of a number of methodological and quality assurance issues. Investigation thresholds for the principal radionuclides have been calculated from combined data collected from several sites. These action levels will provide a critical quantitative basis for decisions of whether future airborne radionuclide measurements are attributable to accidental releases.

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

Mapping isolated wetlands in a Karst landscape: GIS and remote sensing methods

EPA Science Inventory

Isolated wetlands occur in many areas of the United States, and although they are relatively common, they are a resource not yet thoroughly understood by the scientific community. Isolated wetlands have received increased attention recently, due to the 2001 Solid Waste Agency of ...

Hydrogen generation by metal corrosion in simulated Waste Isolation Pilot Plant environments. Final report

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

Telander, M.R.; Westerman, R.E.

1997-03-01

The corrosion and gas-generation characteristics of four material types: low-carbon steel (the current waste packaging material for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant), Cu-base and Ti-base (alternative packaging) materials, and Al-base (simulated waste) materials were determined in both the liquid and vapor phase of Brine A, a brine representative of an intergranular Salado Formation brine. Test environments consisted primarily of anoxic brine with overpressures of N{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}S, and H{sub 2}. Limited tests of low-carbon steel were also performed in simulated-backfill environments and in brine environments with pH values ranging from 3 to 11. Low-carbon steel reacted atmore » a slow, measurable rate with anoxic brine, liberating H{sub 2} on an equimolar basis with Fe reacted. Presence of CO{sub 2} caused the initial reaction to proceed more rapidly, but CO{sub 2}-induced passivation stopped the reaction if the CO{sub 2} were present in sufficient quantities. Addition of H{sub 2}S to a CO{sub 2}-passivated system caused reversal of the passivation. Low-carbon steel immersed in brine with H{sub 2}S showed no reaction, apparently because of passivation of the steel by formation of FeS. Addition of CO{sub 2} to an H{sub 2}S-passivated system did not reverse the passivation. Cu- and Ti-base materials showed essentially no corrosion when exposed to brine and overpressures of N{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}S except for the rapid and complete reaction between Cu-base materials and H{sub 2}S. The Al-base materials reacted at approximately the same rate as low-carbon steel when immersed in anoxic Brine A; considerably more rapidly in the presence of CO{sub 2} or H{sub 2}S; and much more rapidly when iron was present in the system as a brine contaminant. High-purity Al was much more susceptible to corrosion than the 6061 alloy. No significant reaction took place on any material in any environment in the vapor-phase exposures.« less

Isolation and characterization of multiple drug resistance bacterial pathogens from waste water in hospital and non-hospital environments, Northwest Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The importance of bacterial isolates from waste water environment as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance and a potential source of novel resistance genes to clinical pathogens is underestimated. This study is aimed at to isolate and characterize public health important bacteria from waste water in hospital and non- hospital environments and evaluate the distribution of multiple drug resistance bacteria in the study area. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Gondar from January-June 2012. The hospital waste water was taken from different sections of the Gondar University Teaching Hospital. Non- hospital environment samples were taken at different sites of the university campuses, Gondar College of Teachers education, and soft drink factory in Gondar. Samples were aseptically collected, transported and processed with in two hours following standard procedure. Identified organisms were assessed for different antibiotics following Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. All data was registered and entered in to SPSS version 16 computer program. P-values less than 0.05 were taken as statistically significant. Result A total of 60 waste water samples were processed for the presence of drug resistance pathogens. Among the total samples 113 bacterial isolates were recovered and of these 65 (57.5%) were from hospital environment and 48 (42.5%) were from non-hospital environment. The most frequently identified bacterium was Klebsiella spp. 30 (26.6%) followed by Pseudomonas spp. 19(16.8%), E. coli (11.5%) and Citrobacter spp (11.5%), and Staphylococcus aureus (8.2%). The over all prevalence of multiple drug resistance (MDR) in this study was 79/113 (69.9%). MDR in hospital environment was found to be 53/68 (81.5%) while in non hospital environment was found to be 26/48 (54.2%). Conclusions Multiple drug resistance to the commonly used antibiotics is high in the study area. The contamination of waste water by antibiotics or other pollutants lead to the rise of resistance due to selection pressure. The presence of antibiotic resistance organisms in this waste water should not be overlooked. Since this organisms may be vital to the safety and well-being of patients who are hospitalized and individual susceptible to infection. Therefore, proper waste water treatment plant should be established and improved sanitary measure should be practice. PMID:24708553

Isolation and characterization of multiple drug resistance bacterial pathogens from waste water in hospital and non-hospital environments, Northwest Ethiopia.

PubMed

Moges, Feleke; Endris, Mengistu; Belyhun, Yeshambel; Worku, Walelegn

2014-04-05

The importance of bacterial isolates from waste water environment as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance and a potential source of novel resistance genes to clinical pathogens is underestimated. This study is aimed at to isolate and characterize public health important bacteria from waste water in hospital and non- hospital environments and evaluate the distribution of multiple drug resistance bacteria in the study area. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Gondar from January-June 2012. The hospital waste water was taken from different sections of the Gondar University Teaching Hospital. Non- hospital environment samples were taken at different sites of the university campuses, Gondar College of Teachers education, and soft drink factory in Gondar. Samples were aseptically collected, transported and processed with in two hours following standard procedure. Identified organisms were assessed for different antibiotics following Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. All data was registered and entered in to SPSS version 16 computer program. P-values less than 0.05 were taken as statistically significant. A total of 60 waste water samples were processed for the presence of drug resistance pathogens. Among the total samples 113 bacterial isolates were recovered and of these 65 (57.5%) were from hospital environment and 48 (42.5%) were from non-hospital environment. The most frequently identified bacterium was Klebsiella spp. 30 (26.6%) followed by Pseudomonas spp. 19(16.8%), E. coli (11.5%) and Citrobacter spp (11.5%), and Staphylococcus aureus (8.2%). The over all prevalence of multiple drug resistance (MDR) in this study was 79/113 (69.9%). MDR in hospital environment was found to be 53/68 (81.5%) while in non hospital environment was found to be 26/48 (54.2%). Multiple drug resistance to the commonly used antibiotics is high in the study area. The contamination of waste water by antibiotics or other pollutants lead to the rise of resistance due to selection pressure. The presence of antibiotic resistance organisms in this waste water should not be overlooked. Since this organisms may be vital to the safety and well-being of patients who are hospitalized and individual susceptible to infection. Therefore, proper waste water treatment plant should be established and improved sanitary measure should be practice.

Information brochure on the Department of Energy's proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico. Project overview

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

Not Available

This project overview comprises the following: project history; WIPP fact sheet; legal actions required; major WIPP milestones; low-level waste volumes; nuclear waste transportation; WIPP site selection; and questions and answers from the Department of Energy request for public input prior to public meetings in Roswell and Hobbs, New Mexico.

Growth dynamics of Salmonella enterica strains on alfalfa sprouts and in waste seed irrigation water.

PubMed

Howard, Michael B; Hutcheson, Steven W

2003-01-01

Alfalfa sprouts and other seed sprouts have been implicated in numerous outbreaks of salmonellosis. The source of these epidemics appears to have been low-level contamination of seeds by Salmonella bacteria that developed into clinically significant populations during the seed germination process. To test the possibility that Salmonella enterica strains carry host range determinants that allow them to grow on alfalfa, strains isolated from alfalfa or other sources were surveyed for their ability to grow on germinating alfalfa seeds. An S. enterica serovar Cubana strain originally isolated from contaminated alfalfa sprouts multiplied most rapidly during the initial 24 h of the seed germination process. Germinating alfalfa seeds supported the multiplication of S. enterica cells prior to the emergence of the root radicle at 72 h. Thereafter, much lower rates of multiplication were apparent. The ability of S. enterica to grow on germinating alfalfa seeds was independent of the serovar, isolation source, or virulence of the strain. Isolates obtained from alfalfa attained population levels similar to those observed for strains isolated from contaminated meat products or stools. Each of the strains could be detected in the waste irrigation water, with populations being strongly correlated with those detected on the germinating alfalfa seeds. The S. enterica strains were capable of utilizing the waste irrigation water as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. S. enterica strains thus appear to grow saprophytically on soluble organics released from seeds during early phases of germination. The ability to detect S. enterica in the waste irrigation water early in the germination process indicates that this method may be used as a simple way to monitor the contamination of sprouts during commercial operations.

Evaluation of copper resistant bacteria from vineyard soils and mining waste for copper biosorption

PubMed Central

Andreazza, R.; Pieniz, S.; Okeke, B.C.; Camargo, F.A.O

2011-01-01

Vineyard soils are frequently polluted with high concentrations of copper due application of copper sulfate in order to control fungal diseases. Bioremediation is an efficient process for the treatment of contaminated sites. Efficient copper sorption bacteria can be used for bioremoval of copper from contaminated sites. In this study, a total of 106 copper resistant bacteria were examined for resistance to copper toxicity and biosorption of copper. Eighty isolates (45 from vineyard Mollisol, 35 from Inceptisol) were obtained from EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária) experimental station, Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil (29°09′53.92″S and 51°31′39.40″W) and 26 were obtained from copper mining waste from Caçapava do Sul, RS, Brazil (30°29′43.48″S and 53′32′37.87W). Based on resistance to copper toxicity and biosorption, 15 isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Maximal copper resistance and biosorption at high copper concentration were observed with isolate N2 which removed 80 mg L−1 in 24 h. Contrarily isolate N11 (Bacillus pumilus) displayed the highest specific copper biosorption (121.82 mg/L/OD unit in 24 h). GenBank MEGABLAST analysis revealed that isolate N2 is 99% similar to Staphylococcus pasteuri. Results indicate that several of our isolates have potential use for bioremediation treatment of vineyards soils and mining waste contaminated with high copper concentration. PMID:24031606

Expert judgment on markers to deter inadvertent human intrusion into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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

Trauth, K.M.; Hora, S.C.; Guzowski, R.V.

1993-11-01

The expert panel identified basic principles to guide current and future marker development efforts: (1) the site must be marked, (2) message(s) must be truthful and informative, (3) multiple components within a marker system, (4) multiple means of communication (e.g., language, pictographs, scientific diagrams), (5) multiple levels of complexity within individual messages on individual marker system elements, (6) use of materials with little recycle value, and (7) international effort to maintain knowledge of the locations and contents of nuclear waste repositories. The efficacy of the markers in deterring inadvertent human intrusion was estimated to decrease with time, with the probabilitymore » function varying with the mode of intrusion (who is intruding and for what purpose) and the level of technological development of the society. The development of a permanent, passive marker system capable of surviving and remaining interpretable for 10,000 years will require further study prior to implementation.« less

Microbial Characterization of Solid-Wastes Treated with Heat Melt Compaction Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strayer, Richard F.; Hummerick, Mary E.; Richards, Jeffrey T.; McCoy, LaShelle E.; Roberts, Michael S.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2011-01-01

The research purpose of the project was to determine the fate of microorganisms in space-generated solid wastes after processing by a Heat Melt Compactor (HMC), which is a candidate solid waste treatment technology. Five HMC product disks were generated at Ames Research Center (ARC), Waste Management Systems element. The feed for two was simulated space-generated trash and feed for three was Volume F compartment wet waste returned on STS 130. Conventional microbiological methods were used to detect and enumerate microorganisms in HMC disks and in surface swab samples of HMC hardware before and after operation. Also, biological indicator test strips were added to the STS trash prior to compaction to test if HMC processing conditions, 150 C for approx 3 hr and dehydration, were sufficient to eliminate the test bacteria on the strips. During sample acquisition at KSC, the HMC disk surfaces were sanitized with 70% alcohol to prevent contamination of disk interiors. Results from microbiological assays indicated that numbers of microbes were greatly reduced but not eliminated by the 70% alcohol. Ten 1.25 cm diameter cores were aseptically cut from each disk to sample the disk interior. The core material was run through the microbial characterization analyses after dispersal in sterile diluent. Low counts of viable bacteria (5 to 50 per core) were found but total direct counts were 6 to 8 orders of magnitude greater. These results indicate that the HMC operating conditions might not be sufficient for complete waste sterilization, but the vast majority of microbes present in the wastes were dead or non-cultivable after HMC treatment. The results obtained from analyses of the commercial spore test strips that had been added fo the wastes prior to HMC operation further indicated that the HMC was sterilizing the wastes. Nearly all strips were recovered from the HMC disks and all of these were negative for spore growth when run through the manufacturer's protocol. The 10(exp 6) or so spores impregnated into the strips were no longer viable. Control test strips, i.e., not exposed to the HMC conditions, were all strongly positive. All isolates from the cultivable counts were identified, leading to one concern: several were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, a human pathogen. The project reported here provides microbial characterization support to the Waste Management Systems element of the Life Support and Habitation Systems program.

Hospital waste management in Brazil: a case study.

PubMed

Mattoso, V D; Schalch, V

2001-12-01

The evaluation of the current definition, classification and quantification of hospital waste being carried out by hospitals in different countries is extremely important to avoid improper waste management practices. In this work, the waste management from a 400-bed Brazilian hospital which generates about 386 kg per day of hospital waste was studied. The generation rate of just over one kg per bed per day was considered small, although more than 50% of the waste from non-isolation wards consisted of food waste. It was also interesting to note that the highest generation rate per patient per day was found in private rooms and the lowest rate in the public ones. The waste practices used in this hospital are discussed in terms of current Brazilian legislation.

Statement by Dr. Raul A. Deju to the Subcommittee on Radioactive Waste, Energy and Utilities Committee, Washington State Senate, Richland, Washington, October 21, 1982

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

Deju, R.A.

1982-10-01

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project's mission is to assess whether or not a nuclear waste repository can be sited in the basalts beneath the Hanford Site. Dr. Deju summarizes the results of the siting studies, the activities connected with waste package development, and ongoing engineering studies. In addition, he gives a glimpse of past technical reviews of the project and comments on major technical activities planned in the near future.

Analysis of rockbolt performance at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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

Terrill, L.J.; Francke, C.T.; Saeb, S.

Rockbolt failures at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant have been recorded since 1990 and are categorized in terms of mode of failure. The failures are evaluated in terms of physical location of installation within the mine, local excavation geometry and stratigraphy, proximity to other excavations or shafts, and excavation age. The database of failures has revealed discrete ares of the mine containing relatively large numbers of failures. The results of metallurgical analyses and standard rockbolt load testing have generally been in agreement with the in situ evaluations.

Impact of Corrections to the Spallings Volume Calculation on Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Performance Assessment

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

Kicker, Dwayne Curtis; Herrick, Courtney G; Zeitler, Todd

2015-11-01

The numerical code DRSPALL (from direct release spallings) is written to calculate the volume of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant solid waste subject to material failure and transport to the surface (i.e., spallings) as a result of a hypothetical future inadvertent drilling intrusion into the repository. An error in the implementation of the DRSPALL finite difference equations was discovered and documented in a software problem report in accordance with the quality assurance procedure for software requirements. This paper describes the corrections to DRSPALL and documents the impact of the new spallings data from the modified DRSPALL on previous performance assessment calculations.more » Updated performance assessments result in more simulations with spallings, which generally translates to an increase in spallings releases to the accessible environment. Total normalized radionuclide releases using the modified DRSPALL data were determined by forming the summation of releases across each potential release pathway, namely borehole cuttings and cavings releases, spallings releases, direct brine releases, and transport releases. Because spallings releases are not a major contributor to the total releases, the updated performance assessment calculations of overall mean complementary cumulative distribution functions for total releases are virtually unchanged. Therefore, the corrections to the spallings volume calculation did not impact Waste Isolation Pilot Plant performance assessment calculation results.« less

Genetic heterogeneity in familial renal magnesium wasting.

PubMed

Kantorovich, Vitaly; Adams, John S; Gaines, Jade E; Guo, Xiuqing; Pandian, Murugan R; Cohn, Daniel H; Rude, Robert K

2002-02-01

Isolated hereditary renal magnesium (Mg) wasting may result from mutations in the renal tubular epithelial cell tight junction protein paracellin-1 gene or the tubular Na(+),K(+)-ATPase gamma-subunit gene FXYD2. The FXYD2 gene mutation was discovered in two Dutch families as an autosomal dominant disorder. It is characterized by isolated renal Mg wasting with resultant symptomatic hypomagnesemia. The defective FXYD2 gene in these families mapped to chromosome 11q23. Here, we describe an American family with a similar phenotype but without linkage to the 11q23 locus; in testing 22 individuals in the pedigree multipoint LOD scores for five different loci from the 11q23 region were equal to -2.97. Compared with unaffected family members and normal controls, affected family members harbored significant reductions in the serum and lymphocyte Mg concentrations and in the serum immunoreactive PTH level with a 4-fold increase in the mean fractional urinary Mg excretion rate during a normomagnesemic clamp. Bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and proximal femur was significantly reduced in affected family members. In conclusion, our data demonstrate locus heterogeneity for the phenotype of isolated renal Mg wasting with hypomagnesemia and suggest that hypomagnesemia, at least in this pedigree, may be associated with low bone mass.

Biodegradation of waste lubricants by a newly isolated Ochrobactrum sp. C1.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, Munna; Biswas, Dipa; Sana, Santanu; Datta, Sriparna

2015-10-01

A potential degrader of paraffinic and aromatic hydrocarbons was isolated from oil-contaminated soil from steel plant effluent area in Burnpur, India. The strain was investigated for degradation of waste lubricants (waste engine oil and waste transformer oil) that often contain EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, USA) classified priority pollutants and was identified as Ochrobactrum sp. C1 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The strain C1 was found to tolerate unusually high waste lubricant concentration along with emulsification capability of the culture broth, and its degradation efficiency was 48.5 ± 0.5 % for waste engine oil and 30.47 ± 0.25 % for waste transformer oil during 7 days incubation period. In order to get optimal degradation efficiency, a three level Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the physical parameters namely pH, temperature and waste oil concentration. The results indicate that at temperature 36.4 °C, pH 7.3 and with 4.6 % (v/v) oil concentration, the percentage degradation of waste engine oil will be 57 % within 7 days. At this optimized condition, the experimental values (56.7 ± 0.25 %) are in a good agreement with the predicted values with a calculated R 2 to be 0.998 and significant correlation between biodegradation and emulsification activity (E 24  = 69.42 ± 0.32 %) of the culture broth toward engine oil was found with a correlation coefficient of 0.972. This is the first study showing that an Ochrobactrum sp. strain is capable of degrading waste lubricants, which might contribute to the bioremediation of waste lubricating oil-contaminated soil.

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

Carlsbad Field Office

The Performance Demonstration Program (PDP) for headspace gases distributes blind audit samples in a gas matrix for analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Participating measurement facilities (i.e., fixed laboratories, mobile analysis systems, and on-line analytical systems) are located across the United States. Each sample distribution is termed a PDP cycle. These evaluation cycles provide an objective measure of the reliability of measurements performed for transuranic (TRU) waste characterization. The primary documents governing the conduct of the PDP are the Quality Assurance Program Document (QAPD) (DOE/CBFO-94-1012) and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Waste Analysis Plan (WAP) contained in the Hazardousmore » Waste Facility Permit (NM4890139088-TSDF) issued by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). The WAP requires participation in the PDP; the PDP must comply with the QAPD and the WAP. This plan implements the general requirements of the QAPD and the applicable requirements of the WAP for the Headspace Gas (HSG) PDP. Participating measurement facilities analyze blind audit samples of simulated TRU waste package headspace gases according to the criteria set by this PDP Plan. Blind audit samples (hereafter referred to as PDP samples) are used as an independent means to assess each measurement facility’s compliance with the WAP quality assurance objectives (QAOs). To the extent possible, the concentrations of VOC analytes in the PDP samples encompass the range of concentrations anticipated in actual TRU waste package headspace gas samples. Analyses of headspace gases are required by the WIPP to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. These analyses must be performed by measurement facilities that have demonstrated acceptable performance in this PDP. These analyses are referred to as WIPP analyses and the TRU waste package headspace gas samples on which they are performed are referred to as WIPP samples in this document. Participating measurement facilities must analyze PDP samples using the same procedures used for routine waste characterization analyses of WIPP samples.« less

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

Carlsbad Field Office

The Performance Demonstration Program (PDP) for headspace gases distributes sample gases of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for analysis. Participating measurement facilities (i.e., fixed laboratories, mobile analysis systems, and on-line analytical systems) are located across the United States. Each sample distribution is termed a PDP cycle. These evaluation cycles provide an objective measure of the reliability of measurements performed for transuranic (TRU) waste characterization. The primary documents governing the conduct of the PDP are the Quality Assurance Program Document (QAPD) (DOE/CBFO-94-1012) and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Waste Analysis Plan (WAP) contained in the Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (NM4890139088-TSDF) issuedmore » by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). The WAP requires participation in the PDP; the PDP must comply with the QAPD and the WAP. This plan implements the general requirements of the QAPD and the applicable requirements of the WAP for the Headspace Gas (HSG) PDP. Participating measurement facilities analyze blind audit samples of simulated TRU waste package headspace gases according to the criteria set by this PDP Plan. Blind audit samples (hereafter referred to as PDP samples) are used as an independent means to assess each measurement facility’s compliance with the WAP quality assurance objectives (QAOs). To the extent possible, the concentrations of VOC analytes in the PDP samples encompass the range of concentrations anticipated in actual TRU waste package headspace gas samples. Analyses of headspace gases are required by the WIPP to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. These analyses must be performed by measurement facilities that have demonstrated acceptable performance in this PDP. These analyses are referred to as WIPP analyses and the TRU waste package headspace gas samples on which they are performed are referred to as WIPP samples in this document. Participating measurement facilities must analyze PDP samples using the same procedures used for routine waste characterization analyses of WIPP samples.« less

Autecological Study of the Chemoautotroph Nitrobacter by Immunofluorescence

PubMed Central

Fliermans, C. B.; Bohlool, B. B.; Schmidt, E. L.

1974-01-01

Fluorescent antibodies (FA) prepared for Nitrobacter agilis and N. winogradskyi were highly reactive in homologous staining. Low-level cross-reactions between the two species were removed by adsorption. All 15 pure-culture isolates of Nitrobacter tested reacted strongly with either N. agilis FA or N. winogradskyi FA. All pure-culture isolates from soils were determined to be N. winogradskyi; those from Mammoth Cave sediments and a cattle waste oxidation ditch were N. agilis. No cross-reaction was found in extensive tests that included five isolates of Nitrosomonas europaea and 668 heterotrophic aerobic and anaerobic bacteria isolated from soil, sewage, and cave sites. The FA preparations were used to detect Nitrobacter species in Mammoth Cave sediments, in a cattle waste oxidation ditch, and in surface waters and sediments of a river and to observe that N. winogradskyi can outgrow N. agilis in enrichment culture. Images PMID:4589121

Metabolic and Genetic Properties of Petriella setifera Precultured on Waste

PubMed Central

Oszust, Karolina; Panek, Jacek; Pertile, Giorgia; Siczek, Anna; Oleszek, Marta; Frąc, Magdalena

2018-01-01

Although fungi that belong to Petriella genus are considered to be favorable agents in the process of microbial decomposition or as plant endophytes, they may simultaneously become plant pests. Hence, nutrition factors are supposed to play an important role. Therefore, it was hypothesized that Petriella setifera compost isolates, precultured on three different waste-based media containing oak sawdust, beet pulp (BP) and wheat bran (WB) will subsequently reveal different metabolic properties and shifts in genetic fingerprinting. In fact, the aim was to measure the influence of selected waste on the properties of P. setifera. The metabolic potential was evaluated by the ability of five P. setifera strains to decompose oak sawdust, BP and WB following the MT2 plate® method and the catabolic abilities of the fungus to utilize the carbon compounds located on filamentous fungi (FF) plates®. Genetic diversity was evaluated using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis performed both on DNA sequences and on transcript-derived fragments. P. setifera isolates were found to be more suitable for decomposing waste materials rich in protein, N, P, K and easily accessible sugars (as found in WB and BP), than those rich in lignocellulose (oak sawdust). Surprisingly, among the different waste media, lignocellulose-rich sawdust-based culture chiefly triggered changes in the metabolic and genetic features of P. setifera. Most particularly, it contributed to improvements in the ability of the fungus to utilize waste-substrates in MT2 plate® and two times increase the ability to catabolize carbon compounds located in FF plates®. Expressive metabolic properties resulting from being grown in sawdust-based substrate were in accordance with differing genotype profiles but not transcriptome. Intraspecific differences among P. setifera isolates are described. PMID:29472904

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

Jung, Haeryong; Lee, Eunyong; Jeong, YiYeong

Korea Radioactive-waste Management Corporation (KRMC) established in 2009 has started a new project to collect information on long-term stability of deep geological environments on the Korean Peninsula. The information has been built up in the integrated natural barrier database system available on web (www.deepgeodisposal.kr). The database system also includes socially and economically important information, such as land use, mining area, natural conservation area, population density, and industrial complex, because some of this information is used as exclusionary criteria during the site selection process for a deep geological repository for safe and secure containment and isolation of spent nuclear fuel andmore » other long-lived radioactive waste in Korea. Although the official site selection process has not been started yet in Korea, current integrated natural barrier database system and socio-economic database is believed that the database system will be effectively utilized to narrow down the number of sites where future investigation is most promising in the site selection process for a deep geological repository and to enhance public acceptance by providing readily-available relevant scientific information on deep geological environments in Korea. (authors)« less

Utilization of waste as biogas substrateby dominan microbes identified

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurlina, E.; Sambasri, S.; Hartati, E.; Safitri, R.; Hodijat, A.

2018-05-01

Indonesia as the tropics have a source of biomass feedstock which is very large, so the waste biomass can be used optimally as an energy source in the form of biogas. This study was conducted to obtain alternative energy from domestic waste materials, given the limited availability of petroleum and natural gas sourced from fossil fuels. This methodology is an experimental method, the process conditions at room temperature 25-27 °C, pH adjusted to the growth of microbes to produce biogas, retention time 20-60 days, the bioreactor is operated with a batch system, the volume of waste in the bioreactor is made permanent, so that the production of biogas in large scale will increase the pressure inside the bioreactor. Biogas is formed accommodated then distributed to the stove. Factors that determine the formation of biogas is a microbial species capable methanogens convert acetate into biogas. From the results of microbial identification of the isolates in the bioreactor, has identified three types of bacteria methanogens namely Methanospirillum hungatei, Methanobacterium polustre and Methanolacinapoynteri. The results of this study, domestic waste can be utilized as a substrate in biogas production, with the highest methane composition reaches 50.79%. This result is expected to increase public knowledge to utilize the waste into biogas as a renewable energy to sufficient the energy needs of household, so it does not depend on the energy derived from fossil fuels.

Continuous Improvement and the Safety Case for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Geologic Repository - 13467

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

Van Luik, Abraham; Patterson, Russell; Nelson, Roger

2013-07-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a geologic repository 2150 feet (650 m) below the surface of the Chihuahuan desert near Carlsbad, New Mexico. WIPP permanently disposes of transuranic waste from national defense programs. Every five years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) submits an application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to request regulatory-compliance re-certification of the facility for another five years. Every ten years, DOE submits an application to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) for the renewal of its hazardous waste disposal permit. The content of the applications made by DOE to the EPA formore » re-certification, and to the NMED for permit-renewal, reflect any optimization changes made to the facility, with regulatory concurrence if warranted by the nature of the change. DOE points to such changes as evidence for its having taken seriously its 'continuous improvement' operations and management philosophy. Another opportunity for continuous improvement is to look at any delta that may exist between the re-certification and re-permitting cases for system safety and the consensus advice on the nature and content of a safety case as being developed and published by the Nuclear Energy Agency's Integration Group for the Safety Case (IGSC) expert group. DOE at WIPP, with the aid of its Science Advisor and teammate, Sandia National Laboratories, is in the process of discerning what can be done, in a reasonably paced and cost-conscious manner, to continually improve the case for repository safety that is being made to the two primary regulators on a recurring basis. This paper will discuss some aspects of that delta and potential paths forward to addressing them. (authors)« less

EVALUATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL COVER DESIGNS

EPA Science Inventory

The HELP (Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance) Model was used to evaluate the hydrologic behavior of a series of one-, two-, and three-layer cover designs for municipal solid waste landfill cover designs were chosen to isolate the effects of features such as surface veg...

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF LIFE-CYCLE COSTS OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

EPA Science Inventory

Many different types of chemical protective clothing (CPC) are used to isolate workers at hazardous waste sites from contact with the potential hazards posed by chemical wastes. he goal in selecting the appropriate clothing for a particular occupational situation is to optimize w...

Post-Flight Microbial Analysis of Samples from the International Space Station Water Recovery System and Oxygen Generation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birmele, Michele N.

2011-01-01

The Regenerative, Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on the International Space Station (ISS) includes the the Water Recovery System (WRS) and the Oxygen Generation System (OGS). The WRS consists of a Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) and Water Processor Assembly (WPA). This report describes microbial characterization of wastewater and surface samples collected from the WRS and OGS subsystems, returned to KSC, JSC, and MSFC on consecutive shuttle flights (STS-129 and STS-130) in 2009-10. STS-129 returned two filters that contained fluid samples from the WPA Waste Tank Orbital Recovery Unit (ORU), one from the waste tank and the other from the ISS humidity condensate. Direct count by microscopic enumeration revealed 8.38 x 104 cells per mL in the humidity condensate sample, but none of those cells were recoverable on solid agar media. In contrast, 3.32 x lOs cells per mL were measured from a surface swab of the WRS waste tank, including viable bacteria and fungi recovered after S12 days of incubation on solid agar media. Based on rDNA sequencing and phenotypic characterization, a fungus recovered from the filter was determined to be Lecythophora mutabilis. The bacterial isolate was identified by rDNA sequence data to be Methylobacterium radiotolerans. Additional UPA subsystem samples were returned on STS-130 for analysis. Both liquid and solid samples were collected from the Russian urine container (EDV), Distillation Assembly (DA) and Recycle Filter Tank Assembly (RFTA) for post-flight analysis. The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungus Chaetomium brasiliense were isolated from the EDV samples. No viable bacteria or fungi were recovered from RFTA brine samples (N= 6), but multiple samples (N = 11) from the DA and RFTA were found to contain fungal and bacterial cells. Many recovered cells have been identified to genus by rDNA sequencing and carbon source utilization profiling (BiOLOG Gen III). The presence of viable bacteria and fungi from WRS and OGS subsystems demonstrates the need for continued monitoring of ECLSS during future ISS operations and investigation of advanced antimicrobial controls.

Milestones for disposal of radioactive waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in the United States

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

Rechard, R.P.

1998-04-01

Since its identification as a potential deep geologic repository in about 1973, the regulatory assessment process for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico has developed over the past 25 years. National policy issues, negotiated agreements, and court settlements over the first half of the project had a strong influence on the amount and type of scientific data collected. Assessments and studies before the mid 1980s were undertaken primarily (1) to satisfy needs for environmental impact statements, (2) to develop general understanding of selected natural phenomena associated with nuclear waste disposal, or (3) to satisfy negotiated agreements withmore » the State of New Mexico. In the last third of the project, federal compliance policy and actual regulations were sketched out, but continued to evolve until 1996. During this eight-year period, four preliminary performance assessments, one compliance performance assessment, and one verification performance assessment were performed.« less

Disposal of spent fuel

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

Blomeke, J O; Ferguson, D E; Croff, A G

1978-01-01

Based on preliminary analyses, spent fuel assemblies are an acceptable form for waste disposal. The following studies appear necessary to bring our knowledge of spent fuel as a final disposal form to a level comparable with that of the solidified wastes from reprocessing: 1. A complete systems analysis is needed of spent fuel disposition from reactor discharge to final isolation in a repository. 2. Since it appears desirable to encase the spent fuel assembly in a metal canister, candidate materials for this container need to be studied. 3. It is highly likely that some ''filler'' material will be needed betweenmore » the fuel elements and the can. 4. Leachability, stability, and waste-rock interaction studies should be carried out on the fuels. The major disadvantages of spent fuel as a disposal form are the lower maximum heat loading, 60 kW/acre versus 150 kW/acre for high-level waste from a reprocessing plant; the greater long-term potential hazard due to the larger quantities of plutonium and uranium introduced into a repository; and the possibility of criticality in case the repository is breached. The major advantages are the lower cost and increased near-term safety resulting from eliminating reprocessing and the treatment and handling of the wastes therefrom.« less

Autosomal recessive hyponatremia due to isolated salt wasting in sweat associated with a mutation in the active site of Carbonic Anhydrase 12.

PubMed

Muhammad, Emad; Leventhal, Neta; Parvari, Galit; Hanukoglu, Aaron; Hanukoglu, Israel; Chalifa-Caspi, Vered; Feinstein, Yael; Weinbrand, Jenny; Jacoby, Harel; Manor, Esther; Nagar, Tal; Beck, John C; Sheffield, Val C; Hershkovitz, Eli; Parvari, Ruti

2011-04-01

Genetic disorders of excessive salt loss from sweat glands have been observed in pseudohypoaldosteronism type I (PHA) and cystic fibrosis that result from mutations in genes encoding epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) subunits and the transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), respectively. We identified a novel autosomal recessive form of isolated salt wasting in sweat, which leads to severe infantile hyponatremic dehydration. Three affected individuals from a small Bedouin clan presented with failure to thrive, hyponatremic dehydration and hyperkalemia with isolated sweat salt wasting. Using positional cloning, we identified the association of a Glu143Lys mutation in carbonic anhydrase 12 (CA12) with the disease. Carbonic anhydrase is a zinc metalloenzyme that catalyzes the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to form a bicarbonate anion and a proton. Glu143 in CA12 is essential for zinc coordination in this metalloenzyme and lowering of the protein-metal affinity reduces its catalytic activity. This is the first presentation of an isolated loss of salt from sweat gland mimicking PHA, associated with a mutation in the CA12 gene not previously implicated in human disorders. Our data demonstrate the importance of bicarbonate anion and proton production on salt concentration in sweat and its significance for sodium homeostasis.

Characterizing the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada--hydrology and geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, John S.; Levich, Robert A.

2012-01-01

This hydrology and geochemistry volume is a companion volume to the 2007 Geological Society of America Memoir 199, The Geology and Climatology of Yucca Mountain and Vicinity, Southern Nevada and California, edited by Stuckless and Levich. The work in both volumes was originally reported in the U.S. Department of Energy regulatory document Yucca Mountain Site Description, for the site characterization study of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed U.S. geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. The selection of Yucca Mountain resulted from a nationwide search and numerous committee studies during a period of more than 40 yr. The waste, largely from commercial nuclear power reactors and the government's nuclear weapons programs, is characterized by intense penetrating radiation and high heat production, and, therefore, it must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. The extensive, unique, and often innovative geoscience investigations conducted at Yucca Mountain for more than 20 yr make it one of the most thoroughly studied geologic features on Earth. The results of these investigations contribute extensive knowledge to the hydrologic and geochemical aspects of radioactive waste disposal in the unsaturated zone. The science, analyses, and interpretations are important not only to Yucca Mountain, but also to the assessment of other sites or alternative processes that may be considered for waste disposal in the future. Groundwater conditions, processes, and geochemistry, especially in combination with the heat from radionuclide decay, are integral to the ability of a repository to isolate waste. Hydrology and geochemistry are discussed here in chapters on unsaturated zone hydrology, saturated zone hydrology, paleohydrology, hydrochemistry, radionuclide transport, and thermally driven coupled processes affecting long-term waste isolation. This introductory chapter reviews some of the reasons for choosing to study Yucca Mountain as a repository site.

Characterizing the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: hydrology and geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, John S.; Levich, Robert A.

2012-01-01

This hydrology and geochemistry volume is a companion volume to the 2007 Geological Society of America Memoir 199, The Geology and Climatology of Yucca Mountain and Vicinity, Southern Nevada and California, edited by Stuckless and Levich. The work in both volumes was originally reported in the U.S. Department of Energy regulatory document Yucca Mountain Site Description, for the site characterization study of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed U.S. geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. The selection of Yucca Mountain resulted from a nationwide search and numerous committee studies during a period of more than 40 yr. The waste, largely from commercial nuclear power reactors and the government's nuclear weapons programs, is characterized by intense penetrating radiation and high heat production, and, therefore, it must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. The extensive, unique, and often innovative geoscience investigations conducted at Yucca Mountain for more than 20 yr make it one of the most thoroughly studied geologic features on Earth. The results of these investigations contribute extensive knowledge to the hydrologic and geochemical aspects of radioactive waste disposal in the unsaturated zone. The science, analyses, and interpretations are important not only to Yucca Mountain, but also to the assessment of other sites or alternative processes that may be considered for waste disposal in the future. Groundwater conditions, processes, and geochemistry, especially in combination with the heat from radionuclide decay, are integral to the ability of a repository to isolate waste. Hydrology and geochemistry are discussed here in chapters on unsaturated zone hydrology, saturated zone hydrology, paleohydrology, hydrochemistry, radionuclide transport, and thermally driven coupled processes affecting long-term waste isolation. This introductory chapter reviews some of the reasons for choosing to study Yucca Mountain as a repository site.

Hanford solid-waste handling facility strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albaugh, J. F.

1982-05-01

Prior to 1970, transuranic (TRU) solid waste was disposed of at Hanford by shallow land burial. Since 1970, TRU solid waste has been stored in near surface trenches designed to facilitate retrieval after twenty year storage period. Current strategy calls for final disposal in a geologic repository. Funding permitting, in 1983, certification of newly generated TRU waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) criteria for geologic disposal will be initiated. Certified and uncertified waste will continue to be stored at Hanford in retrievable storage until a firm schedule for shipment to WIPP is developed. Previously stored wastes retrieved for geologic disposal and newly generated uncertified waste requires processing to assure compliance with disposal criteria. A facility to perform this function is being developed. A study to determine the requirements of this Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) Facility is currently being conducted.

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

Witherspoon Editor, P.A.; Bodvarsson Editor, G.S.

