National Low-Level Waste Management Program radionuclide report series. Volume 2, Niobium-94

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, J.P.; Carboneau, M.L.

1995-04-01

The Purpose of the National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series is to provide information to, state representatives and developers of low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities about the radiological chemical, and physical characteristics of selected radionuclides and their behavior in the low-level radioactive waste disposal facility environment. Extensive surveys of available literature provided information used to produce this series of reports and an introductory report. This report is Volume 11 of the series. It outlines the basic radiological, chemical, and physical characteristics of niobium-94, waste types and forms that contain it, and its behavior in environmental media such as soils, plants, groundwater, air, animals and the human body

Korean working towards low and intermediate level waste volume reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myung-Jae Song; Jong-Kil Park

2001-01-01

The safe management of radioactive waste is a national task required for sustainable generation of nuclear power and for energy self-reliance. This paper describes the results, efforts, and prospects for the safe management of radioactive wastes having been performed by the Nuclear Environment Technology Institute (NETEC) of the Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). Firstly, KEPCO's efforts and results for waste volume reduction are summarized to show how the number of waste drums generated per reactor-year could be reduced by about 60% during the last 10 years. Secondly, a new treatment technology, a technology for low and intermediate level waste (LILW) vitrification, was introduced to prospect how the technology reduces the waste volume and increases the inherent safety for LILW disposal. It is expected that the vitrification technology will contribute not only to reduce LILW volume to around 1/14 ∼ 1/32 but also to change the 'Not In My Back Yard' (NIMBY) syndrome to the 'Please In My Front Yard' (PIMFY) attitude of local communities/residents for LILW disposal. (author)

Volume reduction options for the management of low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, D.E.; Lerch, R.E.

1979-01-01

Volume reduction options that are now or soon will be available for low-level wastes are examined. These wastes generally are in the form of combustible solids, noncombustible solids, and wet wastes (solid/liquid). Initially, the wastes are collected and stored onsite. Preconditioning may be required, e.g., sorting, shredding, and classifying the solids into combustible and noncombustible fractions. The volume of combustible solids can be reduced by compaction, incineration/pyrolysis, acid digestion, or molten salt combustion. Options for reducing the volume of noncombustible solids include compaction, size reduction and decontamination, meltdown-casting, dissolution and electropolishing. Burnable wet wastes (e.g., organic wastes) can be evaporated or combusted; nonburnable wet wastes can be treated by various evaporative or nonevaporative processes. All radioactive waste processing operations result in some equipment contamination and the production of additional radioactively contaminated wastes (secondary wastes). The additional waste quantities must be considered in evaluating performance and overall volume reduction factors for the various systems. In the selection of an optimum waste management plan for a given facility, other important factors (e.g., relative stability of the waste product form) should be considered along with the savings accrued due to volume reduction

Low-level radioactive waste from commercial nuclear reactors. Volume 1. Recommendations for technology developments with potential to significantly improve low-level radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodgers, B.R.; Jolley, R.L.

1986-02-01

The overall task of this program was to provide an assessment of currently available technology for treating commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW), to initiate development of a methodology for choosing one technology for a given application, and to identify research needed to improve current treatment techniques and decision methodology. The resulting report is issued in four volumes. Volume 1 provides an executive summary and a general introduction to the four-volume set, in addition to recommendations for research and development (R and D) for low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) treatment. Generic, long-range, and/or high-risk programs identified and prioritized as needed R and D in the LLRW field include: (1) systems analysis to develop decision methodology; (2) alternative processes for dismantling, decontaminating, and decommissioning; (3) ion exchange; (4) incinerator technology; (5) disposal technology; (6) demonstration of advanced technologies; (7) technical assistance; (8) below regulatory concern materials; (9) mechanical treatment techniques; (10) monitoring and analysis procedures; (11) radical process improvements; (12) physical, chemical, thermal, and biological processes; (13) fundamental chemistry; (14) interim storage; (15) modeling; and (16) information transfer. The several areas are discussed in detail

Low-level nuclear waste in Washington State

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, H.

1986-01-01

A commercial disposal site for low-level nuclear wastes opened at Hanford in 1965. By 1971 a total of six were in operation: Hanford, Nevada, South Carolina, Kentucky, New York State, and Illinois. The history of the operation of these sites is described. Only the first three listed are still open. The effects of the large volumes of waste expected from Three Mile Island are described. This paper examines the case history of Hanford operations with low-level waste disposal for lessons that might apply in other states being considered for disposal sites

National low-level waste management program radionuclide report series, Volume 14: Americium-241

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winberg, M.R.; Garcia, R.S.

1995-09-01

This report, Volume 14 of the National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, discusses the radiological and chemical characteristics of americium-241 ( 241 Am). This report also includes discussions about waste types and forms in which 241 Am can be found and 241 Am behavior in the environment and in the human body

National Low-Level Waste Management Program radionuclide report series. Volume 13, Curium-242

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, J.P.

1995-08-01

This report, Volume 13 of the National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, discusses the radiological and chemical characteristics of curium-242 ( 242 Cm). This report also includes discussions about waste types and forms in which 242 Cm can be found and 242 Cm behavior in the environment and in the human body

Hydrogeology of the 200 Areas low-level burial grounds: An interim report: Volume 2, Appendixes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Last, G.V.; Bjornstad, B.N.; Bergeron, M.P.; Wallace, D.W.; Newcomer, D.R.; Schramke, J.A.; Chamness, M.A.; Cline, C.S.; Airhart, S.P.; Wilbur, J.S.

1989-01-01

This report presents information derived form the installation of 35 ground-water monitoring wells around six low-level radioactive/hazardous waste burial grounds located in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. This information was collected between May 20, 1987 and August 1, 1988. The contents of this report have been divided into two volumes. Volume 1 contains the main text. This Volume contains the appendixes, including data and supporting information that verify content and results found in the main text.

Removal of rare gases from large volume airstreams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopke, P.K.; Leong, K.H.; Stukel, J.J.; Lewis, C.; Jebackumar, R.; Illinois Univ., Urbana; Illinois Univ., Urbana

1986-01-01

The cost-effective removal of low levels of rare gases and particularly radon from large volume air flows is a difficult problem. The use of various scrubbing systems using non-conventional fluids has been studied. The parameters for both a packed tower absorber and a gas scrubber have been calculated for a system using perfluorobenzene as the fluid. Based on these parameters, a packed bed tower of conventional proportions is feasible for the removal of >95% of 37 Bq/m 3 of radon from a flow of 4.7 m 3 /second. (author)

National Low-Level Waste Management Program radionuclide report series. Volume 13, Curium-242

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, J.P.

1995-08-01

This report, Volume 13 of the National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, discusses the radiological and chemical characteristics of curium-242 ({sup 242}Cm). This report also includes discussions about waste types and forms in which {sup 242}Cm can be found and {sup 242}Cm behavior in the environment and in the human body.

National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, Volume 17: Plutonium-239

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, J.P.; Carboneau, M.L.

1999-01-01

This report, Volume 17 of the National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, discusses the radiological and chemical characteristics of plutonium-239 (Pu-239). This report also discusses waste types and forms in which Pu-239 can be found, waste and disposal information on Pu-239, and Pu-239 behavior in the environment and in the human body

National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, Volume 17: Plutonium-239

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. P. Adams; M. L. Carboneau

1999-03-01

This report, Volume 17 of the National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, discusses the radiological and chemical characteristics of plutonium-239 (Pu-239). This report also discusses waste types and forms in which Pu-239 can be found, waste and disposal information on Pu-239, and Pu-239 behavior in the environment and in the human body.

76 FR 50500 - Request for Comments on the Draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-15

... issued when disposal space was scarce since two of the three operating low level radioactive waste (LLRW... radioactive waste management program. While the Commission continues to favor the disposal of LLRW over... on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission...

