Scholarlink

Radiotoxicity, the potential biological hazard from the ingestion or inhalation of radioactive nuclides, is critical in evaluating the long-term safety of radwaste disposal. In the context of spent nuclear fuel management, radiotoxicity provides a more accurate measure of radiobiological risk than radioactivity levels alone. Yet, comprehensive studies detailing radiotoxicity variations among actinides in different waste forms over extended timescales remain limited, creating a gap in knowledge essential for optimizing waste disposal strategies and assessing the need for further reprocessing. Understanding these variations could improve disposal safety by enabling more informed decisions on actinide separation and waste form selection. In this paper, we analyze the radiotoxicity of actinides in uranium oxide spent fuel (initially enriched to 4.95% U-235, burned to 55 GW/tUd, and cooled for 8 years) and its main radwaste after reprocessing and HLLW partitioning (e.g., TRPO process). Using burnup calculation software, we calculate the long-term radiotoxicity in five waste sources: (1) spent fuel, (2) high-level liquid waste (HLLW) with residual U and Pu, (3) Am-Cm stream, (4) Np-Pu stream, and (5) U stream after TRPO process. Results show that transuranic elements exhibit varied radiotoxicity profiles over time: neptunium (Np) has the lowest radiotoxicity, while plutonium (Pu), americium (Am), and curium (Cm) demonstrate significantly higher levels. Am and Pu maintain high toxicity over millennia, while Cm’s toxicity notably decreases after 300 years. Without HLLW partitioning, conventional waste glass requires approximately 104 years (within the safe containment and isolation period of a deep geological repository) to reach naturel uranium in equilibrium toxicity level. HLLW partitioning ensures that the only waste requiring deep geological disposal from reprocessing plants is the solid waste derived from the americium-curium (AmCm) stripping stream, while the remaining waste can be managed through intermediate-depth or near-surface disposal. The amount of Pu in the final waste should also be minimized by improving Pu recovery, or NpPu separation, which can effectively reduce the contribution of highly toxic Pu to overall radiotoxicity.

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Impact of Actinide Radiotoxicity on Radwaste Management Strategies for Reprocessing Facilities

  • 会议论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

查看全文
  • Shuai Liu,
  • Meng Wei,
  • Jianquan Liu,
  • Xipeng Zhang

摘要

Radiotoxicity, the potential biological hazard from the ingestion or inhalation of radioactive nuclides, is critical in evaluating the long-term safety of radwaste disposal. In the context of spent nuclear fuel management, radiotoxicity provides a more accurate measure of radiobiological risk than radioactivity levels alone. Yet, comprehensive studies detailing radiotoxicity variations among actinides in different waste forms over extended timescales remain limited, creating a gap in knowledge essential for optimizing waste disposal strategies and assessing the need for further reprocessing. Understanding these variations could improve disposal safety by enabling more informed decisions on actinide separation and waste form selection. In this paper, we analyze the radiotoxicity of actinides in uranium oxide spent fuel (initially enriched to 4.95% U-235, burned to 55 GW/tUd, and cooled for 8 years) and its main radwaste after reprocessing and HLLW partitioning (e.g., TRPO process). Using burnup calculation software, we calculate the long-term radiotoxicity in five waste sources: (1) spent fuel, (2) high-level liquid waste (HLLW) with residual U and Pu, (3) Am-Cm stream, (4) Np-Pu stream, and (5) U stream after TRPO process. Results show that transuranic elements exhibit varied radiotoxicity profiles over time: neptunium (Np) has the lowest radiotoxicity, while plutonium (Pu), americium (Am), and curium (Cm) demonstrate significantly higher levels. Am and Pu maintain high toxicity over millennia, while Cm’s toxicity notably decreases after 300 years. Without HLLW partitioning, conventional waste glass requires approximately 104 years (within the safe containment and isolation period of a deep geological repository) to reach naturel uranium in equilibrium toxicity level. HLLW partitioning ensures that the only waste requiring deep geological disposal from reprocessing plants is the solid waste derived from the americium-curium (AmCm) stripping stream, while the remaining waste can be managed through intermediate-depth or near-surface disposal. The amount of Pu in the final waste should also be minimized by improving Pu recovery, or NpPu separation, which can effectively reduce the contribution of highly toxic Pu to overall radiotoxicity.