Skyshine dose evaluation of trench disposal facilities for waste generated from research, industrial and medical facilities

Nakamura, Mizuki; Izumo, Sari; Ogawa, Rina; Nakata, Hisakazu; Amazawa, Hiroya; Sakai, Akihiro

JAEA-Technology 2022-025, 73 Pages, 2022/12

JAEA-Technology-2022-025.pdf:1.64MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been establishing as the implementing body of the near surface disposal of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) generated from research facilities and other facilities in order to actualize the near surface disposal. It is necessary to evaluate the effective doses by direct and skyshine -rays from disposal facilities and reduce the doses below the target dose (50 Sv/y) at the site boundary for the safety assessment during operation. It was shown at the results of conceptual design that the distance from the trench disposal facilities to site boundary needed to be kept more than 120m in order to satisfy the target dose. However, the design of trench disposal facilities was changed because of increasing amount of waste subject to the trench disposal. Therefore, the dose by skyshine -rays from trench disposal facilities was recalculated by use of two-dimensional discrete ordinates Sn code DOT 3.5. As a result, it was evaluated that the dose by skyshine -rays from each trench facility at the site boundary whose distance was 120m from a trench facility was lower than 50 Sv/y, respectively, and the dose added up the doses from trench facilities was also lower than 50 Sv/y. In addition, it was suggested to reduce the target skyshine dose by thickening the covered soil on the top layer.

Design study on cover soil in the trench disposal facility for very low-level radioactive waste generated from research facilities and other facilities

Ogawa, Rina; Nakata, Hisakazu; Sugaya, Toshikatsu; Sakai, Akihiro

JAEA-Technology 2022-010, 54 Pages, 2022/07

JAEA-Technology-2022-010.pdf:11.07MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has considered trench disposal as one of the disposal methods for radioactive wastes generated from research facilities and other facilities. The trench disposal facility is regulated by "Act on the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors". In particular, the design of the trench facility is regulated by a rule under the law. When the rule was amended in 2019, the design of the trench disposal facility required equipment to reduce ingress of rain water and groundwater. In the report, studies on the design of a trench disposal facility to adapt to the amended rule were performed. The trench disposal facility has considered being established in a place lower than groundwater level. Therefore, it was decided to study covering soil at the upper part of the trench facility, because the ingress water in the facility is mainly derived from rain water. In this study, it was decided to evaluate the design of covering soil of the radioactive waste categorized into chemically stable materials. Therefore, as the examination method, a parameter study on varying the permeability coefficient and thickness of the layers composing cover soil. In the parameter study, the velocity of the water infiltrating into the trench facility was evaluated. Based on the results, more efficient design of the layers composing the covering soil was considered. The result showed that the impermeable efficiency of the covering soil was different depending on the thickness and the permeability conductivity of each layer. As a result, it was possible to understand the impermeable performance of covering soil by the permeability coefficient and thickness of each layer. We will plan to decide the specification of the cover soil while examination of future tasks and cost in the basic design.

Basic policy for rational measures of radioactive waste processing and disposal; Results of studies for acceleration of waste processing

Nakagawa, Akinori; Oyokawa, Atsushi; Murakami, Masashi; Yoshida, Yukihiko; Sasaki, Toshiki; Okada, Shota; Nakata, Hisakazu; Sugaya, Toshikatsu; Sakai, Akihiro; Sakamoto, Yoshiaki