The broad range of activities on radioactive waste isolation that are summarized in Table 1.1 provides a comprehensive picture of the operations that must be carried out in working with this problem. A comparison of these activities with those published in the two previous reviews shows the important progress that is being made in developing and applying the various technologies that have evolved over the past 20 years. There are two basic challenges in perfecting a system of radioactive waste isolation: choosing an appropriate geologic barrier and designing an effective engineered barrier. One of the most important developments that ismore » evident in a large number of the reports in this review is the recognition that a URL provides an excellent facility for investigating and characterizing a rock mass. Moreover, a URL, once developed, provides a convenient facility for two or more countries to conduct joint investigations. This review describes a number of cooperative projects that have been organized in Europe to take advantage of this kind of a facility in conducting research underground. Another critical development is the design of the waste canister (and its accessory equipment) for the engineered barrier. This design problem has been given considerable attention in a number of countries for several years, and some impressive results are described and illustrated in this review. The role of the public as a stakeholder in radioactive waste isolation has not always been fully appreciated. Solutions to the technical problems in characterizing a specific site have generally been obtained without difficulty, but procedures in the past in some countries did not always keep the public and local officials informed of the results. It will be noted in the following chapters that this procedure has caused some problems, especially when approval for a major component in a project was needed. It has been learned that a better way to handle this problem is to keep all stakeholders fully informed of project plans and hold periodic meetings to brief the public, especially in the vicinity of the selected site. This procedure has now been widely adopted and represents one of the most important developments in the Third Worldwide Review.« less

Department of Energy Operational Readiness Review for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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

None, None

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an Operational Readiness Review (ORR) for the restart of Contact Handled (CH) waste emplacement at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) located near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The ORR team assessed the readiness of Nuclear Waste Partnership, LLC (NWP) to manage and perform receipt through CH waste emplacement, and associated waste handling and management activities, including the ability of the National TRU Program (NTP) to evaluate the waste currently stored at the WIPP site against the revised and enhanced Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). Field work for this review began on November 14, 2015more » and was completed on November 30, 2016. The DOE ORR was conducted in accordance with the Department of Energy Operational Readiness Review Implementation Plan for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, dated November 8, 2016, and DOE Order 425.1D, Verification of Readiness to Start Up or Restart Nuclear Facilities. The review activities included personnel interviews, record reviews, direct observation of operations and maintenance demonstrations, and observation of multiple operational and emergency drills/exercises. The DOE ORR also evaluated the adequacy of the contractor’s ORR (CORR) and the readiness of the DOE Carlsbad field Office (CBFO) to oversee the startup and execution of CH waste emplacement activities at the WIPP facility. The WIPP facility is categorized as a Hazard Category 2 DOE Nonreactor Nuclear Facility for all surface and Underground (UG) operations per DOE-STD-1027-92, Hazard Categorization and Accident Analysis Techniques for Compliance with DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports. In addition, the WIPP experienced two events in February, 2014 that resulted in Accident Investigations being performed in accordance with the requirements of DOE Order 225.1B, Accident Investigations. Based upon the results of the accident investigations and hazard categorization of the facility, the team placed significant emphasis on the following areas: fire protection, emergency preparedness, radiological protection, nuclear safety, and operations. The identification of specific focus areas was not intended to diminish the importance of other areas of the review, but to ensure that these areas received a particularly thorough and in-depth evaluation due to their significance with respect to the safe operation of the facility.« less

Coupled Biological-Geomechanical-Geochemical Effects of the Disturbed Rock Zone on the Performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunagan, S. C.; Herrick, C. G.; Lee, M. Y.

2008-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is located at a depth of 655 m in bedded salt in southeastern New Mexico and is operated by the U.S. Department of Energy as a deep underground disposal facility for transuranic (TRU) waste. The WIPP must comply with the EPA's environmental regulations that require a probabilistic risk analysis of releases of radionuclides due to inadvertent human intrusion into the repository at some time during the 10,000-year regulatory period. Sandia National Laboratories conducts performance assessments (PAs) of the WIPP using a system of computer codes representing the evolution of underground repository and emplaced TRU waste in order to demonstrate compliance. One of the important features modeled in a PA is the disturbed rock zone (DRZ) surrounding the emplacement rooms in the repository. The extent and permeability of DRZ play a significant role in the potential radionuclide release scenarios. We evaluated the phenomena occurring in the repository that affect the DRZ and their potential effects on the extent and permeability of the DRZ. Furthermore, we examined the DRZ's role in determining the performance of the repository. Pressure in the completely sealed repository will be increased by creep closure of the salt and degradation of TRU waste contents by microbial activity in the repository. An increased pressure in the repository will reduce the extent and permeability of the DRZ. The reduced DRZ extent and permeability will decrease the amount of brine that is available to interact with the waste. Furthermore, the potential for radionuclide release from the repository is dependent on the amount of brine that enters the repository. As a result of these coupled biological-geomechanical-geochemical phenomena, the extent and permeability of the DRZ has a significant impact on the potential radionuclide releases from the repository and, in turn, the repository performance. Sandia is a multi program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04- 94AL85000. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Potential metal recovery from waste streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kathleen S.; Hageman, Philip L.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Budahn, James R.; Bleiwas, Donald I.

2015-01-01

‘Waste stream’ is a general term that describes the total flow of waste from homes, businesses, industrial facilities, and institutions that are recycled, burned or isolated from the environment in landfills or other types of storage, or dissipated into the environment. The recovery and reuse of chemical elements from waste streams have the potential to decrease U.S. reliance on primary resources and imports, and to lessen unwanted dispersion of some potentially harmful elements into the environment. Additional benefits might include reducing disposal or treatment costs and decreasing the risk of future environmental liabilities for waste generators. Elemental chemistry and mineralogical residences of the elements are poorly documented for many types of waste streams.

Effect of waste milk pasteurization on fecal shedding of Salmonella in pre-weaned calves

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To determine if pasteurization of non-saleable waste milk influences fecal Salmonella concentrations, prevalence, or antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype of cultured isolates, 211 Holstein dairy calves were housed on a single commercial dairy in the southwestern United States and randomly allot...

10 CFR 960.4-2-5 - Erosion.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY... exhumation would not be expected to occur during the first one million years after repository closure. (c... the ability of the geologic repository to isolate the waste. (d) Disqualifying condition. The site...

A 6-DOF vibration isolation system for hydraulic hybrid vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, The; Elahinia, Mohammad; Olson, Walter W.; Fontaine, Paul

2006-03-01

This paper presents the results of vibration isolation analysis for the pump/motor component of hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHVs). The HHVs are designed to combine gasoline/diesel engine and hydraulic power in order to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce the pollution. Electric hybrid technology is being applied to passenger cars with small and medium engines to improve the fuel economy. However, for heavy duty vehicles such as large SUVs, trucks, and buses, which require more power, the hydraulic hybridization is a more efficient choice. In function, the hydraulic hybrid subsystem improves the fuel efficiency of the vehicle by recovering some of the energy that is otherwise wasted in friction brakes. Since the operation of the main component of HHVs involves with rotating parts and moving fluid, noise and vibration are an issue that affects both passengers (ride comfort) as well as surrounding people (drive-by noise). This study looks into the possibility of reducing the transmitted noise and vibration from the hydraulic subsystem to the vehicle's chassis by using magnetorheological (MR) fluid mounts. To this end, the hydraulic subsystem is modeled as a six degree of freedom (6-DOF) rigid body. A 6-DOF isolation system, consisting of five mounts connected to the pump/motor at five different locations, is modeled and simulated. The mounts are designed by combining regular elastomer components with MR fluids. In the simulation, the real loading and working conditions of the hydraulic subsystem are considered and the effects of both shock and vibration are analyzed. The transmissibility of the isolation system is monitored in a wide range of frequencies. The geometry of the isolation system is considered in order to sustain the weight of the hydraulic system without affecting the design of the chassis and the effectiveness of the vibration isolating ability. The simulation results shows reduction in the transmitted vibration force for different working cycles of the regenerative system.

Methods of degrading napalm B

DOEpatents

Tyndall, Richard L.; Vass, Arpad

1995-01-01

Methods of degrading napalm and/or trinitrotoluene involve contacting the waste with specific intra-amoebic isolates of ATCC 40908 and/or dispersants derived therefrom. Useful isolates include is deposited as ATCC 77529, NAP-1 deposited as ATCC 77526 and 13 deposited as ATCC 77527.

Methods of degrading napalm B

DOEpatents

Tyndall, R.L.; Vass, A.

1995-09-12

Methods of degrading napalm and/or trinitrotoluene involve contacting the waste with specific intra-amoebic isolates of ATCC 40908 and/or dispersants derived therefrom. Useful isolates are deposited as ATCC 77529, NAP-1 deposited as ATCC 77526 and 13 deposited as ATCC 77527.

An x-ray absorption spectroscopy study of Cd binding onto a halophilic archaeon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showalter, Allison R.; Szymanowski, Jennifer E. S.; Fein, Jeremy B.; Bunker, Bruce A.

2016-05-01

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and cadmium (Cd) isotherm experiments determine how Cd adsorbs to the surface of halophilic archaeon Halobacterium noricense. This archaeon, isolated from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico could be involved with the transport of toxic metals stored in the transuranic waste in the salt mine. The isotherm experiments show that adsorption is relatively constant across the tolerable pH range for H. noricense. The XAS results indicate that Cd adsorption occurs predominately via a sulfur site, most likely sulfhydryl, with the same site dominating all measured pH values.

Isolation of Metals from Liquid Wastes: Reactive Scavenging in Turbulent Thermal Reactors

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

Jost O.L. Wendt; Alan R. Kerstein; Alexander Scheeline

2003-08-06

The Overall project demonstrated that toxic metals (cesium Cs and strontium Sr) in aqueous and organic wastes can be isolated from the environment through reaction with kaolinite based sorbent substrates in high temperature reactor environments. In addition, a state-of-the art laser diagnostic tool to measure droplet characteristic in practical 'dirty' laboratory environments was developed, and was featured on the cover of a recent edition of the scientific journal ''applied Spectroscopy''. Furthermore, great strides have been made in developing a theoretical model that has the potential to allow prediction of the position and life history of every particle of waste inmore » a high temperature, turbulent flow field, a very challenging problem involving as it does, the fundamentals of two phase turbulence and of particle drag physics.« less

Acoustic Behavior of Hollow Blocks and Bricks Made of Concrete Doped with Waste-Tire Rubber.

PubMed

Fraile-Garcia, Esteban; Ferreiro-Cabello, Javier; Defez, Beatriz; Peris-Fajanes, Guillermo

2016-11-26

In this paper, we investigate the acoustic behaviour of building elements made of concrete doped with waste-tire rubber. Three different mixtures were created, with 0%, 10%, and 20% rubber in their composition. Bricks, lattice joists, and hollow blocks were manufactured with each mixture, and three different cells were built and tested against aerial and impact noise. The values of the global acoustic isolation and the reduction of the sound pressure level of impacts were measured. Results proved that highly doped elements are an excellent option to isolate low frequency sounds, whereas intermediate and standard elements constitute a most interesting option to block middle and high frequency sounds. In both cases, the considerable amount of waste-tire rubber recycled could justify the employment of the doped materials for the sake of the environment.

Acoustic Behavior of Hollow Blocks and Bricks Made of Concrete Doped with Waste-Tire Rubber

PubMed Central

Fraile-Garcia, Esteban; Ferreiro-Cabello, Javier; Defez, Beatriz; Peris-Fajanes, Guillermo

2016-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the acoustic behaviour of building elements made of concrete doped with waste-tire rubber. Three different mixtures were created, with 0%, 10%, and 20% rubber in their composition. Bricks, lattice joists, and hollow blocks were manufactured with each mixture, and three different cells were built and tested against aerial and impact noise. The values of the global acoustic isolation and the reduction of the sound pressure level of impacts were measured. Results proved that highly doped elements are an excellent option to isolate low frequency sounds, whereas intermediate and standard elements constitute a most interesting option to block middle and high frequency sounds. In both cases, the considerable amount of waste-tire rubber recycled could justify the employment of the doped materials for the sake of the environment. PMID:28774084

No-migration variance petition. Appendices A--B: Volume 2, Revision 1

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

Not Available

1990-03-01

Volume II contains Appendix A, emergency plan and Appendix B, waste analysis plan. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Emergency plan and Procedures (WP 12-9, Rev. 5, 1989) provides an organized plan of action for dealing with emergencies at the WIPP. A contingency plan is included which is in compliance with 40 CFR Part 265, Subpart D. The waste analysis plan provides a description of the chemical and physical characteristics of the wastes to be emplaced in the WIPP underground facility. A detailed discussion of the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria and the rationale for its established units are also included.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Part B Permit Application [for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)]. Volume 6, Chapter D, Appendices D4--D13: Revision 1.0

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

Not Available

1991-12-31

This report (Vol. 6) for the WIPP facility contains appendices on the following information: Site characterization; general geology; ecological monitoring; and chemical compatibility of waste forms and container materials.

Design of the Long-term Waste Management Facility for Historic LLRW Port Hope Project - 13322

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

Campbell, Don; Barton, David; Case, Glenn

2013-07-01

The Municipality of Port Hope is located on the northern shores of Lake Ontario approximately 100 km east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Starting in the 1930's, radium and later uranium processing by Eldorado Gold Mines Limited (subsequently Eldorado Nuclear Limited) (Eldorado) at their refinery in Port Hope resulted in the generation of process residues and wastes that were disposed of indiscriminately throughout the Municipality until about the mid-1950's. These process residues contained radium (Ra- 226), uranium, arsenic and other contaminants. Between 1944 and 1988, Eldorado was a Federal Crown Corporation, and as such, the Canadian Federal Government has assumed responsibilitymore » for the clean-up and long-term management of the historic waste produced by Eldorado during this period. The Port Hope Project involves the construction and development of a new long-term waste management facility (LTWMF), and the remediation and transfer of the historic wastes located within the Municipality of Port Hope to the new LTWMF. The new LTWMF will consist of an engineered above-ground containment mound designed to contain and isolate the wastes from the surrounding environment for the next several hundred years. The design of the engineered containment mound consists of a primary and secondary composite base liner system and composite final cover system, made up of both natural materials (e.g., compacted clay, granular materials) and synthetic materials (e.g., geo-synthetic clay liner, geo-membrane, geo-textiles). The engineered containment mound will cover an area of approximately 13 hectares and will contain the estimated 1.2 million cubic metres of waste that will be generated from the remedial activities within Port Hope. The LTWMF will also include infrastructure and support facilities such as access roads, administrative offices, laboratory, equipment and personnel decontamination facilities, waste water treatment plant and other ancillary facilities. Preliminary construction activities for the Port Hope LTWMF commenced in 2012 and are scheduled to continue over the next few years. The first cell of the engineered containment mound is scheduled to be constructed in 2015 with waste placement into the Port Hope LTWMF anticipated over the following seven year period. (authors)« less

Results of hydrologic tests and water-chemistry analyses, wells H-5A, H-5B, and H-5C, at the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site, southeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennehy, Kevin F.; Mercer, Jerry W.

1982-01-01

Data were collected during hydrologic testing at wells H-5A, H-5B, and H-5C in the northeastern part of the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site in southeastern New Mexico. The three water-bearing zones tested, the Magenta and Culebra Dolomite Members of the Rustler Formation and the Rustler Formation-Salado Formation contact, yield water to wells at rates less than 0.6 gallon per minute. Throughout the testing, water-pressure response in the tested zone was monitored by a pressure-transducer system. Shut-in and slug tests were conducted to acquire data. Water samples from the Magenta Dolomite Member, Culebra Dolomite Member, and Rustler Formation-Salado Formation contact had dissolved-solids concentrations of 6,090, 144,000, and 412,000 milligrams per liter, respectively. The major chemical constituents of water samples from the Magenta Dolomite Member were sodium and sulfate; from the Culebra Dolomite Member, sodium and chloride; and from the Rustler Formation-Salado Formation contact, magnesium, and chloride. Radium-226, a naturally occurring radioactive element, was present in samples from all three zones. (USGS)

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Salt Decontamination Testing

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

Demmer, Ricky Lynn; Reese, Stephen Joseph

2015-03-01

On February 14, 2014, americium and plutonium contamination was released in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) salt caverns. Several practical, easily deployable methods of decontaminating WIPP salt, using a surrogate contaminant and americium (241Am), were developed and tested. The effectiveness of the methods is evaluated qualitatively, and to the extent practical, quantitatively. Of the methods tested (dry brushing, vacuum cleaning, water washing, mechanical grinding, strippable coatings, and fixative barriers), the most practical seems to be water washing. Effectiveness is very high, and water washing is easy and rapid to deploy. The amount of wastewater produced (~2 L/m2) would bemore » substantial and may not be easy to manage, but the method is the clear winner from a usability perspective. Removable surface contamination levels (smear results) from water washed coupons found no residual removable contamination. Thus, whatever contamination is left is likely adhered to (or trapped within) the salt. The other option that shows promise is the use of a fixative barrier. Bartlett Nuclear, Inc.’s Polymeric Barrier System proved the most durable of the coatings tested. The coatings were not tested for contaminant entrapment, only for coating integrity and durability.« less

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

Leigh, Christi D.; Hansen, Francis D.

This report summarizes the state of salt repository science, reviews many of the technical issues pertaining to disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste in salt, and proposes several avenues for future science-based activities to further the technical basis for disposal in salt. There are extensive salt formations in the forty-eight contiguous states, and many of them may be worthy of consideration for nuclear waste disposal. The United States has extensive experience in salt repository sciences, including an operating facility for disposal of transuranic wastes. The scientific background for salt disposal including laboratory and field tests at ambient and elevated temperature, principlesmore » of salt behavior, potential for fracture damage and its mitigation, seal systems, chemical conditions, advanced modeling capabilities and near-future developments, performance assessment processes, and international collaboration are all discussed. The discussion of salt disposal issues is brought current, including a summary of recent international workshops dedicated to high-level waste disposal in salt. Lessons learned from Sandia National Laboratories' experience on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and the Yucca Mountain Project as well as related salt experience with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are applied in this assessment. Disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste in a suitable salt formation is attractive because the material is essentially impermeable, self-sealing, and thermally conductive. Conditions are chemically beneficial, and a significant experience base exists in understanding this environment. Within the period of institutional control, overburden pressure will seal fractures and provide a repository setting that limits radionuclide movement. A salt repository could potentially achieve total containment, with no releases to the environment in undisturbed scenarios for as long as the region is geologically stable. Much of the experience gained from United States repository development, such as seal system design, coupled process simulation, and application of performance assessment methodology, helps define a clear strategy for a heat-generating nuclear waste repository in salt.« less

Isolation and characterization of two novel ethanol-tolerant facultative-anaerobic thermophilic bacteria strains from waste compost.

PubMed

Fong, Jiunn C N; Svenson, Charles J; Nakasugi, Kenlee; Leong, Caine T C; Bowman, John P; Chen, Betty; Glenn, Dianne R; Neilan, Brett A; Rogers, Peter L

2006-10-01

In a search for potential ethanologens, waste compost was screened for ethanol-tolerant thermophilic microorganisms. Two thermophilic bacterial strains, M5EXG and M10EXG, with tolerance of 5 and 10% (v/v) ethanol, respectively, were isolated. Both isolates are facultative anaerobic, non-spore forming, non-motile, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, Gram-negative rods that are capable of utilizing a range of carbon sources including arabinose, galactose, mannose, glucose and xylose and produce low amounts of ethanol, acetate and lactate. Growth of both isolates was observed in fully defined minimal media within the temperature range 50-80 degrees C and pH 6.0-8.0. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequences revealed that both isolates clustered with members of subgroup 5 of the genus Bacillus. G+C contents and DNA-DNA relatedness of M5EXG and M10EXG revealed that they are strains belonging to Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius. However, physiological and biochemical differences were evident when isolates M5EXG and M10EXG were compared with G. thermoglucosidasius type strain (DSM 2542(T)). The new thermophilic, ethanol-tolerant strains of G. thermoglucosidasius may be candidates for ethanol production at elevated temperatures.

Decreased Phototoxic Effects of TiO₂ Nanoparticles in Consortium of Bacterial Isolates from Domestic Waste Water

PubMed Central

Mathur, Ankita; Kumari, Jyoti; Parashar, Abhinav; T., Lavanya; Chandrasekaran, N.; Mukherjee, Amitava

2015-01-01

This study is aimed to explore the toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles at low concentrations (0.25, 0.50 & 1.00 μg/ml); on five bacterial isolates and their consortium in waste water medium both in dark and UVA conditions. To critically examine the toxic effects of nanoparticles and the response mechanism(s) offered by microbes, several aspects were monitored viz. cell viability, ROS generation, SOD activity, membrane permeability, EPS release and biofilm formation. A dose and time dependent loss in viability was observed for treated isolates and the consortium. At the highest dose, after 24h, oxidative stress was examined which conclusively showed more ROS generation & cell permeability and less SOD activity in single isolates as compared to the consortium. As a defense mechanism, EPS release was enhanced in case of the consortium against the single isolates, and was observed to be dose dependent. Similar results were noticed for biofilm formation, which substantially increased at highest dose of nanoparticle exposure. Concluding, the consortium showed more resistance against the toxic effects of the TiO2 nanoparticles compared to the individual isolates. PMID:26496250

Use of acceptable knowledge to demonstrate TRAMPAC compliance

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

Whitworth, J.; Becker, B.; Guerin, D.

2004-01-01

Recently, Los Alamos National Laboratory-Carlsbad Operations (LANL-CO) has supported the Central Characterization Project (CCP) managed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the shipment of transuranic (TRU) waste from various small-quantity TRU waste generators to hub sites or other DOE sites in TRUPACT-II shipping containers. This support has involved using acceptable knowledge (AK) to demonstrate compliance with various requirements of Revision 19 of the TRUPACT-II Authorized Methods of Payload Compliance (TRAMPAC). LANL-CO has worked to facilitate TRUPACT-II shipments from the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) and Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) to Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) and Losmore » Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), respectively. The latter two sites have TRU waste certification programs approved to ship waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for disposal. In each case, AK was used to satisfy the necessary information to ship the waste to other DOE facilities. For the purposes of intersite shipment, AK provided data to WIPP Waste Information System (WWIS) transportation modules to ensure that required information was obtained prior to TRUPACT-II shipments. The WWIS modules were used for the intersite shipments, not to enter certification data into WWIS, but rather to take advantage of a validated system to ensure that the containers to be shipped were compliant with TRAMPAC requirements, particularly in the evaluation of quantitative criteria. LANL-CO also assisted with a TRAMPAC compliance demonstration for homogeneous waste containers shipped in TRUPACT-II containers from ANL-E to Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for the purpose of core sampling. The basis for the TRAMPAC compliance determinations was AK regarding radiological composition, chemical composition, TRU waste container packaging, and absence of prohibited items. Also, even in the case where AK is not used to fully demonstrate TRAMPAC compliance, it may be used to identify problem areas for shippability of different waste streams. An example is the case of Pu-238-contaminated waste from the Savannah River Site that had a low probability of meeting decay heat limits and aspiration times due to several factors including large numbers of confinement layers. This paper will outline 17 TRAMPAC compliance criteria assessed and the types of information used to show compliance with all criteria other than dose rate and container weight, which are normally easily measured at load preparation.« less

Development of an Integrated Raman and Turbidity Fiber Optic Sensor for the In-Situ Analysis of High Level Nuclear Waste

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

Gasbarro, Christina; Bello, Job M.; Bryan, Samuel A.

2013-02-24

Stored nuclear waste must be retrieved from storage, treated, separated into low- and high-level waste streams, and finally put into a disposal form that effectively encapsulates the waste and isolates it from the environment for a long period of time. Before waste retrieval can be done, waste composition needs to be characterized so that proper safety precautions can be implemented during the retrieval process. In addition, there is a need for active monitoring of the dynamic chemistry of the waste during storage since the waste composition can become highly corrosive. This work describes the development of a novel, integrated fibermore » optic Raman and light scattering probe for in situ use in nuclear waste solutions. The dual Raman and turbidity sensor provides simultaneous chemical identification of nuclear waste as well as information concerning the suspended particles in the waste using a common laser excitation source.« less

Development of an Integrated Raman and Turbidity Fiber Optic Sensor for the In-Situ Analysis of High Level Nuclear Waste - 13532

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

Gasbarro, Christina; Bello, Job; Bryan, Samuel

2013-07-01

Stored nuclear waste must be retrieved from storage, treated, separated into low- and high-level waste streams, and finally put into a disposal form that effectively encapsulates the waste and isolates it from the environment for a long period of time. Before waste retrieval can be done, waste composition needs to be characterized so that proper safety precautions can be implemented during the retrieval process. In addition, there is a need for active monitoring of the dynamic chemistry of the waste during storage since the waste composition can become highly corrosive. This work describes the development of a novel, integrated fibermore » optic Raman and light scattering probe for in situ use in nuclear waste solutions. The dual Raman and turbidity sensor provides simultaneous chemical identification of nuclear waste as well as information concerning the suspended particles in the waste using a common laser excitation source. (authors)« less

Alternative disposal options for transuranic waste

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

Loomis, G.G.

1994-12-31

Three alternative concepts are proposed for the final disposal of stored and retrieved buried transuranic waste. These proposed options answer criticisms of the existing U.S. Department of Energy strategy of directly disposing of stored transuranic waste in deep, geological salt formations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The first option involves enhanced stabilization of stored waste by thermal treatment followed by convoy transportation and internment in the existing WIPP facility. This concept could also be extended to retrieved buried waste with proper permitting. The second option involves in-state, in situ internment using an encapsulating lensmore » around the waste. This concept applies only to previously buried transuranic waste. The third option involves sending stored and retrieved waste to the Nevada Test Site and configuring the waste around a thermonuclear device from the U.S. or Russian arsenal in a specially designed underground chamber. The thermonuclear explosion would transmute plutonium and disassociate hazardous materials while entombing the waste in a national sacrifice area.« less

YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROJECT - A BRIEFING --

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

NA

2003-08-05

This report has the following articles: Nuclear waste--a long-term national problem; Spent nuclear fuel; High-level radioactive waste; Radioactivity and the environment; Current storage methods; Disposal options; U.S. policy on nuclear waste; The focus on Yucca Mountain; The purpose and scope of the Yucca Mountain Project; The approach for permanently disposing of waste; The scientific studies at Yucca Mountain; The proposed design for a repository at Yucca Mountain; Natural and engineered barriers would work together to isolate waste; Meticulous science and technology to protect people and the environment; Licensing a repository; Transporting waste to a permanent repository; The Environmental Impact Statementmore » for a repository; Current status of the Yucca Mountain Project; and Further information available on the Internet.« less

Geomicrobiology of High-Level Nuclear Waste-Contaminated Vadose Sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington State

PubMed Central

Fredrickson, James K.; Zachara, John M.; Balkwill, David L.; Kennedy, David; Li, Shu-mei W.; Kostandarithes, Heather M.; Daly, Michael J.; Romine, Margaret F.; Brockman, Fred J.

2004-01-01

Sediments from a high-level nuclear waste plume were collected as part of investigations to evaluate the potential fate and migration of contaminants in the subsurface. The plume originated from a leak that occurred in 1962 from a waste tank consisting of high concentrations of alkali, nitrate, aluminate, Cr(VI), 137Cs, and 99Tc. Investigations were initiated to determine the distribution of viable microorganisms in the vadose sediment samples, probe the phylogeny of cultivated and uncultivated members, and evaluate the ability of the cultivated organisms to survive acute doses of ionizing radiation. The populations of viable aerobic heterotrophic bacteria were generally low, from below detection to ∼104 CFU g−1, but viable microorganisms were recovered from 11 of 16 samples, including several of the most radioactive ones (e.g., >10 μCi of 137Cs/g). The isolates from the contaminated sediments and clone libraries from sediment DNA extracts were dominated by members related to known gram-positive bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria most closely related to Arthrobacter species were the most common isolates among all samples, but other phyla high in G+C content were also represented, including Rhodococcus and Nocardia. Two isolates from the second-most radioactive sample (>20 μCi of 137Cs g−1) were closely related to Deinococcus radiodurans and were able to survive acute doses of ionizing radiation approaching 20 kGy. Many of the gram-positive isolates were resistant to lower levels of gamma radiation. These results demonstrate that gram-positive bacteria, predominantly from phyla high in G+C content, are indigenous to Hanford vadose sediments and that some are effective at surviving the extreme physical and chemical stress associated with radioactive waste. PMID:15240306

Archaeology and public perception of a trans-scientific problem; disposal of toxic wastes in the unsaturated zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winograd, Isaac Judah

1986-01-01

Predicting the effects of toxic-waste disposal on the environment over periods of millenia to hundreds of millenia is a transscientific problem; that is, one not fully addressed by quantitative scientific and engineering endeavors. Archaeology is a pertinent adjunct to such predictions in several ways. First, and foremost, archaeological records demonstrate that delicate, as well as durable, objects buried in thick unsaturated zones of arid and semiarid environments may survive intact for millenia to tens of millenia. This successful preservation of Late Paleolithic to Iron Age artifacts provides independent support for the tentative favorable conclusions of earth scientists regarding the general utility of thick unsaturated zones for toxic-waste isolation. By analogy with the archaeological record, solidified toxic wastes of low solubility that are buried in arid unsaturated zones should remain isolated from the environment indefinitely; modern man presumably should be able to improve upon the techniques used by his ancestors to isolate and preserve their sacred and utilitarian objects. Second, archaeological evidence pertinent to the fate of objects buried in unsaturated zones-although qualitative in nature and subject to the limitations of arguments by analogy-is meaningful to the public and to the courts who, with some scientists and engineers, are reluctant to rely exclusively on computer-generated predictions of the effects of buried toxic wastes on the environment. Third, the archaeological record issues a warning that our descendants may intrude into our waste disposal sites and that we must therefore take special measures to minimize such entry and, if it occurs, to warn of the dangers by a variety of symbols. And fourth, archaeology provides a record of durable natural and manmade materials that may prove to be suitable for encapsulation of our wastes and from which we can construct warning markers that will last for millenia. For these four reasons, archaeologists must join with earth scientists, and other scientists and engineers, in addressing the likely fate of solidfied toxic wastes buried in the thick (200-600 m) unsaturated zones of arid and semiarid regions. Indeed, the input of archaeology might be crucial to public acceptance of even the most carefully chosen and technically sound waste repository.

Biosynthesis of the enzymes of the cellulase system by T. Reesei QM 9414 in the presence of sophorose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gritzali, M.

1982-12-01

As conventional, nonrenewable energy sources are rapidly depleted and it was necessary to search for alternative sources of energy. It was increasingly apparent that biomass and waste are alternatives well worth exploring. The sources of biomass and wastes that considered for conversion to useful products are quite diverse, but the most abundant constituent of almost every type is cellulose. Cellulose is cleanly converted to soluble fermentable sugars enzymatically, and cellulose enzymes were isolated from a number of microbial sources. It is generally agreed that the most effective system of enzymes for the conversion of cellulose to glucose is produced by species of the imperfect fungus Trichoderma. The mutant organism Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 is among the best producers of high levels of enzymes; these are extracellular and have carbonhydrate covalently bound to the peptide. Trichoderma produces three types of enzymes which, in a sequential and cooperative manner, convert cellulose to soluble oligosaccharides and glucose.

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, annual technical progress report of ecological research for the year ending June 30, 1998

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

Wein, G.; Rosier, B.

1998-12-31

This report provides an overview of the research programs and program components carried out by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Research focused on the following: advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques for developing novel waste isolation and stabilization technologies as well as cost-effective remediation strategies; ecologically sound management of damaged and remediation of ecological systems; ecotoxicology, remediation, and risk assessment; radioecology, including dose assessments for plants and animals exposed to environmental radiation; and other research support programs.

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, annual technical progress report of ecological research for the year ending June 30, 1997

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

Wein, G.; Rosier, B.

1997-12-31

This report provides an overview of the research programs and program components carried out by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Research focused on the following: advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques for developing novel waste isolation and stabilization technologies as well as cost-effective remediation strategies; ecologically sound management of damaged and remediation of ecological systems; ecotoxicology, remediation, and risk assessment; radioecology, including dose assessments for plants and animals exposed to environmental radiation; and other research support programs.

Engineering concepts for the placement of wastes on the abyssal seafloor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valent, Philip J.; Palowitch, Andrew W.; Young, David K.

1998-05-01

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), with industry and academic participation, has completed a study of the concept of isolating industrial wastes (i.e., sewage sludge, fly ash from municipal incinerators, and dredged material) on the abyssal seafloor. This paper presents results of the technical and economic assessment of this waste management concept. The results of the environmental impacts portion of the study are presented in a companion paper. The technical assessment began with identification of 128 patents addressing waste disposal in the ocean. From these 128 patents, five methods for transporting wastes through the water column and emplacing wastes within an easily monitored area on the abyssal seafloor were synthesized for technical assessment. In one method waste is lowered to the seafloor in a bucket of 190 m 3. In a second method waste is pumped down to the seafloor in pipes, 1.37 m in diameter and 6100 m in length. In a third method waste is free-fallen from the ocean surface in 380-m 3 geosynthetic fabric containers (GFCs). In the fourth and fifth methods, waste is carried to near the seafloor in GFCs transported in (a) a 20,000 metric ton displacement (loaded), unpowered, unmanned submersible glider, or (b) a 2085 metric ton displacement (loaded) disk-shaped transporter traversing to and from the seafloor much like an untethered elevator. In the last two methods the transporter releases the GFCs to free-fall the last few hundred meters to the seafloor. Two reliability analyses, a Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and a Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), showed that the free-fall GFC method posed the least overall relative risk, provided that fabric container and transporter designs eliminate the potential for tearing of the containers on release from the surface transporter. Of the five methods, the three GFC methods were shown to offer cost-effective waste management options when compared with present-day waste management techniques in higher-priced areas, such as the New York-New Jersey area. In conclusion, the abyssal seafloor waste isolation concept is technically feasible and cost-effective for many waste sources.

Sustainable Approaches for Materials Management in Remote ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Remote, economically challenged areas in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) and American Samoa in the US Pacific island territories face unique challenges with respect to solid waste management. These islands are remote and isolated, with some islands supporting only small populations, thus limiting options for pooling resources among communities in the form of regional waste management facilities, as is common on the US mainland. This isolation also results in greater costs for waste management compared to those encountered in the mainland US, a consequence of, among other factors, more expensive construction and maintenance costs because of the necessary transport of facility components (e.g., landfill liner materials) and the decreased attractiveness of waste recovery for recycling because of lower commodity prices after off-island transportation. Adding to these economic limitations, the gross domestic product and per capita income of the Pacific territories is less than half what it is in parts of the US. The first section of this report outlines a snapshot of the current state of solid waste management overall in the US Pacific island territories, primarily based on site visits.. Steps involved in this work included a review of selected existing published information related to the subject; site visits to Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Tutuila, and Apia; an assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of different solid waste

Indigenous Halomonas spp., the Potential Nitrifying Bacteria for Saline Ammonium Waste Water Treatment.

PubMed

Sangnoi, Yutthapong; Chankaew, Sunipa; O-Thong, Sompong

2017-01-01

Toxic nitrogen compounds are one cause decreasing of shrimp production and water pollution. Indigenous Halomonas spp., isolated from Pacific white shrimp farm are benefitted for saline ammonium waste water treatment. This study aimed to isolate the heterotrophic-halophilic Halomonas spp. and investigate their ammonium removal efficiency. Halomonas spp., were isolated by culturing of samples collected from shrimp farm into modified Pep-Beef-AOM medium. Ammonium converting ability was tested and monitored by nitrite reagent. Ammonium removal efficiency was measured by the standard colorimetric method. Identification and classification of Halomonas spp., were studied by morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics as well as molecular information. There were 5 strains of heterotrophic-halophilic nitrifying bacteria including SKNB2, SKNB4, SKNB17, SKNB20 and SKNB22 were isolated. The identification result based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that all 5 strains were Halomonas spp., with sequence similarity values of 91-99 %. Ammonium removal efficiency of all strains showed a range of 23-71%. The production of nitrite was low detected of 0.01-0.15 mg-N L-1, while the amount of nitrate was almost undetectable. This might suggest that the indigenous Halomonas spp., as nitrifying bacteria involved biological nitrification process for decreasing and transforming of ammonia. Due to being heterotrophic, halophilic and ammonium removing bacteria, these Halomonas spp., could be developed for use in treatment of saline ammonium waste water.

Enumeration and identification of gram negative bacteria present in soil underlying urban waste-sites in southwestern Nigeria.

PubMed

Achudume, A C; Olawale, J T

2010-09-01

Samples of soils underlying wastes were collected from four sites representing four demographic regions of a medium sized town in southwestern Nigeria. Standard methods and reference strains of isolated bacteria were employed for identification. Evaluation of the enzymatic and biochemical reactions showed that all isolated and identified microbes were non-fermenting heterotrophic (HTB). For example, Klebsiella pnemuniae may be involved in wound infections, particularly following bowel surgery. Similarly Pseudomonas aeruginosa can produce serious nosocomial infections if it gains access to the body through wounds or intravenous lines. From the 15 culure plates, 88 colonies with various characteristics were enumerated. They differed in aspect of viscosity and color. The bacterial species were identified by percent positive reactions while oxidative and sugar fermentation tests revealed various characteristics among the isolated strains. All of the isolates were negative for citrate utilization, gelatin liquefaction, nitrate reduction, methyl red and Voges Proskaur, motility and hydrogen sulphate production. The quantity of HTB present in an area serves as an index of the general sanitary conditions of that area. The presence of a large number of HTB, in an ecological area may be considered a liability as it can enhance the spread of diseases and on a larger scale may enable epidemics to arise. Therefore, there is need for control of waste sites by recovery and regular germicidal sanitation.

Final environmental impact statement. Management of commercially generated radioactive waste. Volume 1 of 3

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

Not Available

1980-10-01

This EIS analyzes the significant environmental impacts that could occur if various technologies for management and disposal of high-level and transuranic wastes from commercial nuclear power reactors were to be developed and implemented. This EIS will serve as the environmental input for the decision on which technology, or technologies, will be emphasized in further research and development activities in the commercial waste management program. The action proposed in this EIS is to (1) adopt a national strategy to develop mined geologic repositories for disposal of commercially generated high-level and transuranic radioactive waste (while continuing to examine subseabed and very deepmore » hole disposal as potential backup technologies) and (2) conduct a R and D program to develop such facilities and the necessary technology to ensure the safe long-term containment and isolation of these wastes. The Department has considered in this statement: development of conventionally mined deep geologic repositories for disposal of spent fuel from nuclear power reactors and/or radioactive fuel reprocessing wastes; balanced development of several alternative disposal methods; and no waste disposal action. This EIS reflects the public review of and comments offered on the draft statement. Included are descriptions of the characteristics of nuclear waste, the alternative disposal methods under consideration, and potential environmental impacts and costs of implementing these methods. Because of the programmatic nature of this document and the preliminary nature of certain design elements assumed in assessing the environmental consequences of the various alternatives, this study has been based on generic, rather than specific, systems. At such time as specific facilities are identified for particular sites, statements addressing site-specific aspects will be prepared for public review and comment.« 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.

10 CFR 960.4-2-6 - Dissolution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Dissolution. 960.4-2-6 Section 960.4-2-6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE... structural collapse—such that a hydraulic interconnection leading to a loss of waste isolation could occur...

10 CFR 960.4-2-6 - Dissolution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Dissolution. 960.4-2-6 Section 960.4-2-6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE... structural collapse—such that a hydraulic interconnection leading to a loss of waste isolation could occur...

10 CFR 960.4-2-6 - Dissolution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Dissolution. 960.4-2-6 Section 960.4-2-6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE... structural collapse—such that a hydraulic interconnection leading to a loss of waste isolation could occur...

10 CFR 960.4-2-6 - Dissolution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Dissolution. 960.4-2-6 Section 960.4-2-6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE... structural collapse—such that a hydraulic interconnection leading to a loss of waste isolation could occur...

Thermal/structural modeling of a large scale in situ overtest experiment for defense high level waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Facility

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

Morgan, H.S.; Stone, C.M.; Krieg, R.D.

Several large scale in situ experiments in bedded salt formations are currently underway at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA. In these experiments, the thermal and creep responses of salt around several different underground room configurations are being measured. Data from the tests are to be compared to thermal and structural responses predicted in pretest reference calculations. The purpose of these comparisons is to evaluate computational models developed from laboratory data prior to fielding of the in situ experiments. In this paper, the computational models used in the pretest reference calculation for one of themore » large scale tests, The Overtest for Defense High Level Waste, are described; and the pretest computed thermal and structural responses are compared to early data from the experiment. The comparisons indicate that computed and measured temperatures for the test agree to within ten percent but that measured deformation rates are between two and three times greater than corresponsing computed rates. 10 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Restoration of areas disturbed by site studies for a mined commercial radioactive waste repository: The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP)

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

Brandt, C.A.; Rickard, W.H. Jr.; Biehert, R.W.

