Release and Disposal of Materials During Decommissioning of Siemens MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant at Hanau, Germany

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Koenig ◽  
Roland Baumann
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Matrix Material ◽  
Disposal Site ◽  
Process Equipment ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Fuel Fabrication ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Plant Site ◽  
Almost All

In September 2006, decommissioning and dismantling of the Siemens MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant in Hanau were completed. The process equipment and the fabrication buildings were completely decommissioned and dismantled. The other buildings were emptied in whole or in part, although they were not demolished. Overall, the decommissioning process produced approximately 8500 Mg of radioactive waste (including inactive matrix material); clearance measurements were also performed for approximately 5400 Mg of material covering a wide range of types. All the equipment in which nuclear fuels had been handled was disposed of as radioactive waste. The radioactive waste was conditioned on the basis of the requirements specified for the projected German final disposal site “Schachtanlage Konrad”. During the preconditioning, familiar processes such as incineration, compacting and melting were used. It has been shown that on account of consistently applied activity containment (barrier concept) during operation and dismantling, there has been no significant unexpected contamination of the plant. Therefore almost all the materials that were not a priori destined for radioactive waste were released without restriction on the basis of the applicable legal regulations (§ 29 of the Radiation Protection Ordinance), along with the buildings and the plant site.

Release of Materials During the Decommissioning of the Belgonucleaire Dessel MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marie Cuchet ◽  
Alain Vandergheynst ◽  
Henri Libon
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Process Safety ◽  
Legal Regulations ◽  
Light Water Reactors ◽  
Regulatory Aspects ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Fuel Fabrication ◽  
Significant Contamination ◽  
Plant Site ◽  
Water Reactors

BELGONUCLEAIRE has been operating the Dessel plant from the mid-80’s at industrial scale. In this period, over 35 metric tons of plutonium (HM) has been processed into almost 100 reloads of MOX fuel for commercial west-european light water reactors. In late 2005, the decision was made to stop the production because of the shortage of the MOX fuel market remaining accessible to BELGONUCLEAIRE. As a significant part of the decommissioning project of this Dessel plant, about 170 medium-sized glove boxes and about 1.300 metric tons of structure and equipment outside the glove boxes are planned for dismantling. The dismantling works are expected to start in the second quarter of 2009. On account of stringent internal rules of alpha-containment during over 25 years of operation, there is no significant contamination of the plant, outside the glove boxes; that assumption has been confirmed by radiological surveys performed by independent bodies in 2001 and 2008. Therefore most of the materials outside the glove boxes that were not a priori destined for radioactive waste will be released without restriction on the basis of the applicable legal regulations in Belgium (ARBIS), along with the buildings and the plant site. In this paper, after having reviewed the different regulations in Belgium, the authors introduce the different options considered for release of materials, and the main decision criteria (process, safety aspects, radiological, etc) for the different expected types of materials (inert materials, metals, plastics, electrical cabinets and cables and electronics) are analysed. Besides the regulatory aspects, the technological and economical aspects are considered (as an example, comprehensive metal smelting is implemented, as a favourite solution because it provides with decontamination, homogeneization and volume characterization).

Conditioning of Plutonium Waste for Long-Term Interim Storage

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.-W. Ledebrink ◽  
P. Faber
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Storage Facility ◽  
Acceptance Criteria ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Fuel Fabrication ◽  
Interim Storage ◽  
Waste Drums ◽  
Storage Facilities

