Tellurium radionuclides produced by major accidental events in nuclear power plants

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teba Gil-Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Environmental Persistence ◽  
Risk Assessment And Management ◽  
Environmental Compartments

Environmental contextHistorical accidents in nuclear power plants have released radionuclides of several elements, including tellurium, to the environment. Although tellurium radionuclides are significant radioactive emission products, and show medium-term persistence in the environment, the mechanisms behind their widespread dispersion are unknown. Future research into the biogeochemical behaviour of stable tellurium is proposed as an appropriate approach to develop tellurium dispersion scenarios fundamental for post-accident management. AbstractTellurium (Te) is a technology critical element (TCE) and a non-negligible fission product in nuclear facilities. This work compiles the environmental releases of Te radionuclides registered after two nuclear power plant (NPP) major accidental events in human history (Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi). Despite the registered non-negligible activities and environmental persistence, Te radionuclides are scarcely monitored, which limits the current understanding of their biogeochemical behaviour, dispersion and fate in all environmental compartments. This lack of knowledge implies an underestimation of the role of Te radionuclides during and after accidents and its consideration in dispersion scenarios, which are fundamental for post-accidental risk assessment and management.

scholarly journals Erratum for “Role of Offshore Nuclear Power Plants”

1976 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-232
Author(s):  
Joel L. Caves ◽  
Heber T. Newton
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants

INTERCOMPARISON ON INTERNAL DOSE ASSESSMENT FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN KOREA

2019 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 524-529
Author(s):  
Si Young Kim
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Dose Assessment ◽  
Assessment Procedure ◽  
Internal Dose ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
International Intercomparison ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract The intercomparison test is a quality assurance activity performed for internal dose assessment. In Korea, the intercomparison test on internal dose assessment was carried out for nuclear facilities in May 2018. The test involved four nuclear facilities in Korea, and seven exposure scenarios were applied. These scenarios cover the intake of 131I, a uranium mixture, 60Co and tritium under various conditions. This paper only reviews the participant results of three scenarios pertinent to the operation of nuclear power plants and adopts the statistical evaluation method, used in international intercomparison tests, to determine the significance values of the results. Although no outliers were established in the test, improvements in the internal dose assessment procedure were derived. These included the selection of intake time, selection of lung absorption type according to the chemical form and consideration of the contribution of previous intake.

The Regulatory Framework for Safe Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants in Korea

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangmyeon Ahn ◽  
Jungjoon Lee ◽  
Chanwoo Jeong ◽  
Kyungwoo Choi
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Regulatory Framework ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Safety Requirement ◽  
Regulatory Review ◽  
Safety Standards

We are having 23 units of nuclear power plants in operation and 5 units of nuclear power plants under construction in Korea as of September 2012. However, we don’t have any experience on shutdown permanently and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. There are only two research reactors being decommissioned since 1997. It is realized that improvement of the regulatory framework for decommissioning of nuclear facilities has been emphasized constantly from the point of view of IAEA’s safety standards. It is also known that IAEA will prepare the safety requirement on decommissioning of facilities; its title is the Safe Decommissioning of Facilities, General Safety Requirement Part 6. According to the result of IAEA’s Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission to Korea in 2011, it was recommended that the regulatory framework should require decommissioning plans for nuclear installations to be constructed and operated and these plans should be updated periodically. In addition, after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March of 2011, preparedness for early decommissioning caused by an unexpected severe accident became important issues and concerns. In this respect, it is acknowledged that the regulatory framework for decommissioning of nuclear facilities in Korea need to be improved. First of all, we focus on identifying the current status and relevant issues of regulatory framework for decommissioning of nuclear power plants compared to the IAEA’s safety standards in order to achieve our goal. And then the plan is established for improvement of regulatory framework for decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Korea. It is expected that if the things will go forward as planned, the revised regulatory framework for decommissioning could enhance the safety regime on the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Korea in light of international standards.

scholarly journals On Geological and Geophysical Safety of the New Safe Confinement for ChNPP-4

2016 ◽  
pp. 44-50
Author(s):  
V. Shestopalov ◽  
Iu. Shybetskyi
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Local Depression ◽  
Fault Structures ◽  
Potential Impact