1989-01-01

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) was undertaken to environmentally characterize a portion of the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State as a potential host for the nation's first mined commercial nuclear waste repository. Studies were terminated by Congress in 1987. Between 1976 and 1987, 72 areas located across the Hanford Site were disturbed by the BWIP. These areas include borehole pads, a large Exploratory Shaft Facility, and the Near Surface Test Facility. Most boreholes were cleared of vegetation, leveled, and stabilized with a thick layer of compacted pit-run gravel and sand. The Near Surface Test Facilitymore » consists of three mined adits, a rock-spoils bench, and numerous support facilities. Restoration began in 1988 with the objective of returning sites to pre-existing conditions using native species. The Hanford Site retains some of the last remnants of the shrub-steppe ecosystem in Washington. The primary constraints to restoring native vegetation at Hanford are low precipitation and the presence of cheatgrass, an extremely capable alien competitor. 5 figs.« less

Waste isolation and contaminant migration - Tools and techniques for monitoring the saturated zone-unsaturated zone-plant-atmosphere continuum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andraski, Brian J.; Stonestrom, David A.; Nicholson, T.J.; Arlt, H.D.

2011-01-01

In 1976 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began studies of unsaturated zone hydrology next to the Nation’s first commercial disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) near Beatty, NV. Recognizing the need for long-term data collection, the USGS in 1983 established research management areas in the vicinity of the waste-burial facility through agreements with the Bureau of Land Management and the State of Nevada. Within this framework, the Amargosa Desert Research Site (ADRS; http://nevada.usgs.gov/adrs/) is serving as a field laboratory for the sustained study of water-, gas-, and contaminant-transport processes, and the development of models and methods to characterize flow and transport. The research is built on multiple lines of data that include: micrometeorology; evapotranspiration; plant metrics; soil and sediment properties; unsaturated-zone moisture, temperature, and gas composition; geology and geophysics; and groundwater. Contaminant data include tritium, radiocarbon, volatile-organic compounds (VOCs), and elemental mercury. Presented here is a summary of monitoring tools and techniques that are being applied in studies of waste isolation and contaminant migration.

Optimization of the Medium for the Production of Extracellular Amylase by the Pseudomonas stutzeri ISL B5 Isolated from Municipal Solid Waste

PubMed Central

Dutta, Prajesh; Deb, Akash

2016-01-01

The management of municipal solid waste is one of the major problems of the present world. The use of microbial enzymes for sustainable management of the solid waste is the need of the time. In the present study, we have isolated a potent amylase producing strain (ISL B5) from municipal solid waste. The strain was identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri (P. stutzeri) both biochemically and by 16S rDNA sequencing. The optimization studies revealed that the strain ISL B5 exhibited maximum activity in the liquid media containing 2% starch (2.77 U/ml), 0.8% peptone (2.77 U/ml), and 0.001% Ca2+ ion (2.49 U/ml) under the pH 7.5 (2.59 U/ml), temperature 40°C (2.63 U/ml), and 25 h of incubation period (2.49 U/ml). The highest activity of crude enzyme has also been optimized at the pH 8 (2.49 U/ml). PMID:28096816

Microbial activity of trench leachates from shallow-land, low-level radioactive waste disposal sites.

PubMed Central

Francis, A J; Dobbs, S; Nine, B J

1980-01-01

Trench leachate samples collected anoxically from shallow-land, low-level radioactive waste disposal sites were analyzed for total aerobic and anaerobic populations, sulfate reducers, denitrifiers, and methanogens. Among the several aerobic and anaerobic bacteria isolated, only Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Citrobacter sp., and Clostridium sp. were identified. Mixed bacterial cultures isolated from the trench leachates were able to grow anaerobically in trench leachates, which indicates that the radionuclides and organic chemicals present were not toxic to these bacteria. Changes in concentrations of several of the organic constituents of the waste leachate samples were observed due to anaerobic microbial activity. Growth of a mixed culture of trench-water bacteria in media containing a mixture of radionuclides, 60Co, 85Sr, and 134,137Cs, was not affected at total activity concentrations of 2.6 X 10(2) and 2.7 X 10(3) pCi/ml. PMID:7406490

Epidemiological investigation of the first human brucellosis case in Spain due to Brucella suis biovar 1 strain 1330.

PubMed

Compés Dea, Cecilia; Guimbao Bescós, Joaquín; Alonso Pérez de Ágreda, Juan Pablo; Muñoz Álvaro, Pilar María; Blasco Martínez, José María; Villuendas Usón, María Cruz

2017-03-01

No cases of human brucellosis caused by Brucella suis has been reported in Spain. This study involved interviews with the case and his co-workers, inspection of their workplace, checking infection control measures, and typing the Brucella strain isolated in the blood culture. Brucella suis biovar 1 strain 1330 was isolated from a patient who worked in a waste treatment plant. Food borne transmission, contact with animals, and risk jobs were ruled out. An accidental inoculation with a contaminated needle from a research laboratory waste container was identified as the most probable mode of transmission. There should be controls to ensure that waste containers are sealed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Analysis of hydraulic tests of the Culebra and Magenta Dolomites and Dewey Lake Redbeds conducted at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site

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

Beauheim, R.L.; Ruskauff, G.J.

1998-09-01

This report presents interpretations of hydraulic tests conducted at 15 well locations in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico between 1980 and 1996. The WIPP is a US Department of Energy (DOE) facility to demonstrate safe disposal of transuranic wastes arising form the nation`s defense programs. The WIPP repository lies within bedded halite of the Salado Formation, 2,155 ft below ground surface. The tests reported herein were, with two exceptions, conducted in the Culebra Dolomite member of the Rustler Formation, which overlies the Salado Formation. The remaining tests were conducted in the Magentamore » Member of the Rustler and in the overlying formation, the Dewey Lake Redbeds. This report completes the documentation of hydraulic-test interpretations used as input to the WIPP Compliance Certification Application (US DOE, 1996).« 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. 

Thermal and enzymatic recovering of proteins from untanned leather waste.

PubMed

Bajza, Z; Vrucek, V

2001-01-01

The laboratory trials of a process to treat untanned leather waste to isolate valuable protein products are presented. In this comparative study, both thermal and enzymatic treatments of leather waste were performed. The enzymatic method utilizes commercially available alkaline protease at moderate temperatures and for short periods of time. The concentration of the enzyme was 500 units per gram of leather waste which makes the method cost-effective. Amino acid composition in the hydrolysate obtained by the enzyme hydrolysis of untanned leather waste is determined. Chemical and physical properties of protein powder products from untanned leather waste were evaluated by spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods and by use of electron microscope. The results of microbiological assays confirm that these products agree to food safety standards. This relatively simple treatment of untanned leather waste may provide a practical and economical solution to the disposal of potentially dangerous waste.

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

Carter, E.

A new class of grout material based on molten wax offers a dramatic improvement in permeation grouting performance. This new material makes a perfect in situ containment of buried radioactive waste both feasible and cost effective. This paper describes various ways the material can be used to isolate buried waste in situ. Potential applications described in the paper include buried radioactive waste in deep trenches, deep shafts, Infiltration trenches, and large buried objects. Use of molten wax for retrieval of waste is also discussed. Wax can also be used for retrieval of air sensitive materials or drummed waste. This papermore » provides an analysis of the methods of application and the expected performance and cost of several potential projects. (authors)« less

Alternative Radiological Characterization of Sealed Source TRU Waste for WIPP Disposal (LAUR-05-8776)

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

Whitworth, J.; Pearson, M.; Feldman, A.

2006-07-01

The Offsite Source Recovery (OSR) Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory is now shipping transuranic (TRU) waste containers to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico for disposal. Sealed source waste disposal has become possible in part because OSR personnel were able to obtain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DOE-CBFO approval for an alternative radiological characterization procedure relying on acceptable knowledge (AK) and modeling, rather than on non-destructive assay (NDA) of each container. This is the first successful qualification of an 'alternate methodology' under the radiological characterization requirements of the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) by any TRUmore » waste generator site. This paper describes the approach OSR uses to radiologically characterize its sealed source waste and the process by which it obtained certification of this approach. (authors)« less

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Part B Permit Application [for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)]. Volume 5, Chapter D, Appendix D1 (conclusion), Revision 3

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

Cook, Neville G.W.; Heuze, Francois E.; Miller, Hamish D.S.

1993-03-01

The reference design for the underground facilities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant was developed using the best criteria available at initiation of the detailed design effort. These design criteria are contained in the US Department of Energy document titled Design Criteria, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Revised Mission Concept-IIA (RMC-IIA), Rev. 4, dated February 1984. The validation process described in the Design Validation Final Report has resulted in validation of the reference design of the underground openings based on these criteria. Future changes may necessitate modification of the Design Criteria document and/or the reference design. Validation of the referencemore » design as presented in this report permits the consideration of future design or design criteria modifications necessitated by these changes or by experience gained at the WIPP. Any future modifications to the design criteria and/or the reference design will be governed by a DOE Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) covering underground design changes. This procedure will explain the process to be followed in describing, evaluating and approving the change.« less

Isolation of a lead tolerant novel bacterial species, Achromobacter sp. TL-3: assessment of bioflocculant activity.

PubMed

Batta, Neha; Subudhi, Sanjukta; Lal, Banwari; Devi, Arundhuti

2013-11-01

Lead is one of the four heavy metals that has a profound damaging effects on human health. In the recent past there has been an increasing global concern for development of sustainable bioremediation technologies for detoxification of lead contaminant. Present investigation highlights for lead biosorption by a newly isolated novel bacterial species; Achromobacter sp. TL-3 strain, isolated from activated sludge samples contaminated with heavy metals (collected from oil refinery, Assam, North-East India). For isolation of lead tolerant bacteria, sludge samples were enriched into Luria Broth medium supplemented separately with a range of lead nitrate; 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250 and 1500 ppm respectively. The bacterial consortium that could tolerate 1500 ppm of lead nitrate was selected further for purification of lead tolerant bacterial isolates. Purified lead tolerant bacterial isolates were then eventually inoculated into production medium supplemented with ethanol and glycerol as carbon and energy source to investigate for bioflocculant production. Bioflocculant production was estimated by monitoring the potential of lead tolerant bacterial isolate to flocculate Kaolin clay in presence of 1% CaCl2. Compared to other isolates, TL-3 isolate demonstrated for maximum bioflocculant activity of 95% and thus was identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. TL3 isolate revealed maximum homology (98%) with Achromobacter sp. and thus designated as Achromobacter sp. TL-3. Bioflocculant activity of TL-3 isolate was correlated with the change in pH and growth. Achromobacter sp. TL-3 has significant potential for lead biosorption and can be effectively employed for detoxification of lead contaminated waste effluents/waste waters.

In vitro assessment of arsenic mobility in historical mine waste dust using simulated lung fluid.

PubMed

Martin, Rachael; Dowling, Kim; Nankervis, Scott; Pearce, Dora; Florentine, Singarayer; McKnight, Stafford

2018-06-01

Exposure studies have linked arsenic (As) ingestion with disease in mining-affected populations; however, inhalation of mine waste dust as a pathway for pulmonary toxicity and systemic absorption has received limited attention. A biologically relevant extractant was used to assess the 24-h lung bioaccessibility of As in dust isolated from four distinct types of historical gold mine wastes common to regional Victoria, Australia. Mine waste particles less than 20 µm in size (PM 20 ) were incubated in a simulated lung fluid containing a major surface-active component found in mammalian lungs, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. The supernatants were extracted, and their As contents measured after 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h. The resultant As solubility profiles show rapid dissolution followed by a more modest increasing trend, with between 75 and 82% of the total 24-h bioaccessible As released within the first 8 h. These profiles are consistent with the solubility profile of scorodite, a secondary As-bearing phase detected by X-ray diffraction in one of the investigated waste materials. Compared with similar studies, the cumulative As concentrations released at the 24-h time point were extremely low (range 297 ± 6-3983 ± 396 µg L -1 ), representing between 0.020 ± 0.002 and 0.036 ± 0.003% of the total As in the PM 20 .

ISOLATED WETLANDS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS: AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

The recent U.S. Supreme Court case of Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC) has had profound implications on the legal status of isolated wetlands. As a result of this decision, policymakers need ecological information on the definit...

Production and characterization of rhamnolipid biosurfactant from waste frying coconut oil using a novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa D.

PubMed

George, S; Jayachandran, K

2013-02-01

To improve biosurfactant production economics by the utilization of potential low-cost materials. In an attempt to utilize cost-effective carbon sources in the fermentative production of biosurfactants, various pure and waste frying oils were screened by a standard biosurfactant producing strain. Considering the regional significance, easy availability and the economical advantages, waste frying coconut oil was selected as the substrate for further studies. On isolation of more competent strains that could use waste frying coconut oil efficiently as a carbon source, six bacterial strains were isolated on cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide-methylene blue agar plate, from a soil sample collected from the premises of a coconut oil mill. Among these, Pseudomonas aeruginosa D was selected as the potential producer of rhamnolipid. Spectrophotometric method, TLC, methylene blue active substance assay, drop collapse technique, surface tension measurement by Du Nouy ring method and emulsifying test confirmed the rhamnolipid producing ability of the selected strain and various process parameters were optimized for the production of maximum amount of biosurfactant. Rhamnolipid components purified and separated by ethyl acetate extraction, preparative silica gel column chromatography, HPLC and TLC were characterized by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry as a mixture of dirhamnolipids and monorhamnolipids. The rhamnolipid homologues detected were Rha-Rha-C(10) -C(10) , Rha-C(12) -C(10) and Rha-C(10) -C(8) /Rha-C(8) -C(10) . These results indicated the possibility of waste frying coconut oil to be used as a very effective alternate substrate for the economic production of rhamnolipid by a newly isolated Ps. aeruginosa D. Results of this study throws light on the alternate use of already used cooking oil as high-energy source for producing a high value product like rhamnolipid. This would provide options for the food industry other than the recycling and reuse of waste frying oils in cooking and also furthering the value of oil nuts. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

WASTE TREATMENT BUILDING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

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

F. Habashi

2000-06-22

The Waste Treatment Building System provides the space, layout, structures, and embedded subsystems that support the processing of low-level liquid and solid radioactive waste generated within the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR). The activities conducted in the Waste Treatment Building include sorting, volume reduction, and packaging of dry waste, and collecting, processing, solidification, and packaging of liquid waste. The Waste Treatment Building System is located on the surface within the protected area of the MGR. The Waste Treatment Building System helps maintain a suitable environment for the waste processing and protects the systems within the Waste Treatment Building (WTB) from mostmore » of the natural and induced environments. The WTB also confines contaminants and provides radiological protection to personnel. In addition to the waste processing operations, the Waste Treatment Building System provides space and layout for staging of packaged waste for shipment, industrial and radiological safety systems, control and monitoring of operations, safeguards and security systems, and fire protection, ventilation and utilities systems. The Waste Treatment Building System also provides the required space and layout for maintenance activities, tool storage, and administrative facilities. The Waste Treatment Building System integrates waste processing systems within its protective structure to support the throughput rates established for the MGR. The Waste Treatment Building System also provides shielding, layout, and other design features to help limit personnel radiation exposures to levels which are as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA). The Waste Treatment Building System interfaces with the Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System, and with other MGR systems that support the waste processing operations. The Waste Treatment Building System interfaces with the General Site Transportation System, Site Communications System, Site Water System, MGR Site Layout, Safeguards and Security System, Site Radiological Monitoring System, Site Electrical Power System, Site Compressed Air System, and Waste Treatment Building Ventilation System.« less

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant transuranic waste repository: A sleeping beauty

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

Eriksson, L.G.

On May 13, 1998, crowning a 24-year United States Department of Energy effort, the US Environmental Protection Agency certified that the deep geological repository for safe disposal of long-lived, transuranic radioactive waste proposed by the DOE at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site in New Mexico complied with all applicable environmental radiation protection standards and compliance criteria. Pursuant to the applicable law, the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992, as amended in 1997, at the decision of the secretary of energy, the WIPP repository could open 30 calendar days after receiving the EPA certification. The secretary of energy announced Maymore » 13, 1998, that he intended to open the WIPP TRUW repository by June 14, 1998. However, at the end of 1998, the opening of the WIPP TRUW repository remains hostage to time-consuming, hazardous-waste-permitting procedures by the state of New Mexico Environment Department and two legal actions. Based on the EPA-verified high safety and the demonstrated risk reduction to both current and future generations offered by the WIPP TRUW repository, it is concluded that the WIPP TRUW repository is a sleeping beauty that will awake, perhaps in stages, and begin its important mission in 1999.« less

Methane production from kitchen waste using Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Jayalakshmi, S; Joseph, Kurian; Sukumaran, V

2007-04-01

Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain isolated from biogas plant sludge was examined for its ability to enhance biogas from kitchen waste during solid phase anaerobic digestion. The laboratory experiments were conducted for total solid concentrations of 20% and 22%. Kitchen waste was characterized for physico-chemical parameters and laboratory experiments were conducted with and without E. coli strain. It was found that the reactor with E. coli produced 17% more biogas than the reactors that are operated without E. coli strain.

Growth and fatty acid characterization of microalgae isolated from municipal waste-treatment systems and the potential role of algal-associated bacteria in feedstock production

PubMed Central

Stemmler, Kevin; Massimi, Rebecca

2016-01-01

Much research has focused on growing microalgae for biofuel feedstock, yet there remain concerns about the feasibility of freshwater feedstock systems. To reduce cost and improve environmental sustainability, an ideal microalgal feedstock system would be fed by municipal, agricultural or industrial wastewater as a main source of water and nutrients. Nonetheless, the microalgae must also be tolerant of fluctuating wastewater quality, while still producing adequate biomass and lipid yields. To address this problem, our study focused on isolating and characterizing microalgal strains from three municipal wastewater treatment systems (two activated sludge and one aerated-stabilization basin systems) for their potential use in biofuel feedstock production. Most of the 19 isolates from wastewater grew faster than two culture collection strains under mixotrophic conditions, particularly with glucose. The fastest growing wastewater strains included the genera Chlorella and Dictyochloris. The fastest growing microalgal strains were not necessarily the best lipid producers. Under photoautotrophic and mixotrophic growth conditions, single strains of Chlorella and Scenedesmus each produced the highest lipid yields, including those most relevant to biodiesel production. A comparison of axenic and non-axenic versions of wastewater strains showed a notable effect of commensal bacteria on fatty acid composition. Strains grown with bacteria tended to produce relatively equal proportions of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, which is an ideal lipid blend for biodiesel production. These results not only show the potential for using microalgae isolated from wastewater for growth in wastewater-fed feedstock systems, but also the important role that commensal bacteria may have in impacting the fatty acid profiles of microalgal feedstock. PMID:26989618

Prospecting Agro-waste Cocktail: Supplementation for Cellulase Production by a Newly Isolated Thermophilic B. licheniformis 2D55.

PubMed

Kazeem, Muinat Olanike; Shah, Umi Kalsom Md; Baharuddin, Azhari Samsu; AbdulRahman, Nor' Aini

2017-08-01

Bacteria isolated from thermophilic environment that can produce cellulase as well as utilise agro-waste biomass have a high potential for developing thermostable cellulase required in the biofuel industry. The cost for cellulase represents a significant challenge in converting lignocellulose to fermentable sugars for biofuel production. Among three potential bacteria examined, Bacillus licheniformis 2D55 (accession no. KT799651) was found to produce the highest cellulolytic activity (CMCase 0.33 U/mL and FPase 0.09 U/mL) at 18-24 h fermentation when grown on microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as a carbon source in shake flask at 50 °C. Cellulase production process was further conducted on the untreated and NaOH pretreated rice straw (RS), rice husk (RH), sugarcane bagasse (BAG) and empty fruit bunch (EFB). Untreated BAG produced the highest FPase (0.160 U/mL), while the highest CMCase (0.150 U/mL) was supported on the pretreated RH. The mixture of untreated BAG and pretreated RH as agro-waste cocktail has remarkably improved CMCase (3.7- and 1.4-fold) and FPase (2.5- and 11.5-fold) compared to the untreated BAG and pretreated RH, respectively. The mechanism of cellulase production explored through SEM analysis and the location of cellulase enzymes of the isolate was also presented. Agro-waste cocktail supplementation provides an alternative method for an efficient production of cellulase.

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

Spangler, Lorenz R.; Most, Wm. A.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (HWFP) limits the allowable emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from contact handled (CH) transuranic (TRU) waste. The environmental Performance standard within the HWFP, Module IV, Table IV.D.1, prescribes the allowed VOC emissions from the waste to ensure protection of human health and the environment. Compliance with the performance standard to ensure control of VOC emissions is based on VOC concentrations and monitoring in the underground. One of the mechanisms used to ensure compliance with the emissions standards is measuring the VOC concentration in the headspace gas of waste containersmore » prior to disposal. Headspace gas sampling and analysis is the waste characterization activity used to determine the concentration of VOCs in the headspace of waste containers. In addition to being used to demonstrate compliance with the emissions standards of Module IV, Table IV.D.1, the results of the headspace gas sampling and analysis are used to confirm the hazardous wastes identified in the acceptable knowledge (AK) process. Headspace gas sampling and analysis has been an ongoing part of the CH TRU waste characterization program and therefore data are now available concerning its use and applicability. The information from approved Waste Stream Profile Forms (WSPFs) and the headspace gas sampling and analysis results for over 16,000 containers of CH TRU waste were considered as part of this study. The headspace gas sampling and analysis results are based on data from the WIPP Waste Information System (WWIS). These results were evaluated to determine the usefulness of headspace gas sampling and analysis for confirming AK information. The evaluation shows that the reliability of using the results of headspace gas sampling and analysis to confirm AK information can be grouped by mixed and non-mixed waste streams. In general, for mixed waste streams due to VOCs (i.e., carrying VOC-related hazardous waste numbers), there is no reliable comparison that can be made for the detection of a particular target analyte and its associated hazardous waste number(s) based on the AK information on a compound by compound basis. However, for non-mixed waste streams, the results of headspace gas sampling and analysis show a better correlation to the AK information.« less

ISOLATED WETLANDS: STATE-OF-THE-SCIENCE AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Supreme Court case of Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC) has had profound implications on the legal status of isolated wetlands. As a result of this decision, policymakers and regulators need information on the ecological...

ISOLATED WETLANDS: STATE-OF-THE-SCIENCE AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

In Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC), the U.S. Supreme Court held that isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters could not be protected under the Clean Water Act based solely on their use by migratory birds. The SWANCC decision ...

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

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

Washinton TRU Solutions LLC

This Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR) documents environmental regulatory compliance at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a facility designed for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste, for the reporting period of April 1, 2000, to March 31, 2002. As required by the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA)(Public Law [Pub. L.] 102-579, as amended by Pub. L. 104-201), the BECR documents U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office's (CBFO) compliance with applicable environmental protection laws and regulations implemented by agencies of the federal government and the state of New Mexico. In the prior BECR, the CBFO andmore » the management and operating contractor (MOC)committed to discuss resolution of a Letter of Violation that had been issued by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) in August 1999, which was during the previous BECR reporting period. This Letter of Violation alleged noncompliance with hazardous waste aisle spacing, labeling, a nd tank requirements. At the time of publication of the prior BECR, resolution of the Letter of Violation was pending. On July 7, 2000, the NMED issued a letter noting that the aisle spacing and labeling concerns had been adequately addressed and that they were rescinding the violation alleging that the Exhaust Shaft Catch Basin failed to comply with the requirements for a hazardous waste tank. During the current reporting period, WIPP received a Notice of Violation and a compliance order alleging the violation of the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Regulations and the WIPP Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (HWFP).« less

Enhanced humification by carbonated basic oxygen furnace steel slag--I. Characterization of humic-like acids produced from humic precursors.

PubMed

Qi, Guangxia; Yue, Dongbei; Fukushima, Masami; Fukuchi, Shigeki; Nie, Yongfeng

2012-01-01

Carbonated basic oxygen furnace steel slag (hereinafter referred to as "steel slag") is generated during iron and steel manufacturing and is often classified as waste. The effect of steel slag on humification process was investigated. Catechol, glycine and glucose were used as model humic precursors from degraded biowastes. To verify that humification occurred in the system, humic-like acids (HLAs) were isolated and characterized structurally by elemental analysis, FTIR spectra, solid-state CP-MAS (13)C NMR spectra, and TMAH-Py-GC/MS. Characteristics of the steel slag-HLA were compared with those of HLAs formed in the presence of zeolite and birnessite, and with that of mature compost humic acid. The results showed that steel slag-HLA, like zeolite- and birnessite-HLA, is complex organic material containing prominent aromatic structures. Steel slag substantially accelerated the humification process, which would be highly significant for accelerating the stabilization of biowastes during composting (e.g. municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, and food waste). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chronic wasting disease in bank voles: characterisation of the shortest incubation time model for prion diseases

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In order to assess the susceptibility of bank voles to chronic wasting disease (CWD), we inoculated voles carrying isoleucine or methionine at codon 109 (Bv109I and Bv109M, respectively) with CWD isolates from elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer. Efficient transmission rate (100%) was observed with...

Deteriorated Concrete from Liner of WIPP Waste Shaft

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

for US Department of Energy. Bensted, J. 1989. "Novel Cements - Sorel and Related Chemical Cements," il Cemento , Vol 86, No. 4, pp 217-228. Ben-Yair, M...Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Massazza, F. 1985. "Concrete Resistance to Sea Water and Marine Environment," il Cemento , Vol 82, No. 1, pp 3-26. Mather

Isolation and Characterization of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria from Mushroom Residues and their Effect on Tomato Plant Growth Promotion.

PubMed

Zhang, Jian; Wang, Peng Cheng; Fang, Ling; Zhang, Qi-An; Yan, Cong Sheng; Chen, Jing Yi

2017-03-30

Phosphorus is a major essential macronutrient for plant growth, and most of the phosphorus in soil remains in insoluble form. Highly efficient phosphate-solubilizing bacteria can be used to increase phosphorus in the plant rhizosphere. In this study, 13 isolates were obtained from waste mushroom residues, which were composed of cotton seed hulls, corn cob, biogas residues, and wood flour. NBRIP solid medium was used for isolation according to the dissolved phosphorus halo. Eight isolates produced indole acetic acid (61.5%), and six isolates produced siderophores (46.2%). Three highest phosphate-dissolving bacterial isolates, namely, M01, M04, and M11, were evaluated for their beneficial effects on the early growth of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. Wanza 15). Strains M01, M04, and M11 significantly increased the shoot dry weight by 30.5%, 32.6%, and 26.2%, and root dry weight by 27.1%, 33.1%, and 25.6%, respectively. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons and phylogenetic positions, strains M01 and M04 belonged to the genus Acinetobacter, and strain M11 belonged to the genus Ochrobactrum. The findings suggest that waste mushroom residues are a potential resource of plant growth-promoting bacteria exhibiting satisfactory phosphate-solubilizing for sustainable agriculture.

Illitization within bentonite engineered barrier system in clay repositories for nuclear waste and its effect on the swelling stress: a coupled THMC modeling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Liu, H. H.

2014-12-01

Geological repositories for disposal of high-level nuclear waste generally rely on a multi-barrier system to isolate radioactive waste from the biosphere. An engineered barrier system (EBS), which comprises in many design concepts a bentonite backfill, is widely used. Clay formations have been considered as a host rock throughout the world. Illitization, the transformation of smectite to illite, could compromise some beneficiary features of EBS bentonite and clay host rock such as sorption and swelling capacity. It is the major determining factor to establish the maximum design temperature of the repositories because it is believed that illitization could be greatly enhanced at temperatures higher than 100 oC. However, existing experimental and modeling studies on the occurrence of illitization and related performance impacts are not conclusive, in part because the relevant couplings between the thermal, hydrological, chemical, and mechanical (THMC) processes have not been fully represented in the models. Here we present a fully coupled THMC simulation study of a generic nuclear waste repository in a clay formation with a bentonite-backfilled EBS. Two scenarios were simulated for comparison: a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister can reach about 200 oC and a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister peaks at about 100 oC. The model simulations demonstrate that illitization is in general more significant under higher temperature. However, the quantity of illitization is affected by many chemical factors and therefore varies a great deal. The most important chemical factors are the concentration of K in the pore water as well as the abundance and dissolution rate of K-feldspar. For the particular case and bentonite properties studied, the reduction in swelling stress as a result of chemical changes vary from 2% up to 70% depending on chemical and temperature conditions, and key mechanical parameters. The modeling work is illustrative in light of the relative importance of different processes occurring in EBS bentonite and clay host rock at higher than 100 oC conditions, and could be of greater use when site specific data are available.

Potential of bacteria isolated from landfill soil in degrading low density polyethylene plastic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munir, E.; Sipayung, F. C.; Priyani, N.; Suryanto, D.

2018-03-01

Plastic is an important material and used for many purposes. It is returned to the environment as a waste which is recently considered as the second largest solid waste. The persistency of plastic in the environment has been attracted researchers from a different point of view. The study of the degradation of plastic using bacteria isolated from local landfill soil was conducted. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic was used as tested material. Potential isolates were obtained by culturing the candidates in mineral salt medium broth containing LDPE powder. Two of ten exhibited better growth response in the selection media and were used in degradation study. Results showed that isolate SP2 and SP4 reduced the weight of LDPE film significantly to a weight loss of 10.16% and 12.06%, respectively after four weeks of incubation. Scanning electron micrograph analyses showed the surface of LDPE changed compared to the untreated film. It looked rough and cracked, and bacteria cells attached to the surface was also noticed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses confirmed the degradation of LDPE film. These results indicated that bacteria isolated from landfill might play an important role in degrading plastic material in the landfill.

I-WASTE: EPA's Suite of Homeland Security Decision Support ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In the U.S., a single comprehensive approach to all-hazards domestic incident management has been established by the Department of Homeland Security through the National Response Framework. This helps prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. A significant component of responding to and recovering from wide-area or isolated events, whether natural, accidental, or intentional, is the management of waste resulting from the incident itself or from activities cleaning up after the incident. To facilitate the proper management of incident-derived waste, EPA developed the Incident Waste Assessment and Tonnage Estimator (I-WASTE). I-WASTE was developed by the U.S. EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program in partnership with EPA program and regional offices, other U.S. government agencies, industry, and state and local emergency response programs. Presenting the disaster waste tool at the ORD Tools Café held in EPA Region 7th on Dec 9th.

Fiber reinforced concrete: An advanced technology for LL/ML radwaste conditioning and disposal

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

Tchemitcheff, E.; Verdier, A.

Radioactive waste immobilization is an integral part of operations in nuclear facilities. The goal of immobilization is to contain radioactive materials in a waste form which can maintain its integrity over very long periods of time, thus effectively isolating the materials from the environment and hence from the public. This is true regardless of the activity of the waste, including low-, and medium-level waste (LLW, MLW). A multiple-year research effort by Cogema culminated in the development of a new process to immobilize nuclear waste in concrete containers reinforced with metal fibers. The fiber concrete containers satisfy all French safety requirementsmore » relating to waste immobilization and disposal, and have been certified by ANDRA, the national radioactive waste management agency. The fiber concrete containers have been fabricated on a production scale since July 1990 by Sogefibre, a jointly-owned subsidiary of SGN and Compagnie Generale des Eaux.« less

Movement and fate of creosote waste in ground water, Pensacola, Florida; U.S. Geological Survey toxic waste--ground-water contamination program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattraw, H. C.; Franks, B.J.

1984-01-01

In 1983, the U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Hazardous Waste Hydrology, selected the former American Creosote Works site near Pensacola, Florida as a national research demonstration area. Seventy-nine years (1902-81) of seepage from unlined discharge impoundments had released creosote, diesel fuel, and pentachlorophenol (since 1950) wastes into the ground-water system. A cluster of from 2 to 5 wells constructed at different depths at 9 sites yielded water which revealed contamination 600 feet downgradient and to a depth of 100 feet below land surface near the site. The best cross-sectional representation of the contaminant plume was obtained from samples collected and analyzed for oxidation-reduction sensitive inorganic chemical constituents. Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence detected recently formed iron carbonate in soil samples from highly reducing ground-water zones. Approximately eighty specific organic contaminants were isolated from ground-water samples by gas-chromotography/mass spectrometry. Column studies indicate the dimethyl phenols are not sorbed or degraded by the sand-and-gravel aquifer materials. Five of nineteen individual phenolic and related compounds are biodegradable based on anaerobic digestor experiments with ACW site bacterial populations. The potential impacts in the nearby Pensacola Bay biotic community are being evaluated. (USGS)

An ecological engineering approach for keeping water from reaching interred wastes in arid or semiarid regions

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

Anderson, J.E.

1997-12-31

This paper describes application of a soil-plant cover system (SPCS) to preclude water from reaching interred wastes in arid and semiarid regions. Where potential evapotranspiration far exceeds precipitation, water can be kept from reaching buried wastes by (1) providing a sufficiently deep cap of soil to store precipitation that falls while plants are dormant and (2) maintaining plant cover to deplete soil moisture during the growing season, thereby emptying the storage reservoir. Research at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) has shown that 2 m of soil is adequate to store moisture from snowmelt and spring rains. Healthy stands ofmore » perennial grasses and shrubs adapted to the INEL climate use all available soil moisture, even during a very wet growing season. However, burrowing by small mammals or ants may affect the performance of a SPCS by increasing infiltration of water. Intrusion barriers of gravel and cobble can be used to restrict burrowing, but emplacement of such barriers affects soil moisture storage and plant rooting depths. A replicated field experiment to investigate the implications of those effects is in progress. Incorporation of an SPCS should be considered in the design of isolation barriers for shallow land burial of hazardous wastes in and regions.« less

WastePD, an innovative center on materials degradation

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

Frankel, Gerald S.; Vienna, John; Lian, Jie

The US Department of Energy recently awarded funds to create the Center for Performance and Design of Nuclear Waste Forms and Containers (WastePD) as part of the Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) program. EFRCs are multi-investigator collaborations of universities, national labs and companies that “conduct fundamental research focusing on one or more “grand challenges” and use-inspired “basic research needs” identified in major strategic planning efforts by the scientific community.” The major performance parameter of nuclear waste forms is their ability to isolate the radionuclides by withstanding degradation in a repository environment over very long periods of time. So WastePD ismore » at heart a center focused on materials degradation.« less

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

Humphrey, Betty; Bland, Jesse John

This paper documents the history of the TRU program at Sandia, previous and current activities associated with TRU material and waste, interfaces with other TRU waste generator sites and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plan (WIPP), and paths forward for TRU material and waste. This document is a snapshot in time of the TRU program and should be updated as necessary, or when significant changes have occurred in the Sandia TRU program or in the TRU regulatory environment. This paper should serve as a roadmap to capture past TRU work so that efforts are not repeated and ground is not lostmore » due to future inactivity and personnel changes.« less

Radiation Stability of Benzyl Tributyl Ammonium Chloride towards Technetium-99 Extraction - 13016

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

Paviet-Hartmann, Patricia; Horkley, Jared; Campbell, Keri

2013-07-01

A closed nuclear fuel cycle combining new separation technologies along with generation III and generation IV reactors is a promising way to achieve a sustainable energy supply. But it is important to keep in mind that future recycling processes of used nuclear fuel (UNF) must minimize wastes, improve partitioning processes, and integrate waste considerations into processes. New separation processes are being developed worldwide to complement the actual industrialized PUREX process which selectively separates U(VI) and Pu(IV) from the raffinate. As an example, the UREX process has been developed in the United States to co-extract hexavalent uranium (U) and hepta-valent technetiummore » (Tc) by tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP). Tc-99 is recognized to be one of the most abundant, long-lived radio-toxic isotopes in UNF (half-life, t{sub 1/2} = 2.13 x 10{sup 5} years), and as such, is targeted in UNF separation strategies for isolation and encapsulation in solid waste-forms for final disposal in a nuclear waste repository. Immobilization of Tc-99 by a durable solid waste-form is a challenge, and its fate in new advanced technology processes is of importance. It is essential to be able to quantify and locate 1) its occurrence in any new developed flowsheets, 2) its chemical form in the individual phases of a process, 3) its potential quantitative transfer in any waste streams, and consequently, 4) its quantitative separation for either potential transmutation to Ru-100 or isolation and encapsulation in solid waste-forms for ultimate disposal. In addition, as a result of an U(VI)-Tc(VII) co-extraction in a UREX-based process, Tc(VII) could be found in low level waste (LLW) streams. There is a need for the development of new extraction systems that would selectively extract Tc-99 from LLW streams and concentrate it for feed into high level waste (HLW) for either Tc-99 immobilization in metallic waste-forms (Tc-Zr alloys), and/or borosilicate-based waste glass. Studies have been launched to investigate the suitability of new macro-compounds such as crown-ethers, aza-crown ethers, quaternary ammonium salts, and resorcin-arenes for the selective extraction of Tc-99 from nitric acid solutions. The selectivity of the ligand is important in evaluating potential separation processes and also the radiation stability of the molecule is essential for minimization of waste and radiolysis products. In this paper, we are reporting the extraction of TcO{sub 4}{sup -} by benzyl tributyl ammonium chloride (BTBA). Experimental efforts were focused on determining the best extraction conditions by varying the ligand's matrix conditions and concentration, as well as varying the organic phase composition (i.e. diluent variation). Furthermore, the ligand has been investigated for radiation stability. The ?-irradiation was performed on the neat organic phases containing the ligand at different absorbed doses to a maximum of 200 kGy using an external Co-60 source. Post-irradiation solvent extraction measurements will be discussed. (authors)« less

Hexavalent chromium reduction by bacterial consortia and pure strains from an alkaline industrial effluent.

PubMed

Piñón-Castillo, H A; Brito, E M S; Goñi-Urriza, M; Guyoneaud, R; Duran, R; Nevarez-Moorillon, G V; Gutiérrez-Corona, J F; Caretta, C A; Reyna-López, G E

2010-12-01

To characterize the bacterial consortia and isolates selected for their role in hexavalent chromium removal by adsorption and reduction. Bacterial consortia from industrial wastes revealed significant Cr(VI) removal after 15 days when incubated in medium M9 at pH 6·5 and 8·0. The results suggested chromium reduction. The bacterial consortia diversity (T-RFLP based on 16S rRNA gene) indicated a highest number of operational taxonomic units in an alkaline carbonate medium mimicking in situ conditions. However, incubations under such conditions revealed low Cr(VI) removal. Genomic libraries were obtained for the consortia exhibiting optimal Cr(VI) removal (M9 medium at pH 6·5 and 8·0). They revealed the dominance of 16S rRNA gene sequences related to the genera Pseudomonas/Stenotrophomonas or Enterobacter/Halomonas, respectively. Isolates related to Pseudomonas fluorescens and Enterobacter aerogenes were efficient in Cr(VI) reduction and adsorption to the biomass. Cr(VI) reduction was better at neutral pH rather than under in situ conditions (alkaline pH with carbonate). Isolated strains exhibited significant capacity for Cr(VI) reduction and adsorption. Bacterial communities from chromium-contaminated industrial wastes as well as isolates were able to remove Cr(VI). The results suggest a good potential for bioremediation of industrial wastes when optimal conditions are applied. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology. No claim to Mexican Government works.

