Radionuclide Behaviour in the Natural Environment: Science, Implications and Lessons for the Nuclear industry

by Christophe Poinssot (Editor), Horst Geckeis (Editor)

Overview

Understanding radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment is essential to the sustainable development of the nuclear industry and key to assessing potential environmental risks reliably. Minimising those risks is essential to enhancing public confidence in nuclear technology. Scientific knowledge in this field has developed greatly over the last decade.Radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment provides a comprehensive overview of the key processes and parameters affecting radionuclide mobility and migration.After an introductory chapter, part one explores radionuclide chemistry in the natural environment, including aquatic chemistry and the impact of natural organic matter and microorganisms. Part two discusses the migration and radioecological behavior of radionuclides. Topics include hydrogeology, sorption and colloidal reactions as well as in-situ investigations. Principles of modelling coupled geochemical, transport and radioecological properties are also discussed. Part three covers application issues: assessment of radionuclide behaviour in contaminated sites, taking Chernobyl as an example, estimation of radiological exposure to the population, performance assessment considerations related to deep geological repositories, and remediation concepts for contaminated sites.With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment is an essential tool for all those interested or involved in nuclear energy, from researchers, designers and industrial operators to environmental scientists. It also provides a comprehensive guide for academics of all levels in this field. - Provides a comprehensive overview of the key processes and parameters affecting radionuclide mobility and migration - Explores radionuclide chemistry in the natural environment - Discusses the migration and radioecological behaviour of radionuclides

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780857097194
Publisher:	Woodhead Publishing, Limited
Publication date:	09/20/2012
Series:	Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	744
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Professor Christophe Poinssot is Head of the Radiochemistry and Processes Department at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and Professor at the National Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN), France.
Professor Horst Geckeis is Director of the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.

Table of Contents

Contributor contact details Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy Foreword Chapter 1: Overview of radionuclide behaviour in the natural environment Abstract: 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Radionuclides of interest 1.3 Environmental compartments to be considered 1.4 References Part I: Radionuclide chemistry in the natural environment Chapter 2: Fundamentals of aquatic chemistry relevant to radionuclide behaviour in the environment Abstract: 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Composition of natural waters 2.3 Dissolution and precipitation 2.4 Aqueous complexes 2.5 Surface sorption 2.6 Colloids 2.7 Redox reactions 2.8 References Chapter 3: Aquatic chemistry of the actinides: aspects relevant to their environmental behavior Abstract: 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Oxidation states of actinides in aqueous solution 3.3 Actinide solid phases and solubility phenomena 3.4 Actinide complexation reactions 3.5 Chemical modeling tools and thermodynamic databases 3.6 Recommended literature 3.7 References Chapter 4: Aquatic chemistry of long-lived mobile fission and activation products in the context of deep geological disposal Abstract: 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The effects of the near field in high-level radioactive waste disposal 4.3 Solution and interfacial chemistry of selected radionuclides 4.4 Summary 4.5 References Chapter 5: Impacts of humic substances on the geochemical behaviour of radionuclides Abstract: 5.1 Introduction to humic substances 5.2 The 'humic acid molecule' 5.3 Discrete models of metal ion–humic interactions 5.4 Multiligand and macromolecular models of metal ion–humic interactions 5.5 Kinetic models of metal ion–humic interactions 5.6 Impacts of humic substances on radionuclide transport in different sites worldwide 5.7 Conclusions and future trends 5.8 References Chapter 6: Impacts of microorganisms on radionuclides in contaminated environments and waste materials Abstract: 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Biotransformation of uranium 6.3 Biotransformation of plutonium 6.4 Biosorption and bioaccumulation of uranium and plutonium 6.5 Biotransformation of other actinides and related elements 6.6 Biotransformation of fission and activation products 6.7 Microbiological studies of low- and intermediate-level wastes, and high-level waste repository sites 6.8 Conclusion 6.9 Acknowledgments 6.11 References Part II: Radionuclide migration Chapter 7: Hydrogeological features relevant to radionuclide migration in the natural environment Abstract: 7.1 Introduction 7.2 The water content of the subsoil 7.3 Groundwater movement in the soil and subsoil 7.4 Aquifer systems 7.5 Groundwater flow equations for aquifer systems 7.6 Solving the flow equations for aquifer systems 7.7 References Chapter 8: Radionuclide retention at mineralâ€"water interfaces in the natural environment Abstract: 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Macroscopic studies of radionuclide sorption 8.3 Sorption models 8.4 Spectroscopic techniques 8.5 Future developments 8.6 Acknowledgements 8.7 References Chapter 9: Radionuclide migration: coupling transport and chemistry Abstract: 9.1 Introduction 9.2 The transport phenomenon 9.3 Coupling chemistry to transport 9.4 Application examples 9.5 References Chapter 10: Impact of colloidal transport on radionuclide migration in the natural environment Abstract: 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Geochemistry and sorption behavior of radionuclides 10.3 Nature and origin of colloids 10.4 Colloid characteristics 10.5 Laboratory experiments of colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport 10.6 Field studies of radionuclide migration 10.7 Conclusion and future trends 10.8 Acknowledgments 10.9 References Chapter 11: Natural analogues of nuclear waste repositories: studies and their implications for the development of radionuclide migration models Abstract: 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Nature and limitations of natural analogues 11.3 Selected natural analogue sites 11.4 Lessons on radionuclide (RN) geochemistry and migration from main natural analogues studies 11.5 Conclusion 11.