Incineration of Low Level Radioactive Vegetation for Waste Volume Reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malik, N.P.S.; Rucker, G.G.; Looper, M.G.

1995-01-01

The DOE changing mission at Savannah River Site (SRS) are to increase activities for Waste Management and Environmental Restoration. There are a number of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) locations that are contaminated with radioactivity and support dense vegetation, and are targeted for remediation. Two such locations have been studied for non-time critical removal actions under the National Contingency Plan (NCP). Both of these sites support about 23 plant species. Surveys of the vegetation show that radiation emanates mainly from vines, shrubs, and trees and range from 20,000 to 200,000 d/m beta gamma. Planning for removal and disposal of low-level radioactive vegetation was done with two principal goals: to process contaminated vegetation for optimum volume reduction and waste minimization, and for the protection of human health and environment. Four alternatives were identified as candidates for vegetation removal and disposal: chipping the vegetation and packing in carbon steel boxes (lined with synthetic commercial liners) and disposal at the Solid Waste Disposal Facility at SRS; composting the vegetation; burning the vegetation in the field; and incinerating the vegetation. One alternative 'incineration' was considered viable choice for waste minimization, safe handling, and the protection of the environment and human health. Advantages and disadvantages of all four alternatives considered have been evaluated. For waste minimization and ultimate disposal of radioactive vegetation incineration is the preferred option. Advantages of incineration are that volume reduction is achieved and low-level radioactive waste are stabilized. For incineration and final disposal vegetation will be chipped and packed in card board boxes and discharged to the rotary kiln of the incinerator. The slow rotation and longer resident time in the kiln will ensure complete combustion of the vegetative material

Intraoperative and postoperative evaluation of low tidal volume combined with low-level positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation in laparoscopic surgery in elderly patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye-Qiu Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate intraoperative and postoperative condition of low tidal volume combined with low-level positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation in laparoscopic surgery in elderly patients. Methods: A total of 176 cases of elderly patients (more than 60 years old receiving laparoscopic surgery in our hospital from July 2013 to July 2015 were selected as research subjects and randomly divided into observation group and control group, each group included 88 cases, control group received conventional ventilation strategy, observation group received low tidal volume combined with low-level positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation strategy, and then levels of hemodynamic indexes, respiratory mechanical indexes, serology indexes and cerebral vessel related indexes, etc of two groups were compared. Results: Intraoperative and postoperative heart rate and mean arterial pressure levels of observation group were lower than those of control group, arterial partial pressure of oxygen and oxygenation index levels were higher than those of control group and differences had statistical significance (P<0.05; intraoperative APIP and Pplat values of observation group were lower than those of control group, Cs value was higher than that of control group and differences had statistical significance (P<0.05; intraoperative and postoperative serum IL-8 and TNF-α levels of observation group were lower than those of control group, IL-10 level was higher than that of control group and differences had statistical significance (P<0.05; intraoperative and postoperative PjvO2, SjvO2 and CjvO2 levels of observation group were higher than those of control group, Da-jvO2 level was lower than that of control group and differences had statistical significance (P<0.05. Conclusions: When elderly patients receive laparoscopic surgery, the use of low tidal volume combined with low-level positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation strategy can stabilize hemodynamic

Volume reduction of low- and medium-level waste by incineration/calcination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buzonniere, A. de; Gauthey, J.C.

1993-01-01

Nuclear installations generate large quantities of low- and medium-level radwaste. This waste comes from various installations in the fuel cycle, reactor operation, research institute, hospitals, nuclear plate dismantling, etc.. TECHNICATOME did the project development work for the incineration plant of PIERRELATE (France) on behalf of COGEMA (Compagnie Generale des d'Etudes Technique). This plant has been in active service since November 1987. In addition, TECHNICATOME was in charge of the incinerator by a turnkey contract. This incinerator was commissioned in 1992. For a number of years, TECHNICATOME has been examining, developing and producing incineration and drying/calcination installations. They are used for precessing low- and medium-level radwaste

Volume measurement study for large scale input accountancy tank

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchikoshi, Seiji; Watanabe, Yuichi; Tsujino, Takeshi

1999-01-01

Large Scale Tank Calibration (LASTAC) facility, including an experimental tank which has the same volume and structure as the input accountancy tank of Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) was constructed in Nuclear Material Control Center of Japan. Demonstration experiments have been carried out to evaluate a precision of solution volume measurement and to establish the procedure of highly accurate pressure measurement for a large scale tank with dip-tube bubbler probe system to be applied to the input accountancy tank of RRP. Solution volume in a tank is determined from substitution the solution level for the calibration function obtained in advance, which express a relation between the solution level and its volume in the tank. Therefore, precise solution volume measurement needs a precise calibration function that is determined carefully. The LASTAC calibration experiments using pure water showed good result in reproducibility. (J.P.N.)

Solid low-level radioactive waste volume projections at Los Alamos National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Art, K.; Minton-Hughes, J.; Peper, C.

1995-01-01

In response to regulatory requirements, the current economic environment, and diminishing on-site low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal capacity, LANL needed to develop a system to collect data on future LLW generation that would comply with DOE Order 5820. 2A and be an effective facility planning tool. The LANL Volume Projections Project (VPP) was created to meet these needs. This paper describes objectives, scope, and components of the VPP that will provide information essential to future facility planning and development

Volume reduction of low-level radioactive waste with a hammermill

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregory, W.D.

1979-01-01

A Jacobson Model J-3 Hammermill was recently installed at the University of Rochester to process low-level radioactive wastes from hospital and research laboratories. The hammermill will handle both glass and plastic vials of all types. The waste is poured into a hopper located on the top of the seven foot high assembly. The material is gravity fed into the hammermill which is driven by a 15-horsepower motor at 3600 rpm. The waste is pounded by the rotating hammers into a metal screen perforated with one inch holes. The gound-up product is discharged from the bottom of the unit into a 55-gallon shipping drum. A volume reduction of 4:1 has been acheived on an equal mixture of glass and plastic vials

Effect of NaOH on large-volume sample stacking of haloacetic acids in capillary zone electrophoresis with a low-pH buffer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Chuanhong; Zhu, Lingyan; Ang, Chay Hoon; Lee, Hian Kee

2003-06-01

Large-volume sample stacking (LVSS) is an effective on-capillary sample concentration method in capillary zone electrophoresis, which can be applied to the sample in a low-conductivity matrix. NaOH solution is commonly used to back-extract acidic compounds from organic solvent in sample pretreatment. The effect of NaOH as sample matrix on LVSS of haloacetic acids was investigated in this study. It was found that the presence of NaOH in sample did not compromise, but rather help the sample stacking performance if a low pH background electrolyte (BGE) was used. The sensitivity enhancement factor was higher than the case when sample was dissolved in pure water or diluted BGE. Compared with conventional injection (0.4% capillary volume), 97-120-fold sensitivity enhancement in terms of peak height was obtained without deterioration of separation with an injection amount equal to 20% of the capillary volume. This method was applied to determine haloacetic acids in tap water by combination with liquid-liquid extraction and back-extraction into NaOH solution. Limits of detection at sub-ppb levels were obtained for real samples with direct UV detection.

Low level radioactive waste disposal siting: a social and technical plan for Pennsylvania. Volume 2. Socioeconomic analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aron, G.; Bord, R.J.; Clemente, F.A.; Dornsife, W.P.; Jarrett, A.R.; Jester, W.A.; Schmalz, R.F.; Witzig, W.F.