An isolated Amycolatopsis sp. GDS for cellulase and xylanase production using agricultural waste biomass.

PubMed

Kshirsagar, S D; Saratale, G D; Saratale, R G; Govindwar, S P; Oh, M K

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate an isolate of Amycolatopsis sp. GDS for cellulase and xylanase production, their characterization, and its application to the preparation of biomass feedstock for ethanol production. A novel potent cellulolytic bacterial strain was isolated and identified as Amycolatopsis sp. GDS. The strain secreted high levels of cellulase and xylanase in the presence of agricultural waste biomass. The enzymes were thermostable and active up to 70°C. Interestingly, the enzymes were expressed well at higher NaCl (up to 2·5 mol l(-1) ) and ionic liquid (10%) concentrations, so that they could be used during the pretreatment of biomass. Enzyme stability in the presence of organic solvents, surfactants and oxidizing agents was also noted. Crude enzymes from Amycolatopsis sp. GDS resulted in comparable saccharification (60%) of wheat straw to commercial enzymes (64%). The cellulolytic enzymes from Amycolatopsis sp. GDS were stable, expressed well under conditions with various chemicals, and yielded significant amounts of hydrolysates from the biomass. The high bioethanol production using yeast co-cultures with enzymatic hydrolysates highlights the significance of selecting the strain and substrate for biofuel production. This study demonstrates the importance of the isolate Amycolatopsis sp. GDS that secretes high levels of cellulase and hemicellulase by utilizing agricultural waste biomass and its application in the preparation of biomass feedstock and sequential ethanol fermentation. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Ongoing environmental monitoring and assessment of the long-term impacts of the February 2014 radiological release from the waste isolation pilot plant.

PubMed

Thakur, Punam; Runyon, Tim

2018-04-09

Three years ago, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) experienced its first minor accident involving a radiological release. Late in the evening on February 14, 2014, a waste container in the repository underwent a chemical reaction that caused the container to overheat and breach, releasing its contents into the underground. Following a lengthy recovery process, the facility recently resumed waste disposal operations. The accident released significant levels of radioactivity into the disposal room and adjacent exhaust drifts, and although no one was present in the underground at the time of the release, a total of 22 workers tested positive for very low level of radiation, presumably from some of the radioactive material that was released above ground through a small leak in the HEPA filtration system. The dominant radionuclides released were 241 Am and 239 + 240 Pu in a ratio that matched the content of the drum from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) that was eventually identified as the breached container. From the air particulate monitoring and plume modeling, it was concluded that the dose, at the nearest location accessible to the general public, from this radiation release event would have been less than 0.01 mSv (< 1 mrem/year). This level is well below the 0.1 mSv/year (10 mrem/year) regulatory limit for DOE facilities established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).While no long-term impacts to public health or the environment are expected as a result of the WIPP radiation release, the limited ventilation and residual contamination levels in the underground are still a concern and pose a major challenge for the full recovery of WIPP. This article provides an up-to-date overview of environmental monitoring results through the WIPP recovery and an estimate of the long-term impacts of the accident on the natural and human environment.

Report of biological investigations at the Los Medanos Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) area of New Mexico during FY 1978

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

Best, T.L.; Neuhauser, S.

The US Department of Energy is considering the construction of a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Eddy County, NM. This location is approximately 40 km east of Carlsbad, NM. Biological studies during FY 1978 were concentrated within a 5-mi radius of drill hole ERDA 9. Additional study areas have been established at other sites in the vicinity, e.g., the Gnome site, the salt lakes and several stations along the Pecos River southward from Carlsbad, NM, to the dam at Red Bluff Reservoir in Texas. The precise locations of all study areas are presented and their biology discussed.

Liquid and Gaseous Waste Operations Department annual operating report CY 1996

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

Maddox, J.J.; Scott, C.B.

1997-03-01

This annual report summarizes operating activities dealing with the process waste system, the liquid low-level waste system, and the gaseous waste system. It also describes upgrade activities dealing with the process and liquid low-level waste systems, the cathodic protection system, a stack ventilation system, and configuration control. Maintenance activities are described dealing with nonradiological wastewater treatment plant, process waste treatment plant and collection system, liquid low-level waste system, and gaseous waste system. Miscellaneous activities include training, audits/reviews/tours, and environmental restoration support.

Draft Title 40 CFR 191 compliance certification application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Volume 8: Appendices HYDRO, IRD, LTM, NUTS, PAR, PMR, QAPD, RBP

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

NONE

Geohydrologic data have been collected in the Los Medanos area at the US Department of Energy`s proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in southeastern New Mexico since 1975 as part of a study evaluating the feasibility of storing defense-associated nuclear wastes within the bedded salt of the Salado Formation of Permian age. Drilling and hydrologic testing have identified three principal water-bearing zones above the Salado Formation and one below that could potentially transport wastes to the biosphere if the proposed facility were breached. The zones above the Salado are the contact between the Rustler and Salado Formations and themore » Culebra and Magenta Dolomite Members of the Rustler Formation of Permian age. The zone below the Salado Formation consists of channel sandstones in the Bell Canyon Formation of the Permian Delaware Mountain Group. Determinations of hydraulic gradients, directions of flow, and hydraulic properties were hindered because of the negligible permeability of the water-bearing zones. Special techniques in drilling, well completion, and hydraulic testing have been developed to determine the hydrologic characteristics of these water-producing zones.« less

Options Assessment Report: Treatment of Nitrate Salt Waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory

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

Robinson, Bruce Alan; Stevens, Patrice Ann

2015-12-17

This report documents the methodology used to select a method of treatment for the remediated nitrate salt (RNS) and unremediated nitrate salt (UNS) waste containers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The method selected should treat the containerized waste in a manner that renders the waste safe and suitable for transport and final disposal in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository, under specifications listed in the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria (DOE/CBFO, 2013). LANL recognizes that the results must be thoroughly vetted with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and that a modification to the LANL Hazardous Waste Facility Permitmore » is a necessary step before implementation of this or any treatment option. Likewise, facility readiness and safety basis approvals must be received from the Department of Energy (DOE). This report presents LANL’s preferred option, and the documentation of the process for reaching the recommended treatment option for RNS and UNS waste, and is presented for consideration by NMED and DOE.« less

Delignification and Enhanced Gas Release from Soil Containing Lignocellulose by Treatment with Bacterial Lignin Degraders.

PubMed

Rashid, Goran M M; Duran-Pena, Maria Jesus; Rahmanpour, Rahman; Sapsford, Devin; Bugg, Timothy D H

2017-04-10

The aim of the study was to isolate bacterial lignin-degrading bacteria from municipal solid waste soil, and to investigate whether they could be used to delignify lignocellulose-containing soil, and enhance methane release. A set of 20 bacterial lignin degraders, including 11 new isolates from municipal solid waste soil, were tested for delignification and phenol release in soil containing 1% pine lignocellulose. A group of 7 strains were then tested for enhancement of gas release from soil containing 1% lignocellulose in small-scale column tests. Using an aerobic pre-treatment, aerobic strains such as Pseudomonas putida showed enhanced gas release from the treated sample, but four bacterial isolates showed 5-10 fold enhancement in gas release in an in situ experiment under microanaerobic conditions: Agrobacterium sp., Lysinibacillus sphaericus, Comamonas testosteroni, and Enterobacter sp.. The results show that facultative anaerobic bacterial lignin degraders found in landfill soil can be used for in situ delignification and enhanced gas release in soil containing lignocellulose. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using an in situ bacterial treatment to enhance gas release and resource recovery from landfill soil containing lignocellulosic waste. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Acid and alkaline solubilization (pH shift) process: a better approach for the utilization of fish processing waste and by-products.

PubMed

Surasani, Vijay Kumar Reddy

2018-05-22

Several technologies and methods have been developed over the years to address the environmental pollution and nutritional losses associated with the dumping of fish processing waste and low-cost fish and by-products. Despite the continuous efforts put in this field, none of the developed technologies was successful in addressing the issues due to various technical problems. To solve the problems associated with the fish processing waste and low-value fish and by-products, a process called pH shift/acid and alkaline solubilization process was developed. In this process, proteins are first solubilized using acid and alkali followed by precipitating them at their isoelectric pH to recover functional and stable protein isolates from underutilized fish species and by-products. Many studies were conducted using pH shift process to recover proteins from fish and fish by-products and found to be most successful in recovering proteins with increased yields than conventional surimi (three cycle washing) process and with good functional properties. In this paper, problems associated with conventional processing, advantages and principle of pH shift processing, effect of pH shift process on the quality and storage stability of recovered isolates, applications protein isolates, etc. are discussed in detail for better understanding.

Xylanase production by a newly isolated Aspergillus niger SS7 in submerged culture.

PubMed

Bakri, Yasser; Al-Jazairi, Manal; Al-Kayat, Ghassan

2008-01-01

Xylanase production by a newly isolated Aspergillus niger SS7 was studied in submerged culture. The optimum initial pH for xylanase production was found to be 7.0. Different agricultural and industrial wastes were evaluated for their ability to induce xylanase production by this isolate. The best xylanase production (293.82 IU/ml) was recorded at 3% (w/v) corn cob hulls after 120 h of incubation. The Aspergillus niger SS7 isolate grown in a simple medium, proved to be a promising microorganism for xylanase production.

Bioleaching of electronic waste using bacteria isolated from the marine sponge Hymeniacidon heliophila (Porifera).

PubMed

Rozas, Enrique E; Mendes, Maria A; Nascimento, Claudio A O; Espinosa, Denise C R; Oliveira, Renato; Oliveira, Guilherme; Custodio, Marcio R

2017-05-05

The bacteria isolated from Hymeniacidon heliophila sponge cells showed bioleaching activity. The most active strain, Hyhel-1, identified as Bacillus sp., was selected for bioleaching tests under two different temperatures, 30°C and 40°C, showing rod-shaped cells and filamentous growth, respectively. At 30°C, the bacteria secreted substances which linked to the leached copper, and at 40°C metallic nanoparticles were produced inside the cells. In addition, infrared analysis detected COOH groups and linear peptides in the tested bacteria at both temperatures. The Hyhel-1 strain in presence of electronic waste (e-waste) induced the formation of crust, which could be observed due to bacteria growing on the e-waste fragment. SEM-EDS measurements showed that the bacterial net surface was composed mostly of iron (16.1% w/w), while a higher concentration of copper was observed in the supernatant (1.7% w/w) and in the precipitated (49.8% w/w). The substances linked to copper in the supernatant were sequenced by MALDI-TOF-ms/ms and identified as macrocyclic surfactin-like peptides, similar to the basic sequence of Iturin, a lipopeptide from Bacillus subtilis. Finally, the results showed that Hyhel-1 is a bioleaching bacteria and cooper nanoparticles producer and that this bacteria could be used as a copper recovery tool from electronic waste. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An introduction to the mechanics of performance assessment using examples of calculations done for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant between 1990 and 1992

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

Rechard, R.P.

1995-10-01

This document provides an overview of the process used to assess the performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a proposed repository for transuranic wastes that is located in southeastern New Mexico. The quantitative metrics used in the performance-assessment (PA) process are those put forward in the Environmental Protection Agency`s Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive flasks (40 CFR 191). Much has been written about the individual building blocks that comprise the foundation of PA theory and practice, and that WIPP literature is well cited herein. However, the present approachmore » is to provide an accurate, well documented overview of the process, from the perspective of the mechanical steps used to perform the actual PA calculations. Specifically, the preliminary stochastic simulations that comprise the WIPP PAs of 1990, 1991. and 1992 are summarized.« less

Milestones for disposal of radioactive waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in the United States

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

RECHARD,ROBERT P.

The opening of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant on March 26, 1999, was the culmination of a regulatory assessment process that had taken 25 years. National policy issues, negotiated agreements, and court settlements during the first 15 years of the project had a strong influence on the amount and type of scientific data collected up to this point. Assessment activities before the mid 1980s were undertaken primarily (1) to satisfy needs for environmental impact statements, (2) to satisfy negotiated agreements with the State of New Mexico, or (3) to develop general understanding of selected natural phenomena associated with nuclear wastemore » disposal. In the last 10 years, federal compliance policy and actual regulations were sketched out, and continued to evolve until 1996. During this period, stochastic simulations were introduced as a tool for the assessment of the WIPP's performance, and four preliminary performance assessments, one compliance performance assessment, and one verification performance assessment were performed.« less

Enrichment and characterization of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria from petroleum refinery waste as potent bioaugmentation agent for in situ bioremediation.

PubMed

Sarkar, Poulomi; Roy, Ajoy; Pal, Siddhartha; Mohapatra, Balaram; Kazy, Sufia K; Maiti, Mrinal K; Sar, Pinaki

2017-10-01

Intrinsic biodegradation potential of bacteria from petroleum refinery waste was investigated through isolation of cultivable strains and their characterization. Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. populated the normal cultivable taxa while prolonged enrichment with hydrocarbons and crude oil yielded hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria of genera Burkholderia, Enterobacter, Kocuria, Pandoraea, etc. Strains isolated through enrichment showed assemblages of superior metabolic properties: utilization of aliphatic (C6-C22) and polyaromatic compounds, anaerobic growth with multiple terminal electron acceptors and higher biosurfactant production. Biodegradation of dodecane was studied thoroughly by GC-MS along with detection of gene encoding alkane hydroxylase (alkB). Microcosms bioaugmented with Enterobacter, Pandoraea and Burkholderia strains showed efficient biodegradation (98% TPH removal) well fitted in first order kinetic model with low rate constants and decreased half-life. This study proves that catabolically efficient bacteria resides naturally in complex petroleum refinery wastes and those can be useful for bioaugmentation based bioremediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complications Associated with Long-Term Disposition of Newly-Generated Transuranic Waste: A National Laboratory Perspective

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

B.J. Orchard; L.A. Harvego; T.L. Carlson

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is a multipurpose national laboratory delivering specialized science and engineering solutions for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Sponsorship of INL was formally transferred to the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (NE) by Secretary Spencer Abraham in July 2002. The move to NE, and designation as the DOE lead nuclear energy laboratory for reactor technology, supports the nation’s expanding nuclear energy initiatives, placing INL at the center of work to develop advanced Generation IV nuclear energy systems; nuclear energy/hydrogen coproduction technology; advanced nuclear energy fuel cycle technologies; and providing national security answersmore » to national infrastructure needs. As a result of the Laboratory’s NE mission, INL generates both contact-handled and remote-handled transuranic (TRU) waste from ongoing operations. Generation rates are relatively small and fluctuate based on specific programs and project activities being conducted; however, the Laboratory will continue to generate TRU waste well into the future in association with the NE mission. Currently, plans and capabilities are being established to transfer INL’s contact-handled TRU waste to the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Plant (AMWTP) for certification and disposal to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Remote-handled TRU waste is currently placed in storage at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC). In an effort to minimize future liabilities associated with the INL NE mission, INL is evaluating and assessing options for the management and disposition of all its TRU waste on a real-time basis at time of generation. This paper summarizes near-term activities to minimize future re handling of INL’s TRU waste, as well as, potential complications associated with the long-term disposition of newly-generated TRU waste. Potential complications impacting the disposition of INL newly-generated TRU waste include, but are not limited to: 1) required remote-handled TRU packaging configuration(s) vs. current facility capabilities, 2) long-term NE mission activities, 3) WIPP certification requirements, and 4) budget considerations.« less

Growth and metal bioconcentration by conspecific freshwater macroalgae cultured in industrial waste water.

PubMed

Ellison, Michael B; de Nys, Rocky; Paul, Nicholas A; Roberts, David A

2014-01-01

The bioremediation of industrial waste water by macroalgae is a sustainable and renewable approach to the treatment of waste water produced by multiple industries. However, few studies have tested the bioremediation of complex multi-element waste streams from coal-fired power stations by live algae. This study compares the ability of three species of green freshwater macroalgae from the genus Oedogonium, isolated from different geographic regions, to grow in waste water for the bioremediation of metals. The experiments used Ash Dam water from Tarong power station in Queensland, which is contaminated by multiple metals (Al, Cd, Ni and Zn) and metalloids (As and Se) in excess of Australian water quality guidelines. All species had consistent growth rates in Ash Dam water, despite significant differences in their growth rates in "clean" water. A species isolated from the Ash Dam water itself was not better suited to the bioremediation of that waste water. While there were differences in the temporal pattern of the bioconcentration of metals by the three species, over the course of the experiment, all three species bioconcentrated the same elements preferentially and to a similar extent. All species bioconcentrated metals (Cu, Mn, Ni, Cd and Zn) more rapidly than metalloids (As, Mo and Se). Therefore, bioremediation in situ will be most rapid and complete for metals. Overall, all three species of freshwater macroalgae had the ability to grow in waste water and bioconcentrate elements, with a consistent affinity for the key metals that are regulated by Australian and international water quality guidelines. Together, these characteristics make Oedogonium a clear target for scaled bioremediation programs across a range of geographic regions.

Effects of Aging on PuO2∙xH2O Particle Size in Alkaline Solution

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

Delegard, Calvin H.

Between 1944 and 1989, 54.5 metric tons of the United States’ weapons-grade plutonium and an additional 12.9 metric tons of fuel-grade plutonium were produced and separated from irradiated fuel at the Hanford Site. Acidic high-activity wastes containing around 600 kg of plutonium were made alkaline and discharged to underground storage tanks from separations, isolation, and recycle processes to yield average plutonium concentration of about 0.003 grams per liter (or ~0.0002 wt%) in the ~200 million liter tank waste volume. The plutonium is largely associated with low-solubility metal hydroxide/oxide sludges where its low concentration and intimate mixture with neutron-absorbing elements (e.g.,more » iron) are credited in nuclear criticality safety. However, concerns have been expressed that plutonium, in the form of plutonium hydrous oxide, PuO2∙xH2O, could undergo sufficient crystal growth through dissolution and reprecipitation in the alkaline tank waste to potentially become separable from neutron absorbing constituents by settling or sedimentation. Thermodynamic considerations and laboratory studies of systems chemically analogous to tank waste show that the plutonium formed in the alkaline tank waste by precipitation through neutralization from acid solution probably entered as 2–4-nm PuO2∙xH2O crystallite particles that, because of their low solubility and opposition from radiolytic processes, grow from that point at exceedingly slow rates, thus posing no risk of physical segregation.« less

Developing a holistic strategy for integrated waste management within municipal planning: challenges, policies, solutions and perspectives for Hellenic municipalities in the zero-waste, low-cost direction.

PubMed

Zotos, G; Karagiannidis, A; Zampetoglou, S; Malamakis, A; Antonopoulos, I-S; Kontogianni, S; Tchobanoglous, G

2009-05-01

The present position paper addresses contemporary waste management options, weaknesses and opportunities faced by Hellenic local authorities. It focuses on state-of-the-art, tested as well as innovative, environmental management tools on a municipal scale and identifies a range of different collaboration schemes between local authorities and related service providers. Currently, a policy implementation gap is still experienced among Hellenic local authorities; it appears that administration at the local level is inadequate to manage and implement many of the general policies proposed; identify, collect, monitor and assess relevant data; and safeguard efficient and effective implementation of MSWM practices in the framework of integrated environmental management as well. This shortfall is partly due to the decentralisation of waste management issues to local authorities without a parallel substantial budgetary and capacity support, thus resulting in local activity remaining often disoriented and isolated from national strategies, therefore yielding significant planning and implementation problems and delays against pressing issues at hand as well as loss or poor use of available funds. This paper develops a systemic approach for MSWM at both the household and the non-household level, summarizes state-of-the-art available tools and compiles a set of guidelines for developing waste management master plans at the municipal level. It aims to provide a framework in the MSWM field for municipalities in Greece as well as other countries facing similar problems under often comparable socioeconomic settings.

WIPP Remote-Handled TRU Waste Program Update

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

Most, W.; Kehrman, B.

2006-07-01

There are two major regulatory approval milestones necessary in order to commence disposal operations for remote-handled transuranic (RH TRU) waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)-the RH TRU hazardous waste permit modification request [1] and the radiological characterization plan [2]. One of those milestones has been achieved. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final decision to approve the Department of Energy's (DOE) RH TRU radiological characterization plan along with the RH TRU Waste Characterization Program Implementation Plan [3], on March 26, 2004. The RH TRU hazardous waste permit modification request still awaits agency approval. In EPA's decisionmore » to approve the DOE's RH TRU radiological characterization plan, the EPA also set forth the process for approving site-specific RH TRU waste characterization programs. Included in the March 29, 2005, RH TRU second Notice of Deficiency [4] (NOD) on the Class 3 Permit Modification Request for RH TRU Waste, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) requested that the Permittees combine their responses for the RH TRU Waste NOD with the Section 311 permit modification request NOD. The Combined Response Document was submitted April 28, 2005 [5]. Another NOD [6] was issued by the NMED on September 1, 2005, to clarify the Permittees' proposal and submit these clarifications to the administrative record. Combining both the chap. 311 [7] and RH TRU waste permit modification requests allows for both the regulator and Permittees to expedite action on the modification requests. The Combined Response Document preserves human resources and costs by having only one administrative process for both modification requests. Facility readiness requirements of the RH TRU waste final permit [8] must be implemented to declare that the WIPP is ready to receive RH TRU waste for storage and disposal. To demonstrate readiness, the WIPP is preparing for an Operational Readiness Review (ORR) of the RH TRU waste management equipment, system, and procedures. Required by DOE Order, the ORR demonstrates the capability of managing RH TRU waste. The Management and Operating Contractor (MOC) for the WIPP must first perform a Line Management Assessment. Upon successful completion of the Line Management Assessment, the MOC performs the Contractor ORR and presents the results to the local DOE office. At that time, the local DOE office performs its own ORR to declare readiness to DOE Headquarters. (authors)« less

Hydrogeology of a low-level radioactive-waste disposal site near Sheffield, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, J.B.; Erickson, J.R.; Healy, R.W.

1984-01-01

The Sheffield low-level radioactive-waste facility is located on 20 acres of rolling terrain 3 miles southwest of Sheffield, Illinois. The shallow hydrogeologic system is composed of glacial sediments. Pennsylvania shale and mudstone bedrock isolate the regional aquifers below from the hydrogeologic system in the overlying glacial deposits. Pebbly sand underlies 67 percent of the site. Two ground-water flow paths were identified. The primary path conveys ground water from the site to the east through the pebbly-sand unit; a secondary path conveys ground water to the south and east through less permeable material. The pebbly-sand unit provides an underdrain that eliminates the risk of water rising into the trenches. Digital computer model results indicate that the pebbly-sand unit controls ground-water movement. Tritium found migrating in ground water in the southeast corner of the site travels approximately 25 feet per year. A group of water samples from wells which contained the highest tritium concentrations had specific conductivities, alkalinities, hardness, and chloride, sulfate, calcium, and magnesium contents higher than normal for local shallow ground water. (USGS)

Pretest characterization of WIPP experimental waste

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

Johnson, J.; Davis, H.; Drez, P.E.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico, is an underground repository designed for the storage and disposal of transuranic (TRU) wastes from US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities across the country. The Performance Assessment (PA) studies for WIPP address compliance of the repository with applicable regulations, and include full-scale experiments to be performed at the WIPP site. These experiments are the bin-scale and alcove tests to be conducted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Prior to conducting these experiments, the waste to be used in these tests needs to be characterized to provide data on the initial conditionsmore » for these experiments. This characterization is referred to as the Pretest Characterization of WIPP Experimental Waste, and is also expected to provide input to other programmatic efforts related to waste characterization. The purpose of this paper is to describe the pretest waste characterization activities currently in progress for the WIPP bin-scale waste, and to discuss the program plan and specific analytical protocols being developed for this characterization. The relationship between different programs and documents related to waste characterization efforts is also highlighted in this paper.« less

Immobilization of metal wastes by reaction with H2S in anoxic basins: concept and elaboration.

PubMed

Schuiling, R D

2013-10-01

Metal wastes are produced in large quantities by a number of industries. Their disposal in isolated waste deposits is certain to cause many subsequent problems, because every material will sooner or later return to the geochemical cycle. The sealing of disposal sites usually starts to leak, often within a short time after the disposal site has been filled. The contained heavy metals are leached from the waste deposit and will contaminate the soil and the groundwater. It is evident that storage as metal sulfides in a permanently anoxic environment is the only safe way to handle metal wastes. The world's largest anoxic basin, the Black Sea, can serve as a georeactor. The metal wastes are sustainably transformed into harmless and immobile solids. These are incorporated in the lifeless bottom muds, where they are stored for millions of years.

Plastic degrading fungi Trichoderma viride and Aspergillus nomius isolated from local landfill soil in Medan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munir, E.; Harefa, R. S. M.; Priyani, N.; Suryanto, D.

2018-03-01

Plastic is a naturally recalcitrant polymer, once it enters the environment, it will remain there for many years. Accumulation of plastic as wastes in the environment poses a serious problem and causes an ecological threat. Alternative strategies to reduce accumulation of plastic wastes have been initiated and implemented from a different aspect including from microbiological view point. The study to obtain potential fungi in degrading plastic molecule has been initiated in our laboratory. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic was used as a tested material. Candidate fungi were isolated from local landfill soil. The fungi were cultured in mineral salt medium broth containing LDPE powder. Two of nine isolates showed best growth response in broth media containing LDPE. These isolates (RH03 and RH06) were used in degradation test. Results showed that isolate RH03 and RH06 reduced the weight of LDPE film by 5.13% and 6.63%, respectively after 45 days of cultivation. The tensile strength of treated film even reduced significantly by 58% and 40% of each isolate. Analyses of electron micrograph exhibited grove ands rough were formed on the surface of LDPE film. These were not found in the untreated film. Furthermore, molecular analysis through polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing indicated that RH03 is Trichoderma viride and RH06 is Aspergillus nomius with 97% and 96% similarities, respectively.

Diversity of bacterial isolates from commercial and homemade composts.

PubMed

Vaz-Moreira, Ivone; Silva, Maria E; Manaia, Célia M; Nunes, Olga C

2008-05-01

The diversity of heterotrophic bacterial isolates of three commercial and two homemade composts was studied. The commercial composts were produced from poultry litter (PC), sewage sludge (SC), municipal solid waste (MC), and homemade composts (thermal compost [DC] and vermicompost [VC]) from food wastes. The taxonomic and physiological diversity of the heterotrophic culturable bacteria was assessed using phenotypic and genotypic characterization and the analysis of the partial 16S rRNA gene sequence. Composts DC and SC presented the higher genotypic diversity, as could be inferred from the number of distinct genotypic patterns observed, 28 and 21, respectively. Gram-positive bacteria, mainly Firmicutes, were predominant in all the composts. Some organisms related with taxa rarely reported in composts, as Rhodanobacter spathiphylli, Moraxella osloensis, Lysobacter, Corynebacterium, Pigmentiphaga kullae, and new taxa were also isolated. The highest relative proportion of isolates able to degrade starch was found in compost SC (> 70%), to degrade gelatine in compost DC (> 70%), to degrade Tween 80 in compost PC (> 90%), and to degrade poly-epsilon-caprolactones in compost DC (> 80%). Compost MC presented the lowest relative proportions of isolates able to degrade starch (< 25%), gelatine (< 20%), and poly-epsilon-caprolactone (< 40%). When compared with the others, the homemade composts presented higher relative proportions of Gram-positive isolates able to inhibit the target organisms Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In compost MC, none of the Gram-positive isolates was able to inhibit those targets.

Waste-heat-powered icemaker for isolated fishing villages

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

Erickson, D.C.

1995-08-01

A high-lift absorption refrigeration cycle called the ``vapor exchange`` cycle has been applied to the problem of producing refrigeration from low-temperature waste heat. Diesel engine jacket cooling water at 75 C is used as the heat source to produce 10 tons per day of flake ice for a remote community. The icemaker has successfully operated for two fishing seasons at Kotzebue, Alaska.

Condensed listing of surface boreholes at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Project through 31 December 1995

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

Hill, L.R.; Aguilar, R.; Mercer, J.W.

This report contains a condensed listing of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project surface boreholes drilled for the purpose of site selection and characterization through 31 December 1995. The US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored the drilling activities, which were conducted primarily by Sandia National Laboratories. The listing provides physical attributes such as location (township, range, section, and state-plane coordinates), elevation, and total borehole depth, as well as the purpose for the borehole, drilling dates, and information about extracted cores. The report also presents the hole status (plugged, testing, monitoring, etc.) and includes salient findings and references. Maps with boreholemore » locations and times-of-drilling charts are included.« less

Geologic and hydrologic characterization and evaluation of the Basin and Range Province relative to the disposal of high-level radioactive waste: Part I, Introduction and guidelines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, M.S.; Sargent, Kenneth A.; Reed, J.E.

1984-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's program for geologic and hydrologic evaluation of physiographic provinces to identify areas potentially suitable for locating repository sites for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes was announced to the Governors of the eight States in the Basin and Range Province on May 5, 1981. Representatives of Arizona, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, were invited to cooperate with the Federal Government in the evaluation process. Each Governor was requested to nominate an Earth scientist to represent the State in a province working group composed of State and U.S. Geological Survey representatives. This report, Part I of a three-part report, provides the background, introduction and scope of the study. This part also includes a discussion of geologic and hydrologic guidelines that will be used in the evaluation process and illustrates geohydrologic environments and the effect of individual factors in providing multiple natural barriers to radionuclide migration.Part II is a reconnaissance characterization of the geologic and hydrologic factors to be used in the initial screening of the Basin and Range Province. Part III will be the initial evaluation of the Province and will identify regions that appear suitable for further study.The plan for study of the Province includes a stepwise screening process by which successively smaller land units are considered in increasing detail. Each step involves characterization of the geology and hydrology and selection of subunits for more intensive characterization. Selection of subunits for further study is by evaluation of geologic and hydrologic conditions following a set of guidelines. By representation on the Province Working Group, the States participate in a consultation and review role in: (1) Establishing geologic and hydrologic guidelines, and (2) characterizing and evaluating the Province. The States also participate in compilation of geologic and hydrologic data used in characterizing the Province.The current (1983) needs for a high-level radioactive waste repository include: (1) Disposal in a mined repository; (2) retrievability of the waste for as much as 50 years; and (3) confidence of isolation of the waste from the accessible environment. Isolation of the waste needs to be assured using geologic and hydrologic conditions that: (1) Minimize risk of inadvertent future intrusions by man; (2) minimize the possibility of disturbance by processes that would expose the waste or increase its mobility; and (3) provide a system of natural barriers to the migration of waste by ground water. The guidelines adopted by the Province Working Group are designed to provide a standard with which these conditions can be compared.The guidelines can be grouped into four principal categories: (1) Potential host media, (2) ground-water conditions, (3) tectonic conditions, and. (4) occurrence of natural resources. Ideally the host medium constitutes the first natural barrier to migration of radionculides. The host medium ideally should be a rock type that prevents or retards dissolution and transport of radionuclides. Rocks in both the saturated and unsaturated zones may have desirable characteristics for host media. Rocks-other than the host-in the ground-water flow path from the repository ideally should be major barriers to radionuclide migration. Confining beds of low permeability might be present to retard the rate of flow between more permeable beds. Additionally, sorption of radionuclides by materials such as clays and zeolites in the flow path can further retard the flow of radionuclides by several orders of magnitude. Tectonic conditions in an area should not present a probable cause for exhumation or increased mobility of radioactive waste. Natural resources are a factor for consideration because of the problem of future human intrusion and exposure to radioactivity in the quest for minerals, oil, gas, water, and geothermal resources.The ultimate evaluation of the suitability of a geohydrologic environment for developing a mined repository needs to assess all geologic and hydrologic characteristics and their interaction in providing confidence that a geohydrologic environment will effectively isolate radionuclides from human access. Several hypothetical settings with typical geohydrologic conditions in the Basin and Range Province are used to illustrate the effect of multiple barriers in the isolation of radionuclides.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE)-degrading potential bacteria from marine ecosystem of Gulf of Mannar, India.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, V; Natarajan, K; Hemambika, B; Ramesh, N; Sumathi, C S; Kottaimuthu, R; Rajesh Kannan, V

2010-08-01

Assessment of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-degrading bacteria isolated from plastic waste dumpsites of Gulf of Mannar. Rationally, 15 bacteria (GMB1-GMB15) were isolated by enrichment technique. GMB5 and GMB7 were selected for further studies based on their efficiency to degrade the HDPE and identified as Arthrobacter sp. and Pseudomonas sp., respectively. Assessed weight loss of HDPE after 30 days of incubation was nearly 12% for Arthrobacter sp. and 15% for Pseudomonas sp. The bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbon (BATH) assay showed that the cell surface hydrophobicity of Pseudomonas sp. was higher than Arthrobacter sp. Both fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis and protein content of the biofilm were used to test the viability and protein density of the biomass. Acute peak elevation was observed between 2 and 5 days of inoculation for both bacteria. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum showed that keto carbonyl bond index (KCBI), Ester carbonyl bond index (ECBI) and Vinyl bond index (VBI) were increased indicating changes in functional group(s) and/or side chain modification confirming the biodegradation. The results pose us to suggest that both Pseudomonas sp. and Arthrobacter sp. were proven efficient to degrade HDPE, albeit the former was more efficacious, yet the ability of latter cannot be neglected. Recent alarm on ecological threats to marine system is dumping plastic waste in the marine ecosystem and coastal arena by anthropogenic activity. In maintenance phase of the plastic-derived polyethylene waste, the microbial degradation plays a major role; the information accomplished in this work will be the initiating point for the degradation of polyethylene by indigenous bacterial population in the marine ecosystem and provides a novel eco-friendly solution in eco-management.

Geologic and well-construction data for the H-8 borehole complex near the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site, southeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wells, J.G.; Drellack, S.L.

1982-01-01

The H-8 complex, a group of three closely-spaced boreholes, is located 9 miles south of the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site in southeastern Eddy County, New Mexico. The holes were drilled during July, August, and September of 1979 to obtain geologic and hydrologic data to better define the regional ground-water-flow system. The geologic data presented in this report are part of a site-characterization study for the possible disposal of defense-associated radioactive wastes within salt beds of the Salado Formation of Permian age. The geologic data include detailed descriptions of cores, cuttings, and geophysical logs. Each borehole was designed to penetrate a distinct water-bearing zone: H-8a (total depth 505 feet) was completed just below the Magenta Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation of Permian Age; H-8b (total depth 624 feet) was completed just belows the Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation; and H-8c (total depth 808 feet) was completed just below the Rustler Formation-Salado Formation contact. The geologic units penetrated in borehole H-8c are surficial alluvium and eolian sand of Holocene age (0-4 feet); the Mescalero caliche (4-10 feet) and Gatuna Formation (10-153 feet) , both of Pleistocene age; and the Dewey Lake Red Beds (153-399 feet), the Rustler Formation (399-733 feet), and part of the Salado Formation penetrated by borehole H-8c is composed of residue from dissolution of halite and associated rocks, and the hydration of anhydrite to gypsum, indicating that the eastward-moving dissolution front on top of the Salado, found just to the west of the WIPP site, has reached the H-8 site. (USGS)

Characterization of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in Asi (Orontes) River in Turkey.

PubMed

Kürekci, Cemil; Aydin, Muhsin; Yipel, Mustafa; Katouli, Mohammad; Gündoğdu, Aycan

2017-10-01

In this study, the presence of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in aquatic environments (the Orontes River and an urban wastewater) was investigated. Fifty-four E. coli strains resistant to cefotaxime were isolated from the river waters and nearby waste water treatment plant and screened for ESBL gene variants, different classes of integrons and sulfonamide resistance genes. The ESBL-producing E. coli strains were further characterized by PhP-typing system, phylogenetic grouping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Of the 54 ESBL-producing strains, 14 (25.9%) belonged to four common PhP types and the remaining were of single types. CTX-M type ESBL genes were identified in 68% of the isolates. The most predominant specific CTX-M subtype identified was bla CTX-M-15 (n = 36), followed by bla CTX-M-1 (n = 1). None of the isolates were SHV and OXA positive. Most of the ESBL positive isolates (n = 37; 68.5%) were harboring sul gene. This study indicates a widespread distribution of CTX-M-15 producing E. coli strains in the surface waters in part of Turkey, suggesting an aquatic reservoir for ESBL genes.

Impact of untreated urban waste on the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profiles of human opportunistic pathogens in agricultural soils from Burkina Faso.

PubMed

Youenou, Benjamin; Hien, Edmond; Deredjian, Amélie; Brothier, Elisabeth; Favre-Bonté, Sabine; Nazaret, Sylvie

2016-12-01

This study examined the long-term effects of the landfill disposal of untreated urban waste for soil fertilization on the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profiles of various human opportunistic pathogens in soils from Burkina Faso. Samples were collected at three sites in the periphery of Ouagadougou during two campaigns in 2008 and 2011. At each site, amendment led to changes in physico-chemical characteristics as shown by the increase in pH, CEC, total C, total N, and metal contents. Similarly, the numbers of total heterotrophic bacteria were higher in the amended fields than in the control ones. No sanitation indicators, i.e., coliforms, Staphylococci, and Enterococci, were detected. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) were detected at a low level in one amended field. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was detected from both campaigns at the three sites in the amended fields and only once in an unamended field. Diversity analysis showed some opportunistic pathogen isolates to be closely related to reference clinical strains responsible for nosocomial- or community-acquired infections in Northern countries. Antibiotic resistance tests showed that P. aeruginosa and Bcc isolates had a wild-type phenotype and that most S. maltophilia isolates had a multi-drug resistance profile with resistance to 7 to 15 antibiotics. Then we were able to show that amendment led to an increase of some human opportunistic pathogens including multi-drug resistant isolates. Although the application of untreated urban waste increases both soil organic matter content and therefore soil fertility, the consequences of this practice on human health should be considered.

Implementation of SAP Waste Management System

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

Frost, M.L.; LaBorde, C.M.; Nichols, C.D.

2008-07-01

The Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) assumed responsibility for newly generated waste on October 1, 2005. To ensure effective management and accountability of newly generated waste, Y-12 has opted to utilize SAP, Y-12's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tool, to track low-level radioactive waste (LLW), mixed waste (MW), hazardous waste, and non-regulated waste from generation through acceptance and disposal. SAP Waste will include the functionality of the current waste tracking system and integrate with the applicable modules of SAP already in use. The functionality of two legacy systems, the Generator Entry System (GES) and the Waste Information Tracking System (WITS), andmore » peripheral spreadsheets, databases, and e-mail/fax communications will be replaced by SAP Waste. Fundamentally, SAP Waste will promote waste acceptance for certification and disposal, not storage. SAP Waste will provide a one-time data entry location where waste generators can enter waste container information, track the status of their waste, and maintain documentation. A benefit of the new system is that it will provide a single data repository where Y-12's Waste Management organization can establish waste profiles, verify and validate data, maintain inventory control utilizing hand-held data transfer devices, schedule and ship waste, manage project accounting, and report on waste handling activities. This single data repository will facilitate the production of detailed waste generation reports for use in forecasting and budgeting, provide the data for required regulatory reports, and generate metrics to evaluate the performance of the Waste Management organization and its subcontractors. SAP Waste will replace the outdated and expensive legacy system, establish tools the site needs to manage newly generated waste, and optimize the use of the site's ERP tool for integration with related business processes while promoting disposition of waste. (authors)« less

Sustainable production of valuable compound 3-succinoyl-pyridine by genetically engineering Pseudomonas putida using the tobacco waste.

