Brief introduction to research on geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste

Yamaguchi, Masaaki

Genshiryoku Bakkuendo Kenkyu (CD-ROM), 29(1), p.38 - 41, 2022/06

https://nuce.aesj.or.jp/jnuce/vol29/jnuce-vol29-1-p38-41.pdf

This presentation outlined the framework and background of Japan's geological disposal research that has been underway since the 1970s and outlined research and development on the engineering technology of geological disposal and the performance assessment of geological disposal systems in the research and development fields. Specific assessment methods used in both R & D fields and recent research topics were also explained.

Status of study of long-term assessment of transport of radioactive contaminants in the environment of Fukushima (FY2018) (Translated document)

Nagao, Fumiya; Niizato, Tadafumi; Sasaki, Yoshito; Ito, Satomi; Watanabe, Takayoshi; Dohi, Terumi; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Funaki, Hironori; et al.

JAEA-Research 2020-007, 249 Pages, 2020/10

JAEA-Research-2020-007.pdf:15.83MB

The accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. occurred due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Sanriku offshore earthquake, of 9.0 magnitude and the accompanying tsunami. As a result, large amount of radioactive materials was released into the environment. Under these circumstances, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting "Long-term Assessment of Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in the Environment of Fukushima" concerning radioactive materials released in environment, especially migration behavior of radioactive cesium since November 2012. This report is a summary of the research results that have been obtained in environmental dynamics research conducted by JAEA in Fukushima Prefecture.

Development of a method of safety assessment for geological disposal considering long-term evolution of geological and topographical environment by uplift and erosion

Wakasugi, Keiichiro; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Koo, Shigeru*; Nagao, Fumiya; Kato, Tomoko; Suzuki, Yuji*; Ebashi, Takeshi; Umeki, Hiroyuki*; Niibori, Yuichi*

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 16(1), p.15 - 33, 2017/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J16.010

This study provides a method of safety assessment for the geological disposal of HLW to evaluate the effects of uplift and erosion which are widespread phenomena identified on regional and global scales, and are more or less difficult to avoid in Japan. This method enables to deal with different uplift rate and erosion rate, and to evaluate repository depth, the time required for a repository to reach the weathered zone and surface of the ground, and the number of waste packages eroded as a function of time by using a landform evolution model. Based on trial analysis, the result shows that the maximum dose in the Base Case (uplift rate: 0.3 mm/y) is less than the targeted criterion suggested by the international organization even if the repository reaches the ground surface. Furthermore, the diversifying effect on timing the waste packages to reach to weathered zone due to heterogeneity on altitude of bottom of weathered zone reduces one order magnitude of result of the existed dose assessment. The new method is applicable to evaluate safety of geological disposal based on realistic phenomena of uplift and erosion and to quantify a safety margin and robustness of the disposal system.

Sediment and Cs transport and accumulation in the Ogaki Dam of eastern Fukushima

Yamada, Susumu; Kitamura, Akihiro; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Malins, A.; Machida, Masahiko

Environmental Research Letters, 10(1), p.014013_1 - 014013_9, 2015/01

https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/1/014013

The Ogaki Dam Reservoir is one of the principal irrigation dam reservoirs in the Fukushima Prefecture and its upstream river basin was heavily contaminated by radioactivity from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. For the purpose of environmental assessment, it is important to determine the present condition of the water in the reservoir and to understand the behavior of sediment-sorbed radioactive cesium under different modes of operation of the dam. This paper addresses this issue with numerical simulations of fluvial processes in the reservoir using the 2D simulation code Nays2D. We present results for sediment deposition on the reservoir bed and the discharge via the dam under typical yearly flood conditions. The simulations show that almost all the sand and silt that enter into the reservoir deposit onto the reservoir bed. However, the locations where they tend to deposit differ, with sand tending to deposit close to the entrance of the reservoir, whereas silt deposits throughout the reservoir. Both sand and silt settle within a few hours of entering the reservoir. In contrast, clay remains suspended in the reservoir water for a period as long as several days, thus increasing the amount that is discharged downstream from the reservoir. Under the current operating mode of the dam, about three-quarters of clay that enters the reservoir during the flood is discharged downstream. By raising the height of the dam exit, the amount of clay exiting the reservoir can be reduced by a factor of three. The results indicate that the dam can be operated to buffer radioactive cesium and limit the contamination spreading into lowland areas of the Ukedo River basin. These results should be a factor in considerations for the future operation of the Ogaki Dam, and will be of interest for other operators of dam reservoirs in areas contaminated by radioactive fallout.

Predicting the long-term Cs distribution in Fukushima after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident; A Parameter sensitivity analysis

Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Kitamura, Akihiro; Oda, Yoshihiro; Onishi, Yasuo*

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 135, p.135 - 146, 2014/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.04.011

We applied a model, to predict long term cesium distribution on Fukushima area, based on the USLE and simple sediment discharge formulas. Sensitivity analysis was conducted here to narrow the range of the output results due to the uncertainties of parameters. The preliminary calculation indicated significant deposition of sand portion within river basins. On the other hand the most of the eroded silt and clay portions were transported downstream to the river mouths. Annual sediment outflow into the ocean from Abukuma River and its total from the other 13 river basins vary between calculation cases based on the variation of land use, landform or precipitation. On the other hand, contributions of those parameters are relatively small for Cs concentration within transported soil. This indicates the total amount of Cs outflow into the ocean could be controlled by amount of soil erosion and transport, and total amount of Cs remaining within the basin.

