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Radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment: Science, implications and lessons for the nuclear industryEdited by Ch Poinssot, CEA Marcoule, France and H Geckeis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy No. 42
- provides a comprehensive overview of the key processes and parameters affecting radionuclide mobility and migration
- explores radionuclide chemistry in the natural environment
- discusses the migration and radioecological behaviour of radionuclides
- covers application issues, performance assessment considerations and remediation concepts for contaminated sites
- an essential tool for all those interested or involved in nuclear energy and provides a comprehensive guide for academics
Understanding radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment is essential to the sustainable development of the nuclear industry and key to assessing potential environmental risks reliably. Minimising those risks is essential to enhancing public confidence in nuclear technology. Scientific knowledge in this field has developed greatly over the last decade.Radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment provides a comprehensive overview of the key processes and parameters affecting radionuclide mobility and migration.
After an introductory chapter, part one explores radionuclide chemistry in the natural environment, including aquatic chemistry and the impact of natural organic matter and microorganisms. Part two discusses the migration and radioecological behavior of radionuclides. Topics include hydrogeology, sorption and colloidal reactions as well as in-situ investigations. Principles of modelling coupled geochemical, transport and radioecological properties are also discussed. Part three covers application issues: assessment of radionuclide behaviour in contaminated sites, taking Chernobyl as an example, estimation of radiological exposure to the population, performance assessment considerations related to deep geological repositories, and remediation concepts for contaminated sites.
With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment is an essential tool for all those interested or involved in nuclear energy, from researchers, designers and industrial operators to environmental scientists. It also provides a comprehensive guide for academics of all levels in this field.
ISBN 0 85709 132 8
ISBN-13: 978 0 85709 132 1
September 2012
744 pages 234 x 156mm hardback
£180.00 / US$305.00 / €215.00
Usually dispatched within 24 hours
About the editors
Professor Christophe Poinssot is Head of the Radiochemistry and Processes Department at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and Professor at the National Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN), France.
Professor Horst Geckeis is Director of the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.
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Contents
PART 1 RADIONUCLIDE CHEMISTRY IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
PART 2 RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
PART 3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND REMEDIATION
Overview of radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment
C Poinssot, French Nuclear and Alternatives Energies Commission
(CEA), France and H Geckeis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
- Introduction
- Radionuclides of interest
- Environmental compartments to be considered
PART 1 RADIONUCLIDE CHEMISTRY IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Fundamentals of aquatic chemistry relevant to radionuclide behaviour in the environment
T Neumann, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
- Introduction
- Composition of natural waters
- Dissolution and precipitation
- Aqueous complexes
- Surface sorption
- Colloids
- Redox reactions
- References
Aquatic chemistry of the actinides: aspects relevant to their environmental behaviour
M Altmaier, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany and T
Vercouter, CEA, France
- Introduction - Oxidation states of actinides in aqueous solution
- Actinide solid phases and solubility phenomena
- Actinide complexation reactions
- Chemical modeling tools and thermodynamic databases
- Recommended literature
- References
Aquatic chemistry of long-lived mobile fission and activation products in the context of deep geological disposal
A Abdelouas and B Grambow, Ecole des Mines de Nantes – SUBATECH, France
- Introduction
- The effects of the near field in high-level radioactive waste disposal
- Solution and interfacial chemistry of selected radionuclides
- Summary
- References
Impacts of humic substances on the geochemical behaviour of radionuclides
P E Reiller, French Nuclear and Alternatives Energies Commission, CEA, France
- Introduction to humic substances
- The humic acid molecule
- Discrete models of metal ion-humic interactions
- Multiligand and macromolecular models of metal ion-humic interactions
- Kinetic models of metal ion-humic interactions
- Impacts of humic substances on radionuclide transport in different sites worldwide
- Conclusion and future trends
- References
Impacts of microorganisms on radionuclides in contaminated environments and waste materials
A J Francis, Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea, and Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA
- Introduction
- Biotransformation of uranium
- Biotransformation of plutonium
- Biosorption and bioaccumulation of uranium and plutonium
- Biotransformation of other actinides and related elements
