Tag: Nuclear Waste

Tackling One of the Most Extreme Environments on Earth: Nuclear Waste

sarah JonasFeature

The complicated chemistry of legacy nuclear waste presents a challenge in environmental management. The presence of radioactive ions induces chemical changes that range from faster than the blink of an eye to decades in the making. Since 2016, researchers led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have been persistent in tracking and analyzing the chemical phenomena that occur in the extreme environments found in legacy nuclear waste.

GW Experts Available: Japan releasing treated water from Fukushima nuclear plant

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Japan started discharging treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. According to The Washington Post, the move comes amid fierce opposition from neighboring countries and after a two-year review by the International Atomic Energy Agency,…

Nuclear waste interaction in the environment may be more complicated than once thought

sarah JonasResearch Results

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and collaborators proposed a new mechanism by which nuclear waste could spread in the environment. The new findings, that involve researchers at Penn State and Harvard Medical School, have implications for nuclear waste management and environmental chemistry.

Keeping Waste Where It Belongs: Grain Size Explains How Spent Nuclear Fuel Enters the Environment

sarah JonasFeature

When compounds in spent nuclear fuel break down, they can release radioactive elements into the ground and water. Scientists know that one fuel compound, neptunium dioxide, reacts with water, but they do not fully understand the process. This new study found that neptunium tends to dissolve where grains of the material come together, and larger grains are less likely to dissolve.

Sandia to put nuclear waste storage canisters to the test

sarah JonasFeature

Sandia National Laboratories is outfitting three 22.5-ton, 16.5-feet-long stainless-steel storage canisters with heaters and instrumentation to simulate nuclear waste so researchers can study their durability. The three canisters, which arrived in mid-November and have never contained any nuclear materials, will be used to study how much salt gathers on canisters over time. Sandia will also study the potential for cracks caused by salt- and stress-induced corrosion with additional canisters that will be delivered during the next stage of the project.