PubMed

Wang, Weiwei; Xu, Ping; Tang, Hongzhi

2015-11-17

Treatment of solid and liquid tobacco wastes with high nicotine content remains a longstanding challenge. Here, we explored an environmentally friendly approach to replace tobacco waste disposal with resource recovery by genetically engineering Pseudomonas putida. The biosynthesis of 3-succinoyl-pyridine (SP), a precursor in the production of hypotensive agents, from the tobacco waste was developed using whole cells of the engineered Pseudomonas strain, S16dspm. Under optimal conditions in fed-batch biotransformation, the final concentrations of product SP reached 9.8 g/L and 8.9 g/L from aqueous nicotine solution and crude suspension of the tobacco waste, respectively. In addition, the crystal compound SP produced from aqueous nicotine of the tobacco waste in batch biotransformation was of high purity and its isolation yield on nicotine was 54.2%. This study shows a promising route for processing environmental wastes as raw materials in order to produce valuable compounds.

THE ROLE FUNGI AND YEAST IN MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION

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

Brigmon, R.; Abe, M.; Johnson, B.

Fungi and yeast have been characterized as important components in the bioremediation of organic contaminants in soil and water including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); however, research into their ability to metabolize these compounds in extreme environments has been limited. In this work forty-three fungi and yeasts were isolated from a PAH-contaminated sludge waste lagoon in Poland. The lagoon was part of a monitored natural attenuation (MNA) study where natural reduction of PAHs and associated toxicity over time in non-disturbed areas of the sludge lagoon indicated MNA activity. The microorganisms were initially isolated on minimal medium containing naphthalene as the sole carbonmore » and energy source. Fungal isolates were then maintained on MEA and identified based on microscopic examination and BIOLOG{reg_sign}. The analysis identified several of the fungal isolates as belonging to the genera Penicillium, Paecilomyces, Aspergillus, and Eupenicillium. Yeasts included Candida parapsilosis and C. fluvialitis. Further microbial characterization revealed that several isolates were capable of rowing on acidified media of pH 4, 3, and 2.5. Over twenty percent of the fungi demonstrated growth as low as pH 2.5. Of the 43 isolates examined, 24 isolates exhibited growth at 5 C. Nine of the fungal isolates exhibiting growth at 5 C were then examined for metabolic activity using a respirometer testing metabolic activity at pH 3. Microcosm studies confirmed the growth of the fungi on PAH contaminated sediment as the sole carbon and energy source with elevated metabolic rates indicating evidence of MNA. Our findings suggest that many of the Poland fungal isolates may be of value in the bioremediation processes in acidic waste sites in northern climates typical of Northern Europe.« less

Biodegradation of HDPE by Aspergillus spp. from marine ecosystem of Gulf of Mannar, India.

PubMed

Sangeetha Devi, Rajendran; Rajesh Kannan, Velu; Nivas, Duraisamy; Kannan, Kanthaiah; Chandru, Sekar; Robert Antony, Arokiaswamy

2015-07-15

High density polyethylene (HDPE) is the most commonly found non-degradable solid waste among the polyethylene. In this present study, HDPE degrading various fungal strains were isolated from the polyethylene waste dumped marine coastal area and screened under in vitro condition. Based on weight loss and FT-IR Spectrophotometric analysis, two fungal strains designated as VRKPT1 and VRKPT2 were found to be efficient in HDPE degradation. Through the sequence analysis of ITS region homology, the isolated fungi were identified as Aspergillus tubingensis VRKPT1 and Aspergillus flavus VRKPT2. The biofilm formation observed under epifluorescent microscope had shown the viability of fungal strains even after one month of incubation. The biodegradation of HDPE film nature was further investigated through SEM analysis. HDPE poses severe environmental threats and hence the ability of fungal isolates was proved to utilize virgin polyethylene as the carbon source without any pre-treatment and pro-oxidant additives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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 %.

Review of buried crystalline rocks of eastern United States in selected hydrogeologic environments potentially suitable for isolating high-level radioactive wastes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, R.W.

1984-01-01

Among the concepts suggested for the deep disposal of high-level radioactive wastes from nuclear power reactors is the excavation of a repository in suitable crystalline rocks overlain by a thick sequence of sedimentary strata in a hydrogeologic environment that would effectively impede waste transport. To determine the occurrence of such environments in the Eastern United States, a review was made of available sources of published or unpublished information, using the following hydrogeologic criteria:The top of the crystalline basement rock is 1,000 to 4,000 feet below land surface.The crystalline rock is overlain by sedimentary rock whose lowermost part, at least, contains ground water with a dissolved-solids concentration of 10,000 milligrams per liter or more.Shale or clay confining beds overlie the saline-water aquifer.The flow system in the saline-water aquifer is known or determinable from presently available data.All of these hydrogeologic conditions occur in two general areas: (1) parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, underlain by part of the geologic structure known as the Cincinnati arch, and (2) parts of the Atlantic Coastal Plain from Georgia to New Jersey.

Nuclear waste viewed in a new light; a synchrotron study of uranium encapsulated in grout.

PubMed

Stitt, C A; Hart, M; Harker, N J; Hallam, K R; MacFarlane, J; Banos, A; Paraskevoulakos, C; Butcher, E; Padovani, C; Scott, T B

2015-03-21

How do you characterise the contents of a sealed nuclear waste package without breaking it open? This question is important when the contained corrosion products are potentially reactive with air and radioactive. Synchrotron X-rays have been used to perform micro-scale in-situ observation and characterisation of uranium encapsulated in grout; a simulation for a typical intermediate level waste storage packet. X-ray tomography and X-ray powder diffraction generated both qualitative and quantitative data from a grout-encapsulated uranium sample before, and after, deliberately constrained H2 corrosion. Tomographic reconstructions provided a means of assessing the extent, rates and character of the corrosion reactions by comparing the relative densities between the materials and the volume of reaction products. The oxidation of uranium in grout was found to follow the anoxic U+H2O oxidation regime, and the pore network within the grout was observed to influence the growth of uranium hydride sites across the metal surface. Powder diffraction analysis identified the corrosion products as UO2 and UH3, and permitted measurement of corrosion-induced strain. Together, X-ray tomography and diffraction provide means of accurately determining the types and extent of uranium corrosion occurring, thereby offering a future tool for isolating and studying the reactions occurring in real full-scale waste package systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Are MUPs a Toxic Waste Disposal System?

PubMed

Kwak, Jae; Strasser, Eva; Luzynski, Ken; Thoß, Michaela; Penn, Dustin J

2016-01-01

Male house mice produce large quantities of major urinary proteins (MUPs), which function to bind and transport volatile pheromones, though they may also function as scavengers that bind and excrete toxic compounds ('toxic waste hypothesis'). In this study, we demonstrate the presence of an industrial chemical, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (DTBP), in the urine of wild-derived house mice (Mus musculus musculus). Addition of guanidine hydrochloride to male and female urine resulted in an increased release of DTBP. This increase was only observed in the high molecular weight fractions (HMWF; > 3 kDa) separated from male or female urine, suggesting that the increased release of DTBP was likely due to the denaturation of MUPs and the subsequent release of MUP-bound DTBP. Furthermore, when DTBP was added to a HMWF isolated from male urine, an increase in 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole (SBT), the major ligand of MUPs and a male-specific pheromone, was observed, indicating that DTBP was bound to MUPs and displaced SBT. These results suggest that DTBP is a MUP ligand. Moreover, we found evidence for competitive ligand binding between DTBP and SBT, suggesting that males potentially face a tradeoff between eliminating toxic wastes versus transporting pheromones. Our findings support the hypothesis that MUPs bind and eliminate toxic wastes, which may provide the most important fitness benefits of excreting large quantities of these proteins.

Dangerous Waste Characteristics of Contact-Handled Transuranic Mixed Wastes from Hanford Tanks

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

Tingey, Joel M.; Bryan, Garry H.; Deschane, Jaquetta R.

2004-10-05

This report summarizes existing analytical data gleaned from samples taken from the Hanford tanks designated as potentially containing transuranic mixed process wastes. Process knowledge of the wastes transferred to these tanks has been reviewed to determine whether the dangerous waste characteristics now assigned to all Hanford underground storage tanks are applicable to these particular wastes. Supplemental technologies are being examined to accelerate the Hanford tank waste cleanup mission and accomplish waste treatment safely and efficiently. To date, 11 Hanford waste tanks have been designated as potentially containing contact-handled (CH) transuranic mixed (TRUM) wastes. The CH-TRUM wastes are found in single-shellmore » tanks B-201 through B-204, T-201 through T-204, T-104, T-110, and T-111. Methods and equipment to solidify and package the CH-TRUM wastes are part of the supplemental technologies being evaluated. The resulting packages and wastes must be acceptable for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The dangerous waste characteristics being considered include ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity arising from the presence of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol at levels above the dangerous waste threshold. The analytical data reviewed include concentrations of sulfur, sulfate, cyanide, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, total organic carbon, and oxalate; the composition of the tank headspace, pH, and mercury. Differential scanning calorimetry results were used to determine the energetics of the wastes as a function of temperature. This report supercedes and replaces PNNL-14832.« less

Dangerous Waste Characteristics of Contact-Handled Transuranic Mixed Wastes from the Hanford Tanks

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

Tingey, Joel M.; Bryan, Garry H.; Deschane, Jaquetta R.

2004-08-31

This report summarizes existing analytical data from samples taken from the Hanford tanks designated as potentially containing transuranic mixed process wastes. Process knowledge of the wastes transferred to these tanks has been reviewed to determine whether the dangerous waste characteristics now assigned to all Hanford underground storage tanks are applicable to these particular wastes. Supplemental technologies are being examined to accelerate the Hanford tank waste cleanup mission and accomplish waste treatment safely and efficiently. To date, 11 Hanford waste tanks have been designated as potentially containing contact-handled (CH) transuranic mixed (TRUM) wastes. The CH-TRUM wastes are found in single-shell tanksmore » B-201 through B-204, T-201 through T-204, T-104, T-110, and T-111. Methods and equipment to solidify and package the CH-TRUM wastes are part of the supplemental technologies being evaluated. The resulting packages and wastes must be acceptable for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The dangerous waste characteristics being considered include ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity arising from the presence of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol at levels above the dangerous waste threshold. The analytical data reviewed include concentrations of sulfur, sulfate, cyanide, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, total organic carbon, and oxalate; the composition of the tank headspace, pH, and mercury. Differential scanning calorimetry results were used to determine the energetics of the wastes as a function of temperature.« less

Studying microfungi-mineral interactions in sulphide-bearing waste-rock dumps: a 7 years survey in the Libiola mine, North-Eastern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marescotti, P.; Cecchi, G.; Di Piazza, S.; Lucchetti, G.; Zotti, M.

2015-12-01

Sulphide-bearing waste-rock dumps represent complex geological systems characterised by high percentages of low-grade mineralisations and non-valuable sulphides (such as pyrite and pyrrhotite). The sulphide oxidation triggers acid mine drainage (AMD) processes and the release of several metals of environmental concern. The severe physicochemical properties of these metal-contaminated environments tend to inhibit soil forming processes and represent an important stress factor for the biotic communities by exerting a strong selective pressure. Some macro- and micro-fungi are pioneer and extremophile organisms, which may survive and tolerate high concentrations of toxic metals in contaminated environments. Many studies show the fungal capability to bioaccumulate, biosorb, and store in their cells a high concentration of ecotoxic metals. A 7 years multidisciplinary survey was carried out in the Libiola sulphide mine. The results evidenced that the waste rock dumps of the area are characterized by an extremely poor flora and a specific mycobiota, due to the soil acidity, high concentration of trace metals, and unavailability or paucity of nutrients and organic matter. Our studies allowed the complete mineralogical, geochemical, and mycological characterization of one of the biggest dumps of the mine. 30 microfungal vital strains were isolated in pure cultures and studied with molecular and morphological approach, for their identification. The results allowed the isolation of some rare and important extremophilic species. Penicillium was the most recurrent genus, together with Trichoderma and Cladosporium. In particular, Penicillium glandicola is a rare species previously isolated from cave or arid environments, whereas P. brevicompactum is one of the most important fungi for metal corrosion. Hence, some bioaccumulation tests allowed to select a Trichoderma harzianum strain efficient to uptake Cu and Ag from pyrite-bearing soils, highlighting its central role in fungal remediation protocol. Further studies are in progress to investigate the potential interactions between microfungi and sulphides from the Libiola mine soils and to evaluate the fungal role in the biomineralisation and deactivation/mobilisation of toxic metals.

Modeling the energy content of combustible ship-scrapping waste at Alang-Sosiya, India, using multiple regression analysis.

PubMed

Reddy, M Srinivasa; Basha, Shaik; Joshi, H V; Sravan Kumar, V G; Jha, B; Ghosh, P K

2005-01-01

Alang-Sosiya is the largest ship-scrapping yard in the world, established in 1982. Every year an average of 171 ships having a mean weight of 2.10 x 10(6)(+/-7.82 x 10(5)) of light dead weight tonnage (LDT) being scrapped. Apart from scrapped metals, this yard generates a massive amount of combustible solid waste in the form of waste wood, plastic, insulation material, paper, glass wool, thermocol pieces (polyurethane foam material), sponge, oiled rope, cotton waste, rubber, etc. In this study multiple regression analysis was used to develop predictive models for energy content of combustible ship-scrapping solid wastes. The scope of work comprised qualitative and quantitative estimation of solid waste samples and performing a sequential selection procedure for isolating variables. Three regression models were developed to correlate the energy content (net calorific values (LHV)) with variables derived from material composition, proximate and ultimate analyses. The performance of these models for this particular waste complies well with the equations developed by other researchers (Dulong, Steuer, Scheurer-Kestner and Bento's) for estimating energy content of municipal solid waste.

Applications of fiber reinforced concrete containers in France and in Slovakia

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

Verdier, A.; Delgrande, J.; Remias, V.

Radioactive waste immobilization is an integral part of operations in nuclear facilities. The goal of immobilization is to contain radioactive materials in a waste form which can maintain its integrity over very long periods of time, thus effectively isolating the materials from the environment and hence from the public. This is true regardless of the activity of the waste, including low-, and medium-level waste (LLW, MLW). A multiple-year research effort by COGEMA culminated in the development of a new process to immobilize nuclear waste in concrete containers reinforced with metal fibers. The fiber reinforced concrete containers satisfy all French safetymore » requirements relating to waste immobilization and disposal, and have been certified by ANDRA, the national radioactive waste management agency. The fiber reinforced concrete containers have been fabricated on a production scale since July 1990 by Sogefibre, a jointly-owned subsidiary of SGN and Campaign Generale des Eaux. This technology is being transferred to Slovenske Elektrarne (Slovak Power Plant) to intern the waste produced by Bohunice and Mochovce power plants in cubical fiber reinforced concrete containers.« less

Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (2010-2012)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR) documents United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) compliance with environmental regulations applicable to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility.

Efficacy of microorganisms selected from compost to control soil-borne pathogens.

PubMed

Pugliese, M; Gullino, M L; Garibaldi, A

2010-01-01

Suppression of soil-borne plant pathogens with compost has been widely studied. Compost has been found to be suppressive against several soil-borne pathogens in various cropping systems. However, an increase of some diseases due to compost usage has also been observed, since compost is a product that varies considerably in chemical, physical and biotic composition, and, consequently, also in ability to suppress soil borne diseases. New opportunities in disease management can be obtained by the selection of antagonists from suppressive composts. The objective of the present work was to isolate microorganisms from a suppressive compost and to test them for their activity against soil-borne pathogens. A compost from green wastes, organic domestic wastes and urban sludge's that showed a good suppressive activity in previous trials was used as source of microorganisms. Serial diluted suspensions of compost samples were plated on five different media: selective for Fusarium sp., selective for Trichoderma sp., selective for oomycetes, potato dextrose agar (PDA) for isolation of fungi, lysogeny broth (LB) for isolation of bacteria. In total, 101 colonies were isolated from plates and tested under laboratory conditions on tomato seedlings growing on perlite medium in Petri plates infected with Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici and compared to a commercial antagonist (Streptomyces griserovidis, Mycostop, Bioplanet). Among them, 28 showed a significant disease reduction and were assessed under greenhouse condition on three pathosystems: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. basilica/basil, Phytophthora nicotianae/tomato and Rhizoctonia solani/bean. Fusarium spp. selected from compost generally showed a good disease control against Fusarium wilts, while only bacteria significantly controlled P. nicotianae on tomato under greenhouse conditions. None of the microorganisms was able to control the three soil-borne pathogens together, in particular Rhizoctonia solani. Results confirmed the good suppressive activity of the compost under study against soil-borne pathogens. The selection of antagonists from compost is a promising strategy for the development of new biological control agents against soil-borne pathogens.

Isolating metal-tolerant bacteria capable of removing copper, chromium, and arsenic from treated wood

Treesearch

Carol A. Clausen

2000-01-01

Bioremediation of chromated copper arsenate-treated waste wood with one or more metal-tolerant bacteria is a potential method of naturally releasing metals from treated wood fibre. Sampling eight environments with elevated levels of copper, chromium, and arsenic resulted in the isolation of 28 bacteria with the capability of releasing one or more of the components from...

Bacillus niabensis sp. nov., isolated from cotton-waste composts for mushroom cultivation.

PubMed

Kwon, Soon-Wo; Lee, Seon-Young; Kim, Byung-Yong; Weon, Hang-Yeon; Kim, Jung-Bong; Go, Seung-Joo; Lee, Gil-Bok

2007-08-01

A group of five bacilli, designated strains 4T12, 4T19(T), 5M45, 5M53 and 5T52, isolated from cotton-waste composts for mushroom cultivation, were examined. These strains were Gram-positive, aerobic, motile, spore-forming rods. 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses revealed that the isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus, showing the highest levels of similarity (approx. 96.6-96.9 %) with respect to Bacillus herbersteinensis DSM 16534(T). The values for DNA-DNA hybridization (approx. 85-96 %) among these five strains revealed that they belong to the same species. The major menaquinone present was MK-7 and the predominant cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C(15 : 0) (approx. 24.5-33.9 %) and C(16 : 0) (approx. 15.1-34.1 %). The DNA G+C contents were 37.7-40.9 mol%. On the basis of physiological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and comparative genomic analyses, the five isolates represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus niabensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 4T19(T) (=KACC 11279(T) =DSM 17723(T)).

Radiation streaming and skyshine evaluation for a proposed low-level radioactive waste assured isolation facility.

PubMed

Arno, Matthew; Hamilton, Ian S

2003-10-01

Texas is investigating the idea of building a long term waste storage facility, also known as an Assured Isolation Facility. This is an above-ground, retrievable low-level radioactive waste storage facility. A preliminary, scoping-level analysis has been extended to consider more complex scenarios of radiation streaming and skyshine by using MCNP to model the facility in greater detail. Using bounding source term assumptions, the radiation doses and dose rates are found to exceed applicable limits by an order of magnitude. By altering the facility design to fill in the hollow cores of the prefabricated concrete slabs used in the roof over the "high-gamma" rooms where the waste with greatest gamma radiation intensity is stored, dose rates outside the facility decrease by an order of magnitude. With the modified design, the annual dose at the site fenceline is less than the 1 mSv annual limit for exposure of the public. Within the site perimeter, modifying the roof results in an order of magnitude drop in the dose rate for personnel outside the facility and on the facility roof, as well as a significant drop inside the facility. Radiation streaming inside the facility can be lowered almost two orders of magnitude by placing operational restrictions to keep at least two rows of waste containers in front of the high-gamma room to cut down on the size of the path for streaming.

Credit PSR. The flammable waste materials shed appears as seen ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Credit PSR. The flammable waste materials shed appears as seen when looking south (186°) from South Liquid Loop Road. Note the catch basin for retaining accidentally spilled substances. Wastes are stored in drums and other safety containers until disposal by burning at the Incinerator (4249/E-50) or by other means. Note the nearby sign warning of corrosive, flammable materials, and calling attention to a fire extinguisher; a telephone is provided to call for assistance in the event of an emergency. This structure is isolated to prevent the spread of fire, and it is lightly built so damage from a fire will be inexpensive to repair - Jet Propulsion Laboratory Edwards Facility, Waste Flammable Storage Building, Edwards Air Force Base, Boron, Kern County, CA

Diffusion and Leaching Behavior of Radionuclides in Category 3 Waste Encasement Concrete and Soil Fill Material – Summary Report

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

Mattigod, Shas V.; Wellman, Dawn M.; Bovaird, Chase C.

2011-08-31

One of the methods being considered for safely disposing of Category 3 low-level radioactive wastes is to encase the waste in concrete. Such concrete encasement would contain and isolate the waste packages from the hydrologic environment and would act as an intrusion barrier. The current plan for waste isolation consists of stacking low-level waste packages on a trench floor, surrounding the stacks with reinforced steel, and encasing these packages in concrete. These concrete-encased waste stacks are expected to vary in size with maximum dimensions of 6.4 m long, 2.7 m wide, and 4 m high. The waste stacks are expectedmore » to have a surrounding minimum thickness of 15 cm of concrete encasement. These concrete-encased waste packages are expected to withstand environmental exposure (solar radiation, temperature variations, and precipitation) until an interim soil cover or permanent closure cover is installed, and to remain largely intact thereafter. Any failure of concrete encasement may result in water intrusion and consequent mobilization of radionuclides from the waste packages. The mobilized radionuclides may escape from the encased concrete by mass flow and/or diffusion and move into the surrounding subsurface environment. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the performance of the concrete encasement structure and the ability of the surrounding soil to retard radionuclide migration. The retardation factors for radionuclides contained in the waste packages can be determined from measurements of diffusion coefficients for these contaminants through concrete and fill material. Some of the mobilization scenarios include (1) potential leaching of waste form before permanent closure cover is installed; (2) after the cover installation, long-term diffusion of radionuclides from concrete waste form into surrounding fill material; (3) diffusion of radionuclides from contaminated soils into adjoining concrete encasement and clean fill material. Additionally, the rate of diffusion of radionuclides may be affected by the formation of structural cracks in concrete, the carbonation of the buried waste form, and any potential effect of metallic iron (in the form of rebars) on the mobility of radionuclides. The radionuclides iodine-129 ({sup 129}I), technetium-99 ({sup 99}Tc), and uranium-238 ({sup 238}U) are identified as long-term dose contributors in Category 3 waste (Mann et al. 2001; Wood et al. 1995). Because of their anionic nature in aqueous solutions, {sup 129}I, {sup 99}Tc, and carbonate-complexed {sup 238}U may readily leach into the subsurface environment (Serne et al. 1989, 1992a, b, 1993, and 1995). The leachability and/or diffusion of radionuclide species must be measured to assess the long-term performance of waste grouts when contacted with vadose-zone pore water or groundwater. Although significant research has been conducted on the design and performance of cementitious waste forms, the current protocol conducted to assess radionuclide stability within these waste forms has been limited to the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, Method 1311 Federal Registry (EPA 1992) and ANSI/ANS-16.1 leach test (ANSI 1986). These tests evaluate the performance under water-saturated conditions and do not evaluate the performance of cementitious waste forms within the context of waste repositories which are located within water-deficient vadose zones. Moreover, these tests assess only the diffusion of radionuclides from concrete waste forms and neglect evaluating the mechanisms of retention, stability of the waste form, and formation of secondary phases during weathering, which may serve as long-term secondary hosts for immobilization of radionuclides. The results of recent investigations conducted under arid and semi-arid conditions (Al-Khayat et al. 2002; Garrabrants et al. 2002; Garrabrants and Kosson 2003; Garrabrants et al. 2004; Gervais et al. 2004; Sanchez et al. 2002; Sanchez et al. 2003) provide valuable information suggesting structural and chemical changes to concrete waste forms which may affect contaminant containment and waste form performance. However, continued research is necessitated by the need to understand: the mechanism of contaminant release; the significance of contaminant release pathways; how waste form performance is affected by the full range of environmental conditions within the disposal facility; the process of waste form aging under conditions that are representative of processes occurring in response to changing environmental conditions within the disposal facility; the effect of waste form aging on chemical, physical, and radiological properties, and the associated impact on contaminant release. Recent reviews conducted by the National Academies of Science recognized the efficacy of cementitious materials for waste isolation, but further noted the significant shortcomings in our current understanding and testing protocol for evaluating the performance of various formulations.« less

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.

Potential Applications of Some Indigenous Bacteria Isolated from Polluted Areas in the Treatment of Brewery Effluents

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Biological wastewater treatment is economically feasible and ecofriendly. This study was aimed at isolating bacteria from brewery wastes and evaluating their bioremediation potential as individual isolate and/or their consortium in reducing the pollutants of brewery effluents. A total of 40 bacterial isolates were recovered and of these the three best isolates were selected. The selected bacteria were identified to genus level by using morphological and biochemical characteristics. Accordingly, the isolates were identified as Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Bacillus sp. After 12 days of incubation, the removal efficiency of these three isolates and their combinations for biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand varied from 73.55% to 94.85% and 76.78% to 93.25%, respectively. Total nitrogen and phosphorus removal was within the range of 54.43% to 77.21% and 41.80% to 78.18%, respectively. Total suspended solid, total solid, and total dissolved solids removal ranged from 66.74% to 90.3%, 54.69% to 88.5%, and 53.02% to 88.2%, respectively. The pH and electrical conductivity values ranged from 6.81 to 8.65 and 3.31 mS/cm to 3.67 mS/cm, respectively. The treated effluent increased Beta vulgaris seeds germination from 80% to 100%, with mean germination time of 3.1 to 5.2 days and seedlings length of 2.3 cm to 6.3 cm. Therefore, the development of this finding into a large scale offers an attractive technology for brewery waste treatment. PMID:29610687

Insight into Cr6+ reduction efficiency of Rhodococcus erythropolis isolated from coalmine waste water.

PubMed

Banerjee, Soumya; Joshi, S R; Mandal, Tamal; Halder, Gopinath

2017-01-01

A microbial treatment of Cr 6+ contaminated wastewater with a chromium reducing bacteria isolated from coal mine area was investigated. In a series of batch study metal removal was executed under different parametric conditions which include pH (2-7), temperature (20-50 °C), initial Cr 6+ concentration (1-100 mg/L), substrate utilization and its overall effect on biomass generation. Impact of oxygen availability was checked at different agitation speed and its role on the remedial process. Liquid phase reduction of Cr 6+ was measured in terms of substrate reduction and total biomass yield. The bacterium species isolated was able to tolerate Cr 6+ over a wide range from 1 to 100 mg/L before it reached minimum inhibition concentration. Apart from Cr 6+ , the bacterial isolate showed tolerance towards Fe, As, Cu, Ag, Zn, Mn, Mg and Pb. Removal mechanism adopted by the bacterium recommended that it employed accumulation of Cr 6+ as Cr 3+ both within and outside the cell. Classical Monod equation was used to determine the biokinetics of the bacterial isolate along with the interference of metal ion concentration and substrate utilization. Cr 6+ removal was found prominent even in bimetallic solutions. The bacterial isolate was confirmed to be Rhodococcus erythopolis by 16s rRNA molecular characterization. Thus the bacterial isolate obtained from the coal mine area proved to be a potential agent for microbial remediation of Cr 6+ laden waste water. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metabolic response of environmentally isolated microorganisms to industrial effluents: Use of a newly described cell culture assay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferebee, Robert N.

1992-01-01

An environmental application using a microtiter culture assay to measure the metabolic sensitivity of microorganisms to petrochemical effluents will be tested. The Biomedical Operations and Research Branch at NASA JSC has recently developed a rapid and nondestructive method to measure cell growth and metabolism. Using a colorimetric procedure the uniquely modified assay allows the metabolic kinetics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells to be measured. Use of such an assay if adapted for the routine monitoring of waste products, process effluents, and environmentally hazardous substances may prove to be invaluable to the industrial community. The microtiter method as described will be tested using microorganisms isolated from the Galveston Bay aquatic habitat. The microbial isolates will be identified prior to testing using the automated systems available at JSC. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cadmium, and lead will provide control toxic chemicals. The toxicity of industrial effluent from two industrial sites will be tested. An effort will be made to test the efficacy of this assay for measuring toxicity in a mixed culture community.

10 CFR 63.142 - Quality assurance criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... sequences or that are important to waste isolation capabilities that could cause undue risk to the health...: criticality physics, stress, thermal, hydraulic, and preclosure and postclosure analyses; compatibility of...

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Materials Interface Interactions Test: Papers presented at the Commission of European Communities workshop on in situ testing of radioactive waste forms and engineered barriers

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

Molecke, M.A.; Sorensen, N.R.; Wicks, G.G.

The three papers in this report were presented at the second international workshop to feature the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Materials Interface Interactions Test (MIIT). This Workshop on In Situ Tests on Radioactive Waste Forms and Engineered Barriers was held in Corsendonk, Belgium, on October 13--16, 1992, and was sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities (CEC). The Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie/Centre D`Energie Nucleaire (SCK/CEN, Belgium), and the US Department of Energy (via Savannah River) also cosponsored this workshop. Workshop participants from Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden, and the United States gathered to discuss the status, results and overviews ofmore » the MIIT program. Nine of the twenty-five total workshop papers were presented on the status and results from the WIPP MIIT program after the five-year in situ conclusion of the program. The total number of published MIIT papers is now up to almost forty. Posttest laboratory analyses are still in progress at multiple participating laboratories. The first MIIT paper in this document, by Wicks and Molecke, provides an overview of the entire test program and focuses on the waste form samples. The second paper, by Molecke and Wicks, concentrates on technical details and repository relevant observations on the in situ conduct, sampling, and termination operations of the MIIT. The third paper, by Sorensen and Molecke, presents and summarizes the available laboratory, posttest corrosion data and results for all of the candidate waste container or overpack metal specimens included in the MIIT program.« less

Risk-informed radioactive waste classification and reclassification.

PubMed

Croff, Allen G

2006-11-01

Radioactive waste classification systems have been developed to allow wastes having similar hazards to be grouped for purposes of storage, treatment, packaging, transportation, and/or disposal. As recommended in the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements' Report No. 139, Risk-Based Classification of Radioactive and Hazardous Chemical Wastes, a preferred classification system would be based primarily on the health risks to the public that arise from waste disposal and secondarily on other attributes such as the near-term practicalities of managing a waste, i.e., the waste classification system would be risk informed. The current U.S. radioactive waste classification system is not risk informed because key definitions--especially that of high-level waste--are based on the source of the waste instead of its inherent characteristics related to risk. A second important reason for concluding the existing U.S. radioactive waste classification system is not risk informed is there are no general principles or provisions for exempting materials from being classified as radioactive waste which would then allow management without regard to its radioactivity. This paper elaborates the current system for classifying and reclassifying radioactive wastes in the United States, analyzes the extent to which the system is risk informed and the ramifications of its not being so, and provides observations on potential future direction of efforts to address shortcomings in the U.S. radioactive waste classification system as of 2004.

Bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil using Candida catenulata and food waste.

PubMed

Joo, Hung-Soo; Ndegwa, Pius M; Shoda, Makoto; Phae, Chae-Gun

2008-12-01

Even though petroleum-degrading microorganisms are widely distributed in soil and water, they may not be present in sufficient numbers to achieve contaminant remediation. In such cases, it may be useful to inoculate the polluted area with highly effective petroleum-degrading microbial strains to augment the exiting ones. In order to identify a microbial strain for bioaugmentation of oil-contaminated soil, we isolated a microbial strain with high emulsification and petroleum hydrocarbon degradation efficiency of diesel fuel in culture. The efficacy of the isolated microbial strain, identified as Candida catenulata CM1, was further evaluated during composting of a mixture containing 23% food waste and 77% diesel-contaminated soil including 2% (w/w) diesel. After 13 days of composting, 84% of the initial petroleum hydrocarbon was degraded in composting mixes containing a powdered form of CM1 (CM1-solid), compared with 48% of removal ratio in control reactor without inoculum. This finding suggests that CM1 is a viable microbial strain for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil with food waste through composting processes.

Synthesis and Characterization of C-Cinnamal Calix [4] Resorsinarena from Cinnamon Oil Waste West Sumatra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Etika, S. B.; Nasra, E.; Rilaztika, I.

2018-04-01

Synthesis and characterization of compound C-Cinnamal Calix [4] Resorsinarena (CCCR) of cinnamon oil waste have been done. This study was aimed to synthesis and characterize C-Cinnamal Calix [4] Resorsinarena from cinnamaldehyde violated cinnamon oil waste. C-Cinnamal Calix [4] Resorsinarena was synthesized by electrophilic substitution reaction of cinnamaldehyde isolated by the acid and resorcinol at 77oC temperature for 2 hour. The data analysis spectrum UV-VIS and FT-IR showed that the compound isolated cinnamaldehyde same as pure cinnamaldehyde compound. The characterization of C-Cinnamal Calix [4] Resorsinarena in the form of reddish-colored solids with melting point 3580C by using UV-VIS showed the presence of double bond, FT-IR showed the absorption at the wave number 3323,94 cm-1 indicating the ‑OH group, the wave number 1610,94 cm-1 showed the vibration C=C, the strong region absorption of 1500,86 cm-1 indicating the presence of an aromatic ring, the at 1442,88 cm-1 wave number indicating the presence of CH3.

Environmental evaluation of municipal waste prevention

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

Gentil, Emmanuel C.; Gallo, Daniele; Christensen, Thomas H., E-mail: thho@env.dtu.dk

Highlights: > Influence of prevention on waste management systems, excluding avoided production, is relatively minor. > Influence of prevention on overall supply chain, including avoided production is very significant. > Higher relative benefits of prevention are observed in waste management systems relying mainly on landfills. - Abstract: Waste prevention has been addressed in the literature in terms of the social and behavioural aspects, but very little quantitative assessment exists of the environmental benefits. Our study evaluates the environmental consequences of waste prevention on waste management systems and on the wider society, using life-cycle thinking. The partial prevention of unsolicited mail,more » beverage packaging and food waste is tested for a 'High-tech' waste management system relying on high energy and material recovery and for a 'Low-tech' waste management system with less recycling and relying on landfilling. Prevention of 13% of the waste mass entering the waste management system generates a reduction of loads and savings in the waste management system for the different impacts categories; 45% net reduction for nutrient enrichment and 12% reduction for global warming potential. When expanding our system and including avoided production incurred by the prevention measures, large savings are observed (15-fold improvement for nutrient enrichment and 2-fold for global warming potential). Prevention of food waste has the highest environmental impact saving. Prevention generates relatively higher overall relative benefit for 'Low-tech' systems depending on landfilling. The paper provides clear evidence of the environmental benefits of waste prevention and has specific relevance in climate change mitigation.« less

Characterization of Volume F Trash from Four Recent STS Missions: Microbial Occurrence, Numbers, and Identifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strayer, Richard F.; Hummerick, Mary E.; Richards, Jeffrey T.; McCoy, LaShelle E.; Roberts, Michael S.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2011-01-01

The fate of space-generated solid wastes, including trash, for future missions is under consideration by NASA. Several potential treatment options are under active technology development. Potential fates for space-generated solid wastes: Storage without treatment; storage after treatment(s) including volume reduction, water recovery, sterilization, and recovery plus recycling of waste materials. For this study, a microbial characterization was made on trash returned from four recent STS missions. The material analyzed were 'Volume F' trash and other bags of accompanying trash. This is the second of two submitted papers on these wastes. This first one covered trash content, weight and water content. Upon receipt, usually within 2 days of landing, trash contents were catalogued and placed into categories: drink containers, food waste, personal hygiene items, and packaging materials, i.e., plastic film and duct tape. Microbial counts were obtained with cultivatable counts on agar media and direct counts using Acridine Orange fluorescent stain (AODC). Trash bag surfaces, 25 square cm , were also sampled. Direct counts were approximately 1 x 10(exp 6) microbes/square cm and cultivatable counts ranged from 1 x 10 to 1 X 10(exp 4) microbes/ square cm-2. Aerobic microbes, aerobic sporeformers, and yeasts plus molds were common for all four missions. Waste items from each category were placed into sterile ziplock bags and 1.5 L sterile DI water added. These were then dispersed by hand shaking for 2 min. prior to inoculation of count media or determining AODC. In general, cultivatable microbes were found in drinks, food wastes, and personal hygiene items. Direct counts were usually higher than cultivatable counts. Some pathogens were found: Staphylococcus auerus, Escherichia coli (fecal wastes). Count ranges: drink pouches - AODC 2 x 10(exp 6) to 1 X 10(exp 8) g(sub fw) (exp -1); cultivatable counts variable between missions; food wastes: Direct counts were close to aerobic plate counts. Counts ranged from 10(exp 6) to 10(exp 9) per g(sub fw). Identities of isolates from cultivation media were obtained using a Biolog Microbial ID System or microSEQ molecular ID methodology using an ABI3130 gene analyzer.

Model-Based Diagnosis and Prognosis of a Water Recycling System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roychoudhury, Indranil; Hafiychuk, Vasyl; Goebel, Kai Frank

2013-01-01

A water recycling system (WRS) deployed at NASA Ames Research Center s Sustainability Base (an energy efficient office building that integrates some novel technologies developed for space applications) will serve as a testbed for long duration testing of next generation spacecraft water recycling systems for future human spaceflight missions. This system cleans graywater (waste water collected from sinks and showers) and recycles it into clean water. Like all engineered systems, the WRS is prone to standard degradation due to regular use, as well as other faults. Diagnostic and prognostic applications will be deployed on the WRS to ensure its safe, efficient, and correct operation. The diagnostic and prognostic results can be used to enable condition-based maintenance to avoid unplanned outages, and perhaps extend the useful life of the WRS. Diagnosis involves detecting when a fault occurs, isolating the root cause of the fault, and identifying the extent of damage. Prognosis involves predicting when the system will reach its end of life irrespective of whether an abnormal condition is present or not. In this paper, first, we develop a physics model of both nominal and faulty system behavior of the WRS. Then, we apply an integrated model-based diagnosis and prognosis framework to the simulation model of the WRS for several different fault scenarios to detect, isolate, and identify faults, and predict the end of life in each fault scenario, and present the experimental results.

76 FR 4823 - Hazardous Waste Management System; Identifying and Listing Hazardous Waste Exclusion

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-27

... Waste Management System; Identifying and Listing Hazardous Waste Exclusion AGENCY: Environmental... hazardous wastes. The Agency has decided to grant the petition based on an evaluation of waste-specific... excludes the petitioned waste from the requirements of hazardous waste regulations under the Resource...

Biodegradation of bilge waste from Patagonia with an indigenous microbial community.

PubMed

Nievas, M L; Commendatore, M G; Olivera, N L; Esteves, J L; Bucalá, V

2006-12-01

Oily residues that are generated in normal ship operation are considered hazardous wastes. A biodegradation assay with autochthonous microbiota of Bilge Waste Oily Phase (BWOP) was performed in a bioreactor under controlled conditions. Petroleum, diesel oil, and PAH degraders were isolated from bilge wastes. These bacteria belong to the genus Pseudomonas and are closely related to Pseudomonas stutzeri as shown by 16S rDNA phylogenetic analysis. The indigenous microbial community of the bilge waste was capable of biodegrading the BWOP (1% v/v) with biodegradation efficiencies of 70% for hexane extractable material (HEM), 68% for total hydrocarbons (TH) and 90% for total aromatics hydrocarbons (TA) in 14 days. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) was successfully applied to evaluate hydrocarbon evaporation in a control experiment and demonstrated a mass balance closure of 88%. The SPME and biodegradation results give useful information to improve and scale up the process for BWOP treatment.