1984-09-01

Volume II comprises five chapters: Socioeconomic Screening Criteria for LLRW Facility Siting and An Application to Counties in Pennsylvania; Evaluating Public Participation Options for the Case of Low Level Radioactive Waste Siting in Pennsylvania; Potential Socioeconomic Impacts of a LLRW Facility in Pennsylvania; The Role of Community Incentives in Low Level Radioactive Waste Management; and Institutional Aspects of LLRW Site Development and Operations in Pennsylvania

Performance evaluation of the technical capabilities of DOE sites for disposal of mixed low-level waste: Volume 3, Site evaluations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waters, R.D.; Gruebel, M.M. [eds.

1996-03-01

A team of analysts designed and conducted a performance evaluation to estimate the technical capabilities of fifteen Department of Energy sites for disposal of mixed low-level waste (i.e., waste that contains both low-level radioactive materials and hazardous constituents). Volume 1 summarizes the process for selecting the fifteen sites, the methodology used in the evaluation, and the conclusions derived from the evaluation. Volume 2 provides details about the site-selection process, the performance-evaluation methodology, and the overall results of the analysis. Volume 3 contains detailed evaluations of the fifteen sites and discussion of the results for each site.

Performance evaluation of the technical capabilities of DOE sites for disposal of mixed low-level waste: Volume 3, Site evaluations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waters, R.D.; Gruebel, M.M.

1996-03-01

A team of analysts designed and conducted a performance evaluation to estimate the technical capabilities of fifteen Department of Energy sites for disposal of mixed low-level waste (i.e., waste that contains both low-level radioactive materials and hazardous constituents). Volume 1 summarizes the process for selecting the fifteen sites, the methodology used in the evaluation, and the conclusions derived from the evaluation. Volume 2 provides details about the site-selection process, the performance-evaluation methodology, and the overall results of the analysis. Volume 3 contains detailed evaluations of the fifteen sites and discussion of the results for each site

Hydrogeology of the 200 Areas low-level burial grounds: An interim report: Volume 1, Text

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Last, G.V.; Bjornstad, B.N.; Bergeron, M.P.; Wallace, D.W.; Newcomer, D.R.; Schramke, J.A.; Chamness, M.A.; Cline, C.S.; Airhart, S.P.; Wilbur, J.S.

1989-01-01

This report presents information derived from the installation of 35 ground-water monitoring wells around six low-level radioactive/hazardous waste burial grounds located in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. This information was collected between May 20, 1987 and August 1, 1988. The contents of this report have been divided into two volumes. This volume contains the main text. Volume 2 contains the appendixes, including data and supporting information that verify content and results found in the main text. This report documents information collected by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory at the request of Westinghouse Hanford Company. Presented in this report are the preliminary interpretations of the hydrogeologic environment of six low-level burial grounds, which comprise four waste management areas (WMAs) located in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site. This information and its accompanying interpretations were derived from sampling and testing activities associated with the construction of 35 ground-water monitoring wells as well as a multitude of previously existing boreholes. The new monitoring wells were installed as part of a ground-water monitoring program initiated in 1986. This ground-water monitoring program is based on requirements for interim status facilities in compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976).

Volume reduction of low-level contaminated metal waste by melting: selection of method and conceptual plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Copeland, G.L.; Heestand, R.L.; Mateer, R.S.

1978-06-01

A review of the literature and prior experience led to selection of induction melting as the most promising method for volume reduction of low-level transuranic contaminated metal waste. The literature indicates that melting with the appropriate slags significantly lowers the total contamination level of the metals by preferentially concentrating contaminants in the smaller volume of slag. Surface contamination not removed to the slag is diluted in the ingot and is contained uniformly in the metal. This dilution and decontamination offers the potential of lower cost disposal such as shallow burial rather than placement in a national repository. A processing plan is proposed as a model for economic analysis of the collection and volume reduction of contaminated metals. Further development is required to demonstrate feasibility of the plan

Low-level waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, G.B.

1980-01-01

An overview of the current situation in the United States and a look to the future of low-level waste management are presented. Current problems and challenges are discussed, such as: the need of additional disposal sites in the future; risks and costs involved in transport of low-level wastes; reduction of low-level waste volume through smelting, incineration, and storage for wastes containing nuclides with short half lives; development of a national policy for the management of low-level waste, and its implementation through a sensible system of regulations. Establishing a success with low-level waste management should provide the momentum and public confidence needed to continue on and to resolve the technical and politically more difficult low-level waste problems

Performance evaluation of the technical capabilities of DOE sites for disposal of mixed low-level waste. Volume 1: Executive summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-03-01

A team of analysts designed and conducted a performance evaluation (PE) to estimate the technical capabilities of fifteen Department of Energy sites for disposal of mixed low-level waste (i.e., waste that contains both low-level radioactive materials and hazardous constituents). Volume 1 summarizes the process for selecting the fifteen sites, the methodology used in the evaluation, and the conclusions derived from the evaluation. Volume 1 is an executive summary both of the PE methodology and of the results obtained from the PEs. While this volume briefly reviews the scope and method of analyses, its main objective is to emphasize the important insights and conclusions derived from the conduct of the PEs. Volume 2 provides details about the site-selection process, the performance-evaluation methodology, and the overall results of the analysis. Volume 3 contains detailed evaluations of the fifteen sites and discussions of the results for each site

Estimating traffic volume on Wyoming low volume roads using linear and logistic regression methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dick Apronti

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Traffic volume is an important parameter in most transportation planning applications. Low volume roads make up about 69% of road miles in the United States. Estimating traffic on the low volume roads is a cost-effective alternative to taking traffic counts. This is because traditional traffic counts are expensive and impractical for low priority roads. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of two alternative means of cost-effectively estimating traffic volumes for low volume roads in Wyoming and to make recommendations for their implementation. The study methodology involves reviewing existing studies, identifying data sources, and carrying out the model development. The utility of the models developed were then verified by comparing actual traffic volumes to those predicted by the model. The study resulted in two regression models that are inexpensive and easy to implement. The first regression model was a linear regression model that utilized pavement type, access to highways, predominant land use types, and population to estimate traffic volume. In verifying the model, an R2 value of 0.64 and a root mean square error of 73.4% were obtained. The second model was a logistic regression model that identified the level of traffic on roads using five thresholds or levels. The logistic regression model was verified by estimating traffic volume thresholds and determining the percentage of roads that were accurately classified as belonging to the given thresholds. For the five thresholds, the percentage of roads classified correctly ranged from 79% to 88%. In conclusion, the verification of the models indicated both model types to be useful for accurate and cost-effective estimation of traffic volumes for low volume Wyoming roads. The models developed were recommended for use in traffic volume estimations for low volume roads in pavement management and environmental impact assessment studies.

Low Energy Neutrino Astronomy in the future large-volume liquid-scintillator detector LENA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wurm, Michael; Feilitzsch, F V; Goeger-Neff, M; Lewke, T; Undagoitia, T Marrodan; Oberauer, L; Potzel, W; Todor, S; Winter, J

2008-01-01

The recent successes in neutrino physics prove that liquid-scintillator detectors allow to combine high energy resolution, efficient means of background reduction, and a large detection volume. In the planned LENA (Low Energy Neutrino Astronomy) experiment, a target mass of 50 kt will enable the investigation of a variety of terrestrial and astrophysical neutrino sources. The high-statistics spectroscopy of geoneutrinos, solar neutrinos and supernova neutrinos will provide new insights in the heat production processes of Earth and Sun, and the workings of a gravitational collapse. The same measurements will as well investigate neutrino properties as oscillation parameters and mass hierarchy. A first spectroscopic measurement of the low flux of diffuse supernova neutrino background is within the sensitivity of the LENA detector. Finally, a life-time limit of several 1034 years can be set to the proton decay into proton and anti-neutrino, testing the predictions of SUSY theory. The present contribution includes a review of the scientific studies that were performed in the last years as well as a report on currently on-going R and D activities.

