Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2023)

Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Koji; Sueoka, Shigeru; Fujita, Natsuko; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Ogita, Yasuhiro; Fukuda, Shoma; Nakajima, Toru; Kagami, Saya; Ogata, Manabu; et al.

JAEA-Review 2023-017, 27 Pages, 2023/10

JAEA-Review-2023-017.pdf:0.94MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in fiscal year 2023. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2023 are described in detail based on the JAEA 4th Medium- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2022-2028). In addition, the background of this research is described from the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress. The plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques.

Event report of JHPS Symposium 2022

Yasuoka, Yumi*; Fujita, Hiroki; Tsuji, Tomoya; Tsujiguchi, Takakiyo*; Sasaki, Michiya*; Miyazaki, Tomoyuki*; Hashima, Shun*; Yasuda, Hiroshi*; Shimada, Kazumasa; Hirota, Seiko*

Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 57(3), p.146 - 155, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.57.146

no abstracts in English

Development of emergency monitoring system for alpha-particle-emitting radionuclides in the air

Hokama, Tomonori; Fujita, Hiroki; Nakano, Masanao; Iimoto, Takeshi*

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 196(3-4), p.136 - 140, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncab139

During the early phase of a nuclear accident, major radioactive materials are released into the environment, necessitating the prompt deployment of various protective actions to avoid or reduce radiation exposure. To implement these actions, the levels of radioactivity in the environment should be determined. However, the radioactivity concentrations of artificial alpha-particle-emitting radionuclides such as plutonium are difficult to measure in airborne samples, because they are interfered with natural radionuclides such as uranium decay products. Therefore, chemical separation is required to measure the concentrations. This study presents a new emergency monitoring system for airborne samples, which performs multiple-pulse time-interval analysis (MTA) without chemical separation. The system is used in conjunction with an alpha/beta-particle survey meter and adopted an analysis method focusing on the detected time interval of each particle. Its features are that a short time to output measurement result, easy handling and nondestructive. The estimated detection limit of the system was 9.510 Bq m. The MTA-based monitoring system could be useful in situations requiring prompt measurement and screening of samples.

Additive-free hydrothermal leaching method with low environmental burden for screening of strontium in soil

Kato, Takuma*; Nagaoka, Mika; Guo, H.*; Fujita, Hiroki; Aida, Taku*; Smith, R. L. Jr.*

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(39), p.55725 - 55735, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14916-0

In this work, hydrothermal leaching was applied to simulated soils (clay minerals vermiculite, montmorillonite, kaolinite) and actual soils (Terunuma, Japan) to generate organic acids with the objective to develop an additive-free screening method for determination of Sr in soil. Stable strontium (SrCl) was adsorbed onto soils for study and ten organic acids were evaluated for leaching Sr from simulated soils under hydrothermal conditions (120 to 200C) at concentrations up to 0.3 M. For strontium-adsorbed vermiculite (Sr-V), 0.1 M citric acid was found to be effective for leaching Sr at 150C and 1 h treatment time. Based on these results, the formation of organic acids from organic matter in Terunuma soil was studied. Hydrothermal treatment of Terunuma soil produced a maximum amount of organic acids at 200C and 0.5 h reaction time. To confirm the possibility for leaching of Sr from Terunuma soil, strontium-adsorbed Terunuma soil (Sr-S) was studied. For Sr-S, hydrothermal treatment at 200C for 0.5 h reaction time allowed 40% of the Sr to be leached at room temperature, thus demonstrating an additive-free method for screening of Sr in soil. The additive-free hydrothermal leaching method avoids calcination of solids in the first step of chemical analysis and has application to both routine monitoring of metals in soils and to emergency situations.

Supercritical water pretreatment method for analysis of strontium and uranium in soil (Andosols)

Nagaoka, Mika; Fujita, Hiroki; Aida, Taku*; Guo, H.*; Smith, R. L. Jr.*

Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 168, p.109465_1 - 109465_6, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109465

The radioactivities in the environmental samples are analyzed to monitor the nuclear power facilities. The pretreatment of radioactive nuclides of alpha and beta emitters in the environmental samples is performed with acid to decompose organic matter and extract object nuclide such as Sr, U and Pu. However, the pretreatment methods are time-consuming and used many concentrated acid solutions that are unsafe and hazardous. Therefore, we develop to the new pretreatment method using supercritical water instead of acid. Hydrothermal pretreatment of soils (Andosols) from Ibaraki prefecture (Japan) was used to improve methods for monitoring radioactive Sr and U. Calcined samples were pretreated with subcritical or supercritical water (SCW) followed by extraction with 0.5 M HNO solutions. With SCW pretreatment, recoveries of Sr and U were 70% and 40%, respectively. Experimental recoveries obtained can be described by a linear relationship in water density. The proposed method is robust and can lower environmental burden of routine analytical protocols.

