Decontamination of concrete waste from nuclear power plant decommissioning in South Korea

Han, Sang Suk; Hong, Seokju; Nam, Seongsik; Kim, Won‐Seok; Um, Wooyong

doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2020.107795

Cited by 17 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The present research applied analytical grade chemicals without further puri cation and used ultrapure water (Milli-Q, Millipore, 18.2 MΩ•cm) as the general solvent. The mass ratio of concrete samples was based on the NPPs reports: 24.6 g of dry sand, 14.0 g of ordinary Portland cement (OPC, Type I), and 3.4 g of y ash were mixed for the homogeneity of the concrete composition [38][39][40]. After mixing thoroughly, 8.0 mL of ultrapure water was added.…”

Section: Concrete Spiking and Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Uranium and Thorium Co-contaminant Exposure from Incidental Concrete Dust Ingestion

Abdul Rashid,

Um,

Juhasz

et al. 2024

Korean J. Chem. Eng.

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Potential health risks of contaminated media linked to bioavailability and hematotoxicity of uranium-238 ( 238 U) and thorium-232 ( 232 Th) remain uncertain. This study investigates the relative bioavailability (RBA), histopathological, and hematological effects of acute oral exposure to 238 U and 232 Th in cocontaminated concrete dust using 174 female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. In order to create a range of 238 U and 232 Th concentrations, concrete was spiked with uranyl and thorium nitrates (~ 50, 100, and 200 mg kg −1 ). Spiked concretes were then crushed, ground, sieved (≤75 µm), and blended uniformly to create co-contaminated concrete dust. SD rats' diet pellet was amended with co-contaminated concrete dust and orally ingested over a 48-hour exposure period. The RBA values of 238 U and 232 Th in post-exposure rats' blood were determined as 22.0% ± 0.86% -30.8% ± 1.01% and 11.8% ± 0.14% -13.7% ± 0.29%, respectively. Compared to 232 Th, 238 U blood levels of SD rats fed with co-contaminated concrete dustamended diets were ~ 100-fold higher due to solubility differences, and 238 U-RBA values were approximately two-fold greater, revealing that their absorption rates in the gastrointestinal tract were affected by compound solubility. Post-acute 238 U and 232 Th ingestion from co-contaminated concrete dust demonstrate noticeable histopathological and hematological alterations, implying that intake of 238 U and 232 Th in co-contaminated concrete dust can lead to erythrocytes damage and elevated hematological attributes. Our study would be bene cial for an adequate understanding of the health implications caused by the acute oral exposures of 238 U and 232 Th in co-contaminated concrete dust, especially in the bioavailability and toxicity assessment.

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Section: Concrete Spiking and Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Uranium and Thorium Co-contaminant Exposure from Incidental Concrete Dust Ingestion

Abdul Rashid,

Um,

Juhasz

et al. 2024

Korean J. Chem. Eng.

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“…According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as of February 2023, there were 423 nuclear power plants in operation, 204 facilities were permanently shut down, and the dismantling of 25 facilities was completed [2]. When decommissioning nuclear facilities, hundreds of thousands of tons of waste are generated, and it has become a pending global issue to guarantee technologies for their reduction and recycling [3]. For this reason, advanced countries such as Germany, the USA, Belgium, and Japan have consistently conducted research on the development of treatment technologies for waste generated from nuclear decommissioning facilities [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solidification of Radioactive Wastes Using Recycled Cement Originating from Decommissioned Nuclear-Energy Facilities

Jeon,

Lee,

Lee

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

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Hundreds of thousands of tons of waste are generated from decommissioned nuclear- power facilities, and it has become a critical global issue to secure technology for reducing and recycling this waste. Concrete waste (CW) is estimated to comprise 60–80% of the total waste, and concrete-waste powder (CWP) includes enough inorganic substances used as effective materials for waste treatment. Accordingly, it can be used to produce recycled cement (RC). This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a solidification agent manufactured using recycled cement (SRC) for the safe packing of radioactive wastes, such as coarse aggregates of CW, waste soil, and metal wastes originating from decommissioned nuclear facilities. The experimental results indicated that the most relevant incineration temperature of CWP for RC was 700 °C. The optimum water-to-binder ratio was determined to be 0.4, and the most relevant substitution ratio of ground granulated blast furnace slag for CWP was determined to be 15%. In addition, calcium silicate hydrate is the most effective hydration product for improving the compressive strength of SRC. The maximum packing capacities of the SRC for coarse aggregates, waste soil, and metal waste, which were simulated as radioactive wastes, were determined to be 30, 5, and 7 wt%, respectively. The results of leaching tests using SRC containing radioactive wastes contaminated with Co, Cs, and Sr indicated that their leachability indices met the acceptance level for disposal. Consequently, the RC composed of CWP can be used as a solidifying agent to safely dispose of radioactive wastes, such as coarse aggregates, waste soil, and metal waste.

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“…Technologies to minimize the amount of nuclear decommissioning wastes and to recycle them have been actively developed in advanced countries such as France, Japan, Belgium, Germany, Spain, the UK, and the USA. In addition, France has completed experiments and reached the demonstration stage [13,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Solidification of Radioactive Wastes Using Blast Furnace Slag as a Solidifying Agent

Jeon,

Lee,

Lee

et al. 2023

Materials

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The decommissioning process of nuclear power facilities renders hundreds of thousands of tons of various types of waste. Of these different waste types, the amount of concrete waste (CW) varies greatly depending on the type of facility, operating history, and regulation standards. From the previous decommissioning projects, CW was estimated to comprise 60–80 wt.% of the total weight of radioactive wastes. This represents a significant technical challenge to any decommissioning project. Furthermore, the disposal costs for the generated concrete wastes are a substantial part of the total budget for any decommissioning project. Thus, the development of technologies effective for the reduction and recycling of CW has become an urgent agenda globally. Blast furnace slag (BFS) is an industrial byproduct containing a sufficient amount (higher than 30%) of CaO and it can be used as a substitute for ordinary Portland cement (OPC). However, there have been few studies on the application of BFS for the treatment of radioactive waste from decommissioning processes. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the solidification agent using ground granulated BFS (SABFS) to pack radioactive wastes, such as the coarse aggregates of CW (CACW), waste soil (WS), and metal waste (MW). The analytical results indicated that the CaO content of the ground granulated BFS was 36.8% and it was confirmed that calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) could be activated as the precursor of the hydration reactions. In addition, the optimum water-to-binder ratio was determined to be 0.25 and Ca(OH)2 and CaSO4 were found to be the most effective alkaline and sulfate activators for improving the compressive strength of the SABFS. The maximum packing capacities of the SABFS were determined to be 9 and 13 wt.% for WC and WM, respectively, when the content of CW was fixed at 50 wt.%. The results of the leaching tests using SABFS containing radioactive wastes contaminated with Co, Cs, and Sr indicated that their leachability indices met the acceptance level for disposal. Consequently, the SABFS can be used as a solidifying agent for the safe disposal of radioactive waste.

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Decontamination of concrete waste from nuclear power plant decommissioning in South Korea

Cited by 17 publications

References 14 publications

Assessment of Uranium and Thorium Co-contaminant Exposure from Incidental Concrete Dust Ingestion

Assessment of Uranium and Thorium Co-contaminant Exposure from Incidental Concrete Dust Ingestion

Solidification of Radioactive Wastes Using Recycled Cement Originating from Decommissioned Nuclear-Energy Facilities

Evaluation of the Solidification of Radioactive Wastes Using Blast Furnace Slag as a Solidifying Agent

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