General & Miscellaneous Pollution & Pollutants, Nuclear Physics - Particles & Elements, Chemical Elements, Nuclear Engineering

Actinides and the Environment

Name: Actinides and the Environment
Author: Sterne, P. a. , Gonis, A. , Borovoi, A. a.
ISBN: 9789048150021

by Sterne, P. a., Gonis, A., Borovoi, A. a.

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Overview

The book combines in one volume the opinions of experts regarding the interaction of radionuclides with the environment and possible ways to immobilize and dispose of nuclear waste. The relevant areas span the spectrum from pure science, such as the fundamental physics and chemistry of the actinides, geology, environmental transport mechanisms, to engineering issues such as reactor operation and the design of nuclear waste repositories. The cross-fertilization between these various areas means that the material in the book will be accessible to seasoned scientists who may wish to obtain an overview of the current state of the art in the field of environmental remediation of radionuclides, as well as to beginning scientists embarking on a career in this field.

Synopsis

The handling of actinides and actinide-based materials provides significant technological challenges due to the toxicity and radioactivity associated with these materials. These challenges are particularly apparent in the nuclear power industry. Under normal operation, a reactor can produce a significant amount of spent fuel requiring subsequent containment for geologic times, and under accident conditions it can release lethal doses of radioactive material to the environment. Inevitably, radioactive material will enter the environment, necessitating as complete an understanding as possible of its behavior. An understanding of the interaction between actinides and the environment must be based on a knowledge of their basic physical and chemical properties. To date, although there is general agreement on the principles for waste disposal, no facility has been built for the long term disposal of high level radioactive waste from either normal reactor operations or from accidental catastrophes. This makes it most important for the scientific and technical community to develop the necessary cross-disciplinary understanding that will help us implement safe and secure waste management, accident remediation and accident prevention systems.

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Booknews

Contains 31 papers from the ASI held in July 1996 which covered issues relating to the physical and chemical properties of the actinides, reactor operations, waste disposal and repositories, and actinides in the environment. A sampling of topics: Electronic structure, solid state chemistry and thermophysical properties, nuclear heating power plant technical safety decisions, conception of VVER reactors with coated particles, spent fuel characteristics and disposal considerations, interaction of radionuclide with hard rock, remediation of the Chernobyl accident site, and plutonium content in Black Sea sediments and algae. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.