EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe i n c e n t i v e s f o r s e p a r a t i ug and e l i m i n a t i ng v a r i o u s elements ( b u t par-# titularly t h e t r a n s u r a n i c s ) from r a d i o a c t i v e waste p r i o r t o f i n a l g e o l o g i c 4-storage were i n v e s t i g a t e d . Exposure pathways t o nian were d e f i n e d , and poten-- F t i a l r a d i a t i o n doses t o an i n d i v i d u a l l i v i n g w i t h i n t h e r e g i o n o f i n f l u e n c e I .o f t h e underground storage s i t e were c a l c u l a t e d . The accumulated h i g h -l e v e l waste ( i .e., t h e f i s s i o n product waste produced by reprocessing spent f u e l ) from t h e U.S. n u c l e a r power economy through t h e Year 2000 was t h e assumed r a d i o n u c l i d e source, and western U.S. d e s e r t s u b s o i l was t h e assumed g e o l o g i c medi um. The r e s u l t s o f t h e s t u d y showed t h a t f o r reasonable storage c o n d i t i o n s t h e p o t e n t i a l incremental r a d i a t i o n doses would be o f t h e same o r d e r as, o r l e s s than, doses from n a t u r a l sources. We t h e r e f o r e concluded t h a t f o r t h e s i t u a t i o n s i n v e s t i g a t e d t h e i n c e n t i v e s f o r special e f f o r t t o remove anyelements, i n c l u d i n g t h e t r a n s u r a n i c s , from h i g h -l e v e l waste a r e v a n i s h i n g l y s m a l l . The study r e s u l t s a l s o showed t h a t i n c e n t i v e s e x i s t f o r c o n v e r t i n q h i g h -l e v e l c a l c i n e i n t o g l a s s . The study r e q u i r e d numerous assumptions concerned w i t h t h e t r a n s p o r t o f r a d i o a c t i v i t y from t h e g e o l o g i c s t o r a g e s i t e t o man. The assumptions used, on t h e whole, maximized t h e estimated p o t e n t i a l r a d i a t i o n doses.Thus i n c e n t i v e s f o r removing elements f r o m t h e waste tended t o be maximized. I n c e n t i v e s were a l s o maximized by assuming t h a t elements removed f r o m t h e waste c o u l d be e l i m i n a t e d from t h e e a r t h w i t h o u t r i s k . The c o n c l u s i o n t h a t p a r t i t i o n i n g i n c e n t i v e s a r e n o n e x i s t e n t --d e s p i t e assumptions t e n d i n g t o maximize them--is based on comparison o f p r e d i c t e d p o t e n t i a l r a d i a t i o n doses w i t h r o u t i n e doses from n a t u r a l sources. ' The s t u d y found t h a t t h e r e a r e f e a s i b l e c o n d i t i o n s o f geol o g i c empl acement where t t h e p r e d i c t e d incremental dose t o man i s c a l c u l a t e d t o be as l o w as one0 t e n t h of "background."Although "background" v a r i e s w i t h geographic d . -l o c a t i o n and consensus standards o f a l l o w a b l e incremental dose have n o t y e t been f u l l y e s t a b l i s h e d , we concluded t h a t h i g h -l e v e l waste i n a g l a s s f o r m 4can s a f e l y be placed i n s e l e c t e d g e o l o g i c media.The methods used in t h i s study can be extended t o evaluate any c...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe i n c e n t i v e s f o r s e p a r a t i ug and e l i m i n a t i ng v a r i o u s elements ( b u t par-# titularly t h e t r a n s u r a n i c s ) from r a d i o a c t i v e waste p r i o r t o f i n a l g e o l o g i c 4-storage were i n v e s t i g a t e d . Exposure pathways t o nian were d e f i n e d , and poten-- F t i a l r a d i a t i o n doses t o an i n d i v i d u a l l i v i n g w i t h i n t h e r e g i o n o f i n f l u e n c e I .o f t h e underground storage s i t e were c a l c u l a t e d . The accumulated h i g h -l e v e l waste ( i .e., t h e f i s s i o n product waste produced by reprocessing spent f u e l ) from t h e U.S. n u c l e a r power economy through t h e Year 2000 was t h e assumed r a d i o n u c l i d e source, and western U.S. d e s e r t s u b s o i l was t h e assumed g e o l o g i c medi um. The r e s u l t s o f t h e s t u d y showed t h a t f o r reasonable storage c o n d i t i o n s t h e p o t e n t i a l incremental r a d i a t i o n doses would be o f t h e same o r d e r as, o r l e s s than, doses from n a t u r a l sources. We t h e r e f o r e concluded t h a t f o r t h e s i t u a t i o n s i n v e s t i g a t e d t h e i n c e n t i v e s f o r special e f f o r t t o remove anyelements, i n c l u d i n g t h e t r a n s u r a n i c s , from h i g h -l e v e l waste a r e v a n i s h i n g l y s m a l l . The study r e s u l t s a l s o showed t h a t i n c e n t i v e s e x i s t f o r c o n v e r t i n q h i g h -l e v e l c a l c i n e i n t o g l a s s . The study r e q u i r e d numerous assumptions concerned w i t h t h e t r a n s p o r t o f r a d i o a c t i v i t y from t h e g e o l o g i c s t o r a g e s i t e t o man. The assumptions used, on t h e whole, maximized t h e estimated p o t e n t i a l r a d i a t i o n doses.Thus i n c e n t i v e s f o r removing elements f r o m t h e waste tended t o be maximized. I n c e n t i v e s were a l s o maximized by assuming t h a t elements removed f r o m t h e waste c o u l d be e l i m i n a t e d from t h e e a r t h w i t h o u t r i s k . The c o n c l u s i o n t h a t p a r t i t i o n i n g i n c e n t i v e s a r e n o n e x i s t e n t --d e s p i t e assumptions t e n d i n g t o maximize them--is based on comparison o f p r e d i c t e d p o t e n t i a l r a d i a t i o n doses w i t h r o u t i n e doses from n a t u r a l sources. ' The s t u d y found t h a t t h e r e a r e f e a s i b l e c o n d i t i o n s o f geol o g i c empl acement where t t h e p r e d i c t e d incremental dose t o man i s c a l c u l a t e d t o be as l o w as one0 t e n t h of "background."Although "background" v a r i e s w i t h geographic d . -l o c a t i o n and consensus standards o f a l l o w a b l e incremental dose have n o t y e t been f u l l y e s t a b l i s h e d , we concluded t h a t h i g h -l e v e l waste i n a g l a s s f o r m 4can s a f e l y be placed i n s e l e c t e d g e o l o g i c media.The methods used in t h i s study can be extended t o evaluate any c...
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