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2019)

Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Ogata, Nobuhisa; Hanamuro, Takahiro; Shimada, Akiomi; Kokubu, Yoko; Asamori, Koichi; Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Koji; Watanabe, Takahiro; Sueoka, Shigeru; et al.

JAEA-Review 2019-010, 46 Pages, 2019/09

JAEA-Review-2019-010.pdf:2.45MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency, in fiscal year 2019. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2019 are described in detail based on the outline of 7 years plan (fiscal years 2015-2021). Background of this research is clarified with the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress in this report. In addition, the plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques.

Annual report on the effluent control of low level liquid waste in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories FY2017

Nakano, Masanao; Fujita, Hiroki; Mizutani, Tomoko; Nagaoka, Mika; Inoue, Kazumi; Koike, Yuko; Yamada, Ryohei; Yoshii, Hideki*; Hiyama, Yoshinori*; Otani, Kazunori*; et al.

JAEA-Review 2018-028, 120 Pages, 2019/02

JAEA-Review-2018-028.pdf:2.69MB

Based on the regulations (the safety regulation of Tokai Reprocessing Plant, the safety regulation of nuclear fuel material usage facilities, the radiation safety rule, the regulation about prevention from radiation hazards due to radioisotopes, which are related with the nuclear regulatory acts, the local agreement concerning with safety and environment conservation around nuclear facilities, the water pollution control law, and by law of Ibaraki Prefecture), the effluent control of liquid waste discharged from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been performed. This report describes the effluent control results of the liquid waste in the fiscal year 2017. In this period, the concentrations and the quantities of the radioactivity in liquid waste discharged from the reprocessing plant, the plutonium fuel fabrication facilities, and the other nuclear fuel material usage facilities were much lower than the limits authorized by the above regulations.

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific Program for fiscal year 2018)

Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Ogata, Nobuhisa; Shimada, Akiomi; Asamori, Koichi; Kokubu, Yoko; Niwa, Masakazu; Watanabe, Takahiro; Saiga, Atsushi; Sueoka, Shigeru; Komatsu, Tetsuya; et al.

JAEA-Review 2018-020, 46 Pages, 2019/01

JAEA-Review-2018-020.pdf:1.25MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency, in fiscal year 2018. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2018 are described in detail based on the outline of 7 years plan (fiscal years 2015-2021). Background of this research is clarified with the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress in this report. In addition, the plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques.

Seismic evaluation for a large-sized reactor vessel targeting SFRs in Japan

Uchita, Masato*; Miyagawa, Takayuki*; Dozaki, Koji*; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Kubo, Shigenobu; Hayafune, Hiroki; Suzuno, Tetsuji*; Fukasawa, Tsuyoshi*; Kamishima, Yoshio*; Fujita, Satoshi*

Proceedings of 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) (CD-ROM), p.380 - 386, 2018/04

It is well-known that pool-type SFRs are the main streams recently in a field of Generation IV reactors. The pool-type encloses primary pumps and IHXs located around the core barrel in a main vessel. Consequently, the main vessel diameter trends to be larger than that of loop-types. From the viewpoint of commercialization in the future, a target of the vessel diameter and its weight including Sodium coolant will increase further. In this paper, the prospects are described in terms of seismic design and structural integrity for the thermal loadings to prevent buckling of the reactor vessel based on parameter studies with diameters of the vessel. In addition, the seismic isolation device which will be effective as a countermeasure is proposed in order to secure a margin against buckling of a large reactor vessel.

Annual report on the environmental radiation monitoring around the Tokai Reprocessing Plant FY2016

Nakano, Masanao; Fujita, Hiroki; Mizutani, Tomoko; Nemoto, Masashi; Tobita, Keiji; Hosomi, Kenji; Nagaoka, Mika; Hokama, Tomonori; Nishimura, Tomohiro; Koike, Yuko; et al.

JAEA-Review 2017-028, 177 Pages, 2018/01

JAEA-Review-2017-028.pdf:3.61MB

Environmental radiation monitoring around the Tokai Reprocessing Plant has been performed by the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, based on "Safety Regulations for the Reprocessing Plant of Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Chapter IV - Environmental Monitoring". This annual report presents the results of the environmental monitoring and the dose estimation to the hypothetical inhabitant due to the radioactivity discharged from the plant to the atmosphere and the sea during April 2016 to March 2017. In this report, some data include the influence of the accidental release from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. in March 2011. Appendices present comprehensive information, such as monitoring programs, monitoring methods, monitoring results and their trends, meteorological data and discharged radioactive wastes. In addition, the data which were influenced by the accidental release and were exceeded the normal range of fluctuation in the monitoring, were evaluated.