Low Energy Neutrino Astronomy in the future large-volume liquid-scintillator detector LENA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wurm, Michael; Feilitzsch, F V; Goeger-Neff, M; Lewke, T; Undagoitia, T Marrodan; Oberauer, L; Potzel, W; Todor, S; Winter, J [E15 Chair for Astroparticle Physics, Technische Universitat Miinchen, Physik Department, James-Franck-Str., D-85748 Garching (Germany)

2008-11-01

The recent successes in neutrino physics prove that liquid-scintillator detectors allow to combine high energy resolution, efficient means of background reduction, and a large detection volume. In the planned LENA (Low Energy Neutrino Astronomy) experiment, a target mass of 50 kt will enable the investigation of a variety of terrestrial and astrophysical neutrino sources. The high-statistics spectroscopy of geoneutrinos, solar neutrinos and supernova neutrinos will provide new insights in the heat production processes of Earth and Sun, and the workings of a gravitational collapse. The same measurements will as well investigate neutrino properties as oscillation parameters and mass hierarchy. A first spectroscopic measurement of the low flux of diffuse supernova neutrino background is within the sensitivity of the LENA detector. Finally, a life-time limit of several 1034 years can be set to the proton decay into proton and anti-neutrino, testing the predictions of SUSY theory. The present contribution includes a review of the scientific studies that were performed in the last years as well as a report on currently on-going R and D activities.

Economic analysis of a volume reduction/polyethylene solidification system for low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalb, P.D.; Colombo, P.

1985-01-01

A study was conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory to determine the economic feasibility of a fluidized bed volume reduction/polyethylene solidification system for low-level radioactive wastes. These results are compared with the ''null'' alternative of no volume reduction and solidification of aqueous waste streams in hydraulic cement. The economic analysis employed a levelized revenue requirement (LRR) technique conducted over a ten year period. An interactive computer program was written to conduct the LRR calculations. Both of the treatment/solidification options were considered for a number of scenarios including type of plant (BWR or PWR) and transportation distance to the disposal site. If current trends in the escalation rates of cost components continue, the volume reduction/polyethylene solidification option will be cost effective for both BWRs and PWRs. Data indicate that a minimum net annual savings of $0.8 million per year (for a PWR shipping its waste 750 miles) and a maximum net annual savings of $9 million per year (for a BWR shipping its waste 2500 miles) can be achieved. A sensitivity analysis was performed for the burial cost escalation rate, which indicated that variation of this factor will impact the total levelized revenue requirement. The burial cost escalation rate which yields a break-even condition was determined for each scenario considered. 11 refs., 8 figs., 39 tabs

Low-level-waste-treatment handbook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clinton, S.D.; Goeller, H.E.; Holladay, D.W.; Donaldson, T.L.

1982-01-01

The initial draft of the Low-Level Waste Treatment Handbook has been prepared and submitted to the DOE Low-Level Waste Management Program for review and comment. A revised draft is scheduled to be delivered to DOE Headquarters in December 1982. The Handbook is designed to be useful to all individuals and groups concerned with low-level wastes. It is one of several volumes that will ultimately comprise a Low-Level Waste Technology Handbook. The objective of the Low-Level Waste Treatment Handbook is to present an overview of current practices related to the segregation, classification, volume reduction, solidification, handling, packaging, and transportation of LLW for disposal in a shallow land burial facility. The Handbook is intended to serve as a guide to individuals interested in the treatment and handling of low-level radioactive waste. The Handbook will not explicitly tell the user how to design and operate LLW treatment facilities, but rather will identify (1) kinds of information required to evaluate the options, (2) methods that may be used to evaluate these options, and (3) limitations associated with the selection of the treatment options. The focus of the Handbook is providing guidance on how to do waste treatment for disposal by shallow land burial

The French centralized low level radwaste treatment centre named CENTRACO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, C.; Sixou, Y.

1996-01-01

Socodei, a subsidiary company of EdF and Cogema is commissioned to design, finance, build and operate two low level radwaste treatment facilities: a contaminated scrap metal melting unit, and a solid and liquid waste incinerator. These units frame a low level radwaste treatment centre named Centraco, located near Marcoule in the south of France, and will receive in 1998 waste coming from dismantling, maintenance and operating works of French and foreign nuclear sites. The decision to create this centre is due to the low density and large variety of low level radwaste which take a volume out of proportion with their activity, specially in the surface storage centre. Up to now, all low level radwaste were sent and stored with no treatment optimization in surface storage centres. Socodei proposes in one single site, to optimize low level radwaste management and reduce the volume of ultimate waste to be stored: in a ratio of one to ten by casting ingots coming from melting contaminated scrap metals; in a ratio of one to twenty by encapsulating earth ashes and ashes resulting from incineration of solid and liquid waste. This is a centralized treatment centre and that's why Centraco is a new waste management system. Getting together all means in one place reduces costs, avoids mismanagement and risk increase, and allows consistency in safety, environmental impact, transport and personnel radioprotection. (author)

Alternative containers for low-level wastes containing large amounts of tritium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gause, E.P.; Lee, B.S.; MacKenzie, D.R.; Wiswall, R. Jr.

1984-11-01

High-activity tritiated waste generated in the United States is mainly composed of tritium gas and tritium-contaminated organic solvents sorbed onto Speedi-Dri which are packaged in small glass bulbs. Low-activity waste consists of solidified and adsorbed liquids. In this report, current packages for high-activity gaseous and low-activity adsorbed liquid wastes are emphasized with regard to containment potential. Containers for low-level radioactive waste containing large amounts of tritium need to be developed. An integrity may be threatened by: physical degradation due to soil corrosion, gas pressure build-up (due to radiolysis and/or biodegradation), rapid permeation of tritium through the container, and corrosion from container contents. Literature available on these points is summarized in this report. 136 references, 20 figures, 40 tables

Large-Scale Multi-Resolution Representations for Accurate Interactive Image and Volume Operations

KAUST Repository

Sicat, Ronell B.

2015-11-25

The resolutions of acquired image and volume data are ever increasing. However, the resolutions of commodity display devices remain limited. This leads to an increasing gap between data and display resolutions. To bridge this gap, the standard approach is to employ output-sensitive operations on multi-resolution data representations. Output-sensitive operations facilitate interactive applications since their required computations are proportional only to the size of the data that is visible, i.e., the output, and not the full size of the input. Multi-resolution representations, such as image mipmaps, and volume octrees, are crucial in providing these operations direct access to any subset of the data at any resolution corresponding to the output. Despite its widespread use, this standard approach has some shortcomings in three important application areas, namely non-linear image operations, multi-resolution volume rendering, and large-scale image exploration. This dissertation presents new multi-resolution representations for large-scale images and volumes that address these shortcomings. Standard multi-resolution representations require low-pass pre-filtering for anti- aliasing. However, linear pre-filters do not commute with non-linear operations. This becomes problematic when applying non-linear operations directly to any coarse resolution levels in standard representations. Particularly, this leads to inaccurate output when applying non-linear image operations, e.g., color mapping and detail-aware filters, to multi-resolution images. Similarly, in multi-resolution volume rendering, this leads to inconsistency artifacts which manifest as erroneous differences in rendering outputs across resolution levels. To address these issues, we introduce the sparse pdf maps and sparse pdf volumes representations for large-scale images and volumes, respectively. These representations sparsely encode continuous probability density functions (pdfs) of multi-resolution pixel

Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste characterization: Estimated volumes, radionuclide activities, and other characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hulse, R.A.