- Biotransformation of fission and activation products
- Microbiological studies of low- and intermediate-level wastes, and high-level waste repository sites
- Summary
- Acknowledgments
- Suggested reading
- References
PART 2 RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
Hydrogeological features relevant to radionuclide migration in the natural environment
E Ledoux, P Goblet and D Bruel, Mines-ParisTech, France
- Introduction
- The water content of the sub-soil
- Groundwater movement in the soil and sub-soil
- Aquifer Systems
- Groundwater flow equations for aquifer systems
- Solving flow equations for aquifer systems
- References
Radionuclide retention at solid/liquid interfaces in the natural environment
M Marques-Fernandes and B Baeyens, Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland and C Beaucaire, Nuclear Energy Division, France
- Introduction
- Macroscopic studies of radionuclide sorption
- Sorption models
- Spectroscopic techniques
- Future developments
- Acknowledgements
- References
Radionuclide migration: coupling transport and chemistry
J Carrera and C Ayora, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), M W Saaltink, University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain and M Dentz, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Spain
- Introduction
- The transport phenomenon
- Coupling chemistry to transport
- Application examples
- References
Impact of colloidal transport on radionuclide migration in the natural environment
A B Kersting, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA
- Introduction
- Geochemistry and sorption behavior of radionuclides
- Nature and origin of colloids
- Colloid characteristics
- Laboratory experiments of colloid facilitated radionuclide transport
- Field studies of radionuclide migration
- Conclusion and future trends
- Acknowledgements
- References
Natural analogues of nuclear waste repositories: studies and their implications for the development of radionuclide migration models
L Duro and J Bruno, Amphos 21 Consulting SL, Spain
- Introduction
- Nature and limitations of natural analogues
- Selected natural analogue sites
- Lessons on radionuclide geochemistry and migration from main natural analogues studies
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- References
Studying radionuclide migration on different scales: the complimentary roles of laboratory and in situ experiments
L Van Loon and M Glaus, Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland, C Ferry and C Latrille, CEA Saclay, France
- Introduction
- Designing laboratory studies at different scales on radionuclide diffusion in underground environments
- Studies at different scales on diffusion in Swiss Opalinus clay
- Studies at different scales on diffusion in French Callovo-Oxfordian claystone
- Laboratory experiments at the dm-scale on the transport of radionuclides in non-consolidated porous media
- Conclusion and future trends
- References
Radionuclide transfer processes in the biosphere
E Ansoborlo, French Nuclear and Alternatives Energies Commission, CEA, France
and C Adam-Guillermin, French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN, France
- Introduction
- Radionuclide speciation and interactions with biological ligands
- Transfer to plants and biodistribution
- Transfer to animal species and biodistribution
- Transfer to man
- Effect on metabolic pathways
- Transfers through epithelial barriers: the digestive barrier
- Membrane transport
- Intracellular mechanisms: homeostasis and stress
- Future trends
- Acknowledgements
- References
PART 3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND REMEDIATION
Modelling radionuclide transport in the environment and calculating radiation doses
M Thorne, Mike Thorne and Associates Limited, UK
- Introduction
- Modelling radionuclide transport in the environment
- Assessing radiation doses to humans
- Assessing radiation doses to non-human biota
- Achieving a comprehensive assessment
- Conclusion and future trends
- References
Quantitative assessment of radionuclide migration from near-surface radioactive waste burial sites: the waste dumps in the Chernobyl exclusion zone as an example
A Martin-Garin, NVan Meir, C Simonucci, Institut de Radioprotection et Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), France, V Kashparov, Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology (UIAR, NUBiP), and D Bugai, Institute of Geological Sciences (IGS), Ukraine
- Introduction
- The Chernobyl Pilot Site in the Red Forest
- Modelling radionuclide migration in the aquifer considering stationary hydrodynamic and geochemical conditions
- Prediction of Sr migration, assuming non stationary hydro-biogeochemical conditions
- Conclusion and future trends
- Acknowledgements
- References
Remediation of sites contaminated by radionuclides
B J Merkel and M Hoyer, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany
- Introduction
- Potential sources of radionuclide release
- Methods of cleaning contaminated sites
- Environmental monitoring tools
- Examples of remediation of contaminated sites
- Sources of further information
- References
Safety assessment of nuclear waste repositories: A radionuclide migration perspective
J Bruno, Associated Professor at the University of Catalonia, Spain
- Introduction
- Repository concepts
- Safety assessment (SA) methodology
- Integration of the main radionuclide migration processes and parameters in the SA models
- Gaps in understanding and the qualification and quantification of the SA models
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- References