Rapid biodiesel synthesis from waste pepper seeds without lipid isolation step.

PubMed

Lee, Jechan; Kim, Jieun; Ok, Yong Sik; Kwon, Eilhann E

2017-09-01

In situ transformation of lipid in waste pepper seeds into biodiesel (i.e., fatty acid methyl esters: FAMEs) via thermally-induced transmethylation on silica was mainly investigated in this study. This study reported that waste pepper seeds contained 26.9wt% of lipid and that 94.1% of the total lipid in waste pepper seeds could be converted into biodiesel without lipid extraction step for only ∼1min reaction time. This study also suggested that the optimal temperature for in situ transmethylation was identified as 390°C. Moreover, comparison of in situ process via the conventional transmethylation catalyzed by H 2 SO 4 showed that the introduced biodiesel conversion in this study had a higher tolerance against impurities, thereby being technically feasible. The in situ biodiesel production from other oil-bearing food wastes can be studied. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The evidence of toxic wastes dumping in Campania, Italy.

PubMed

Marfe, Gabriella; Di Stefano, Carla

2016-09-01

The region of Campania (particularly Naples and Caserta) were subjected to extensive illegal dumping operations of toxic and radioactive wastes since the 1980s. The highly toxic wastes (HTW) dumping operations that have taken place both along the coast and the hinterland, have extremely adverse effects on health, livelihoods and the future prospect of sustainable development of the local population. The toxic wastes dumping in Campania is real and it has compromised (irreversibly) the human health, natural environment, food security and the long-term development prospects of the affected population. To reverse this tragic trend, it is necessery the identification, isolation and reclamation of the polluted sites and full assessment of the nature and the scale of the polluting chemicals and other hazardous wastes. The purpose of this review is to contribute significantly to the available evidence of the long-running toxic waste dumping in Campania and its negative impact on the health of population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

CsIX/TRU Grout Feasibility Study

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

S. J. Losinski; C. M. Barnes; B. K. Grover

A settlement agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Idaho mandates that liquid waste now stored at the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC - formerly the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, ICPP) will be calcined by the end of year 2012. This study investigates an alternative treatment of the liquid waste that removes undissolved solids (UDS) by filtration and removes cesium by ion exchange followed by cement-based grouting of the remaining liquid into 55-gal drums. Operations are assumed to be from January 2008 through December 2012. The grouted waste will be contact-handled and will be shippedmore » to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico for disposal. The small volume of secondary wastes such as the filtered solids and cesium sorbent (resin) would remain in storage at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for treatment and disposal under another project, with an option to dispose of the filtered solids as a r emote-handled waste at WIPP.« less

Effect of solvent addition sequence on lycopene extraction efficiency from membrane neutralized caustic peeled tomato waste.

PubMed

Phinney, David M; Frelka, John C; Cooperstone, Jessica L; Schwartz, Steven J; Heldman, Dennis R

2017-01-15

Lycopene is a high value nutraceutical and its isolation from waste streams is often desirable to maximize profits. This research investigated solvent addition order and composition on lycopene extraction efficiency from a commercial tomato waste stream (pH 12.5, solids ∼5%) that was neutralized using membrane filtration. Constant volume dilution (CVD) was used to desalinate the caustic salt to neutralize the waste. Acetone, ethanol and hexane were used as direct or blended additions. Extraction efficiency was defined as the amount of lycopene extracted divided by the total lycopene in the sample. The CVD operation reduced the active alkali of the waste from 0.66 to <0.01M and the moisture content of the pulp increased from 93% to 97% (wet basis), showing the removal of caustic salts from the waste. Extraction efficiency varied from 32.5% to 94.5%. This study demonstrates a lab scale feasibility to extract lycopene efficiently from tomato processing byproducts. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Revolutionary advances in medical waste management. The Sanitec system.

PubMed

Edlich, Richard F; Borel, Lise; Jensen, H Gordon; Winters, Kathryne L; Long, William B; Gubler, K Dean; Buschbacher, Ralph M; Becker, Daniel G; Chang, Dillon E; Korngold, Jonathan; Chitwood, W Randolph; Lin, Kant Y; Nichter, Larry S; Berenson, Susan; Britt, L D; Tafel, John A

2006-01-01

It is the purpose of this collective review to provide a detailed outline of a revolutionary medical waste disposal system that should be used in all medical centers in the world to prevent pollution of our planet from medical waste. The Sanitec medical waste disposal system consists of the following seven components: (1) an all-weather steel enclosure of the waste management system, allowing it to be used inside or outside of the hospital center; (2) an automatic mechanical lift-and-load system that protects the workers from devastating back injuries; (3) a sophisticated shredding system designed for medical waste; (4) a series of air filters including the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter; (5) microwave disinfection of the medical waste material; (6) a waste compactor or dumpster; and (7) an onboard microprocessor. It must be emphasized that this waste management system can be used either inside or outside the hospital. From start to finish, the Sanitec Microwave Disinfection system is designed to provide process and engineering controls that assure complete disinfection and destruction, while minimizing the operator's exposure to risk. There are numerous technologic benefits to the Sanitec systems, including environmental, operational, physical, and disinfection efficiency as well as waste residue disinfection. Wastes treated through the Sanitec system are thoroughly disinfected, unrecognizable, and reduced in volume by approximately 80% (saving valuable landfill space and reducing hauling requirements and costs). They are acceptable in any municipal solid waste program. Sanitec's Zero Pollution Advantage is augmented by a complete range of services, including installation, startup, testing, training, maintenance, and repair, over the life of this system. The Sanitec waste management system has essentially been designed to provide the best overall solution to the customer, when that customer actually looks at the total cost of dealing with the medical waste issue. The Sanitec system is the right choice for healthcare and medical waste professionals around the world.

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

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

Mohamed, Yasser T.

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

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).

Numerical Modeling of Thermal-Hydrology in the Near Field of a Generic High-Level Waste Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matteo, E. N.; Hadgu, T.; Park, H.

2016-12-01

Disposal in a deep geologic repository is one of the preferred option for long term isolation of high-level nuclear waste. Coupled thermal-hydrologic processes induced by decay heat from the radioactive waste may impact fluid flow and the associated migration of radionuclides. This study looked at the effects of those processes in simulations of thermal-hydrology for the emplacement of U. S. Department of Energy managed high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel. Most of the high-level waste sources have lower thermal output which would reduce the impact of thermal propagation. In order to quantify the thermal limits this study concentrated on the higher thermal output sources and on spent nuclear fuel. The study assumed a generic nuclear waste repository at 500 m depth. For the modeling a representative domain was selected representing a portion of the repository layout in order to conduct a detailed thermal analysis. A highly refined unstructured mesh was utilized with refinements near heat sources and at intersections of different materials. Simulations looked at different values for properties of components of the engineered barrier system (i.e. buffer, disturbed rock zone and the host rock). The simulations also looked at the effects of different durations of surface aging of the waste to reduce thermal perturbations. The PFLOTRAN code (Hammond et al., 2014) was used for the simulations. Modeling results for the different options are reported and include temperature and fluid flow profiles in the near field at different simulation times. References:G. E. Hammond, P.C. Lichtner and R.T. Mills, "Evaluating the Performance of Parallel Subsurface Simulators: An Illustrative Example with PFLOTRAN", Water Resources Research, 50, doi:10.1002/2012WR013483 (2014). Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND2016-7510 A

Geological Disposal of Nuclear Waste: Investigating the Thermo-Hygro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) Coupled Processes at the Waste Canister- Bentonite Barrier Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, C. W.; Davie, D. C.; Charles, D. A.

2015-12-01

Geological disposal of nuclear waste is being increasingly considered to deal with the growing volume of waste resulting from the nuclear legacy of numerous nations. Within the UK there is 650,000 cubic meters of waste safely stored and managed in near-surface interim facilities but with no conclusive permanent disposal route. A Geological Disposal Facility with incorporated Engineered Barrier Systems are currently being considered as a permanent waste management solution (Fig.1). This research focuses on the EBS bentonite buffer/waste canister interface, and experimentally replicates key environmental phases that would occur after canister emplacement. This progresses understanding of the temporal evolution of the EBS and the associated impact on its engineering, mineralogical and physicochemical state and considers any consequences for the EBS safety functions of containment and isolation. Correlation of engineering properties to the physicochemical state is the focus of this research. Changes to geotechnical properties such as Atterberg limits, swelling pressure and swelling kinetics are measured after laboratory exposure to THMC variables from interface and batch experiments. Factors affecting the barrier, post closure, include corrosion product interaction, precipitation of silica, near-field chemical environment, groundwater salinity and temperature. Results show that increasing groundwater salinity has a direct impact on the buffer, reducing swelling capacity and plasticity index by up to 80%. Similarly, thermal loading reduces swelling capacity by 23% and plasticity index by 5%. Bentonite/steel interaction studies show corrosion precipitates diffusing into compacted bentonite up to 3mm from the interface over a 4 month exposure (increasing with temperature), with reduction in swelling capacity in the affected zone, probably due to the development of poorly crystalline iron oxides. These results indicate that groundwater conditions, temperature and corrosion may affect the engineering performance of the bentonite buffer such that any interfaces between bentonite blocks that may be present immediately following buffer emplacement may persist in the longer term.

Buried transuranic wastes at ORNL: Review of past estimates and reconciliation with current data

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

Trabalka, J.R.

1997-09-01

Inventories of buried (generally meaning disposed of) transuranic (TRU) wastes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have been estimated for site remediation and waste management planning over a period of about two decades. Estimates were required because of inadequate waste characterization and incomplete disposal records. For a variety of reasons, including changing definitions of TRU wastes, differing objectives for the estimates, and poor historical data, the published results have sometimes been in conflict. The purpose of this review was (1) to attempt to explain both the rationale for and differences among the various estimates, and (2) to update the estimatesmore » based on more recent information obtained from waste characterization and from evaluations of ORNL waste data bases and historical records. The latter included information obtained from an expert panel`s review and reconciliation of inconsistencies in data identified during preparation of the ORNL input for the third revision of the Baseline Inventory Report for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The results summarize current understanding of the relationship between past estimates of buried TRU wastes and provide the most up-to-date information on recorded burials thereafter. The limitations of available information on the latter and thus the need for improved waste characterization are highlighted.« less

U.S. Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office Environmental Monitoring Program summary data report, second calendar quarter 1996

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

Black, S.C.; Townsend, Y.E.

1997-02-01

The Nevada Test Site (NTS), located in southern Nevada, has been the primary location for testing of nuclear explosives in the continental US. Testing began in 1951 and continued until the moratorium in 1992. Waste storage and disposal facilities for defense radioactive and mixed waste are located in Areas 3 and 5. At the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS-5), low-level wastes (LLW) from US Department of Energy (DOE) affiliated onsite and offsite generators are disposed of using standard shallow land disposal techniques. Transuranic wastes are retrievably stored at the RWMS-5 in containers on a surface pad, pending shipmentmore » to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant facility in New Mexico. Nonradioactive hazardous wastes are accumulated at a special site before shipment to a licensed offsite disposal facility. Non-standard packages of LLW are buried in subsidence craters in the Area 3 RWMS. This report describes these activities on and around the NTS and includes a listing of the results obtained from environmental surveillance activities during the second calendar quarter of 1996.« less

Heat Melt Compaction as an Effective Treatment for Eliminating Microorganisms from Solid Waste

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hummerick, Mary P.; Strayer, Richard; McCoy, LaShelle; Richard, Jeffrey; Ruby, Anna; Wheeler, Raymond

2012-01-01

One of the technologies being tested at Ames Research Center as part of the logistics and repurposing project is heat melt compaction (HMC) of solid waste to reduce volume, remove water and render a biologically stable and safe product. Studies at Kennedy Space Center have focused on the efficacy of the heat melt compaction process for killing microorganisms in waste and specific compacter operation protocols, i.e., time and temperature, required to achieve a sterile, stable product. The work reported here includes a controlled study to examine the survival and potential re-growth of specific microorganisms over a 6-month period of storage after heating and compaction. Before heating and compaction, ersatz solid wastes were inoculated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, previously isolated from recovered space shuttle mission food and packaging waste. Compacted HMC tiles were sampled for microbiological analysis at time points between 0 and 180 days of storage in a controlled environment chamber. In addition, biological indicator strips containing spores of Bacillus atrophaeus and Ceo bacillus stearothermophilus were imbedded in trash to assess the efficacy of the HMC process to achieve sterilization. Analysis of several tiles compacted at 180 C for times of 40 minutes to over 2 hours detected organisms in all tile samples with the exception of one exposed to 180 C for approximately 2 hours. Neither of the inoculated organisms was recovered, and the biological indicator strips were negative for growth in all tiles indicating at least local sterilization of tile areas. The findings suggest that minimum time/temperature combination is required for complete sterilization. Microbial analysis of tiles processed at lower temperatures from 130 C-150 C at varying times will be discussed, as well as analysis of the bacteria and fungi present on the compactor hardware as a result of exposure to the waste and the surrounding environment. The two organisms inoculated into the waste were among those isolated and identified from the HMC surfaces indicating the possibility of cross contamination.

40 CFR 264.18 - Location standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) The impact of such concentrations on the current or potential uses of and water quality standards... cave is prohibited, except for the Department of Energy Waste Isolation Pilot Project in New Mexico...

Bioremediation of Petroleum and Radiological Contaminated Soils at the Savannah River Site: Laboratory to Field Scale Applications

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

BRIGMON, ROBINL.

In the process of Savannah River Site (SRS) operations limited amounts of waste are generated containing petroleum, and radiological contaminated soils. Currently, this combination of radiological and petroleum contaminated waste does not have an immediate disposal route and is being stored in low activity vaults. SRS developed and implemented a successful plan for clean up of the petroleum portion of the soils in situ using simple, inexpensive, bioreactor technology. Treatment in a bioreactor removes the petroleum contamination from the soil without spreading radiological contamination to the environment. This bioreactor uses the bioventing process and bioaugmentation or the addition of themore » select hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. Oxygen is usually the initial rate-limiting factor in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Using the bioventing process allowed control of the supply of nutrients and moisture based on petroleum contamination concentrations and soil type. The results of this work have proven to be a safe and cost-effective means of cleaning up low level radiological and petroleum-contaminated soil. Many of the other elements of the bioreactor design were developed or enhanced during the demonstration of a ''biopile'' to treat the soils beneath a Polish oil refinery's waste disposal lagoons. Aerobic microorganisms were isolated from the aged refinery's acidic sludge contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Twelve hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were isolated from the sludge. The predominant PAH degraders were tentatively identified as Achromobacter, Pseudomonas Burkholderia, and Sphingomonas spp. Several Ralstonia spp were also isolated that produce biosurfactants. Biosurfactants can enhance bioremediation by increasing the bioavailability of hydrophobic contaminants including hydrocarbons. The results indicated that the diversity of acid-tolerant PAH-degrading microorganisms in acidic oil wastes may be much greater than previously demonstrated and they have numerous applications to environmental restoration. Twelve of the isolates were subsequently added to the bioreactor to enhance bioremediation. In this study we showed that a bioreactor could be bioaugmented with select bacteria to enhance bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils under radiological conditions.« less

The effect of pulping concentration treatment on the properties of microcrystalline cellulose powder obtained from waste paper.

PubMed

Okwonna, Okumneme O

2013-10-15

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powder was isolated from three grades of waste paper: book, Groundwood/Newsprint and paperboard, through the processes of pulping and hydrolysis. Pulping treatment on these grades of waste paper was done using varying concentrations of caustic soda. Effects of the concentration of the pulping medium on the thermal and kinetic properties were investigated. Also determined were the effects of this on the physico-chemical properties. The chemical structure was characterized using an infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results showed these properties to be affected by the concentration of the pulping medium. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a New Analog Test System Capable of Modeling Tectonic Deformation Incorporating the Effects of Pore Fluid Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, M.; Nakajima, H.; Takeda, M.; Aung, T. T.

2005-12-01

Understanding and predicting the tectonic deformation within geologic strata has been a very important research subject in many fields such as structural geology and petroleum geology. In recent years, such research has also become a fundamental necessity for the assessment of active fault migration, site selection for geological disposal of radioactive nuclear waste and exploration for methane hydrate. Although analog modeling techniques have played an important role in the elucidation of the tectonic deformation mechanisms, traditional approaches have typically used dry materials and ignored the effects of pore fluid pressure. In order for analog models to properly depict the tectonic deformation of the targeted, large-prototype system within a small laboratory-scale configuration, physical properties of the models, including geometry, force, and time, must be correctly scaled. Model materials representing brittle rock behavior require an internal friction identical to the prototype rock and virtually zero cohesion. Granular materials such as sand, glass beads, or steel beads of dry condition have been preferably used for this reason in addition to their availability and ease of handling. Modeling protocols for dry granular materials have been well established but such model tests cannot account for the pore fluid effects. Although the concept of effective stress has long been recognized and the role of pore-fluid pressure in tectonic deformation processes is evident, there have been few analog model studies that consider the effects of pore fluid movement. Some new applications require a thorough understanding of the coupled deformation and fluid flow processes within the strata. Taking the field of waste management as an example, deep geological disposal of radioactive waste has been thought to be an appropriate methodology for the safe isolation of the wastes from the human environment until the toxicity of the wastes decays to non-hazardous levels. For the deep geological disposal concept, besides containing the wastes with engineering methods such as the glassification of the radioactive wastes, the geological formation itself is expected to serve as a natural barrier that retards migration of radionuclides. To evaluate the long-term safety of deep geological disposal, a better understanding of the fate and transport of radionuclides in a geologically heterogeneous environment is necessary. To meet such requirements, a new analog test sandbox model system was developed. This model system allows the pore fluid flows to be controlled during the model tests and permits the study of flow and transport phenomena in the deformed heterogeneous model. One- or two-dimensional fluid flow is controlled using a side-wall piston. Deformation processes can be observed through a transparent front panel, and pore fluid movement can be also visualized using a color tracer. In this study, the scaling requirements for analog modeling, including pore water pressure, are discussed based on the theory of dimensional analysis, supplemented by data from a series of laboratory shear tests, and a detailed description of the model system. Preliminary experimental results are presented.

Waste management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sauer, R. L.; Jorgensen, G. K.

1975-01-01

The function of the waste management system was to control the disposition of solid and liquid wastes and waste stowage gases. The waste management system consisting of a urine subsystem and a fecal subsystem is described in detail and its overall performance is evaluated. Recommendations for improvement are given.

Schematic designs for penetration seals for a reference repository in bedded salt

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

Kelsall, P.C.; Case, J.B.; Meyer, D.

1982-11-01

The isolation of radioactive wastes in geologic repositories requires that man-made penetrations such as shafts, tunnels, or boreholes are adequately sealed. This report describes schematic seal designs for a repository in bedded salt referenced to the straitigraphy of southeastern New Mexico. The designs are presented for extensive peer review and will be updated as site-specific conceptual designs when a site for a repository in salt has been selected. The principal material used in the seal system is crushed salt obtained from excavating the repository. It is anticipated that crushed salt will consolidate as the repository rooms creep close to themore » degree that mechanical and hydrologic properties will eventually match those of undisturbed, intact salt. For southeastern New Mexico salt, analyses indicate that this process will require approximately 1000 years for a seal located at the base of one of the repository shafts (where there is little increase in temperature due to waste emplacement) and approximately 400 years for a seal located in an access tunnel within the repository. Bulkheads composed of contrete or salt bricks are also included in the seal system as components which will have low permeability during the period required for salt consolidation.« less

Environmental sustainability comparison of a hypothetical pneumatic waste collection system and a door-to-door system.

PubMed

Punkkinen, Henna; Merta, Elina; Teerioja, Nea; Moliis, Katja; Kuvaja, Eveliina

2012-10-01

Waste collection is one of the life cycle phases that influence the environmental sustainability of waste management. Pneumatic waste collection systems represent a new way of arranging waste collection in densely populated urban areas. However, limited information is available on the environmental impacts of this system. In this study, we compare the environmental sustainability of conventional door-to-door waste collection with its hypothetical pneumatic alternative. Furthermore, we analyse whether the size of the hypothetical pneumatic system, or the number of waste fractions included, have an impact on the results. Environmental loads are calculated for a hypothetical pneumatic waste collection system modelled on an existing dense urban area in Helsinki, Finland, and the results are compared to those of the prevailing, container-based, door-to-door waste collection system. The evaluation method used is the life-cycle inventory (LCI). In this study, we report the atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), SO(2) and NO(x). The results indicate that replacing the prevailing system with stationary pneumatic waste collection in an existing urban infrastructure would increase total air emissions. Locally, in the waste collection area, emissions would nonetheless diminish, as collection traffic decreases. While the electricity consumption of the hypothetical pneumatic system and the origin of electricity have a significant bearing on the results, emissions due to manufacturing the system's components prove decisive. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Final voluntary release assessment/corrective action report

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

NONE

1996-11-12

The US Department of Energy, Carlsbad Area Office (DOE-CAO) has completed a voluntary release assessment sampling program at selected Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This Voluntary Release Assessment/Corrective Action (RA/CA) report has been prepared for final submittal to the Environmental protection Agency (EPA) Region 6, Hazardous Waste Management Division and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Hazardous and Radioactive Materials Bureau to describe the results of voluntary release assessment sampling and proposed corrective actions at the SWMU sites. The Voluntary RA/CA Program is intended to be the first phase in implementing the Resourcemore » Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation (RFI) and corrective action process at the WIPP. Data generated as part of this sampling program are intended to update the RCRA Facility Assessment (RFA) for the WIPP (Assessment of Solid Waste Management Units at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant), NMED/DOE/AIP 94/1. This Final Voluntary RA/CA Report documents the results of release assessment sampling at 11 SWMUs identified in the RFA. With this submittal, DOE formally requests a No Further Action determination for these SWMUs. Additionally, this report provides information to support DOE`s request for No Further Action at the Brinderson and Construction landfill SWMUs, and to support DOE`s request for approval of proposed corrective actions at three other SWMUs (the Badger Unit Drill Pad, the Cotton Baby Drill Pad, and the DOE-1 Drill Pad). This information is provided to document the results of the Voluntary RA/CA activities submitted to the EPA and NMED in August 1995.« less

Reversed mining and reversed-reversed mining: the irrational context of geological disposal of nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Loon, A. J.

2000-06-01

Man does not only extract material from the Earth but increasingly uses the underground for storage and disposal purposes. One of the materials that might be disposed of this way is high-level nuclear waste. The development of safe disposal procedures, the choice of suitable host rocks, and the design of underground facilities have taken much time and money, but commissions in several countries have presented reports showing that — and how — safe geological disposal will be possible in such a way that definite isolation from the biosphere is achieved. Political views have changed in the past few years, however, and there is a strong tendency now to require that the high-level waste disposed of will be retrievable. Considering the underlying arguments for isolation from the biosphere, and also considering waste policy in general, this provides an irrational context. The development of new procedures and the design of new disposal facilities that allow retrieval will take much time again. A consequence may be that the high-active, heat-generating nuclear waste will be stored temporarily for a much longer time than objectively desirable. The delay in disposal and the counterproductive requirement of retrievability are partly due to the fact that earth-science organisations have failed to communicate in the way they should, possibly fearing public (and financial) reactions if taking a position that is (was?) considered as politically incorrect. Such an attitude should not be maintained in modern society, which has the right to be informed reliably by the scientific community.

76 FR 55846 - Hazardous Waste Management System: Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste: Carbon Dioxide...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-09

... 2050-AG60 Hazardous Waste Management System: Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste: Carbon... hazardous waste management under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to conditionally exclude... and recordkeeping requirements. 40 CFR Part 261 Environmental protection, Hazardous waste, Solid waste...

Prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in the bacterial flora of integrated fish farming environments of Pakistan and Tanzania.

PubMed

Shah, Syed Q A; Colquhoun, Duncan J; Nikuli, Hamisi L; Sørum, Henning

2012-08-21

The use of a wide variety of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine, including aquaculture, has led to the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens. In the present study, bacteria from water, sediments, and fish were collected from fish farms in Pakistan and Tanzania with no recorded history of antibiotic use. The isolates were screened for the presence of resistance genes against various antimicrobials used in aquaculture and animal husbandry. Resistant isolates selected by disk diffusion and genotyped by Southern hybridization were further screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and amplicon sequencing. The prominent resistance genes identified encoded tetracycline [tetA(A) and tetA(G)], trimethoprim [dfrA1, dfrA5, dfrA7, dfrA12, and dfrA15], amoxicillin [bla(TEM)], streptomycin [strA-strB], chloramphenicol [cat-1], and erythromycin resistance [mefA]. The int1 gene was found in more than 30% of the bacterial isolates in association with gene cassettes. MAR indices ranged from 0.2 to 1. The bla(NDM-1) gene was not identified in ertapenem resistant isolates. It is hypothesized that integrated fish farming practices utilizing domestic farm and poultry waste along with antibiotic residues from animal husbandry may have contributed to a pool of resistance genes in the aquaculture systems studied.

New design incinerator being built

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

Not Available

1980-09-01

A $14 million garbage-burning facility is being built by Reedy Creek Utilities Co. in cooperation with DOE at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on the edge of Walt Disney World. The nation's first large-volume slagging pyrolysis incinerator will burn municipal waste in a more beneficial way and supply 15% of the amusement park's energy demands. By studying the new incinerators slag-producing capabilities, engineers hope to design similar facilities for isolating low-level nuclear wastes in inert, rocklike slag.

Production of Chitosan from Amusium sp Scallop Shell Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rokhati, Nur; Istirokhatun, Titik; Titik Apriyanti, Dwi; Susanto, Heru

2017-02-01

Chitosan is one of the natural polysaccharides, which is produced from chitin by deacetylation process. In this study, chitosan was produced from Amusium sp scallop shell waste. First, chitin was isolated by extraction via deproteinization using alkaline solution followed by demineralization using acid solution. Thereafter, chitosan was resulted from deacetylation of chitin using a high concentration of alkaline solution. The chemical structure of chitin and chitosan products was characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Feasibility of Lateral Emplacement in Very Deep Borehole Disposal of High Level Nuclear Waste

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

superior isolation of the waste (mitigating proliferation, terrorist and human intrusion concerns), the impermeability of available geologic formations ...Continental U.S. (Courtesy “The Future of Geothermal Energy” by MIT)7 2. Age of the granitic formation (Figure 1-4) 3. Proximity to rail, barge, and...state are of particular interest with their access to the ancient and stable Canadian granite shield, but access to suitable formations is found in

Ethanol production from glycerol-containing biodiesel waste by Klebsiella variicola shows maximum productivity under alkaline conditions.

PubMed

Suzuki, Toshihiro; Nishikawa, Chiaki; Seta, Kohei; Shigeno, Toshiya; Nakajima-Kambe, Toshiaki

2014-05-25

Biodiesel fuel (BDF) waste contains large amounts of crude glycerol as a by-product, and has a high alkaline pH. With regard to microbial conversion of ethanol from BDF-derived glycerol, bacteria that can produce ethanol at alkaline pH have not been reported to date. Isolation of bacteria that shows maximum productivity under alkaline conditions is essential to effective production of ethanol from BDF-derived glycerol. In this study, we isolated the Klebsiella variicola TB-83 strain, which demonstrated maximum ethanol productivity at alkaline pH. Strain TB-83 showed effective usage of crude glycerol with maximum ethanol production at pH 8.0-9.0, and the culture pH was finally neutralized by formate, a by-product. In addition, the ethanol productivity of strain TB-83 under various culture conditions was investigated. Ethanol production was more efficient with the addition of yeast extract. Strain TB-83 produced 9.8 g/L ethanol (0.86 mol/mol glycerol) from cooking oil-derived BDF waste. Ethanol production from cooking oil-derived BDF waste was higher than that of new frying oil-derived BDF and pure-glycerol. This is the first report to demonstrate that the K. variicola strain TB-83 has the ability to produce ethanol from glycerol at alkaline pH. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selected, annotated bibliography of studies relevant to the isolation of nuclear wastes. [705 references

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

Hyder, L.K.; Fore, C.S.; Vaughan, N.D.

This annotated bibliography of 705 references represents the first in a series to be published by the Ecological Sciences Information Center containing scientific, technical, economic, and regulatory information relevant to nuclear waste isolation. Most references discuss deep geologic disposal, with fewer studies of deep seabed disposal; space disposal is also included. The publication covers both domestic and foreign literature for the period 1954 to 1980. Major chapters selected are Chemical and Physical Aspects; Container Design and Performance; Disposal Site; Envirnmental Transport; General Studies and Reviews; Geology, Hydrology and Site Resources; Regulatory and Economic Aspects; Repository Design and Engineering; Transportation Technology;more » Waste Production; and Waste Treatment. Specialized data fields have been incorporated to improve the ease and accuracy of locating pertinent references. Specific radionuclides for which data are presented are listed in the Measured Radionuclides field, and specific parameters which affect the migration of these radionuclides are presented in the Measured Parameters field. The references within each chapter are arranged alphabetically by leading author, corporate affiliation, or title of the document. When the author is not given, the corporate affiliation appears first. If these two levels of authorship are not given, the title of the document is used as the identifying level. Indexes are provided for author(s), keywords, subject category, title, geographic location, measured parameters, measured radionuclides, and publication description.« less

Solubilization of municipal sewage waste activated sludge by novel lytic bacterial strains.

PubMed

Lakshmi, M Veera; Merrylin, J; Kavitha, S; Kumar, S Adish; Banu, J Rajesh; Yeom, Ick-Tae

2014-02-01

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are an extracellular matrix found in sludge which plays a crucial role in flocculation by interacting with the organic solids. Therefore, to enhance pretreatment of sludge, EPS have to be removed. In this study, EPS were removed with a chemical extractant, NaOH, to enhance the bacterial pretreatment. A lysozyme secreting bacterial consortium was isolated from the waste activated sludge (WAS). The result of density gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis revealed that the isolated consortium consists of two strains. The two novel strains isolated were named as Jerish03 (NCBI accession number KC597266) and Jerish 04 (NCBI accession number KC597267) and they belong to the genus Bacillus. Pretreatment with these novel strains enhances the efficiency of the aerobic digestion of sludge. Sludge treated with the lysozyme secreting bacterial consortium produced 29 % and 28.5 % increase in suspended solids (SS) reduction and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal compared to the raw activated sludge (without pretreatment) during aerobic digestion. It is specified that these two novel strains had a high potential to enhance WAS degradation efficiency in aerobic digestion.

Comparison of municipal solid waste management systems in Canada and Ghana: A case study of the cities of London, Ontario, and Kumasi, Ghana

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

Asase, Mizpah; Yanful, Ernest K.; Mensah, Moses

2009-10-15

Integrated waste management has been accepted as a sustainable approach to solid waste management in any region. It can be applied in both developed and developing countries. The difference is the approach taken to develop the integrated waste management system. This review looks at the integrated waste management system operating in the city of London, Ontario-Canada and how lessons can be drawn from the system's development and operation that will help implement a sustainable waste management system in the city of Kumasi, Ghana. The waste management system in London is designed such that all waste generated in the city ismore » handled and disposed of appropriately. The responsibility of each sector handling waste is clearly defined and monitored. All major services are provided and delivered by a combination of public and private sector forces. The sustainability of the waste management in the city of London is attributed to the continuous improvement strategy framework adopted by the city based on the principles of integrated waste management. It is perceived that adopting a strategic framework based on the principles of integrated waste management with a strong political and social will, can transform the current waste management in Kumasi and other cities in developing countries in the bid for finding lasting solutions to the problems that have plagued the waste management system in these cities.« less

10 CFR 960.4-2-1 - Geohydrology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REPOSITORY Postclosure Guidelines § 960.4-2-1 Geohydrology. (a) Qualifying condition. The present and... the ability of the geologic repository to isolate the waste during the next 100,000 years. (3) Sites...

Isolation and identification of trichothecenes from Fusarium compactum suspected in the aetiology of a major intoxication of sandhill cranes.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cole, Richard J.; Dorner, Joe W.; Gilbert, John; Mortimer, David N.; Crews, Colin; Mitchell, J.C.; Windingstad, Ronald M.; Nelson, Paul E.; Cutler, Horace G.

1988-01-01

Isoneosolaniol (4,8-diacetoxy-12,13-epoxytrichothec-9-ene-3,15-diol) and other unidentified trichothecene mycotoxins were isolated from culture extracts of two highly toxigenic strains of Fusarium compactum cultured from waste peanuts involved in an acute intoxication of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). Neosolaniol and other unidentified trichothecenes were detected in waste peanuts collected from affected areas. The structure of isoneosolaniol was determined by 1H and 13C NMR analyses and by high-resolution mass spectometry. Isoneosolaniol was hightly toxic to 1-day-old chickens and to a HEp2 cell culture assay. It was concluded that the most logical cause of the sandhill crane intoxication was Fusarium spp. Contaminated peanuts and various trichothecene mycotoxins acting alone or in conjunction with other Fusarium mycotoxins.

Evidence for distinct chronic wasting disease (CWD) strains in experimental CWD in ferrets

PubMed Central

Perrott, Matthew R.; Sigurdson, Christina J.; Mason, Gary L.

2012-01-01

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an evolving prion disease of cervids (deer, elk and moose) that has been recognized in North America and Korea. Infection of non-cervid reservoir or transport species in nature is not reported. However, the ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is susceptible to CWD after experimental inoculation. Here, we report that infection of ferrets with either of two ferret CWD isolates by various routes of exposure has revealed biologically distinct strain-like properties distinguished by different clinical progression and survival period. The isolates of ferret CWD were also differentiated by the distribution of the infectious prion protein (PrPCWD) in the brain and periphery, and by the proteinase K sensitivity of PrPCWD. These findings suggest that diversity in prion conformers exists in CWD-infected cervids. PMID:21918005

Characterization of thermostable cellulase produced by Bacillus strains isolated from solid waste of carrageenan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Listyaningrum, N. P.; Sutrisno, A.; Wardani, A. K.

2018-03-01

Cellulase-producing bacteria was isolated from solid waste of carrageenan and identified as Bacillus licheniformis C55 by 16S rRNA sequencing. The optimum condition for cellulase production was obtained at pH and temperature of 8.0 and 50°C, respectively in a medium containing glucose as carbon source and 1.0% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to stimulate the cellulase production. Most remarkably, the enzyme retained its relative activity over 50% after incubation at 50°C for 90 minutes. Substrate specificity suggested that the enzyme is an endoglucanase. The molecular mass of Bacillus licheniformis C55 crude cellulase was found about 18 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis. This thermostable enzyme would facilitate development of more efficient and cost-effective forms of the process to convert lignocellulosic biomass into high-value products.

WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) intermediate scale borehole test: A pretest analysis

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

Argueello, J.G.

A three-dimensional finite element structural analysis of the Intermediate Scale Borehole Test at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has been performed. The analysis provides insight into how a relatively new excavation in a creeping medium responds when introduced into an existing pillar which has been undergoing stress redistribution for 5.7 years. The stress field of the volume of material in the immediate vicinity of the borehole changes significantly when the hole is drilled. Closure of the hole is predicted to be larger in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, leading to an ovaling of the hole. Themore » relatively high stresses near the hole persist even at the end of the simulation, 2 years after the hole is drilled. 12 ref., 10 figs.« less

Methane generation from waste materials

DOEpatents

Samani, Zohrab A.; Hanson, Adrian T.; Macias-Corral, Maritza

2010-03-23

An organic solid waste digester for producing methane from solid waste, the digester comprising a reactor vessel for holding solid waste, a sprinkler system for distributing water, bacteria, and nutrients over and through the solid waste, and a drainage system for capturing leachate that is then recirculated through the sprinkler system.

Sphingobium hydrophobicum sp. nov., a hydrophobic bacterium isolated from electronic-waste-contaminated sediment.

PubMed

Chen, Xingjuan; Wang, Haiji; Xu, Jingjing; Song, Da; Sun, Guoping; Xu, Meiying

2016-10-01

Four hydrophobic bacteria were isolated from sediment at Guiyu, an electronic-waste recycling site in southeastern China. The isolates had high cell surface hydrophobicity with microbial-adhesion-to-hydrocarbon score of 71.4 %. 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains all showed highest similarity to the hydrophilic Sphingobium xenophagum DSM 6383T (99.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), followed by Sphingobiumczechense DSM 25410T (97.1 %). However, DNA-DNA hybridization revealed that the isolates and S. xenophagum DSM 6383T exhibited low DNA-DNA relatedness with a hybridization value of 54.5±0.5 %. The genomic DNA G+C content was 64.2 mol% and the predominant quinone was ubiquinone Q-10. Spermidine was the major polyamine component. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω7c, C16 : 0, C14 : 0 2-OH and C14 : 0. In contrast to its closest relative S. xenophagum DSM 6383T, the isolates had a much higher proportion of C16 : 0 and C14 : 0 and a much lower proportion of C18 : 1ω9t. Sphingoglycolipid was present and diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine were detected in the polar lipid pattern. Phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine, which are present in S. xenophagum DSM 6383T, were not detected in the isolates. Results of DNA-DNA relatedness, cell surface hydrophobicity, fatty acids, polar lipids, and biochemical and physiological properties reveal that the isolates represent a novel species of the genus Sphingobium, for which the name Sphingobium hydrophobicum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C1T (=CCTCC AB 2015198T=KCTC 42740T).

By-products of electrochemical synthesis of suberic acid

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

Shirobokova, O.I.; Adamov, A.A.; Freidlin, G.N.

By-products of the electrochemical synthesis of dimethyl suberate from glutaric anhydride were studied. This is isolated by thermal dehydration of a mixture of lower dicarboxylic acids that are wastes from the production of adipic acid. To isolate the by-products, they used the methods of vacuum rectification and preparative gas-liquid chromatography, and for their identification, PMR, IR spectroscopy, gas-liquid chromatography, and other known physicochemical methods of investigation.

Assessing the hydrocarbon degrading potential of indigenous bacteria isolated from crude oil tank bottom sludge and hydrocarbon-contaminated soil of Azzawiya oil refinery, Libya.