1991-08-01

Planning for storage or disposal of greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC LLW) requires characterization of that waste to estimate volumes, radionuclide activities, and waste forms. Data from existing literature, disposal records, and original research were used to estimate the characteristics and project volumes and radionuclide activities to the year 2035. GTCC LLW is categorized as: nuclear utilities waste, sealed sources waste, DOE-held potential GTCC LLW; and, other generator waste. It has been determined that the largest volume of those wastes, approximately 57%, is generated by nuclear power plants. The Other Generator waste category contributes approximately 10% of the total GTCC LLW volume projected to the year 2035. Waste held by the Department of Energy, which is potential GTCC LLW, accounts for nearly 33% of all waste projected to the year 2035; however, no disposal determination has been made for that waste. Sealed sources are less than 0.2% of the total projected volume of GTCC LLW

Complex-wide review of DOE's Low-Level Waste Management ES ampersand H vulnerabilities. Volume II. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-05-01

Volume I of this report presents a summary of DOE's complex-wide review of its low-level waste management system, including the assessment scope and methodology, site-specific and complex-wide vulnerabilities, and DOE's conclusions and recommendations. Volume II presents a more detailed discussion of the assessment methodology and evaluation instruments developed by the Assessment Working Group for identifying site-specific vulnerabilities, categorizing and classifying vulnerabilities, and identifying and analyzing complex-wide vulnerabilities. Attachments A and B of this volume contain, respectively, the Site Evaluation Survey and the Vulnerability Assessment Form used in those processes. Volume III contains the site-specific assessment reports for the 36 sites (38 facilities) assessed in the complex-wide review from which the complex-wide vulnerabilities were drawn

5α-Reductase inhibitor is less effective in men with small prostate volume and low serum prostatic specific antigen level.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Victor C; Liao, Chun-Hou; Wang, Chung-Cheng; Kuo, Hann-Chorng

2015-09-01

Large total prostate volumes (TPVs) or high serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels indicate high-risk clinical progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia. This prospective study investigated the treatment outcome of combined 5α-reductase inhibitor and α-blocker in patients with and without large TPVs or high PSA levels. Men aged ≥ 45 years with International Prostate Symptom scores (IPSS) ≥ 8, TPV ≥ 20 mL, and maximum flow rate ≤ 15 mL/s received a combination therapy (dutasteride plus doxaben) for 2 years. Patients with baseline PSA ≥ 4 ng/mL underwent prostatic biopsy for excluding malignancy. The changes in the parameters from baseline to 24 months after combination therapy were compared in those with and without TPV ≥ 40 mL or PSA levels ≥ 1.5 ng/mL. A total of 285 patients (mean age 72 ± 9 years) completed the study. Combination therapy resulted in significant continuous improvement in IPSS, quality of life index, maximum flow rate, and postvoid residual (all p < 0.0001) regardless of baseline TPV or PSA levels. However, only patients with baseline TPV ≥ 40 mL had significant improvements in IPSS-storage subscore, voided volume, reduction in TPV, transitional zone index, and PSA levels. In addition, patients with baseline TPV < 40 mL and PSA < 1.5 ng/mL had neither a reduction in TPV nor a decrease in serum PSA level. A high TPV indicates more outlet resistance, whereas elevated serum PSA level reflects glandular proliferation. Thus, patients with TPV<40 mL and low PSA levels has less benefit from 5α-reductase inhibitor therapy. The therapeutic effect of combined treatment may arise mainly from the α-blocker in these patients. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Scenarios of the TWRS low-level waste disposal program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-10-01

As a result of past Department of Energy (DOE) weapons material production operations, Hanford now stores nuclear waste from processing facilities in underground tanks on the 200 Area plateau. An agreement between the DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Washington state Department of Ecology (the Tri-Party Agreement, or TPA) establishes an enforceable schedule and a technical framework for recovering, processing, solidifying, and disposing of the Hanford tank wastes. The present plan includes retrieving the tank waste, pretreating the waste to separate into low level and high level streams, and converting both streams to a glass waste form. The low level glass will represent by far the largest volume and lowest quantity of radioactivity (i.e., large volume of waste chemicals) of waste requiring disposal. The low level glass waste will be retrievably stored in sub-surface disposal vaults for several decades. If the low level disposal system proves to be acceptable, the disposal site will be closed with the low level waste in place. If, however, at some time the disposal system is found to be unacceptable, then the waste can be retrieved and dealt with in some other manner. WHC is planning to emplace the waste so that it is retrievable for up to 50 years after completion of the tank waste processing. Acceptability of disposal of the TWRS low level waste at Hanford depends on technical, cultural, and political considerations. The Performance Assessment is a major part of determining whether the proposed disposal action is technically defensible. A Performance Assessment estimates the possible future impact to humans and the environment for thousands of years into the future. In accordance with the TPA technical strategy, WHC plans to design a near-surface facility suitable for disposal of the glass waste

Validation of low-volume enrichment protocols for detection of Escherichia coli O157 in raw ground beef components, using commercial kits.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Imtiaz; Hughes, Denise; Jenson, Ian; Karalis, Tass

2009-03-01

Testing of beef destined for use in ground beef products for the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 has become an important cornerstone of control and verification activities within many meat supply chains. Validation of the ability of methods to detect low levels of E. coli O157:H7 is critical to confidence in test systems. Many rapid methods have been validated against standard cultural methods for 25-g samples. In this study, a number of previously validated enrichment broths and commercially available test kits were validated for the detection of low numbers of E. coli O157:H7 in 375-g samples of raw ground beef component matrices using 1 liter of enrichment broth (large-sample:low-volume enrichment protocol). Standard AOAC International methods for 25-g samples in 225 ml of enrichment broth, using the same media, incubation conditions, and test kits, were used as reference methods. No significant differences were detected in the ability of any of the tests to detect low levels of E. coli O157:H7 in samples of raw ground beef components when enriched according to standard or large-sample:low-volume enrichment protocols. The use of large-sample:low-volume enrichment protocols provides cost savings for media and logistical benefits when handling and incubating large numbers of samples.

Low-level radioactive waste from commercial nuclear reactors. Volume 4. Proceedings of the workshop on research and development needs for treatment of low-level radioactive waste from commercial nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godbee, H.W.; Frederick, E.J.; Jolley, R.L.; Kibbey, A.H.; Rodgers, B.R.

1986-05-01

The overall task of this program was to provide an assessment of currently available technology for treating commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW), to initiate development of a methodology for choosing one technology for a given application, and to identify research needed to improve current treatment techniques and decision methodology. The resulting report is issued in four volumes. As part of this program, a workshop was conducted for determining research and development needs in LLRW treatment. Volume 4, the proceedings of this workshop, includes the formal presentations and both panel and general discussions dealing with such issues as disposal, compaction, and the ''below regulatory concern'' philosophy. Summaries of individual workshops dealing with specific aspects of LLRW treatment are also presented in this volume

Low-level radioactive waste from commercial nuclear reactors. Volume 3. Bibliographic abstracts of significant source references. Part 2. Bibliography for treatment, storage, disposal and transportation regulatory constraints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jolley, R.L.; Rodgers, B.R.

1986-05-01

The overall task of this program was to provide an assessment of currently available technology for treating commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW), to initiate development of a methodology for choosing one technology for a given application, and to identify research needed to improve current treatment techniques and decision methodology. The resulting report is issued in four volumes. Volume 3 of this series is a collection of abstracts of most of the reference documents used for this study. Because of the large volume of literature, the abstracts have been printed in two separate parts. Federal, state, and local regulations affect the decision process for selecting technology applications. Regulations may favor a particular technology and may prevent application of others. Volume 3, part 2 presents abstracts of the regulatory constraint documents that relate to all phases of LLRW management (e.g., treatment, packaging, storage, transportation, and disposal).

A preliminary evaluation of alternatives for disposal of INEL low-level waste and low-level mixed waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, T.H.; Roesener, W.S.; Jorgenson-Waters, M.J.

