Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicole A. DiBlasi, Ezgi Yalcintas, Floyd E. Stanley, Donald T. Reed, Amy E. Hixon
Summary: The study indicates that EDTA can affect the distribution of plutonium oxidation states, and time, pH, and ligand-to-metal ratio also play a role. EDTA mainly stabilizes the Pu(IV) oxidation state, but Pu(V)-EDTA may persist under environmentally-relevant conditions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elizaveta Klein, Susie M. L. Hardie, Wolfgang Kickmaier, Ian G. McKinley
Summary: A critical aspect of selecting sites for deep geological repositories for high-level radioactive waste is their ability to slow down the migration of radionuclides released from engineered barriers. Models play a crucial role in connecting field observations and laboratory studies on rock/water/radionuclide interactions. Despite remaining uncertainties, utilizing knowledge from anthropogenically contaminated sites can enhance safety cases for geological repositories.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Zorica Radakovic-Guzina, Branko Damjanac, Tom Lam, Hossein A. Kasani
Summary: Evaluation of stability and damages in the geosphere surrounding a deep geological repository is crucial for assessing repository performance. In this study, a novel approach based on the bonded block model is used to simulate damage evolution and fracturing around the repository rooms. The results indicate that the hypothetical DGR configurations have good stability in both sedimentary and crystalline geological settings.
COMPUTERS AND GEOTECHNICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Elena Abramova, Nadezhda Popova, Grigory Artemiev, Kirill Boldyrev, Konstantin Kazakov, Dmitry Kryuchkov, Alexey Safonov
Summary: This article discusses the impact of microorganisms on the stability of cement, clay, and steel engineering safety barriers in a deep geological repository for radioactive waste in Russia. The study found that microbial processes such as steel corrosion, cement degradation, and changes in clay properties are likely to occur. The article also highlights the importance of clay materials in engineering barrier safety and proposes biocidal additives to suppress microbial activity.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Jin Ma, Marek Pekala, Peter Alt-Epping, Barbara Pastina, Susanna Maanoja, Paul Wersin
Summary: In this study, a 3D numerical model is developed to assess the corrosion depth and evolution of sulfide fluxes in the Finnish spent nuclear fuel repository concept. Long-term simulations predict a heterogeneous corrosion of the canister with a max. corrosion depth of 1.3 mm. The study also highlights the importance of organic carbon and Fe(III) oxide contents in the bentonite for the corrosion evolution.
APPLIED GEOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yazeed Alashban, Nasser Shubayr
Summary: This study estimated the activity release from a hypothetical OP-LWR near surface disposal repository in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The mathematical model considered six cement barriers and factors such as water infiltration, hydraulic conductivity, specific mass, porosity of cement, local geosphere, and radioactive waste inventory. The results showed a direct proportionality between distribution coefficient, retardation factor, and mean time to collapse, with nickel having the highest mean time to collapse among all radionuclides in the model. The highest activity release in the biosphere was found to be 1:1 x 10^4 Bq for Tc-99 after 1300 years.
JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Kate E. Thatcher, Alexander E. Bond, Simon Norris
Summary: The study focuses on the impact of thermal stress changes in radioactive waste disposal facilities on the host rock, with numerical modelling investigating the stress states of rocks under different parameter combinations. The results show that horizontal fracturing between host rocks is unlikely under the disposal concept discussed, with ground surface uplift ranging from 9-13 cm.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS AND MINING SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
K. A. Daniels, J. F. Harrington, P. Sellin, S. Norris
Summary: Bentonites are commonly proposed for use in the geological disposal of high heat generating radioactive wastes. This study examined the effect of elevated temperature on the development of swelling and swelling pressure of sodium-activated MX80 bentonite samples, finding that even under extreme conditions, the bentonite was able to swell and completely fill void spaces. Heating the bentonite reduced test duration by about 60%, likely due to a reduction in the viscosity of the test permeant at higher temperatures.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Nuclear Science & Technology
Eriko Minari, Satsuki Kabasawa, Morihiro Mihara, Hitoshi Makino, Hidekazu Asano, Masahiko Nakase, Kenji Takeshita
Summary: This study evaluates the long-term safety of vitrified high-level radioactive waste (HLW) generated from different fuel cycles using mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel in light-water reactors (LWRs). The results show that blending the waste generated from different fuel cycles does not have an adverse effect on long-term radiological impact compared to separating the waste.
JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ivan Morozov, Sergey Zakusin, Pavel Kozlov, Olga Zakusina, Marat Roshchin, Michail Chernov, Kirill Boldyrev, Tatiana Zaitseva, Ekaterina Tyupina, Victoria Krupskaya
Summary: This study demonstrates the high stability of bentonite from the 10th Khutor deposit under elevated temperatures and alkaline conditions, which is crucial for ensuring the safety of radioactive waste disposal.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francois Diaz-Maurin, Jerold Yu, Rodney C. Ewing
Summary: The paper presents a socio-technical multi-criteria evaluation (STMCE) method for spent fuel management strategies, which can handle quantitative, qualitative, stochastic uncertainty, and fuzzy uncertainty to assess social impacts. It aims to facilitate stakeholder engagement activities and support the search for compromise solutions in the management of commercial spent fuel in the United States.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Nuclear Science & Technology
M. Frankl, M. Wittel, N. Diomidis, A. Vasiliev, H. Ferroukhi, S. Pudollek
Summary: This article presents the technical foundation for a criticality safety assessment for the Swiss HLW deep geological repository concept and discusses the potential impact of ELB corrosion scenarios on the system's criticality.
ANNALS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yongheum Jo, Krassimir Garbev, Nese Cevirim-Papaioannou, Oliver Dieste Blanco, Benny de Blochouse, Marcus Altmaier, Xavier Gaona
Summary: This study investigates the behavior of the radioactive isotope 94Nb generated in structural materials of nuclear reactors. The research reveals that the solubility of niobium is influenced by the solid phases in the process of disposing 94Nb waste using cementitious materials. The experimental results demonstrate the impact of pH value and calcium concentration on the solubility of niobium in simulated pore water.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Luqiang He, Xiangyun Zhou, De'an Sun
Summary: Temperature evolution is essential for the safe operation and design of high-level radioactive waste disposal repositories. A three-dimensional two-layer axisymmetric heat transfer model was developed to study the temperature evolution in a single canister scenario. By utilizing mathematical techniques such as the finite Fourier sine transform, separation of variables, and Duhamel's theorem, a fully analytical solution was derived, providing a visual representation of temperature variation over time and space. The model and solution were validated through comparison with existing heat source solutions, semi-analytical solutions, and finite element simulations. The effect of increasing canister spacing was found to be more significant in reducing peak temperature than increasing tunnel spacing, with the effectiveness of both methods diminishing as the spacings increased.
COMPUTERS AND GEOTECHNICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Zorica Radakovic-Guzina, Branko Damjanac, Tom Lam, Hossein A. Kasani
Summary: This paper presents a novel approach for simulating the evolution of damage and fracturing around placement rooms in deep geological repositories, considering coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes. The approach uses a bonded-block model based on the distinct element method, allowing accurate representation of rock deformation, damage, and fracturing.
ROCK MECHANICS AND ROCK ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
H. M. Reijonen, W. R. Alexander, S. Norris
Summary: This study aims to develop a strategy for utilizing natural analogues in the UK's nuclear waste services' geological disposal facility program. The strategy emphasizes that natural analogue information and projects should be treated as part of knowledge management rather than a stagnant database. It is anticipated that integrating natural analogue information into the digital safety case can enhance transparency and facilitate the best utilization of the data.
PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
(2023)