PubMed

Mansur, Abdulatif A; Adetutu, Eric M; Kadali, Krishna K; Morrison, Paul D; Nurulita, Yuana; Ball, Andrew S

2014-09-01

The disposal of hazardous crude oil tank bottom sludge (COTBS) represents a significant waste management burden for South Mediterranean countries. Currently, the application of biological systems (bioremediation) for the treatment of COTBS is not widely practiced in these countries. Therefore, this study aims to develop the potential for bioremediation in this region through assessment of the abilities of indigenous hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms from Libyan Hamada COTBS for the biotreatment of Libyan COTBS-contaminated environments. Bacteria were isolated from COTBS, COTBS-contaminated soil, treated COTBS-contaminated soil, and uncontaminated soil using Bushnell Hass medium amended with Hamada crude oil (1 %) as the main carbon source. Overall, 49 bacterial phenotypes were detected, and their individual abilities to degrade Hamada crude and selected COBTS fractions (naphthalene, phenanthrene, eicosane, octadecane and hexane) were evaluated using MT2 Biolog plates. Analyses using average well colour development showed that ~90 % of bacterial isolates were capable of utilizing representative aromatic fractions compared to 51 % utilization of representative aliphatics. Interestingly, more hydrocarbonoclastic isolates were obtained from treated contaminated soils (42.9 %) than from COTBS (26.5 %) or COTBS-contaminated (30.6 %) and control (0 %) soils. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) separated the isolates into two clusters with microorganisms in cluster 2 being 1.7- to 5-fold better at hydrocarbon degradation than those in cluster 1. Cluster 2 isolates belonged to the putative hydrocarbon-degrading genera; Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Arthrobacter and Brevundimonas with 57 % of these isolates being obtained from treated COTBS-contaminated soil. Overall, this study demonstrates that the potential for PAH degradation exists for the bioremediation of Hamada COTBS-contaminated environments in Libya. This represents the first report on the isolation of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria from Libyan COTBS and COTBS-contaminated soil.

Hot Cell Liners Category of Transuranic Waste Stored Below Ground within Area G

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

Jones, Robert Wesley; Hargis, Kenneth Marshall

2014-09-01

A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned large areas near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2011 and heightened public concern and news media attention over transuranic (TRU) waste stored at LANL’s Technical Area 54 (TA-54) Area G waste management facility. The removal of TRU waste from Area G had been placed at a lower priority in budget decisions for environmental cleanup at LANL because TRU waste removal is not included in the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Reference 1) that is the primary regulatory driver for environmental cleanup at LANL. The Consent Order is an agreementmore » between LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that contains specific requirements and schedules for cleaning up historical contamination at the LANL site. After the Las Conchas Fire, discussions were held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the NMED on accelerating TRU waste removal from LANL and disposing it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report summarizes available information on the origin, configuration, and composition of the waste containers within the Hot Cell Liners category; their physical and radiological characteristics; the results of the radioassays; and the justification to reclassify the five containers as LLW rather than TRU waste.« less

Tritium Packages and 17th RH Canister Categories of Transuranic Waste Stored Below Ground within Area G

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

Hargis, Kenneth Marshall

A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned large areas near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2011 and heightened public concern and news media attention over transuranic (TRU) waste stored at LANL’s Technical Area 54 (TA-54) Area G waste management facility. The removal of TRU waste from Area G had been placed at a lower priority in budget decisions for environmental cleanup at LANL because TRU waste removal is not included in the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Reference 1) that is the primary regulatory driver for environmental cleanup at LANL. The Consent Order is a settlementmore » agreement between LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that contains specific requirements and schedules for cleaning up historical contamination at the LANL site. After the Las Conchas Fire, discussions were held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the NMED on accelerating TRU waste removal from LANL and disposing it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report summarizes available information on the origin, configuration, and composition of the waste containers within the Tritium Packages and 17th RH Canister categories; their physical and radiological characteristics; the results of the radioassays; and potential issues in retrieval and processing of the waste containers.« less

LANL OPERATING EXPERIENCE WITH THE WAND AND HERCULES PROTOTYPE SYSTEMS

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

K. M. GRUETZMACHER; C. L. FOXX; S. C. MYERS

2000-09-01

The Waste Assay for Nonradioactive Disposal (WAND) and the High Efficiency Radiation Counters for Ultimate Low Emission Sensitivity (HERCULES) prototype systems have been operating at Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL's) Solid Waste Operation's (SWO'S) non-destructive assay (NDA) building since 1997 and 1998, respectively. These systems are the cornerstone of the verification program for low-density Green is Clean (GIC) waste at the Laboratory. GIC waste includes all non-regulated waste generated in radiological controlled areas (RCAS) that has been actively segregated as clean (i.e., nonradioactive) through the use of waste generator acceptable knowledge (AK). The use of this methodology alters LANL's pastmore » practice of disposing of all room trash generated in nuclear facilities in radioactive waste landfills. Waste that is verified clean can be disposed of at the Los Alamos County Landfill. It is estimated that 50-90% of the low-density room trash from radioactive material handling areas at Los Alamos might be free of contamination. This approach avoids the high cost of disposal of clean waste at a radioactive waste landfill. It also reduces consumption of precious space in the radioactive waste landfill where disposal of this waste provides no benefit to the public or the environment. Preserving low level waste (LLW) disposal capacity for truly radioactive waste is critical in this era when expanding existing radioactive waste landfills or permitting new ones is resisted by regulators and stakeholders. This paper describes the operating experience with the WAND and HERCULES since they began operation at SWO. Waste for verification by the WAND system has been limited so far to waste from the Plutonium Facility and the Solid Waste Operations Facility. A total of461 ft3 (13.1 m3) of low-density shredded waste and paper have been verified clean by the WAND system. The HERCULES system has been used to verify waste from four Laboratory facilities. These are the Solid Waste Operations Facility, the TA-48 Chemistry Facility, the Shops Facility, and the Environmental Facility. A total of 3150 ft3 (89.3 m3) of low-density waste has been verified clean by the HERCULES system.« less

Evaluation of engineered foods for Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karel, M.

1981-01-01

A system of conversion of locally regenerated raw materials and of resupplied freeze-dried foods and ingredients into acceptable, safe and nutritious engineered foods is proposed. The first phase of the proposed research has the following objectives: (1) evaluation of feasibility of developing acceptable and reliable engineered foods from a limited selection of plants, supplemented by microbially produced nutrients and a minimum of dehydrated nutrient sources (especially those of animal origin); (2) evaluation of research tasks and specifications of research projects to adapt present technology and food science to expected space conditions (in particular, problems arising from unusual gravity conditions, problems of limited size and the isolation of the food production system, and the opportunities of space conditions are considered); (3) development of scenarios of agricultural production of plant and microbial systems, including the specifications of processing wastes to be recycled.

Effects of Heat Generation on Nuclear Waste Disposal in Salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, D. J.

2008-12-01

Disposal of nuclear waste in salt is an established technology, as evidenced by the successful operations of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) since 1999. The WIPP is located in bedded salt in southeastern New Mexico and is a deep underground facility for transuranic (TRU) nuclear waste disposal. There are many advantages for placing radioactive wastes in a geologic bedded-salt environment. One desirable mechanical characteristic of salt is that it flows plastically with time ("creeps"). The rate of salt creep is a strong function of temperature and stress differences. Higher temperatures and deviatoric stresses increase the creep rate. As the salt creeps, induced fractures may be closed and eventually healed, which then effectively seals the waste in place. With a backfill of crushed salt emplaced around the waste, the salt creep can cause the crushed salt to reconsolidate and heal to a state similar to intact salt, serving as an efficient seal. Experiments in the WIPP were conducted to investigate the effects of heat generation on the important phenomena and processes in and around the repository (Munson et al. 1987; 1990; 1992a; 1992b). Brine migration towards the heaters was induced from the thermal gradient, while salt creep rates showed an exponential dependence on temperature. The project "Backfill and Material Behavior in Underground Salt Repositories, Phase II" (BAMBUS II) studied the crushed salt backfill and material behavior with heat generation at the Asse mine located near Remlingen, Germany (Bechthold et al. 2004). Increased salt creep rates and significant reconsolidation of the crushed salt were observed at the termination of the experiment. Using the data provided from both projects, exploratory modeling of the thermal-mechanical response of salt has been conducted with varying thermal loading and waste spacing. Increased thermal loading and decreased waste spacing drive the system to higher temperatures, while both factors are desired to reduce costs, as well as decrease the overall footprint of the repository. Higher temperatures increase the rate of salt creep which then effectively seals the waste quicker. Data of the thermal-mechanical response of salt at these higher temperatures is needed to further validate the exploratory modeling and provide meaningful constraints on the repository design. Sandia is a multi program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04- 94AL85000.

Waste management facility accident analysis (WASTE ACC) system: software for analysis of waste management alternatives

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

Kohout, E.F.; Folga, S.; Mueller, C.

1996-03-01

This paper describes the Waste Management Facility Accident Analysis (WASTE{underscore}ACC) software, which was developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to support the US Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Waste Management (WM) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). WASTE{underscore}ACC is a decision support and database system that is compatible with Microsoft{reg_sign} Windows{trademark}. It assesses potential atmospheric releases from accidents at waste management facilities. The software provides the user with an easy-to-use tool to determine the risk-dominant accident sequences for the many possible combinations of process technologies, waste and facility types, and alternative cases described in the WM PEIS. In addition, its structure willmore » allow additional alternative cases and assumptions to be tested as part of the future DOE programmatic decision-making process. The WASTE{underscore}ACC system demonstrates one approach to performing a generic, systemwide evaluation of accident risks at waste management facilities. The advantages of WASTE{underscore}ACC are threefold. First, the software gets waste volume and radiological profile data that were used to perform other WM PEIS-related analyses directly from the WASTE{underscore}MGMT system. Second, the system allows for a consistent analysis across all sites and waste streams, which enables decision makers to understand more fully the trade-offs among various policy options and scenarios. Third, the system is easy to operate; even complex scenario runs are completed within minutes.« less

RH-TRU Waste Characterization by Acceptable Knowledge at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

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

Schulz, C.; Givens, C.; Bhatt, R.

2003-02-24

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is conducting an effort to characterize approximately 620 drums of remote-handled (RH-) transuranic (TRU) waste currently in its inventory that were generated at the Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) Alpha Gamma Hot Cell Facility (AGHCF) between 1971 and 1995. The waste was generated at the AGHCF during the destructive examination of irradiated and unirradiated fuel pins, targets, and other materials from reactor programs at ANL-West (ANL-W) and other Department of Energy (DOE) reactors. In support of this effort, Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure (formerly IT Corporation) developed an acceptable knowledge (AK) collection and management programmore » based on existing contact-handled (CH)-TRU waste program requirements and proposed RH-TRU waste program requirements in effect in July 2001. Consistent with Attachments B-B6 of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (HWFP) and th e proposed Class 3 permit modification (Attachment R [RH-WAP] of this permit), the draft AK Summary Report prepared under the AK procedure describes the waste generating process and includes determinations in the following areas based on AK: physical form (currently identified at the Waste Matrix Code level); waste stream delineation; applicability of hazardous waste numbers for hazardous waste constituents; and prohibited items. In addition, the procedure requires and the draft summary report contains information supporting determinations in the areas of defense relationship and radiological characterization.« less

Source separation of household waste: a case study in China.

PubMed

Zhuang, Ying; Wu, Song-Wei; Wang, Yun-Long; Wu, Wei-Xiang; Chen, Ying-Xu

2008-01-01

A pilot program concerning source separation of household waste was launched in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang province, China. Detailed investigations on the composition and properties of household waste in the experimental communities revealed that high water content and high percentage of food waste are the main limiting factors in the recovery of recyclables, especially paper from household waste, and the main contributors to the high cost and low efficiency of waste disposal. On the basis of the investigation, a novel source separation method, according to which household waste was classified as food waste, dry waste and harmful waste, was proposed and performed in four selected communities. In addition, a corresponding household waste management system that involves all stakeholders, a recovery system and a mechanical dehydration system for food waste were constituted to promote source separation activity. Performances and the questionnaire survey results showed that the active support and investment of a real estate company and a community residential committee play important roles in enhancing public participation and awareness of the importance of waste source separation. In comparison with the conventional mixed collection and transportation system of household waste, the established source separation and management system is cost-effective. It could be extended to the entire city and used by other cities in China as a source of reference.

Optimization of waste transportation route at waste transfers point in Lowokwaru District, Malang City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariyani, S.; Meidiana, C.

2018-04-01

Increasing population led to the emergence of the urban infrastructure services issue including waste problems especially waste transportation system. Data in 2016 shows that the amount of waste in Malang was 659.21 tons / day. The amount of waste transported to landfill only reached 464.74 tons / day. This indicates that not all waste can be transported to the landfill Supiturang because Level of Service (LoS) reached 70.49%. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of waste transportation system and determine the fastest route from waste transfers point in Lowokwaru district to the landfill Supiturang. The data collection method in this research were 1) primary survey by interview officials from the Sanitation and Gardening Agency which questions related to the condition of the waste transportation system in waste transfer point, 2) Secondary survey related to data of waste transportation system in Malang City i.e the amount of waste generation in waste transfer point, number of garbage trucks and other data related to the garbage transportation system. To determine the fastest route analyzed by network analyst using ArcGIS software. The results of network analyst show that not all routes are already using the fastest route to the landfill Supiturang.

Roadmap for disposal of Electrorefiner Salt as Transuranic Waste.

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

Rechard, Robert P.; Trone, Janis R.; Kalinina, Elena Arkadievna

The experimental breeder reactor (EBR-II) used fuel with a layer of sodium surrounding the uranium-zirconium fuel to improve heat transfer. Disposing of EBR-II fuel in a geologic repository without treatment is not prudent because of the potentially energetic reaction of the sodium with water. In 2000, the US Department of Energy (DOE) decided to treat the sodium-bonded fuel with an electrorefiner (ER), which produces metallic uranium product, a metallic waste, mostly from the cladding, and the salt waste in the ER, which contains most of the actinides and fission products. Two waste forms were proposed for disposal in a minedmore » repository; the metallic waste, which was to be cast into ingots, and the ER salt waste, which was to be further treated to produce a ceramic waste form. However, alternative disposal pathways for metallic and salt waste streams may reduce the complexity. For example, performance assessments show that geologic repositories can easily accommodate the ER salt waste without treating it to form a ceramic waste form. Because EBR-II was used for atomic energy defense activities, the treated waste likely meets the definition of transuranic waste. Hence, disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southern New Mexico, may be feasible. This report reviews the direct disposal pathway for ER salt waste and describes eleven tasks necessary for implementing disposal at WIPP, provided space is available, DOE decides to use this alternative disposal pathway in an updated environmental impact statement, and the State of New Mexico grants permission.« less

75 FR 58346 - Hazardous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-24

... Chemical Company-Texas Operations (Eastman) to exclude (or delist) certain solid wastes generated by its Longview, Texas, facility from the lists of hazardous wastes. EPA used the Delisting Risk Assessment... Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste AGENCY: Environmental Protection...

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

Characterization of the MVST waste tanks located at ORNL

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

Keller, J.M.; Giaquinto, J.M.; Meeks, A.M.

During the fall of 1996 there was a major effort to sample and analyze the Active Liquid Low-Level Waste (LLLW) tanks at ORNL which include the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVST) and the Bethel Valley Evaporator Service Tanks (BVEST). The characterization data summarized in this report was needed to address waste processing options, address concerns of the performance assessment (PA) data for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), evaluate the characteristics with respect to the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for WIPP and Nevada Test Site (NTS), address criticality concerns, and meet DOT requirements for transporting the waste. This report onlymore » discusses the analytical characterization data for the MVST waste tanks. The isotopic data presented in this report support the position that fissile isotopes of uranium and plutonium were ``denatured`` as required by administrative controls. In general, MVST sludge was found to be both hazardous by RCRA characteristics and the transuranic alpha activity was well about the limit for TRU waste. The characteristics of the MVST sludge relative to the WIPP WAC limits for fissile gram equivalent, plutonium equivalent activity, and thermal power from decay heat, were estimated from the data in this report and found to be far below the upper boundary for any of the remote-handled transuranic waste requirements for disposal of the waste in WIPP.« less

10 CFR 960.4-2-8-1 - Natural resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REPOSITORY Postclosure Guidelines § 960.4-2-8-1 Natural resources. (a) Qualifying condition. This site shall... repository-site evaluation to a depth sufficient to affect waste containment and isolation. (4) Evidence of a...

40 CFR 194.5 - Publications incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... PROTECTION PROGRAMS CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S... availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register...

40 CFR 194.5 - Publications incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... PROTECTION PROGRAMS CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S... availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register...

40 CFR 194.5 - Publications incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PROTECTION PROGRAMS CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S... availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register...

40 CFR 194.5 - Publications incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PROTECTION PROGRAMS CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S... availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register...

A New Concept: Use of Negotiations in the Hazardous Waste Facility Permitting Process in New Mexico

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

Johnson, G.J.; Rose, W.M.; Domenici, P.V.

This paper describes a unique negotiation process leading to authorization of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage and dispose remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) mixed wastes at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The negotiation process involved multiple entities and individuals brought together under authority of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to discuss and resolve technical and facility operational issues flowing from an NMED-issued hazardous waste facility Draft Permit. The novel negotiation process resulted in numerous substantive changes to the Draft Permit, which were ultimately memorialised in a 'Draft Permit as Changed'. This paper discusses various aspects ofmore » the negotiation process, including events leading to the negotiations, regulatory basis for the negotiations, negotiation participants, and benefits of the process. (authors)« less

OPERATING THE WAND AND HERCULES PROTOTYPE SYSTEMS

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

K. GRUETZMACHER; ET AL

2001-01-01

Two prototype systems for low-density Green is Clean (GIC) waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have been in operation for three years at the Solid Waste Operation's (SWOs) non-destructive assay (NDA) building. The Waste Assay for Nonradioactive Disposal (WAND) and the High Efficiency Radiation Counters for Ultimate Low Emission Sensitivity (HERCULES) are used to verify the waste generator's acceptable knowledge (AK) that low-density waste is nonradioactive. GIC waste includes all non-regulated waste generated in radiological controlled areas (RCAs) that has been actively segregated as ''clean'' (i.e., nonradioactive) through the use of waste generator AK. GIC waste that is verifiedmore » clean can be disposed of at the Los Alamos County Landfill. It is estimated that 50-90% of the low-density room trash from RCAs at LANL might be free of contamination. To date, with pilot programs at five facilities at LANL, 3000 cubic feet of GIC waste has been verified clean by these two prototype systems. Both the WAND and HERCULES systems are highly sensitive measurement systems optimized to detect very small quantities of common LANL radionuclides. Both of the systems use a set of phoswich scintillation detectors in close proximity to the waste, which have the capability of detecting plutonium-239 concentrations below 3 pCi per gram of low density waste. Both systems detect low-energy x-rays and a broad range of gamma rays (10-2000 keV), while the WAND system also detects high energy beta particles (>100 keV). The WAND system consists of a bank of six shielded detectors which screen low density shredded waste or stacked sheets of paper moving under the detectors in a twelve inch swath on a conveyor belt. The WAND system was developed and tested at the Los Alamos Plutonium Facility in conjunction with instrument system designers from the Los Alamos Safeguards Science and Technology group. The HERCULES system consists of a bank of three shielded detectors which screen low-density waste in two cubic foot cardboard boxes or in bags sitting on a turntable. Waste that does not pass the verification process can be examined within the facility to determine the type and quantity of the contamination and its origin within a waste container. The paper discusses lessons learned that have helped generators improve their AK segregation.« less

76 FR 63252 - Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Identification and Listing of Special Wastes...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

...-2011-0392; FRL-9476-6] RIN 2050-AE81 Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Identification and... Protection Agency (Agency or EPA) in conjunction with the proposed rule: Hazardous and Solid Waste Management...-0392. (4) Mail: Send two copies of your comments to Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System...

The Advancement of Public Awareness, Concerning TRU Waste Characterization, Using a Virtual Document

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

West, T. B.; Burns, T. P.; Estill, W. G.

2002-02-28

Building public trust and confidence through openness is a goal of the DOE Carlsbad Field Office for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The objective of the virtual document described in this paper is to give the public an overview of the waste characterization steps, an understanding of how waste characterization instrumentation works, and the type and amount of data generated from a batch of drums. The document is intended to be published on a web page and/or distributed at public meetings on CDs. Users may gain as much information as they desire regarding the transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program,more » starting at the highest level requirements (drivers) and progressing to more and more detail regarding how the requirements are met. Included are links to: drivers (which include laws, permits and DOE Orders); various characterization steps required for transportation and disposal under WIPP's Hazardous Waste Facility Permit; physical/chemical basis for each characterization method; types of data produced; and quality assurance process that accompanies each measurement. Examples of each type of characterization method in use across the DOE complex are included. The original skeleton of the document was constructed in a PowerPoint presentation and included descriptions of each section of the waste characterization program. This original document had a brief overview of Acceptable Knowledge, Non-Destructive Examination, Non-Destructive Assay, Small Quantity sites, and the National Certification Team. A student intern was assigned the project of converting the document to a virtual format and to discuss each subject in depth. The resulting product is a fully functional virtual document that works in a web browser and functions like a web page. All documents that were referenced, linked to, or associated, are included on the virtual document's CD. WIPP has been engaged in a variety of Hazardous Waste Facility Permit modification activities. During the public meetings, discussion centered on proposed changes to the characterization program. The philosophy behind the virtual document is to show the characterization process as a whole, rather than as isolated parts. In addition to public meetings, other uses for the information might be as a training tool for new employees at the WIPP facility to show them where their activities fit into the overall scheme, as well as an employee review to help prepare for waste certification audits.« less

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

Kicker, Dwayne Curtis; Herrick, Courtney G; Zeitler, Todd

The numerical code DRSPALL (from direct release spallings) is written to calculate the volume of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant solid waste subject to material failure and transport to the surface (i.e., spallings) as a result of a hypothetical future inadvertent drilling intrusion into the repository. An error in the implementation of the DRSPALL finite difference equations was discovered and documented in a software problem report in accordance with the quality assurance procedure for software requirements. This paper describes the corrections to DRSPALL and documents the impact of the new spallings data from the modified DRSPALL on previous performance assessment calculations.more » Updated performance assessments result in more simulations with spallings, which generally translates to an increase in spallings releases to the accessible environment. Total normalized radionuclide releases using the modified DRSPALL data were determined by forming the summation of releases across each potential release pathway, namely borehole cuttings and cavings releases, spallings releases, direct brine releases, and transport releases. Because spallings releases are not a major contributor to the total releases, the updated performance assessment calculations of overall mean complementary cumulative distribution functions for total releases are virtually unchanged. Therefore, the corrections to the spallings volume calculation did not impact Waste Isolation Pilot Plant performance assessment calculation results.« less

Waste in the U.S. Health care system: a conceptual framework.

PubMed

Bentley, Tanya G K; Effros, Rachel M; Palar, Kartika; Keeler, Emmett B

2008-12-01

Health care costs in the United States are much higher than those in industrial countries with similar or better health system performance. Wasteful spending has many undesirable consequences that could be alleviated through waste reduction. This article proposes a conceptual framework to guide researchers and policymakers in evaluating waste, implementing waste-reduction strategies, and reducing the burden of unnecessary health care spending. This article divides health care waste into administrative, operational, and clinical waste and provides an overview of each. It explains how researchers have used both high-level and sector- or procedure-specific comparisons to quantify such waste, and it discusses examples and challenges in both waste measurement and waste reduction. Waste is caused by factors such as health insurance and medical uncertainties that encourage the production of inefficient and low-value services. Various efforts to reduce such waste have encountered challenges, such as the high costs of initial investment, unintended administrative complexities, and trade-offs among patients', payers', and providers' interests. While categorizing waste may help identify and measure general types and sources of waste, successful reduction strategies must integrate the administrative, operational, and clinical components of care, and proceed by identifying goals, changing systemic incentives, and making specific process improvements. Classifying, identifying, and measuring waste elucidate its causes, clarify systemic goals, and specify potential health care reforms that-by improving the market for health insurance and health care-will generate incentives for better efficiency and thus ultimately decrease waste in the U.S. health care system.

Modelling of the reactive transport for rock salt-brine in geological repository systems based on improved thermodynamic database (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, W.; Alkan, H.; Xie, M.; Moog, H.; Sonnenthal, E. L.

2009-12-01

The release and migration of toxic contaminants from the disposed wastes is one of the main issues in long-term safety assessment of geological repositories. In the engineered and geological barriers around the nuclear waste emplacements chemical interactions between the components of the system may affect the isolation properties considerably. As the chemical issues change the transport properties in the near and far field of a nuclear repository, modelling of the transport should also take the chemistry into account. The reactive transport modelling consists of two main components: a code that combines the possible chemical reactions with thermo-hydrogeological processes interactively and a thermodynamic databank supporting the required parameters for the calculation of the chemical reactions. In the last decade many thermo-hydrogeological codes were upgraded to include the modelling of the chemical processes. TOUGHREACT is one of these codes. This is an extension of the well known simulator TOUGH2 for modelling geoprocesses. The code is developed by LBNL (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Univ. of California) for the simulation of the multi-phase transport of gas and liquid in porous media including heat transfer. After the release of its first version in 1998, this code has been applied and improved many times in conjunction with considerations for nuclear waste emplacement. A recent version has been extended to calculate ion activities in concentrated salt solutions applying the Pitzer model. In TOUGHREACT, the incorporated equation of state module ECO2N is applied as the EOS module for non-isothermal multiphase flow in a fluid system of H2O-NaCl-CO2. The partitioning of H2O and CO2 between liquid and gas phases is modelled as a function of temperature, pressure, and salinity. This module is applicable for waste repositories being expected to generate or having originally CO2 in the fluid system. The enhanced TOUGHREACT uses an EQ3/6-formatted database for both Pitzer ion-interaction parameters and thermodynamic equilibrium constants. The reliability of the parameters is as important as the accuracy of the modelling tool. For this purpose the project THEREDA (www.thereda.de)was set up. The project aims at a comprehensive and internally consistent thermodynamic reference database for geochemical modelling of near and far-field processes occurring in repositories for radioactive wastes in various host rock formations. In the framework of the project all data necessary to perform thermodynamic equilibrium calculations for elevated temperature in the system of oceanic salts are under revision, and it is expected that related data will be available for download by 2010-03. In this paper the geochemical issues that can play an essential role for the transport of radioactive contaminants within and around waste repositories are discussed. Some generic calculations are given to illustrate the geochemical interactions and their probable effects on the transport properties around HLW emplacements and on CO2 generating and/or containing repository systems.

Property-close source separation of hazardous waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment--a Swedish case study.

PubMed

Bernstad, Anna; la Cour Jansen, Jes; Aspegren, Henrik

2011-03-01

Through an agreement with EEE producers, Swedish municipalities are responsible for collection of hazardous waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). In most Swedish municipalities, collection of these waste fractions is concentrated to waste recycling centres where households can source-separate and deposit hazardous waste and WEEE free of charge. However, the centres are often located on the outskirts of city centres and cars are needed in order to use the facilities in most cases. A full-scale experiment was performed in a residential area in southern Sweden to evaluate effects of a system for property-close source separation of hazardous waste and WEEE. After the system was introduced, results show a clear reduction in the amount of hazardous waste and WEEE disposed of incorrectly amongst residual waste or dry recyclables. The systems resulted in a source separation ratio of 70 wt% for hazardous waste and 76 wt% in the case of WEEE. Results show that households in the study area were willing to increase source separation of hazardous waste and WEEE when accessibility was improved and that this and similar collection systems can play an important role in building up increasingly sustainable solid waste management systems. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Salt Decontamination Testing

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

Rick Demmer; Stephen Reese

2014-09-01

On February 14, 2014, americium and plutonium contamination was released in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) salt caverns. At the request of WIPP’s operations contractor, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) personnel developed several methods of decontaminating WIPP salt, using surrogate contaminants and also americium (241Am). The effectiveness of the methods is evaluated qualitatively, and to the extent possible, quantitatively. One of the requirements of this effort was delivering initial results and recommendations within a few weeks. That requirement, in combination with the limited scope of the project, made in-depth analysis impractical in some instances. Of the methods tested (dry brushing,more » vacuum cleaning, water washing, strippable coatings, and mechanical grinding), the most practical seems to be water washing. Effectiveness is very high, and it is very easy and rapid to deploy. The amount of wastewater produced (2 L/m2) would be substantial and may not be easy to manage, but the method is the clear winner from a usability perspective. Removable surface contamination levels (smear results) from the strippable coating and water washing coupons found no residual removable contamination. Thus, whatever is left is likely adhered to (or trapped within) the salt. The other option that shows promise is the use of a fixative barrier. Bartlett Nuclear, Inc.’s Polymeric Barrier System (PBS) proved the most durable of the coatings tested. The coatings were not tested for contaminant entrapment, only for coating integrity and durability.« less

Hazardous Waste Manifest System

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA’s hazardous waste manifest system is designed to track hazardous waste from the time it leaves the generator facility where it was produced, until it reaches the off-site waste management facility that will store, treat, or dispose of the waste.

Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems: REFERENCE SITE INITIAL ASSESSMENT FOR A SALT DOME REPOSITORY

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

Harwell, M. A.; Brandstetter, A.; Benson, G. L.

1982-06-01

As a methodology demonstration for the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI), the Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program conducted an initial reference site analysis of the long-term effectiveness of a salt dome repository. The Hainesville Salt Dome in Texas was chosen to be representative of the Gulf Coast interior salt domes; however, the Hainesville Site has been eliminated as a possible nuclear waste repository site. The data used for this exercise are not adequate for an actual assessment, nor have all the parametric analyses been made that would adequately characterize the response of the geosystem surroundingmore » the repository. Additionally, because this was the first exercise of the complete AEGIS and WASTE Rock Interaction Technology (WRIT) methodology, this report provides the initial opportunity for the methodology, specifically applied to a site, to be reviewed by the community outside the AEGIS. The scenario evaluation, as a part of the methodology demonstration, involved consideration of a large variety of potentially disruptive phenomena, which alone or in concert could lead to a breach in a salt dome repository and to a subsequent transport of the radionuclides to the environment. Without waste- and repository-induced effects, no plausible natural geologic events or processes which would compromise the repository integrity could be envisioned over the one-million-year time frame after closure. Near-field (waste- and repository-induced) effects were excluded from consideration in this analysis, but they can be added in future analyses when that methodology development is more complete. The potential for consequential human intrusion into salt domes within a million-year time frame led to the consideration of a solution mining intrusion scenario. The AEGIS staff developed a specific human intrusion scenario at 100 years and 1000 years post-closure, which is one of a whole suite of possible scenarios. This scenario resulted in the delivery of radionuclidecontaminated brine to the surface, where a portion was diverted to culinary salt for direct ingestion by the existing population. Consequence analyses indicated calculated human doses that would be highly deleterious. Additional analyses indicated that doses well above background would occur from such a scenario t even if it occurred a million years into the future. The way to preclude such an intrusion is for continued control over the repository sitet either through direct institutional control or through the effective passive transfer of information. A secondary aspect of the specific human intrusion scenario involved a breach through the side of the salt dome t through which radionuclides migrated via the ground-water system to the accessible environment. This provided a demonstration of the geotransport methodology that AEGIS can use in actual site evaluations, as well as the WRIT program's capabilities with respect to defining the source term and retardation rates of the radionuclides in the repository. This reference site analysis was initially published as a Working Document in December 1979. That version was distributed for a formal peer review by individuals and organizations not involved in its development. The present report represents a revisiont based in part on the responses received from the external reviewers. Summaries of the comments from the reviewers and responses to these comments by the AEGIS staff are presented. The exercise of the AEGIS methodology was sUGcessful in demonstrating the methodologyt and thus t in providing a basis for substantive peer review, in terms of further development of the AEGIS site-applications capability and in terms of providing insight into the potential for consequential human intrusion into a salt dome repository.« less

Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems: REFERENCE SITE INITIAL ASSESSMENT FOR A SALT DOME REPOSITORY

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

Harwell, M. A.; Brandstetter, A.; Benson, G. L.

1982-06-01

As a methodology demonstration for the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI), the Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program conducted an initial reference site analysis of the long-term effectiveness of a salt dome repository. The Hainesville Salt Dome in Texas was chosen to be representative of the Gulf Coast interior salt domes; however, the Hainesville Site has been eliminated as a possible nuclear waste repository site. The data used for this exercise are not adequate for an actual assessment, nor have all the parametric analyses been made that would adequately characterize the response of the geosystem surroundingmore » the repository. Additionally, because this was the first exercise of the complete AEGIS and WASTE Rock Interaction Technology (WRIT) methodology, this report provides the initial opportunity for the methodology, specifically applied to a site, to be reviewed by the community outside the AEGIS. The scenario evaluation, as a part of the methodology demonstration, involved consideration of a large variety of potentially disruptive phenomena, which alone or in concert could lead to a breach in a salt dome repository and to a subsequent transport of the radionuclides to the environment. Without waste- and repository-induced effects, no plausible natural geologic events or processes which would compromise the repository integrity could be envisioned over the one-million-year time frame after closure. Near-field (waste- and repository-induced) effects were excluded from consideration in this analysis, but they can be added in future analyses when that methodology development is more complete. The potential for consequential human intrusion into salt domes within a million-year time frame led to the consideration of a solution mining intrusion scenario. The AEGIS staff developed a specific human intrusion scenario at 100 years and 1000 years post-closure, which is one of a whole suite of possible scenarios. This scenario resulted in the delivery of radionuclidecontaminated brine to the surface, where a portion was diverted to culinary salt for direct ingestion by the existing population. Consequence analyses indicated calculated human doses that would be highly deleterious. Additional analyses indicated that doses well above background would occur from such a scenario t even if it occurred a million years into the future. The way to preclude such an intrusion is for continued control over the repository sitet either through direct institutional control or through the effective passive transfer of information. A secondary aspect of the specific human intrusion scenario involved a breach through the side of the salt dome t through which radionuclides migrated via the ground-water system to the accessible environment. This provided a demonstration of the geotransport methodology that AEGIS can use in actual site evaluations, as well as the WRIT program's capabilities with respect to defining the source term and retardation rates of the radionuclides in the repository. This reference site analysis was initially published as a Working Document in December 1979. That version was distributed for a formal peer review by individuals and organizations not involved in its development. The present report represents a revisiont based in part on the responses received from the external reviewers. Summaries of the comments from the reviewers and responses to these comments by the AEGIS staff are presented. The exercise of the AEGIS methodology was successful in demonstrating the methodologyt and thus t in providing a basis for substantive peer review, in terms of further development of the AEGIS site-applications capability and in terms of providing insight into the potential for consequential human intrusion into a salt dome repository.« less

Single Spore Isolation as a Simple and Efficient Technique to obtain fungal pure culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noman, E.; Al-Gheethi, AA; Rahman, N. K.; Talip, B.; Mohamed, R.; H, N.; Kadir, O. A.

2018-04-01

The successful identification of fungi by phenotypic methods or molecular technique depends mainly on the using an advanced technique for purifying the isolates. The most efficient is the single spore technique due to the simple requirements and the efficiency in preventing the contamination by yeast, mites or bacteria. The method described in the present work is depends on the using of a light microscope to transfer one spore into a new culture medium. The present work describes a simple and efficient procedure for single spore isolation to purify of fungi recovered from the clinical wastes.

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

Cheng, Jack C.P., E-mail: cejcheng@ust.hk; Ma, Lauren Y.H., E-mail: yingzi@ust.hk

Highlights: ► We developed a waste estimation system leveraging the BIM technology. ► The system can calculate waste disposal charging fee and pick-up truck demand. ► We presented an example scenario demonstrating this system. ► Automatic, time-saving and wide applicability are the features of the system. - Abstract: Due to the rising worldwide awareness of green environment, both government and contractors have to consider effective construction and demolition (C and D) waste management practices. The last two decades have witnessed the growing importance of demolition and renovation (D and R) works and the growing amount of D and R wastemore » disposed to landfills every day, especially in developed cities like Hong Kong. Quantitative waste prediction is crucial for waste management. It can enable contractors to pinpoint critical waste generation processes and to plan waste control strategies. In addition, waste estimation could also facilitate some government waste management policies, such as the waste disposal charging scheme in Hong Kong. Currently, tools that can accurately and conveniently estimate the amount of waste from construction, renovation, and demolition projects are lacking. In the light of this research gap, this paper presents a building information modeling (BIM) based system that we have developed for estimation and planning of D and R waste. BIM allows multi-disciplinary information to be superimposed within one digital building model. Our system can extract material and volume information through the BIM model and integrate the information for detailed waste estimation and planning. Waste recycling and reuse are also considered in our system. Extracted material information can be provided to recyclers before demolition or renovation to make recycling stage more cooperative and more efficient. Pick-up truck requirements and waste disposal charging fee for different waste facilities will also be predicted through our system. The results could provide alerts to contractors ahead of time at project planning stage. This paper also presents an example scenario with a 47-floor residential building in Hong Kong to demonstrate our D and R waste estimation and planning system. As the BIM technology has been increasingly adopted in the architectural, engineering and construction industry and digital building information models will likely to be available for most buildings (including historical buildings) in the future, our system can be used in various demolition and renovation projects and be extended to facilitate project control.« less

Bio-degradation of oily food waste employing thermophilic bacterial strains.

PubMed

Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Chan, Man Ting; Wong, Jonathan W C

2018-01-01

The objective of this work was to isolate a novel thermophilic bacterial strain and develop a bacterial consortium (BC) for efficient degradation oily food waste. Four treatments were designed: 1:1 mixture of pre-consumption food wastes (PrCFWs) and post-consumption food wastes (PCFWs) (T-1), 1:2 mixture of PrCFWs and PCFWs mixture (T-2), PrCFWs (T-3) and PCFWs (T-4). Equal quantity of BC was inoculated into each treatment to compare the oil degradation efficiency. Results showed that after 15days of incubation, a maximum oil reduction of 65.12±0.08% was observed in treatment T-4, followed by T-2 (55.44±0.12%), T-3 (54.79±0.04%) and T-1 (52.52±0.02%), while oil reduction was negligible in control. Results indicate that the development of oil utilizing thermophilic BC was more cost-effective in solving the degradation of oily food wastes and conversion into a stable end product. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hazardous waste incinerators under waste uncertainty: balancing and throughput maximization via heat recuperation.

PubMed

Tsiliyannis, Christos Aristeides

2013-09-01

Hazardous waste incinerators (HWIs) differ substantially from thermal power facilities, since instead of maximizing energy production with the minimum amount of fuel, they aim at maximizing throughput. Variations in quantity or composition of received waste loads may significantly diminish HWI throughput (the decisive profit factor), from its nominal design value. A novel formulation of combustion balance is presented, based on linear operators, which isolates the wastefeed vector from the invariant combustion stoichiometry kernel. Explicit expressions for the throughput are obtained, in terms of incinerator temperature, fluegas heat recuperation ratio and design parameters, for an arbitrary number of wastes, based on fundamental principles (mass and enthalpy balances). The impact of waste variations, of recuperation ratio and of furnace temperature is explicitly determined. It is shown that in the presence of waste uncertainty, the throughput may be a decreasing or increasing function of incinerator temperature and recuperation ratio, depending on the sign of a dimensionless parameter related only to the uncertain wastes. The dimensionless parameter is proposed as a sharp a' priori waste 'fingerprint', determining the necessary increase or decrease of manipulated variables (recuperation ratio, excess air, auxiliary fuel feed rate, auxiliary air flow) in order to balance the HWI and maximize throughput under uncertainty in received wastes. A 10-step procedure is proposed for direct application subject to process capacity constraints. The results may be useful for efficient HWI operation and for preparing hazardous waste blends. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A system dynamics approach for hospital waste management in a city in a developing country: the case of Nablus, Palestine.