JAEA-Technology 2021-006, 186 Pages, 2021/06

JAEA-Technology-2021-006.pdf:54.45MB

Radioactive wastes generated from R&D activities have been stored in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. In order to reduce the risk of taking long time to process legacy wastes, countermeasures for acceleration of waste processing and disposal were studied. Work analysis of waste processing showed bottleneck processes, such as evaluation of radioactivity concentration, segregation of hazardous and combustibles materials. Concerning evaluation of radioactivity concentration, a radiological characterization method using a scaling factor and a nondestructive gamma-ray measurement should be developed. The number of radionuclides that are to be selected for the safety assessment of the trench type disposal facility can decrease using artificial barriers. Hazardous materials, will be identified using records and nondestructive inspection. The waste identified as hazardous will be unpacked and segregated. Preliminary calculations of waste acceptance criteria of hazardous material concentrations were conducted based on environmental standards in groundwater. The total volume of the combustibles will be evaluated using nondestructive inspection. The waste that does not comply with the waste acceptance criteria should be mixed with low combustible material waste such as dismantling concrete waste in order to satisfy the waste acceptance criteria on a disposal facility average. It was estimated that segregation throughput of compressed waste should be increased about 5 times more than conventional method by applying the countermeasures. Further study and technology development will be conducted to realize the plan.

Study on the basic system of the common non-destructive radioactivity measuring equipment for disposal of radioactive wastes generated from research, industrial and medical facilities

Izumo, Sari; Hayashi, Hirokazu; Nakata, Hisakazu; Amazawa, Hiroya; Motoyama, Mitsushi*; Sakai, Akihiro

JAEA-Technology 2018-018, 39 Pages, 2019/03

JAEA-Technology-2018-018.pdf:2.8MB

JAEA has planed the near surface disposal of LLW generated from research, industrial, and medical facilities. Maximum radioactivity concentration of each waste and total radioactivity of disposed wastes are needed to be less than the permitted values in the license of disposal facility. Thus, it is important not to evaluate the radioactivity of each waste in unduly conservative ways so as to dispose of the total amount of the waste that is originally planned. Accordingly, the detection limit is required to be as low as the clearance level for the very low level radioactive waste planned to be disposed of trench-type. In this report, the feasibility of the non-destructive assay method is studied by model calculations for gamma emitters. It is confirmed that the detection limit less than the clearance level can be achieved as regards the box type metal container that is difficult to measure. This report summarizes the requirements for the non-destructive measuring equipment.

Development of waste acceptance criteria and current challenges relating to the disposal project of LLW generated in research, medical and industrial facilities

Nakata, Hisakazu; Amazawa, Hiroya; Izumo, Sari; Okada, Shota; Sakai, Akihiro

Dekomisshoningu Giho, (58), p.10 - 23, 2018/09

Low level radioactive wastes are generated in the research and development of the nuclear energy, medical and industrial use of radioisotope except NPP in Japan. The disposal of wastes arising from NPP has already been implemented while not the one for wastes from research institutes etc. Japan Atomic Energy Agency therefore has been assigned an implementing organization for the disposal legally in 2008 in order to promote the disposal program as quickly and firmly as possible. Since then, JAEA has conducted their activity relating to the disposal facility design on generic site conditions and developing Waste Acceptance Criteria for LLW from research institutes. This report summarizes the WAC and current challenges.

Calculation of radioactivity concentration of Cs-137 corresponded to the reference dose for the trench disposal facility according to the design condition

Sakai, Akihiro; Nakata, Hisakazu; Amazawa, Hiroya

JAEA-Technology 2017-030, 176 Pages, 2018/02

JAEA-Technology-2017-030.pdf:4.09MB

At present, the reuse method for the contaminated soil generated from the decontamination of radioactive materials caused by the accident of the Tokyo Electric Power Cooperation Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after intermediate storage is being discussed. The radioactivity concentration of contaminated soil with about 20 million cubic meters within total arising volume of the soil is less than 100 kBq/kg. Therefore, when it is assumed that contaminated soil was disposed of in the trench facility, exposure doses to public at the various exposure pathways resulting from Cs-134 and Cs-137 contained in the removal soil were calculated. From the dose calculation results, the radioactivity concentrations corresponded to reference doses that are assumed to be 0.01 mSv/y or 0.3 mSv/y were evaluated. Then, variation of the radioactivity concentrations was evaluated when the volume of disposal facility was increased taking into account variation of the volume of contaminated soil.