Abstract In the period since Germany’s experimental final repository ASSE was closed in 1978, around 5000 drums of conditioned plutonium-bearing radioactive waste from mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication have accumulated in the interim storage facilities of Siemens AG’s MOX fuel fabrication plant in Hanau, Germany — formerly ALKEM GmbH, now Siemens Decommissioning Projects (Siemens DP). Another 5000 drums will arise in the course of decommissioning and dismantling the MOX plant which has now been underway for some months. Hopes that a final waste repository would soon be able to go into operation in Germany have remained unfulfilled over the last 20 years. Also, the agreements reached between Germany’s electric utilities and the Federal Government regarding the future of nuclear energy have not led to any further progress in connection with the issue of radwaste disposal. A concrete date for a final repository to start operation has still not been set. The German Federal Government estimates that a geologic repository will not be needed for at least another 30 years. Since the opening of a final storage facility is not foreseeable in the near term, Siemens is taking the necessary steps to enable radwaste to be safely stored in aboveground interim storage facilities for a prolonged period of time. Conditioning of radwaste from MOX fuel fabrication by cementing it in drums was started in 1984 in the belief — which was justified at that time — that final storage at the Konrad mine would be possible as of 1995. The quality requirements specified for the waste drums were therefore based on the Konrad acceptance criteria. The operating license for the storage facilities at Hanau at which these drums are presently in interim storage is limited to 20 years and will be expiring in 2004. The drums have not suffered any corrosion to date and, according to past experience, are not expected to do so in the future. However, permission to keep the drums in interim storage for a longer period of time in their current form would be extremely difficult to obtain as their corrosion resistance would have to be demonstrated for a further 30 years. The present goal is therefore to create a waste form suitable for interim storage which needs no maintenance over a long-term period, incorporates state-of-the-art technology and will probably not require any further treatment of the waste packages prior to emplacement in a final storage facility. At the same time, the highest possible degree of safety must be assured for the time during which the waste remains in interim storage. This goal can be attained by conditioning the drums such that they satisfy the requirements currently specified for final storage at the Konrad repository (1). In practice, this means immobilizing the cemented waste drums in concrete inside steel “Konrad Containers” (KCs). The KCs themselves and the concrete backfill represent two further barriers which not only serve as radiation shielding but also protect the drums against corrosion as well as any possible release of radioactive materials in the event of accidents occurring during interim storage. As the KCs are cuboid in shape, they can be stacked in space-saving configurations and are thus particularly suitable for interim storage. Also, due to their extremely heavy weight, theft of the waste packages can be practically ruled out. Despite the fact that the agreements with the German Federal Government have failed to bring opening of the Konrad repository within reach, it is nevertheless a good idea today to condition radwaste in a manner that renders it suitable for ultimate storage there. The agreements between the Government and the utilities are expected at least to result in a land use permit being issued for the Konrad mine before the end of 2001. At present there are no facts known that could cause the safety of this facility to be questioned. Only recently, Germany’s International Nuclear Technology Commission (ILK) confirmed Konrad’s suitability and demanded that it be placed in operation without further delay (2). Even if its operation should, in fact, be blocked by political lobbies, potential legal action or economic considerations, the alternative repository at Gorleben could possibly become operable in approximately 30 years’ time. Gorleben was planned right from the start to be able to accommodate waste packages based on the Konrad acceptance criteria. This means that any waste packages designed for storage at Konrad could likewise be handled and stored at Gorleben. The processes used by Siemens for conditioning of radwaste conform to the recommendations of the “Guidelines for the Control of radioactive Waste with negligible Heat Generation” issued by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in 1989 (3).

Remediation and Assessment of the National Radioactive Waste Storage and Disposal Site in Tajikistan

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazirzhon T. Buriev ◽  
Dzhamshed A. Abdushukurov ◽  
Tjalle T. Vandergraaf
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Liquid Waste ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Disposal Site ◽  
Storage Site ◽  
Storage Container ◽  
Waste Storage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Radioactive Waste Storage