PubMed

Al-Khatib, Issam A; Eleyan, Derar; Garfield, Joy

2016-09-01

Hospitals and health centers provide a variety of healthcare services and normally generate hazardous waste as well as general waste. General waste has a similar nature to that of municipal solid waste and therefore could be disposed of in municipal landfills. However, hazardous waste poses risks to public health, unless it is properly managed. The hospital waste management system encompasses many factors, i.e., number of beds, number of employees, level of service, population, birth rate, fertility rate, and not in my back yard (NIMBY) syndrome. Therefore, this management system requires a comprehensive analysis to determine the role of each factor and its influence on the whole system. In this research, a hospital waste management simulation model is presented based on the system dynamics technique to determine the interaction among these factors in the system using a software package, ithink. This model is used to estimate waste segregation as this is important in the hospital waste management system to minimize risk to public health. Real data has been obtained from a case study of the city of Nablus, Palestine to validate the model. The model exhibits wastes generated from three types of hospitals (private, charitable, and government) by considering the number of both inpatients and outpatients depending on the population of the city under study. The model also offers the facility to compare the total waste generated among these different types of hospitals and anticipate and predict the future generated waste both infectious and non-infectious and the treatment cost incurred.

Sustainable WEE management in Malaysia: present scenarios and future perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezaul Hasan Shumon, Md; Ahmed, S.

2013-12-01

Technological advances have resulted development of a lot of electronic products for continuously increasing number of customers. As the customer taste and features of these products change rapidly, the life cycles have come down tremendously. Therefore, a large volume of e-wastes are now emanated every year. This scenario is very much predominant in Malaysia. On one hand e-wastes are becoming environmental hazards and affecting the ecological imbalance. On the other, these wastes are remaining still economically valuable. In Malaysia, e-waste management system is still in its nascent state. This paper describes the current status of e-waste generation and recycling and explores issues for future e-waste management system in Malaysia from sustainable point of view. As to draw some factual comparisons, this paper reviews the e-waste management system in European Union, USA, Japan, as a benchmark. Then it focuses on understanding the Malaysian culture, consumer discarding behavior, flow of the materials in recycling, e-waste management system, and presents a comparative view with the Swiss e-waste system. Sustainable issues for e-waste management in Malaysia are also presented. The response adopted so far in collection and recovery activities are covered in later phases. Finally, it investigates the barriers and challenges of e-waste system in Malaysia.

Greening MSW management systems by saving footprint: The contribution of the waste transportation.

PubMed

Peri, G; Ferrante, P; La Gennusa, M; Pianello, C; Rizzo, G

2018-08-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management constitutes a highly challenging issue to cope with in order of moving towards more sustainable urban policies. Despite new Standards call for recycling and reusing materials contained in the urban waste, several municipalities still use landfilling as a waste disposal method. Other than the environmental pressure exerted by these plants, waste transportation from the collection points to the landfill needs a specific attention to correctly assess the whole burden of the waste management systems. In this paper, the Ecological Footprint (EF) indicator is applied to the actual MSW of the city of Palermo (Sicily). Results show that the effects produced by the involved transportation vehicles are not negligible, compared to those generated by the other segments of the waste management system. This issue is further deepened by analysing the role of transportation in an upgraded waste management system that is represented by the newly designed waste management plan of Palermo. The computed saved ecological footprint is used here for suitably comparing the environmental performances of the MSW system in both scenarios. Finally, the suitability of the EF method to address not only complete waste management plans but also single segments of the waste management system, is also discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 60689 - Hazardous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste; Proposed Rule

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-01

... exclude (or delist) a certain solid waste generated by its Beaumont, Texas, facility from the lists of hazardous wastes. EPA used the Delisting Risk Assessment Software (DRAS) Version 3.0 in the evaluation of... Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste; Proposed Rule AGENCY...

75 FR 67919 - Hazardous Waste Management System; Proposed Exclusion for Identifying and Listing Hazardous Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-04

...-R05-RCRA-2010-0843; SW-FRL-9221-2] Hazardous Waste Management System; Proposed Exclusion for Identifying and Listing Hazardous Waste AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule... hazardous wastes. The Agency has tentatively decided to grant the petition based on an evaluation of waste...

7 CFR 1951.232 - Water and waste disposal systems which have become part of an urban area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 14 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Water and waste disposal systems which have become... Water and waste disposal systems which have become part of an urban area. A water and/or waste disposal.... The following will be forwarded to the Administrator, Attention: Water and Waste Disposal Division...

WASTE PACKAGE REMEDIATION SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

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

N.D. Sudan

2000-06-22

The Waste Package Remediation System remediates waste packages (WPs) and disposal containers (DCs) in one of two ways: preparation of rejected DC closure welds for repair or opening of the DC/WP. DCs are brought to the Waste Package Remediation System for preparation of rejected closure welds if testing of the closure weld by the Disposal Container Handling System indicates an unacceptable, but repairable, welding flaw. DC preparation of rejected closure welds will require removal of the weld in such a way that the Disposal Container Handling System may resume and complete the closure welding process. DCs/WPs are brought to themore » Waste Package Remediation System for opening if the Disposal Container Handling System testing of the DC closure weld indicates an unrepairable welding flaw, or if a WP is recovered from the subsurface repository because suspected damage to the WP or failure of the WP has occurred. DC/WP opening will require cutting of the DC/WP such that a temporary seal may be installed and the waste inside the DC/WP removed by another system. The system operates in a Waste Package Remediation System hot cell located in the Waste Handling Building that has direct access to the Disposal Container Handling System. One DC/WP at a time can be handled in the hot cell. The DC/WP arrives on a transfer cart, is positioned within the cell for system operations, and exits the cell without being removed from the cart. The system includes a wide variety of remotely operated components including a manipulator with hoist and/or jib crane, viewing systems, machine tools for opening WPs, and equipment used to perform pressure and gas composition sampling. Remotely operated equipment is designed to facilitate DC/WP decontamination and hot cell equipment maintenance, and interchangeable components are provided where appropriate. The Waste Package Remediation System interfaces with the Disposal Container Handling System for the receipt and transport of WPs and DCs. The Waste Handling Building System houses the system, and provides the facility, safety, and auxiliary systems required to support operations. The system receives power from the Waste Handling Building Electrical System. The system also interfaces with the various DC systems.« less

Management of radioactive waste in Belgium: ONDRAF/NIRAS and Belgoprocess as major actors of the waste acceptance system

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

Zaelen, Gunter van; Verheyen, Annick

2007-07-01

The management of radioactive waste in Belgium is undertaken by the national agency for radioactive waste and enriched fissile materials, ONDRAF/NIRAS, and its industrial partner Belgoprocess. ONDRAF/NIRAS has set up a management system designed to guarantee that the general public and the environment are protected against the potential hazards arising from radioactive waste. Belgoprocess is a private company, founded in 1984 and located in Dessel, Belgium. It is a subsidiary of ONDRAF/NIRAS and its activities focus on the safe processing and storage of radioactive waste. The management system of ONDRAF/NIRAS includes two aspects: a) an integrated system and b) anmore » acceptance system. The integrated system covers all aspects of management ranging from the origin of waste to its transport, processing, interim storage and long-term management. The safety of radioactive waste management not only depends on the quality of the design and construction of the processing, temporary storage or disposal infrastructure, but also on the quality of the waste accepted by ONDRAF/NIRAS. In order to be manage d safely, both in the short and the long term, the waste transferred to ONDRAF/NIRAS must meet certain specific requirements. To that end, ONDRAF/NIRAS has developed an acceptance system. (authors)« less

WASTE HANDLING BUILDING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

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

S.C. Khamamkar

2000-06-23

The Waste Handling Building Electrical System performs the function of receiving, distributing, transforming, monitoring, and controlling AC and DC power to all waste handling building electrical loads. The system distributes normal electrical power to support all loads that are within the Waste Handling Building (WHB). The system also generates and distributes emergency power to support designated emergency loads within the WHB within specified time limits. The system provides the capability to transfer between normal and emergency power. The system provides emergency power via independent and physically separated distribution feeds from the normal supply. The designated emergency electrical equipment will bemore » designed to operate during and after design basis events (DBEs). The system also provides lighting, grounding, and lightning protection for the Waste Handling Building. The system is located in the Waste Handling Building System. The system consists of a diesel generator, power distribution cables, transformers, switch gear, motor controllers, power panel boards, lighting panel boards, lighting equipment, lightning protection equipment, control cabling, and grounding system. Emergency power is generated with a diesel generator located in a QL-2 structure and connected to the QL-2 bus. The Waste Handling Building Electrical System distributes and controls primary power to acceptable industry standards, and with a dependability compatible with waste handling building reliability objectives for non-safety electrical loads. It also generates and distributes emergency power to the designated emergency loads. The Waste Handling Building Electrical System receives power from the Site Electrical Power System. The primary material handling power interfaces include the Carrier/Cask Handling System, Canister Transfer System, Assembly Transfer System, Waste Package Remediation System, and Disposal Container Handling Systems. The system interfaces with the MGR Operations Monitoring and Control System for supervisory monitoring and control signals. The system interfaces with all facility support loads such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, office, fire protection, monitoring and control, safeguards and security, and communications subsystems.« less

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for two-phase flow in the vicinity of the repository in the 1996 performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Undisturbed conditions

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

HELTON,JON CRAIG; BEAN,J.E.; ECONOMY,K.

2000-05-19

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis results obtained in the 1996 performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant are presented for two-phase flow the vicinity of the repository under undisturbed conditions. Techniques based on Latin hypercube sampling, examination of scatterplots, stepwise regression analysis, partial correlation analysis and rank transformation are used to investigate brine inflow, gas generation repository pressure, brine saturation and brine and gas outflow. Of the variables under study, repository pressure is potentially the most important due to its influence on spallings and direct brine releases, with the uncertainty in its value being dominated by the extent to whichmore » the microbial degradation of cellulose takes place, the rate at which the corrosion of steel takes place, and the amount of brine that drains from the surrounding disturbed rock zone into the repository.« less

From waste to high-value product: Jackfruit peel derived pectin/apatite bionanocomposites for bone healing applications.

PubMed

Govindaraj, Dharman; Rajan, Mariappan; Hatamleh, Ashraf A; Munusamy, Murugan A

2018-01-01

Public requirements encouraged by the current asset framework drive industry to expand its general effectiveness by enhancing existing procedures or finding new uses for waste. Thus, the aim of this study was the isolation, fabrication, and characterization of pectin derived from jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) peels and the generation of hybrid of pectin (P)/apatite (HA) (P/HA) bionanocomposites. In this process, the natural pectin polymer derived from the peel of jackfruits was used in different concentrations for the fabrication of HA bionanocomposites. Characterization of the isolated pectin and bionanocomposites samples was performed with 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR, FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and HR-TEM. Cytocompatibility, ALP, fibroblast stem cells, anti-inflammatory and cell adhesion testing of the fabricated bionanocomposites was showed good biocompatibility. Our results signify that the fabricated bionanocomposites might be applicable as bone graft materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geologic and well-construction data for the H-9 borehole complex near the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site, southeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drellack, S.L.; Wells, J.G.

1982-01-01

The H-9 complex, a group of three closely spaced boreholes, is located 5.5 miles south of the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in east-central Eddy County, New Mexico. The holes were drilled during July, August, and September 1979 to obtain geologic and hydrologic data to better define the regional ground-water-flow system. The geologic data presented in this report are part of a site-characterization study for the possible storage of defense-associated radioactive wastes within salt beds of the Salado Formation of Permian age. The geologic data include detailed descriptions of cores, cuttings, and geophysical logs. Each borehole was designed to penetrate a distinct water-bearing zone: H-9a (total depth 559 feet) was completed just below the Magenta Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation; H-9b (total depth 708 feet) was completed just below the Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation; H-9c (total depth 816 feet) was completed below the Rustler Formation-Salado Formation contact. The geologic units penetrated in borehole H-9c are eolian sand of Holocene age (0-5 feet); the Gatuna Formation of Pleistocene age; (5-25 feet); and the Dewey Lake Red Beds (25-455 feet), the Rustler Formation (455.791 feet), and part of the Salado Formation (791-816 feet), all of Permian age. Three sections (494-501 feet, 615-625 feet, 692-712 feet) in the Rustler Formation penetrated by borehole H-9c are composed of remnant anhydrite (locally altered to gypsum) and clay and silt residue from the dissolution of much thicker seams of argillaceous and silty halite. This indicates that the eastward-moving dissolution within the Rustler Formation, found just to the west of the WIPP site, is present at the H-9 site. (USGS)

Infectious waste feed system

DOEpatents

Coulthard, E. James

1994-01-01

An infectious waste feed system for comminuting infectious waste and feeding the comminuted waste to a combustor automatically without the need for human intervention. The system includes a receptacle for accepting waste materials. Preferably, the receptacle includes a first and second compartment and a means for sealing the first and second compartments from the atmosphere. A shredder is disposed to comminute waste materials accepted in the receptacle to a predetermined size. A trough is disposed to receive the comminuted waste materials from the shredder. A feeding means is disposed within the trough and is movable in a first and second direction for feeding the comminuted waste materials to a combustor.

25 Years Of Environmental Remediation In The General Separations Area Of The Savannah River Site: Lessons Learned About What Worked And What Did Not Work In Soil And Groundwater Cleanup

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

Blount, Gerald; Thibault, Jeffrey; Millings, Margaret

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is owned and administered by the US Department of Energy (DOE). SRS covers an area of approximately 900 square kilometers. The General Separation Area (GSA) is located roughly in the center of the SRS and includes: radioactive material chemical separations facilities, radioactive waste tank farms, a variety of radioactive seepage basins, and the radioactive waste burial grounds. Radioactive wastes were disposed in the GSA from the mid-1950s through the mid-1990s. Radioactive operations at the F Canyon began in 1954; radioactive operations at H Canyon began in 1955. Waste water disposition to the F and Hmore » Seepage Basins began soon after operations started in the canyons. The Old Radioactive Waste Burial Ground (ORWBG) began operations in 1952 to manage solid waste that could be radioactive from all the site operations, and ceased receiving waste in 1972. The Mixed Waste Management Facility (MWMF) and Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility (LLRWDF) received radioactive solid waste from 1969 until 1995. Environmental legislation enacted in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s led to changes in waste management and environmental cleanup practices at SRS. The US Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1970, and the Clean Water Act in 1972; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was enacted in 1976; the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted by Congress in 1980; the Federal Facilities Compliance Act (FFCA) was signed into law in 1992. Environmental remediation at the SRS essentially began with a 1987 Settlement Agreement between the SRS and the State of South Carolina (under the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control - SCDHEC), which recognized linkage between many SRS waste management facilities and RCRA. The SRS manages several of the larger groundwater remedial activities under RCRA for facilities recognized early on as environmental problems. All subsequent environmental remediation projects tend to be managed under tri-party agreement (DOE, Environmental Protection Agency, and SCDHEC) through the Federal Facilities Agreement. During 25 years of environmental remediation SRS has stabilized and capped seepage basins, and consolidated and capped waste units and burial grounds in the GSA. Groundwater activities include: pump and treat systems in the groundwater, installation of deep subsurface barrier systems to manage groundwater flow, in situ chemical treatments in the groundwater, and captured contaminated groundwater discharges at the surface for management in a forest irrigation system. Over the last 25 years concentrations of contaminants in the aquifers beneath the GSA and in surface water streams in the GSA have dropped significantly. Closure of 65 waste sites and 4 RCRA facilities has been successfully accomplished. Wastes have been successfully isolated in place beneath a variety of caps and cover systems. Environmental clean-up has progressed to the stage where most of the work involves monitoring, optimization, and maintenance of existing remedial systems. Many lessons have been learned in the process. Geotextile covers outperform low permeability clay caps, especially with respect to the amount of repairs required to upkeep the drainage layers as the caps age. Passive, enhanced natural processes to address groundwater contamination are much more cost effective than pump and treat systems. SRS operated two very large pump and treat systems at the F and H Seepage Basins to attempt to limit the release of tritium to Fourmile Branch, a tributary of the Savannah River. The systems were designed to extract contaminated acidic groundwater, remove all contamination except tritium (not possible to remove the tritium from the water), and inject the tritiated groundwater up-gradient of the source area and the plume. The concept was to increase the travel time of the injected water for radioactive decay of the tritium. The two systems were found to be non-effective and potentially mobilizing more contamination. SRS invested approximately $50 million in construction and approximately $100 million in 6 years of operation. The H Seepage Basin pump and treat system was replaced by a series of subsurface barriers that alters the groundwater velocity; the F Seepage Basin pump and treat system was replaced by subsurface barriers forming a funnel and gate augmented by chemical treatment within the gates. These replacement systems are mostly passive and cost approximately $13 million to construct, and have reduced the tritium flux to Fourmile Branch, in these plumes, by over 70%. SRS manages non-acidic tritiated groundwater releases to Fourmile Branch from the southwest plume of the MWMF with a forest irrigation system. Tritiated water is captured with a sheetpile dam below the springs that caused releases to Fourmile Branch. Water from the irrigation pond is pumped to a filter plant prior to irrigation of approximately 26 hectares of mixed forest and developing pine plantation. SRS has almost achieved a 70% reduction in tritium flux to the Branch from this plume. The system cost approximately $5 million to construct with operation cost of approximately $500K per year. In conclusion, many lessons have been learned in 25 years of relatively aggressive remedial activities in the GSA. Geotextile covers outperform low permeability clay caps, especially with respect to the amount of repairs required to upkeep the drainage layers as the caps age. Passive, enhanced natural processes to address groundwater contamination are much more cost effective than pump and treat systems. In water management situations with non-accumulative contaminants (tritium, VOCs, etc.) irrigation in a forest setting can be very effective.« less

Reuse of red algae waste for the production of cellulose nanocrystals and its application in polymer nanocomposites.

PubMed

El Achaby, Mounir; Kassab, Zineb; Aboulkas, Adil; Gaillard, Cédric; Barakat, Abdellatif

2018-01-01

Red algae is widely available around the world and its exploitation for the production of agar products has become an important industry in recent years. The industrial processing of red algae generates a large quantity of solid fibrous wastes, which constitutes a source of serious environmental problems. In the present work, the utilization of red algae waste as raw material to produce high-quality cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) has been investigated, and the ability of the as-isolated CNC to reinforce polymer has been studied. Red algae waste was chemically treated via alkali, bleaching and acid hydrolysis treatments, in order to obtain pure cellulose microfibers and CNC. The raw waste and the as-extracted cellulosic materials were successively characterized at different stages of treatments using serval analysis techniques. It was found that needle-like shaped CNC were successfully isolated at nanometric scale with diameters and lengths ranged from 5.2±2.9 to 9.1±3.1nm, and from 285.4±36.5 to 315.7±30.3nm, respectively, and the crystallinity index ranged from 81 to 87%, depending on the hydrolysis time (30, 40 and 80min). The as-extracted CNC were used as nanofillers for the production of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based nanocomposite films with improved thermal and tensile properties, as well as optical transparency. It is shown that the addition of 8wt% CNC into the PVA matrix increased the Young's modulus by 215%, the tensile strength by 150%, and the toughness by 45%. Additionally, the nanocomposite films maintained the same transparency level of the neat PVA film (transmittance of ∼90% in the visible region), suggesting that the CNC were dispersed at the nanoscale. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exposure to airborne fungi during sorting of recyclable plastics in waste treatment facilities.

PubMed

Černá, Kristýna; Wittlingerová, Zdeňka; Zimová, Magdaléna; Janovský, Zdeněk

2017-02-28

In working environment of waste treatment facilities, employees are exposed to high concentrations of airborne microorganisms. Fungi constitute an essential part of them. This study aims at evaluating the diurnal variation in concentrations and species composition of the fungal contamination in 2 plastic waste sorting facilities in different seasons. Air samples from the 2 sorting facilities were collected through the membrane filters method on 4 different types of cultivation media. Isolated fungi were classified to genera or species by using a light microscopy. Overall, the highest concentrations of airborne fungi were recorded in summer (9.1×10³-9.0×10⁵ colony-forming units (CFU)/m₃), while the lowest ones in winter (2.7×10³-2.9×10⁵ CFU/m³). The concentration increased from the beginning of the work shift and reached a plateau after 6-7 h of the sorting. The most frequently isolated airborne fungi were those of the genera Penicillium and Aspergillus. The turnover of fungal species between seasons was relatively high as well as changes in the number of detected species, but potentially toxigenic and allergenic fungi were detected in both facilities during all seasons. Generally, high concentrations of airborne fungi were detected in the working environment of plastic waste sorting facilities, which raises the question of health risk taken by the employees. Based on our results, the use of protective equipment by employees is recommended and preventive measures should be introduced into the working environment of waste sorting facilities to reduce health risk for employees. Med Pr 2017;68(1):1-9. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Preliminary performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, December 1992. Volume 5, Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of gas and brine migration for undisturbed performance

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

Not Available

1993-08-01

Before disposing of transuranic radioactive waste in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) must evaluate compliance with applicable long-term regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sandia National Laboratories is conducting iterative performance assessments (PAs) of the WIPP for the DOE to provide interim guidance while preparing for a final compliance evaluation. This volume of the 1992 PA contains results of uncertainty and sensitivity analyses with respect to migration of gas and brine from the undisturbed repository. Additional information about the 1992 PA is provided in other volumes. Volume 1 containsmore » an overview of WIPP PA and results of a preliminary comparison with 40 CFR 191, Subpart B. Volume 2 describes the technical basis for the performance assessment, including descriptions of the linked computational models used in the Monte Carlo analyses. Volume 3 contains the reference data base and values for input parameters used in consequence and probability modeling. Volume 4 contains uncertainty and sensitivity analyses with respect to the EPA`s Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes (40 CFR 191, Subpart B). Finally, guidance derived from the entire 1992 PA is presented in Volume 6. Results of the 1992 uncertainty and sensitivity analyses indicate that, conditional on the modeling assumptions and the assigned parameter-value distributions, the most important parameters for which uncertainty has the potential to affect gas and brine migration from the undisturbed repository are: initial liquid saturation in the waste, anhydrite permeability, biodegradation-reaction stoichiometry, gas-generation rates for both corrosion and biodegradation under inundated conditions, and the permeability of the long-term shaft seal.« less

Waste in the U.S. Health Care System: A Conceptual Framework

PubMed Central

Bentley, Tanya G K; Effros, Rachel M; Palar, Kartika; Keeler, Emmett B

2008-01-01

Context Health care costs in the United States are much higher than those in industrial countries with similar or better health system performance. Wasteful spending has many undesirable consequences that could be alleviated through waste reduction. This article proposes a conceptual framework to guide researchers and policymakers in evaluating waste, implementing waste-reduction strategies, and reducing the burden of unnecessary health care spending. Methods This article divides health care waste into administrative, operational, and clinical waste and provides an overview of each. It explains how researchers have used both high-level and sector- or procedure-specific comparisons to quantify such waste, and it discusses examples and challenges in both waste measurement and waste reduction. Findings Waste is caused by factors such as health insurance and medical uncertainties that encourage the production of inefficient and low-value services. Various efforts to reduce such waste have encountered challenges, such as the high costs of initial investment, unintended administrative complexities, and trade-offs among patients', payers', and providers' interests. While categorizing waste may help identify and measure general types and sources of waste, successful reduction strategies must integrate the administrative, operational, and clinical components of care, and proceed by identifying goals, changing systemic incentives, and making specific process improvements. Conclusions Classifying, identifying, and measuring waste elucidate its causes, clarify systemic goals, and specify potential health care reforms that—by improving the market for health insurance and health care—will generate incentives for better efficiency and thus ultimately decrease waste in the U.S. health care system. PMID:19120983

Keratinase production and biodegradation of polluted secondary chicken feather wastes by a newly isolated multi heavy metal tolerant bacterium-Alcaligenes sp. AQ05-001.

PubMed

Yusuf, Ibrahim; Ahmad, Siti Aqlima; Phang, Lai Yee; Syed, Mohd Arif; Shamaan, Nor Aripin; Abdul Khalil, Khalilah; Dahalan, Farrah Aini; Shukor, Mohd Yunus

2016-12-01

Biodegradation of agricultural wastes, generated annually from poultry farms and slaughterhouses, can solve the pollution problem and at the same time yield valuable degradation products. But these wastes also constitute environmental nuisance, especially in Malaysia where their illegal disposal on heavy metal contaminated soils poses a serious biodegradation issue as feather tends to accumulate heavy metals from the surrounding environment. Further, continuous use of feather wastes as cheap biosorbent material for the removal of heavy metals from effluents has contributed to the rising amount of polluted feathers, which has necessitated the search for heavy metal-tolerant feather degrading strains. Isolation, characterization and application of a novel heavy metal-tolerant feather-degrading bacterium, identified by 16S RNA sequencing as Alcaligenes sp. AQ05-001 in degradation of heavy metal polluted recalcitrant agricultural wastes, have been reported. Physico-cultural conditions influencing its activities were studied using one-factor-at-a-time and a statistical optimisation approach. Complete degradation of 5 g/L feather was achieved with pH 8, 2% inoculum at 27 °C and incubation period of 36 h. The medium optimisation after the response surface methodology (RSM) resulted in a 10-fold increase in keratinase production (88.4 U/mL) over the initial 8.85 U/mL when supplemented with 0.5% (w/v) sucrose, 0.15% (w/v) ammonium bicarbonate, 0.3% (w/v) skim milk, and 0.01% (w/v) urea. Under optimum conditions, the bacterium was able to degrade heavy metal polluted feathers completely and produced valuable keratinase and protein-rich hydrolysates. About 83% of the feathers polluted with a mixture of highly toxic metals were degraded with high keratinase activities. The heavy metal tolerance ability of this bacterium can be harnessed not only in keratinase production but also in the bioremediation of heavy metal-polluted feather wastes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Operation costs and pollutant emissions reduction by definition of new collection scheduling and optimization of MSW collection routes using GIS. The case study of Barreiro, Portugal.

PubMed

Zsigraiova, Zdena; Semiao, Viriato; Beijoco, Filipa

2013-04-01

This work proposes an innovative methodology for the reduction of the operation costs and pollutant emissions involved in the waste collection and transportation. Its innovative feature lies in combining vehicle route optimization with that of waste collection scheduling. The latter uses historical data of the filling rate of each container individually to establish the daily circuits of collection points to be visited, which is more realistic than the usual assumption of a single average fill-up rate common to all the system containers. Moreover, this allows for the ahead planning of the collection scheduling, which permits a better system management. The optimization process of the routes to be travelled makes recourse to Geographical Information Systems (GISs) and uses interchangeably two optimization criteria: total spent time and travelled distance. Furthermore, rather than using average values, the relevant parameters influencing fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, such as vehicle speed in different roads and loading weight, are taken into consideration. The established methodology is applied to the glass-waste collection and transportation system of Amarsul S.A., in Barreiro. Moreover, to isolate the influence of the dynamic load on fuel consumption and pollutant emissions a sensitivity analysis of the vehicle loading process is performed. For that, two hypothetical scenarios are tested: one with the collected volume increasing exponentially along the collection path; the other assuming that the collected volume decreases exponentially along the same path. The results evidence unquestionable beneficial impacts of the optimization on both the operation costs (labor and vehicles maintenance and fuel consumption) and pollutant emissions, regardless the optimization criterion used. Nonetheless, such impact is particularly relevant when optimizing for time yielding substantial improvements to the existing system: potential reductions of 62% for the total spent time, 43% for the fuel consumption and 40% for the emitted pollutants. This results in total cost savings of 57%, labor being the greatest contributor, representing over €11,000 per year for the two vehicles collecting glass-waste. Moreover, it is shown herein that the dynamic loading process of the collection vehicle impacts on both the fuel consumption and on pollutant emissions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radioactive waste storage issues

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

Kunz, Daniel E.

1994-08-15

In the United States we generate greater than 500 million tons of toxic waste per year which pose a threat to human health and the environment. Some of the most toxic of these wastes are those that are radioactively contaminated. This thesis explores the need for permanent disposal facilities to isolate radioactive waste materials that are being stored temporarily, and therefore potentially unsafely, at generating facilities. Because of current controversies involving the interstate transfer of toxic waste, more states are restricting the flow of wastes into - their borders with the resultant outcome of requiring the management (storage and disposal)more » of wastes generated solely within a state`s boundary to remain there. The purpose of this project is to study nuclear waste storage issues and public perceptions of this important matter. Temporary storage at generating facilities is a cause for safety concerns and underscores, the need for the opening of permanent disposal sites. Political controversies and public concern are forcing states to look within their own borders to find solutions to this difficult problem. Permanent disposal or retrievable storage for radioactive waste may become a necessity in the near future in Colorado. Suitable areas that could support - a nuclear storage/disposal site need to be explored to make certain the health, safety and environment of our citizens now, and that of future generations, will be protected.« less

Analytical method of waste allocation in waste management systems: Concept, method and case study

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

Bergeron, Francis C., E-mail: francis.b.c@videotron.ca

Waste is not a rejected item to dispose anymore but increasingly a secondary resource to exploit, influencing waste allocation among treatment operations in a waste management (WM) system. The aim of this methodological paper is to present a new method for the assessment of the WM system, the “analytical method of the waste allocation process” (AMWAP), based on the concept of the “waste allocation process” defined as the aggregation of all processes of apportioning waste among alternative waste treatment operations inside or outside the spatial borders of a WM system. AMWAP contains a conceptual framework and an analytical approach. Themore » conceptual framework includes, firstly, a descriptive model that focuses on the description and classification of the WM system. It includes, secondly, an explanatory model that serves to explain and to predict the operation of the WM system. The analytical approach consists of a step-by-step analysis for the empirical implementation of the conceptual framework. With its multiple purposes, AMWAP provides an innovative and objective modular method to analyse a WM system which may be integrated in the framework of impact assessment methods and environmental systems analysis tools. Its originality comes from the interdisciplinary analysis of the WAP and to develop the conceptual framework. AMWAP is applied in the framework of an illustrative case study on the household WM system of Geneva (Switzerland). It demonstrates that this method provides an in-depth and contextual knowledge of WM. - Highlights: • The study presents a new analytical method based on the waste allocation process. • The method provides an in-depth and contextual knowledge of the waste management system. • The paper provides a reproducible procedure for professionals, experts and academics. • It may be integrated into impact assessment or environmental system analysis tools. • An illustrative case study is provided based on household waste management in Geneva.« less

Lyophilization -Solid Waste Treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litwiller, Eric; Flynn, Michael; Fisher, John; Reinhard, Martin

2004-01-01

This paper discusses the development of a solid waste treatment system that has been designed for a Mars transit exploration mission. The technology described is an energy-efficient lyophilization technique that is designed to recover water from spacecraft solid wastes. Candidate wastes include feces, concentrated brines from water processors, and other solid wastes that contain free water. The system is designed to operate as a stand-alone process or to be integrated into the International Space Station Waste Collection System. In the lyophilization process, water in an aqueous waste is frozen and then sublimed, separating the waste into a dried solid material and liquid water. The sublimed water is then condensed in a solid ice phase and then melted to generate a liquid product. In the subject system the waste solids are contained within a 0.2 micron bio-guard bag and after drying are removed from the system and stored in a secondary container. This technology is ideally suited to applications such as the Mars Reference Mission, where water recovery rates approaching 100% are desirable but production of CO2 is not. The system is designed to minimize power consumption through the use of thermoelectric heat pumps. The results of preliminary testing of a prototype system and testing of the final configuration are provided. A mathematical model of the system is also described.

Analysis of space systems for the space disposal of nuclear waste follow-on study. Volume 2. Technical report

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

None

1982-01-01

Some of the conclusions reached as a result of this study are summarized. Waste form parameters for the reference cermet waste form are available only by analogy. Detail design of the waste payload would require determination of actual waste form properties. The billet configuration constraints for the cermet waste form limit the packing efficiency to slightly under 75% net volume. The effect of this packing inefficiency in reducing the net waste form per waste payload can be seen graphically. The cermet waste form mass per unit mass of waste payload is lower than that of the iodine waste form evenmore » though the cermet has a higher density (6.5 versus 5.5). This is because the lead iodide is cast achieving almost 100% efficiency in packing. This inefficiency in the packing of the cermet results in a 20% increase in number of flights which increases both cost and risk. Alternative systems for waste mixes requiring low flight rates (technetium-99, iodine-129) can make effective use of the existing 65K space transportation system in either single- or dual-launch scenarios. A comprehensive trade study would be required to select the optimum orbit transfer system for low-launch-rate systems. This study was not conducted as part of the present effort due to selection of the cermet waste form as the reference for the study. Several candidates look attractive for both single- and dual-launch systems (see sec. 4.4), but due to the relatively small number of missions, a comprehensive comparison of life cycle costs including DDT and E would be required to select the best system. The reference system described in sections 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 offers the best combination of cost, risk, and alignment with ongoing NASA technology development efforts for disposal of the reference cermet waste form.« less

Investigating the Keratinolytic Activities of the Bacteria Isolated from Different Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, S. X.

2017-12-01

Background InformationThe development of microbial keratinase has gained increasing attention over the million tons of keratinous wastes generated by the worldwide livestock population. Keratinous wastes not only serve as the niche for pathogenic microorganisms, but also they collapse environmental balance for being the source of air, soil, and water pollutions. Conversely, microbial keratinases can convert the unexploited keratinous wastes into bioaccessible animal feed. However, because of the recalcitrant structure of keratin, the complete keratin degradation is difficult to achieve with one keratinase as opposed to recombinant keratinases. Therefore, this study is designed to isolate the bacteria from different sources and to evaluate their keratinolytic activities using azokeratin substrates. Materials and Methods Soil, horse hooves, penguin stool, and chicken stool are collected from different sites. These samples are serially diluted and then streaked on feather-meal agar plates. Single colonies are screened for the ability to hydrolyze keratin. The isolate of single colonies is cultivated in a whole-feather medium. The sample is then centrifuged, and the supernatant is used for crude enzyme preparation. Azokeratin is synthesized by coupling bristle keratin with diazotized laurent's acid, and it is used as a substrate for assaying keratinase activity by using a spectrophotometer. ConclusionThis study will compare the keratinase activities on bristle azokeratin substrates from three different samples and thus evaluate the bacterium with the best ability to hydrolyze keratin amongst the three. Further steps will be taken to produce a blend of enzymes generated and select the optimum combination that can most efficiently degrade keratin.

Survival of prokaryotes in a polluted waste dump during remediation by alkaline hydrolysis.

PubMed

Nielsen, Marie Bank; Kjeldsen, Kasper Urup; Lever, Mark Alexander; Ingvorsen, Kjeld

2014-04-01

A combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques was used to characterize bacterial and archaeal communities in a highly polluted waste dump and to assess the effect of remediation by alkaline hydrolysis on these communities. This waste dump (Breakwater 42), located in Denmark, contains approximately 100 different toxic compounds including large amounts of organophosphorous pesticides such as parathions. The alkaline hydrolysis (12 months at pH >12) decimated bacterial and archaeal abundances, as estimated by 16S rRNA gene-based qPCR, from 2.1 × 10(4) and 2.9 × 10(3) gene copies per gram wet soil respectively to below the detection limit of the qPCR assay. Clone libraries constructed from PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments showed a significant reduction in bacterial diversity as a result of the alkaline hydrolysis, with preferential survival of Betaproteobacteria, which increased in relative abundance from 0 to 48 %. Many of the bacterial clone sequences and the 27 isolates were related to known xenobiotic degraders. An archaeal clone library from a non-hydrolyzed sample showed the presence of three main clusters, two representing methanogens and one representing marine aerobic ammonia oxidizers. Isolation of alkalitolerant bacterial pure cultures from the hydrolyzed soil confirmed that although alkaline hydrolysis severely reduces microbial community diversity and size certain bacteria survive a prolonged alkaline hydrolysis process. Some of the isolates from the hydrolyzed soil were capable of growing at high pH (pH 10.0) in synthetic media indicating that they could become active in in situ biodegradation upon hydrolysis.

Life cycle inventory and mass-balance of municipal food waste management systems: Decision support methods beyond the waste hierarchy.

PubMed

Edwards, Joel; Othman, Maazuza; Crossin, Enda; Burn, Stewart

2017-11-01

When assessing the environmental and human health impact of a municipal food waste (FW) management system waste managers typically rely on the principles of the waste hierarchy; using metrics such as the mass or rate of waste that is 'prepared for recycling,' 'recovered for energy,' or 'sent to landfill.' These metrics measure the collection and sorting efficiency of a waste system but are incapable of determining the efficiency of a system to turn waste into a valuable resource. In this study a life cycle approach was employed using a system boundary that includes the entire waste service provision from collection to safe end-use or disposal. A life cycle inventory of seven waste management systems was calculated, including the first service wide inventory of FW management through kitchen in-sink disposal (food waste disposer). Results describe the mass, energy and water balance of each system along with key emissions profile. It was demonstrated that the energy balance can differ significantly from its' energy generation, exemplified by mechanical biological treatment, which was the best system for generating energy from waste but only 5 th best for net-energy generation. Furthermore, the energy balance of kitchen in-sink disposal was shown to be reduced because 31% of volatile solids were lost in pre-treatment. The study also confirmed that higher FW landfill diversion rates were critical for reducing many harmful emissions to air and water. Although, mass-balance analysis showed that the alternative end-use of the FW material may still contain high impact pollutants. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An assessment of the current municipal solid waste management system in Lahore, Pakistan.

PubMed

Masood, Maryam; Barlow, Claire Y; Wilson, David C

2014-09-01

The current status of solid waste management in Lahore, a metropolitan city of Pakistan, is reviewed in this article using an existing approach, the UN-Habitat city profile. This involves a systematic quantitative and qualitative assessment of physical components and governance features of the current waste management system. A material flow diagram (MFD) is developed, which allows visualisation of the current waste management system with all related inputs and outputs. This study shows that in the current system, waste collection and transportation is the main focus, however the collection coverage is only about 68%. There is no controlled or even semi-controlled waste disposal facility in Lahore. There is no official recycling system in the city. It is estimated that currently ~27% of waste by weight is being recycled through the informal sector. Making use of the organic content of the waste, a composting facility is operative in the city, producing 47,230 tonnes year(-1) of organic compost. Lahore does not perform very well in governance features. Inclusivity of users and providers of the waste management system is low in the city, as not all stakeholders are consulted in the decision making processes. Waste management costs US$20 per tonne of waste, where the main focus is only on waste collection, and the current user fees are much lower than the actual costs. This study recommends that recycling should be promoted by increasing public awareness and integrating the informal sector to make the current system sustainable and financially viable. © The Author(s) 2014.

Isolation and identification of cellulolytic bacteria from termites gut (Cryptotermes sp.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peristiwati; Natamihardja, Y. S.; Herlini, H.

2018-05-01

The energy and environmental crises developed due to a huge amount of cellulosic materials are disposed of as “waste.” Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. The hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose and soluble sugars has thus become a subject of intense research. Termites are one of the most important soil insects that efficiently decompose lignocelluloses with the aid of their associated microbial symbionts to a simpler form of sugars. The steps of this study consisted of cellulose isolation, cellulolytic bacteria isolation and identification. Cellulose degrading bacteria from termite (Cryptotermes sp.) gut flora were isolated, screened and their identification was studied which showed halo zones due to CMC agar. Among 12 isolates of bacteria, six isolates were cellulolytic. MLC-A isolate had shown a maximum in a cellulolytic index (1.32). Each isolate was identified based on standard physical and biochemical tests. Three isolates were identified in the genus of Clostridium, one isolate be placed in the group of Mycobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae or Coryneform and the last one in the genus Proteus.

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