1993-07-01

The Mixed and Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility (MLLWDF) project was established in 1992 by the US Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office to provide enhanced disposal capabilities for Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) low-level mixed waste and low-level waste. This Preliminary Evaluation of Alternatives for Disposal of INEL Low-Level Waste and Low-Level Mixed Waste identifies and evaluates-on a preliminary, overview basis-the alternatives for disposal of that waste. Five disposal alternatives, ranging from of no-action'' to constructing and operating the MLLWDF, are identified and evaluated. Several subalternatives are formulated within the MLLWDF alternative. The subalternatives involve various disposal technologies as well as various scenarios related to the waste volumes and waste forms to be received for disposal. The evaluations include qualitative comparisons of the projected isolation performance for each alternative, and facility, health and safety, environmental, institutional, schedule, and rough order-of-magnitude life-cycle cost comparisons. The performance of each alternative is evaluated against lists of ''musts'' and ''wants.'' Also included is a discussion of other key considerations for decisionmaking. The analysis of results indicated further study is necessary to obtain the best estimate of long-term future waste volume and characteristics from the INEL Environmental Restoration activities and the expanded INEL Decontamination and Decommissioning Program

Performance evaluation of the technical capabilities of DOE sites for disposal of mixed low-level waste. Volume 2: Technical basis and discussion of results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waters, R.D.; Gruebel, M.M.; Hospelhorn, M.B.

1996-03-01

A team of analysts designed and conducted a performance evaluation to estimate the technical capabilities of fifteen Department of Energy sites for disposal of mixed low-level waste (i.e., waste that contains both low-level radioactive materials and hazardous constituents). Volume 1 summarizes the process for selecting the fifteen sites, the methodology used in the evaluation, and the conclusions derived from the evaluation. Volume 2 first describes the screening process used to determine the sites to be considered in the PEs. This volume then provides the technical details of the methodology for conducting the performance evaluations. It also provides a comparison and analysis of the overall results for all sites that were evaluated. Volume 3 contains detailed evaluations of the fifteen sites and discussions of the results for each site

The low-level waste handling challenge at the Feed Materials Production Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmon, J.E.; Diehl, D.E.; Gardner, R.L.

1988-02-01

The management of low-level wastes from the production of depleted uranium at the Feed Materials Production Center presents an enormous challenge. The recovery of uranium from materials contaminated with depleted uranium is usually not economical. As a result, large volumes of wastes are generated. The Westinghouse Materials Company of Ohio has established an aggressive waste management program. Simple solutions have been applied to problems in the areas of waste handling and waste minimization. The success of this program has been demonstrated by the reduction of low-level waste inventory at the Feed Materials Production Center. 8 refs., 4 figs

The low-level waste handling challenge at the Feed Materials Production Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmon, J.E.; Diehl, D.E.; Gardner, R.L.

1988-01-01

The management of low-level wastes from the production of depleted uranium at the Feed Materials Production Center presents an enormous challenge. The recovery of uranium from materials contaminated with depleted uranium is usually not economical. As a result, large volumes of wastes are generated. The Westinghouse Materials Company of Ohio has established an aggressive waste management program. Simple solutions have been applied to problems in the areas of waste handling and waste minimization. The success of this program has been demonstrated by the reduction of low-level waste inventory at the Feed Materials Production Center

Low level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthoux, A.

1985-01-01

Final disposal of low level wastes has been carried out for 15 years on the shallow land disposal of the Manche in the north west of France. Final participant in the nuclear energy cycle, ANDRA has set up a new waste management system from the production center (organization of the waste collection) to the disposal site including the setting up of a transport network, the development of assessment, additional conditioning, interim storage, the management of the disposal center, records of the location and characteristics of the disposed wastes, site selection surveys for future disposals and a public information Department. 80 000 waste packages representing a volume of 20 000 m 3 are thus managed and disposed of each year on the shallow land disposal. The disposal of low level wastes is carried out according to their category and activity level: - in tumuli for very low level wastes, - in monoliths, a concrete structure, of the packaging does not provide enough protection against radioactivity [fr

Volume independence in large Nc QCD-like gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovtun, Pavel; Uensal, Mithat; Yaffe, Laurence G.

2007-01-01

Volume independence in large N c gauge theories may be viewed as a generalized orbifold equivalence. The reduction to zero volume (or Eguchi-Kawai reduction) is a special case of this equivalence. So is temperature independence in confining phases. A natural generalization concerns volume independence in 'theory space' of quiver gauge theories. In pure Yang-Mills theory, the failure of volume independence for sufficiently small volumes (at weak coupling) due to spontaneous breaking of center symmetry, together with its validity above a critical size, nicely illustrate the symmetry realization conditions which are both necessary and sufficient for large N c orbifold equivalence. The existence of a minimal size below which volume independence fails also applies to Yang-Mills theory with antisymmetric representation fermions [QCD(AS)]. However, in Yang-Mills theory with adjoint representation fermions [QCD(Adj)], endowed with periodic boundary conditions, volume independence remains valid down to arbitrarily small size. In sufficiently large volumes, QCD(Adj) and QCD(AS) have a large N c ''orientifold'' equivalence, provided charge conjugation symmetry is unbroken in the latter theory. Therefore, via a combined orbifold-orientifold mapping, a well-defined large N c equivalence exists between QCD(AS) in large, or infinite, volume and QCD(Adj) in arbitrarily small volume. Since asymptotically free gauge theories, such as QCD(Adj), are much easier to study (analytically or numerically) in small volume, this equivalence should allow greater understanding of large N c QCD in infinite volume

Sparse PDF Volumes for Consistent Multi-Resolution Volume Rendering

KAUST Repository

Sicat, Ronell Barrera

2014-12-31

This paper presents a new multi-resolution volume representation called sparse pdf volumes, which enables consistent multi-resolution volume rendering based on probability density functions (pdfs) of voxel neighborhoods. These pdfs are defined in the 4D domain jointly comprising the 3D volume and its 1D intensity range. Crucially, the computation of sparse pdf volumes exploits data coherence in 4D, resulting in a sparse representation with surprisingly low storage requirements. At run time, we dynamically apply transfer functions to the pdfs using simple and fast convolutions. Whereas standard low-pass filtering and down-sampling incur visible differences between resolution levels, the use of pdfs facilitates consistent results independent of the resolution level used. We describe the efficient out-of-core computation of large-scale sparse pdf volumes, using a novel iterative simplification procedure of a mixture of 4D Gaussians. Finally, our data structure is optimized to facilitate interactive multi-resolution volume rendering on GPUs.

Large volume serial section tomography by Xe Plasma FIB dual beam microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnett, T.L.; Kelley, R.; Winiarski, B.; Contreras, L.; Daly, M.; Gholinia, A.; Burke, M.G.; Withers, P.J.

2016-01-01

Ga + Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscopes (FIB-SEM) have revolutionised the level of microstructural information that can be recovered in 3D by block face serial section tomography (SST), as well as enabling the site-specific removal of smaller regions for subsequent transmission electron microscope (TEM) examination. However, Ga + FIB material removal rates limit the volumes and depths that can be probed to dimensions in the tens of microns range. Emerging Xe + Plasma Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscope (PFIB-SEM) systems promise faster removal rates. Here we examine the potential of the method for large volume serial section tomography as applied to bainitic steel and WC–Co hard metals. Our studies demonstrate that with careful control of milling parameters precise automated serial sectioning can be achieved with low levels of milling artefacts at removal rates some 60× faster. Volumes that are hundreds of microns in dimension have been collected using fully automated SST routines in feasible timescales (<24 h) showing good grain orientation contrast and capturing microstructural features at the tens of nanometres to the tens of microns scale. Accompanying electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) maps show high indexing rates suggesting low levels of surface damage. Further, under high current Ga + FIB milling WC–Co is prone to amorphisation of WC surface layers and phase transformation of the Co phase, neither of which have been observed at PFIB currents as high as 60 nA at 30 kV. Xe + PFIB dual beam microscopes promise to radically extend our capability for 3D tomography, 3D EDX, 3D EBSD as well as correlative tomography. - Highlights: • The uptake of dual beam FIBs has been rapid but long milling times have limited imaged volumes to tens of micron dimensions. • Emerging plasma Xe + PFIB-SEM technology offers materials removal rates at least 60× greater than conventional Ga + FIB systems with comparable or less damage. • The