The National Radioactive Waste Storage and Disposal Site was established in 1959 in the Faizabad region approximately 50 km east of the capital, Dushanbe. The site is located on the southern flank of the Fan Mountains facing the Gissar Valley in a sparsely populated agricultural area, with the nearest villages located a few km from the site. The site was initially designed to accept a wide range of contaminated materials, including obsolete smoke detectors, sealed radioactive sources, waste from medical institutions, and radioactive liquids. Between 1962 and 1976, 363 tonnes and 1146 litres of material, contaminated with a range of radionuclides were shipped to the site. Between 1972–1980 and 1985–1991, ∼4.8 × 1014 and 2 × 1013 Bq, respectively, were shipped to the site. An additional 7 × 1014 Bq was shipped to the site in 1996. Partly as a result of the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, the disposal site had fallen into disrepair and currently presents both an environmental hazard and a potential for the proliferation of radionuclides that could potentially be used for illicit purposes. Remediation of the disposal site was started in 2005. New security fences were erected and a new superstructure over an in-ground storage site constructed. A central alarm monitoring and observation station has been constructed and is now operational. The geology, flora, and fauna of the region have been documented. Radiation surveys of the buildings and the storage and disposal sites have been carried out. Samples of soil, surface water and vegetation have been taken and analyzed by gamma spectrometry. Results show a slight extent of contamination of soils near the filling ports of the underground liquid storage container where a Cs-137 concentration of 2.3 × 104 Bq/kg was obtained. Similar values were obtained for Ra-226. Radiation fields of the in-ground storage site were generally <1 μSv/h with 8% exceeding this value. Neutron radiation levels at the same location were also low with a few readings exceeding 10 μSv/h. The volume of liquid waste is estimated to be ∼140 m3. Most of the activity appears to be associated with the sediments in the tank. Suggestions are presented for the immobilization of the liquid wastes and long-term monitoring of the site and the surrounding territory.

Application of cross correlation to HREM images of surfaces

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 754-755
Author(s):  
D. E. Luzzi ◽  
L. D. Marks ◽  
M. I. Buckett
Keyword(s):  
Cross Correlation ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Matrix Material ◽  
Correlation Method ◽  
Accurate Knowledge ◽  
Complex Image ◽  
Fourier Filtering ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Data Reduction Technique

As the HREM becomes increasingly used for the study of dynamic localized phenomena, the development of techniques to recover the desired information from a real image is important. Often, the important features are not strongly scattering in comparison to the matrix material in addition to being masked by statistical and amorphous noise. The desired information will usually involve the accurate knowledge of the position and intensity of the contrast. In order to decipher the desired information from a complex image, cross-correlation (xcf) techniques can be utilized. Unlike other image processing methods which rely on data massaging (e.g. high/low pass filtering or Fourier filtering), the cross-correlation method is a rigorous data reduction technique with no a priori assumptions.We have examined basic cross-correlation procedures using images of discrete gaussian peaks and have developed an iterative procedure to greatly enhance the capabilities of these techniques when the contrast from the peaks overlap.

First Detection of Tobacco Mosaic Virus in Tobacco Fields in Northern Lebanon

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rami Obeid ◽  
Elias Wehbe ◽  
Mohamad Rima ◽  
Mohammad Kabara ◽  
Romeo Al Bersaoui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Mosaic Virus ◽  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Viral Genome ◽  
Virus Genome ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Virus Family ◽  
Crop Fields ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Das Elisa

Background: Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is the most known virus in the plant mosaic virus family and is able to infect a wide range of crops, in particularly tobacco, causing a production loss. Objectives: Herein, and for the first time in Lebanon, we investigated the presence of TMV infection in crops by analyzing 88 samples of tobacco, tomato, cucumber and pepper collected from different regions in North Lebanon. Methods: Double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), revealed a potential TMV infection of four tobacco samples out of 88 crops samples collected. However, no tomato, cucumber and pepper samples were infected. The TMV+ tobacco samples were then extensively analyzed by RT-PCR to detect viral RNA using different primers covering all the viral genome. Results and Discussion: PCR results confirmed those of DAS-ELISA showing TMV infection of four tobacco samples collected from three crop fields of North Lebanon. In only one of four TMV+ samples, we were able to amplify almost all the regions of viral genome, suggesting possible mutations in the virus genome or an infection with a new, not yet identified, TMV strain. Conclusion: Our study is the first in Lebanon revealing TMV infection in crop fields, and highlighting the danger that may affect the future of agriculture.