Predicting sediment and cesium-137 discharge from catchments in eastern Fukushima

Kitamura, Akihiro; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Yui, Mikazu; Onishi, Yasuo*

Anthropocene, 5, p.22 - 31, 2014/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2014.07.001

Amount of soil and cesium losses in Eastern Fukushima Prefecture is evaluated by a simple and fast simulation model which we developed utilizing the universal soil loss equation and the geographical information system. We focused on the land use factor of the universal soil loss equation in this study. It was estimated that the forest occupies 64% of the total land surface of the study area, but only accounts for 24% of total soil runoff and 33% of total cesium dispersion. The most contributing component comes from the crop field, while the forest becomes the second. Also, calculation was performed for each river basins and results were compared with field monitoring data.

Simulating long-term Cs distribution on territory of Fukushima

Kitamura, Akihiro; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Oda, Yoshihiro; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Onishi, Yasuo*

Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, 109(1), p.153 - 155, 2013/11

Long term Cs transport and its future distribution on the territory of Fukushima were predicted based on the USLE and the GIS. By modeling the soil erosion, transport, and deposition, we simulated the future distributions of air dose rates of Cs in mSv/h for 2, 6 and 21 years after the accident. The predictions made by METI were compared with the present results. The predictions of relatively high air dose rate areas were consistently matched between the two models over time. However, our model seemed to predict the decreasing rate of the Cs concentration with time to be slightly less than that of METI prediction. Some portions of the results obtained in the present study were used to provide influxes of sediments and Cs as boundary conditions and lateral inflows for the hydraulic river model.

Advancing an evaluation methodology to assess the potential effects of uplift, erosion, and climate and sea-level changes on HLW disposal; Modeling geomorphic change caused by fluvial erosion in Japan

Shimemoto, Hidenori; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Wakasugi, Keiichiro; Shibata, Masahiro

JAEA-Research 2013-012, 35 Pages, 2013/10

JAEA-Research-2013-012.pdf:8.16MB

In this study, we focus on uplift and erosion and climatic and sea-level changes among natural phenomena and pick up fluvial erosion is main and means large velocity between different type of erosion in Japan, and developed conceptual modeling of geomorphic change due to fluvial erosion with respect to fluvial erosion and sedimentation system, to evaluate the potential impact of exposure case of high level radioactive waste to land surface. Conceptual modeling of geomorphic change caused by fluvial erosion is developed with riverhead and downriver, such catchment areas are not treated until now, by conceptualization of geomorphic change on river due to uplift and denudation and climatic and sea-level changes for about last hundred and twenty thousand years. Furthermore, we analysis the depth and width of deepening and lateral erosion around river channel using the data of alluvium and show an example of the setup method concerning dimension on conceptual model to estimate the erosion volume contribute to the evaluation as to high level radioactive waste exposure process to land surface. We illustrate by an example the dimension as to valley within the central Japanese mountains using DEM data on conceptual model at riverhead. We develop conceptual modeling of geomorphic change on the basis of the feature on fluvial erosion in Japan and set basic intelligence to evaluate the potential impact of repository exposure to land surface caused by fluvial erosion, based on above study.

Development of the Kiso river delta during the last 10,000 years based on analyses of sedimentary cores and C datings

Ogami, Takashi*; Sugai, Toshihiko*; Fujiwara, Osamu*; Yamaguchi, Masaaki*; Sasao, Eiji

Chigaku Zasshi, 118(4), p.665 - 685, 2009/00

https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.118.665

The depositional process of the latest Pleistocene to Holocene shallow marine and fluvial sequences is investigated by using five drill cores from the Kiso river delta, central Japan. Based on facies analysis, the sediments were classified into 5 units; A: basal gravel, B: fluvial to intertidal sand and silt, C: transgressive lag deposit, prodelta mud or sandy silt, D: delta-front-slope sandy silt or sand, delta-front-platform sand, E: delta-plain to fluvial sand and silt. Detailed age-depth curves of each cores are reconstructed based on 107 AMS C ages. The curves are divided into four sections; I: mainly consists of unit B with rapid accumulation (7.3-21.4 mm/yr), II: mainly consists of unit C with moderate accumulation (2.4-2.8 mm/yr), III: mainly consists of unit D with rapid accumulation (6.7-17.8 mm/yr), IV: consists of unit D and E with moderate accumulation (1.3-3.9 mm/yr). The section boundaries of I/II and II/III reflect inundation into the bay and achievement of progradational delta-front slope, respectively. The expanding rate of the bay is 10 m/yr during 10,200-7,900 cal yrs BP. The progradation rates of the delta are 3-4 m/yr (6.500-4,100 cal yrs BP), 5 m/yr (4,100-1,300 cal yrs BP), 10 m/yr (1,300 cal yrs BP to the present). These indicate the transition from transgression to regression occurred between 7,800 to 7,300 cal yrs BP. The geological cross section along the Kiso river coupled with isochrones indicates following history. (1) 10,000-7,280 cal yrs BP (K-Ah horizon): During the expansion of the bay, onlap of unit C on unit B is visible, and unit C overlapped all the core sites. (2) 7,280 cal yrs BP to present: Isochrones younger than 6,500 cal yrs BP are similar each other and cross unit boundaries of C/D and D/E. This demonstrates units C, D and E are contemporaneous heterotopic facies formed by progradational delta.

Approach for site remedation induced by the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, 1; Framework for application of assessment techniques on geological disposal

Kato, Tomoko; Makino, Hitoshi; Takeuchi, Shinji; Miyahara, Kaname; Maekawa, Keisuke; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Iijima, Kazuki; Amano, Kenji; Saegusa, Hiromitsu; Sawada, Atsushi; et al.

no journal, , 

no abstracts in English