Challenges for enhancing Fukushima environment resilience, 6; The Use of the reclaimed materials derived from the removed soil on the basis of the security

Okada, Takashi; Takeda, Seiji; Nakata, Hisakazu

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 59(10), p.603 - 607, 2017/10

Because the reclaimed material is used, quantity of disposal of the removal soil can decrease. It is a strategic key to utilize the reclaimed material. As for this report, it is explained to about the fundamentals of the safe use of the reclaimed materials derived from the removed soil.

Development of the reasonable confirmation methods concerning radioactive wastes from research facilities

Hayashi, Hirokazu; Okada, Shota; Izumo, Sari; Hoshino, Yuzuru; Tsuji, Tomoyuki; Nakata, Hisakazu; Sakai, Akihiro; Amazawa, Hiroya; Sakamoto, Yoshiaki

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2017/04

A near surface disposal for low-level radioactive waste (LLW) generated from commercial nuclear power plants (NPP) is operating in Japan. However, the disposal of LLW from other nuclear facilities and radioisotope utilization facilities has not yet been implemented. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) plans to implement the near surface disposal. In order to be disposed of these wastes, it must be confirmed by the regulator that each waste package (radioactive waste solidified with filling materials, such as cement, in a container by a regulated method is termed a waste package) conforms to technical standards that aim for safe disposal. JAEA has studied reasonable confirmation methods to demonstrate the conformity of the waste package to the technical standard as NPP operators have studied it. This report describes the outline of our activities focused on development of the confirmation method applicable to radioactive wastes from research facilities.

Preliminary 3-dimensional analysis of groundwater flow in the surrounding environment of near surface disposal facility

Sakai, Akihiro; Kurosawa, Ryohei*; Totsuka, Masayoshi; Nakata, Hisakazu; Amazawa, Hiroya

JAEA-Technology 2016-032, 117 Pages, 2017/02

JAEA-Technology-2016-032.pdf:12.84MB

JAEA has been planning to implement near surface disposal of low level waste generated from research, medical, and industrial facilities. JAEA plans to carry out 3d analysis of groundwater flow in geological model around the disposal site because of development of migration assessment modeling of radioactivity materials in the site. In the safety demonstration test in JAEA, 3d analysis of groundwater flow was carried out on 1999. The analysis was calculated by using the code "3D-SEEP". But it is necessary to improve the conditions of the model in the analysis. Therefore, we improved the geological model which had been developed carried out 3d analysis of groundwater flow by using the current 3D-SEEP for the specified disposal site in the future. From the result, we expect that 3d analysis of groundwater flow in the environment around the specified near surface disposal site will be able to be sufficiently conducted by developing an appropriate model for the disposal site.

Design study for impermeable function of trench disposal facility for very low level waste generated from research, industrial and medical facilities (Joint research)

Sakai, Akihiro; Kurosawa, Ryohei*; Nakata, Hisakazu; Okada, Shota; Izumo, Sari; Sato, Makoto*; Kitamura, Yoichi*; Honda, Yasutake*; Takaoka, Katsuki*; Amazawa, Hiroya

JAEA-Technology 2016-019, 134 Pages, 2016/10

JAEA-Technology-2016-019.pdf:8.25MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been developing to design trench disposal facility with impermeable layers in order to dispose of miscellaneous waste. Geomembrane liners have a function that prevent seepage of leachant and collect the leachant. However, the geomembrane liners do not necessarily provide the expected performance due to damage generated when heavy equipment contacts with the liner. Therefore, we studied the impermeable layers having high performance of preventing seepage of leachant including radioactivity taking into account characteristics of low permeable materials and effect of multiple layer structure. As results, we have evaluated that the composite layers composed by a drainage layer, geomembrane liners and a low permeable layer are most effective structure to prevent seepage of leachant. Taking into account disposal of waste including cesium, we also considered zeolite containing sheets for adsorption of cesium were installed in the impermeable layers.