INFLUENCE OF WEATHER ON TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT MIGRATION IN RURAL INDIA

2013 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. 1350007 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. KAVI KUMAR ◽  
BRINDA VISWANATHAN
Keyword(s):  
National Sample ◽  
Sample Survey ◽  
Urban Migration ◽  
Temporary Migration ◽  
Urban Migrants ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Permanent Migration ◽  
Sample Survey Data ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Temporary Migrants

While a wide range of factors influence rural–rural and rural–urban migration in developing countries, there is significant interest in analyzing the role of agricultural distress and growing inter-regional differences in fueling such movement. This strand of research acquires importance in the context of climate change adaptation. In the Indian context, this analysis gets further complicated due to the significant presence of temporary migration. This paper analyzes how weather and its variability affects both temporary and permanent migration in India using National Sample Survey data for the year 2007–2008. The paper finds that almost all of the rural–urban migrants are permanent. Only temperature plays a role in permanent migration. In contrast, many temporary migrants are rural–rural and both temperature and rainfall explain temporary migration.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis Resulting in a Typology of Elementary Classroom Movement Integration Interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyridoula Vazou ◽  
Collin A. Webster ◽  
Gregory Stewart ◽  
Priscila Candal ◽  
Cate A. Egan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Dose Intensity ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Movement Integration

Abstract Background/Objective Movement integration (MI) involves infusing physical activity into normal classroom time. A wide range of MI interventions have succeeded in increasing children’s participation in physical activity. However, no previous research has attempted to unpack the various MI intervention approaches. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review, qualitatively analyze, and develop a typology of MI interventions conducted in primary/elementary school settings. Subjects/Methods Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to identify published MI interventions. Irrelevant records were removed first by title, then by abstract, and finally by full texts of articles, resulting in 72 studies being retained for qualitative analysis. A deductive approach, using previous MI research as an a priori analytic framework, alongside inductive techniques were used to analyze the data. Results Four types of MI interventions were identified and labeled based on their design: student-driven, teacher-driven, researcher-teacher collaboration, and researcher-driven. Each type was further refined based on the MI strategies (movement breaks, active lessons, other: opening activity, transitions, reward, awareness), the level of intrapersonal and institutional support (training, resources), and the delivery (dose, intensity, type, fidelity). Nearly half of the interventions were researcher-driven, which may undermine the sustainability of MI as a routine practice by teachers in schools. An imbalance is evident on the MI strategies, with transitions, opening and awareness activities, and rewards being limitedly studied. Delivery should be further examined with a strong focus on reporting fidelity. Conclusions There are distinct approaches that are most often employed to promote the use of MI and these approaches may often lack a minimum standard for reporting MI intervention details. This typology may be useful to effectively translate the evidence into practice in real-life settings to better understand and study MI interventions.

Fe(III) Reduction in the Subsurface at a Low-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Wilkins ◽  
Francis R. Livens ◽  
David J. Vaughan ◽  
Jonathan R. Lloyd ◽  
Ian Beadle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
Disposal Site ◽  
Waste Disposal Site ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Low Level Radioactive Waste

Applications of 3D printing in critical care medicine: A scoping review

2021 ◽  
pp. 0310057X2097665
Author(s):  
Natasha Abeysekera ◽  
Kirsty A Whitmore ◽  
Ashvini Abeysekera ◽  
George Pang ◽  
Kevin B Laupland
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Critical Care Medicine ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Three Dimensional Printing ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dimensional Printing

Although a wide range of medical applications for three-dimensional printing technology have been recognised, little has been described about its utility in critical care medicine. The aim of this review was to identify three-dimensional printing applications related to critical care practice. A scoping review of the literature was conducted via a systematic search of three databases. A priori specified themes included airway management, procedural support, and simulation and medical education. The search identified 1544 articles, of which 65 were included. Ranging across many applications, most were published since 2016 in non – critical care discipline-specific journals. Most studies related to the application of three-dimensional printed models of simulation and reported good fidelity; however, several studies reported that the models poorly represented human tissue characteristics. Randomised controlled trials found some models were equivalent to commercial airway-related skills trainers. Several studies relating to the use of three-dimensional printing model simulations for spinal and neuraxial procedures reported a high degree of realism, including ultrasonography applications three-dimensional printing technologies. This scoping review identified several novel applications for three-dimensional printing in critical care medicine. Three-dimensional printing technologies have been under-utilised in critical care and provide opportunities for future research.

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