The paper considers evidences and mechanisms of potential impact of local depression (microgeodynamic) zones on NPP safety. The depression forms were revealed within the Chornobyl NPP site, including location of the new safe confinement. Nature of zones and character of their influence is determined by fault structures and conjugated deep degassing processes, which cannot be detected and studied by traditional methods of engineering and exploration works during NPP siting. The assumption was made that significant and still unexplored risks for nuclear facilities are related to probable release of deep hydrogen through the bottom of depressions along sub-bottom channels. The approaches were proposed to studying the system of “depression with its sub-bottom channel” within the sites of Chornobyl NPP and other nuclear power plants.

scholarly journals The Work Results of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of the NAS of Ukraine in 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 96-105
Author(s):  
V. S. Havrylenko ◽  
◽  
I. V. Kutsyna ◽  
D. I. Кhvalin ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Energy Agency ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Organizational Activities

The year 2020 has become a real challenge for almost all aspects of life all over the world. Under these conditions, Ukrainian science, which has been in a state of crisis for more than a year, has been forced to overcome additional difficulties. However, due to the efforts of scientists, scientific work not only did not stop, but also received a large development effort in new directions and formats. In 2020, the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants was one of the scientific institutions that under the new conditions made every effort to carry out the planned scientific researches and perform works in accordance with its activities. The main results of scientific and scientific-organizational activities of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants in 2020 are presented in the article. Despite the difficult economic situation due to the epidemic, the staff of the Institute obtained important results in studies of nuclear and radiation safety of the Shelter object, and in works aimed at improving the reliability and safety of existing Ukrainian and foreign nuclear power plants. The results of works in the field of the Shelter object transformation into an ecologically safe system, safe operation of nuclear facilities, decommissioning of nuclear facilities, spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management are presented in the article. The results of the work performed under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) grant and the Ukrainian-Japanese Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) project are described. The implementation of the results of these studies in practice is indicated. Scientific and expert activities in the interests and at the request of public authorities, cooperation with national and foreign scientific organizations as well as scientific and organizational activities in 2020 are described. Information on internal certification of employees, participation in international and national events, publishing and etc. is presented.

The Role of Local Governments in the Japanese Nuclear Governance: Case Analysis of “Safety Agreements” in Siting Areas

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shin-etsu Sugawara ◽  
Hiroshi Kimura
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Safety ◽  
Regulation System ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
National Regulation ◽  
Safety Issues

Non-institutional measures often play an important role in the governance between technology and institutional system which have legal basis. In this study, we analyze the role of the “safety agreements” in Japan’s current regulation system of nuclear power plants (NPPs). In Japan, the national government regulates exclusively the safety of nuclear facilities based on the regulaions. But local governments also involve in the nuclear safety regulation de facto, to protect the publics’ safety and welfare. All the local governments in the siting areas concluded “safety agreements”, a gentleman-like agreement between local governments and power companies on safety issues. These Agreements contain various provisions, such as, the immediate notification procedures of accidents in NPPs, the access and inspection of NPPs after accidents, etc... However, these provisions don’t have a legal-binding of the power companies but, the local governors and local governments sometimes strongly assert the control for the restart operation of NPPs after the accidents utilizing the “safety agreements” as the pretext. This situation has sometimes been criticized by some experts who argue that the “safety agreements” have become an obstacle for stable NPPs operation and electricity supply. Since there are no studies which analyze the actual situations of local governments’ control on nuclear safety based on the “safety agreements,” we analyzed the situation by performing a qualitative survey and conducting a series of interview with personnel of the power companies and local governments. We found from our analysis that the “safety agreements” were utilized positively. For example, the inspection of NPPs by local government functions as an endorsement for the national regulation and assures public confidence. In this case the “safety agreements” promote and provide public acceptance on nuclear governance. However, the measures in these “safety agreements” could be over-extended in the political contexts because of the ambiguity and flexibility in the interpretation. In our paper, we would illustrate the merits and demerits of the role of local governments based on these “safety agreements” and suggest to improve the nuclear safety governance within the local governments’ capacity.

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