Preliminary test for elution of uranium waste; Concept and application for elution test

Hata, Haruhi   ; Yokoyama, Kaoru; Tsunashima, Yasumichi; Ohashi, Yusuke ; Koga, Osamu; Sugitsue, Noritake

For disposal of Very low-level radioactive Waste (VLLW) from nuclear related facilities, one of important factors for safety assessment is the characteristics of elution. As for VLLW from the nuclear power plant, concrete pit and trench disposals have been performed and the evaluation methods for the characteristics have been established. On the other hand, as for the uranium waste, the concept on how to test the elution characteristics is not shown yet. Based on these circumstances, preliminary tests have been conducted to study elution characteristics of uranium waste. The results show that the important factors for the uranium elution are how uranium exists in waste. In addition, the elution characteristics also depend on the precipitation amount on the disposal site. Therefore, to assess the elution rate from uranium waste, these factors must be considered.