Large volume serial section tomography by Xe Plasma FIB dual beam microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Burnett, T L; Kelley, R; Winiarski, B; Contreras, L; Daly, M; Gholinia, A; Burke, M G; Withers, P J

2016-02-01

Ga(+) Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscopes (FIB-SEM) have revolutionised the level of microstructural information that can be recovered in 3D by block face serial section tomography (SST), as well as enabling the site-specific removal of smaller regions for subsequent transmission electron microscope (TEM) examination. However, Ga(+) FIB material removal rates limit the volumes and depths that can be probed to dimensions in the tens of microns range. Emerging Xe(+) Plasma Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscope (PFIB-SEM) systems promise faster removal rates. Here we examine the potential of the method for large volume serial section tomography as applied to bainitic steel and WC-Co hard metals. Our studies demonstrate that with careful control of milling parameters precise automated serial sectioning can be achieved with low levels of milling artefacts at removal rates some 60× faster. Volumes that are hundreds of microns in dimension have been collected using fully automated SST routines in feasible timescales (<24h) showing good grain orientation contrast and capturing microstructural features at the tens of nanometres to the tens of microns scale. Accompanying electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) maps show high indexing rates suggesting low levels of surface damage. Further, under high current Ga(+) FIB milling WC-Co is prone to amorphisation of WC surface layers and phase transformation of the Co phase, neither of which have been observed at PFIB currents as high as 60nA at 30kV. Xe(+) PFIB dual beam microscopes promise to radically extend our capability for 3D tomography, 3D EDX, 3D EBSD as well as correlative tomography. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low-level waste forum meeting reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This paper provides highlights from the summer meeting of the Low Level Radioactive Waste Forum. Topics of discussion included: responsibility for nonfuel component disposal; state experiences in facility licensing; and volume projections

Scenarios of the TWRS low-level waste disposal program. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

As a result of past Department of Energy (DOE) weapons material production operations, Hanford now stores nuclear waste from processing facilities in underground tanks on the 200 area plateau. An agreement between the DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Washington state Department of Ecology (the Tri-Party Agreement, or TPA) establishes an enforceable schedule and a technical framework for recovering, processing, solidifying, and disposing of the Hanford tank wastes. The present plan includes retrieving the tank waste, pre-treating the waste to separate into low level and high level streams, and converting both streams to a glass waste form. The low level glass will represent by far the largest volume and lowest quantity of radioactivity (i.e., large volume of waste chemicals) of waste requiring disposal. The low level glass waste will be retrievably stored in sub-surface disposal vaults for several decades. If the low level disposal system proves to be acceptable, the disposal site will be closed with the low level waste in place. If, however, at some time the disposal system is found to be unacceptable, then the waste can be retrieved and dealt with in some other manner. WHC is planning to emplace the waste so that it is retrievable for up to 50 years after completion of the tank waste processing. Acceptability of disposal of the TWRS low level waste at Hanford depends on technical, cultural, and political considerations. The Performance Assessment is a major part of determining whether the proposed disposal action is technically defensible. A Performance Assessment estimates the possible future impact to humans and the environment for thousands of years into the future. In accordance with the TPA technical strategy, WHC plans to design a near-surface facility suitable for disposal of the glass waste

Session 35 - Panel: Remaining US Disposition Issues for Orphan or Small Volume Low Level and Low Level Mixed Waste Streams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blauvelt, Richard; Small, Ken; Gelles, Christine; McKenney, Dale; Franz, Bill; Loveland, Kaylin; Lauer, Mike

2006-01-01

Faced with closure schedules as a driving force, significant progress has been made during the last 2 years on the disposition of DOE mixed waste streams thought previously to be problematic. Generators, the Department of Energy and commercial vendors have combined to develop unique disposition paths for former orphan streams. Recent successes and remaining issues will be discussed. The session will also provide an opportunity for Federal agencies to share lessons learned on low- level and mixed low-level waste challenges and identify opportunities for future collaboration. This panel discussion was organized by PAC member Dick Blauvelt, Navarro Research and Engineering Inc who served as co-chair along with Dave Eaton from INL. In addition, George Antonucci, Duratek Barnwell and Rich Conley, AFSC were invited members of the audience, prepared to contribute the Barnwell and DOD perspective to the issues as needed. Mr. Small provide information regarding the five year 20K M3 window of opportunity at the Nevada Test Site for DOE contractors to dispose of mixed waste that cannot be received at the Energy Solutions (Envirocare) site in Utah because of activity levels. He provided a summary of the waste acceptance criteria and the process sites must follow to be certified to ship. When the volume limit or time limit is met, the site will undergo a RCRA closure. Ms. Gelles summarized the status of the orphan issues, commercial options and the impact of the EM reorganization on her program. She also announced that there would be a follow-on meeting in 2006 to the very successful St. Louis meeting of last year. It will probably take place in Chicago in July. Details to be announced. Mr. McKenney discussed progress made at the Hanford Reservation regarding disposal of their mixed waste inventory. The news is good for the Hanford site but not good for the rest of the DOE complex since shipment for out of state of both low level and low level mixed waste will continue to be

Mobile encapsulation and volume reduction system for wet low-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buelt, J.L.

1985-08-01

This report describes the results of the program entitled ''A Preconceptual Study for a Transportable Vitrification Process''. The objective of the study is to determine the feasibility of a Mobile Encapsulation and Volume Reduction System (MEVS). The report contains design criteria, a preconceptual design of the system, a comparison of disposal costs with other solidification technologies, and an assessment of utility interests in the transportable volume reduction service MEVS can provide. The MEVS design employs the use of a joule-heated glass melter to convert the wet low-level wastes into glass. The process is self-sufficient, requiring no direct facility services or reactor personnel. It is capable of servicing one waste type from a minimum of three reactors. The design was used to prepare capital and operating cost estimates. The capital cost for the MEVS is $4,680,000, which includes all labor necessary for design, engineering, inspection, and licensing. The operating cost of the system for servicing a minimum of three reactors is $1,530,000/y for resins or $2,280,000/y for concentrated liquids. The cost estimates compared favorably to the more common solidification process of cementation. Total MEVS operating costs which include processing, transportation and burial, are $191 to $218/ft 3 waste, whereas quoted costs for cementation and disposal from reactor operators range from $155 to $350/ft 3 . The report concludes with the requirements for additional development, which can be accomplished for less than one sixth of the capital costs. The report also presents the results of an assessment conducted with utility representatives to obtain their expressions of interest in a service of this type

Russian low-level waste disposal program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehman, L. [L. Lehman and Associates, Inc., Burnsville, MN (United States)

1993-03-01

The strategy for disposal of low-level radioactive waste in Russia differs from that employed in the US. In Russia, there are separate authorities and facilities for wastes generated by nuclear power plants, defense wastes, and hospital/small generator/research wastes. The reactor wastes and the defense wastes are generally processed onsite and disposed of either onsite, or nearby. Treating these waste streams utilizes such volume reduction techniques as compaction and incineration. The Russians also employ methods such as bitumenization, cementation, and vitrification for waste treatment before burial. Shallow land trench burial is the most commonly used technique. Hospital and research waste is centrally regulated by the Moscow Council of Deputies. Plans are made in cooperation with the Ministry of Atomic Energy. Currently the former Soviet Union has a network of low-level disposal sites located near large cities. Fifteen disposal sites are located in the Federal Republic of Russia, six are in the Ukraine, and one is located in each of the remaining 13 republics. Like the US, each republic is in charge of management of the facilities within their borders. The sites are all similarly designed, being modeled after the RADON site near Moscow.

1989 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes received at commercial disposal sites: National Low-Level Waste Management Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, R.L.; Culbertson-Arendts, K.

1990-12-01

The National Low-Level Waste Management Program has published eleven annual state-by-state assessment reports. These reports provide both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive wastes. Data in this report are divided into generator category, waste class, volume, and activity. Included in this report are tables showing a distribution of wastes by state for 1989 and a comparison of waste volumes by state for 1985 through 1989; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States as of December 31, 1989. In this year's report, a distinction has been made between low-level radioactive waste shipped directly for disposal by generators and that handled by an intermediary. 7 refs., 4 tabs

Effects of large volume injection of aliphatic alcohols as sample diluents on the retention of low hydrophobic solutes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Victor; Galaon, Toma; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y

2014-01-03

Recent studies showed that injection of large volume of hydrophobic solvents used as sample diluents could be applied in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC). This study reports a systematic research focused on the influence of a series of aliphatic alcohols (from methanol to 1-octanol) on the retention process in RP-LC, when large volumes of sample are injected on the column. Several model analytes with low hydrophobic character were studied by RP-LC process, for mobile phases containing methanol or acetonitrile as organic modifiers in different proportions with aqueous component. It was found that starting with 1-butanol, the aliphatic alcohols can be used as sample solvents and they can be injected in high volumes, but they may influence the retention factor and peak shape of the dissolved solutes. The dependence of the retention factor of the studied analytes on the injection volume of these alcohols is linear, with a decrease of its value as the sample volume is increased. The retention process in case of injecting up to 200μL of upper alcohols is dependent also on the content of the organic modifier (methanol or acetonitrile) in mobile phase. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low volume, large force (>1mN) and nanometer resolution, electrostatic microactuator for low displacement applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sarajlic, Edin; Berenschot, Johan W.; Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

2003-01-01

A compact electrostatic microactuator suitable for low displacement applications is proposed. The actuator employs a large number of basic units working in parallel together with a built-in mechanical transformation to generate large force. Influence of distinct design parameters on actuator

Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-04-01

Mixed and low-level wastes generated at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) are required to be managed according to applicable State and Federal regulations, and Department of Energy Orders that provide for the protection of human health and the environment. The Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility Project was chartered in 1991, by the Department of Energy to provide treatment capability for these mixed and low-level waste streams. The first project task consisted of conducting engineering studies to identify the waste streams, their potential treatment strategies, and the requirements that would be imposed on the waste streams and the facilities used to process them. The engineering studies, initiated in July 1991, identified 37 mixed waste streams, and 55 low-level waste streams. This report documents the waste stream information and potential treatment strategies, as well as the regulatory requirements for the Department of Energy-owned treatment facility option. The total report comprises three volumes and two appendices. This report consists of Volume 1, which explains the overall program mission, the guiding assumptions for the engineering studies, and summarizes the waste stream and regulatory information, and Volume 2, the Waste Stream Technical Summary which, encompasses the studies conducted to identify the INEL's waste streams and their potential treatment strategies

Coupling of RF antennas to large volume helicon plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Chang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Large volume helicon plasma sources are of particular interest for large scale semiconductor processing, high power plasma propulsion and recently plasma-material interaction under fusion conditions. This work is devoted to studying the coupling of four typical RF antennas to helicon plasma with infinite length and diameter of 0.5 m, and exploring its frequency dependence in the range of 13.56-70 MHz for coupling optimization. It is found that loop antenna is more efficient than half helix, Boswell and Nagoya III antennas for power absorption; radially parabolic density profile overwhelms Gaussian density profile in terms of antenna coupling for low-density plasma, but the superiority reverses for high-density plasma. Increasing the driving frequency results in power absorption more near plasma edge, but the overall power absorption increases with frequency. Perpendicular stream plots of wave magnetic field, wave electric field and perturbed current are also presented. This work can serve as an important reference for the experimental design of large volume helicon plasma source with high RF power.

Common Graphics Library (CGL). Volume 2: Low-level user's guide

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Nancy L.; Hammond, Dana P.; Theophilos, Pauline M.

1989-01-01

The intent is to instruct the users of the Low-Level routines of the Common Graphics Library (CGL). The Low-Level routines form an application-independent graphics package enabling the user community to construct and design scientific charts conforming to the publication and/or viewgraph process. The Low-Level routines allow the user to design unique or unusual report-quality charts from a set of graphics utilities. The features of these routines can be used stand-alone or in conjunction with other packages to enhance or augment their capabilities. This library is written in ANSI FORTRAN 77, and currently uses a CORE-based underlying graphics package, and is therefore machine-independent, providing support for centralized and/or distributed computer systems.

Low-level waste volume reduction--physicochemical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrigno, D.P.

1980-01-01

In some cases, volume reduction (VR) equipment may be called upon to reduce noncombustible liquid wastes to essentially dry salts and/or oxides. In other cases, it may be called upon to reduce combustible solids and liquids to ashes and innocuous gases. In brand terms, four kinds of processes are available to further reduce the volume of waste generated at nuclear facilities. These include high-solids evaporation, alternative evaporative designs, extruders/mixers, and calciner/incinerators. This paper discusses the following VR processes for radioactive wastes at nuclear facilities: evaporator/crystallizer; fluid bed dryer/incinerator; fluid bed calciner/incinerator; inert carrier radwaste processor; and molten glass incinerator

Environment impact of a very low level waste specific landfill

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brun-Yaba, C.; Peres, J.M.; Besnus, F.

1996-01-01

Operating enrichment plants, nuclear power plants and reprocessing plants and the decommissioning of nuclear facilities will give rise to large volumes of waste material (concrete, steel and others metals, technological wastes heat insulators...) and most of them, in term of quantities, will be categorized as very low level wastes. This paper deals with the environmental impact of a specific landfill as a final destination for the very low level radioactive waste (VLLW) with the aim of providing technical elements for safer workers practices during the operational and the monitoring phases and for a public occupation after closure of the site. This study has been made on the basis of inventories in terms of estimated quantities and spectra of the French VLLW for a set of scenarios which are representative of practices in a landfill. (author)

1986 Annual report on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-06-01

This report summarizes the progress of states and compact regions without low-level waste disposal sites (non-sited compact regions and nonmember states) in 1986 in siting new low-level waste disposal facilities. It also reports the volume of low-level waste received for disposal in 1986 by commercially operated low-level waste disposal facilities. 6 figs., 7 tabs

Characterization of Class A low-level radioactive waste 1986--1990. Volume 7: Appendices K--P

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dehmel, J.C.; Loomis, D.; Mauro, J. [S. Cohen & Associates, Inc., McLean, VA (United States); Kaplan, M. [Eastern Research Group, Inc., Lexington, MA (United States)

1994-01-01

Under contract to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, the firms of S. Cohen & Associates, Inc. (SC&A) and Eastern Research Group (ERG) have compiled a report that describes the physical, chemical, and radiological properties of Class-A low-level radioactive waste. The report also presents information characterizing various methods and facilities used to treat and dispose non-radioactive waste. A database management program was developed for use in accessing, sorting, analyzing, and displaying the electronic data provided by EG&G. The program was used to present and aggregate data characterizing the radiological, physical, and chemical properties of the waste from descriptions contained in shipping manifests. The data thus retrieved are summarized in tables, histograms, and cumulative distribution curves presenting radionuclide concentration distributions in Class-A waste as a function of waste streams, by category of waste generators, and regions of the United States. The report also provides information characterizing methods and facilities used to treat and dispose non-radioactive waste, including industrial, municipal, and hazardous waste regulated under Subparts C and D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The information includes a list of disposal options, the geographical locations of the processing and disposal facilities, and a description of the characteristics of such processing and disposal facilities. Volume 1 contains the Executive Summary, Volume 2 presents the Class-A waste database, Volume 3 presents the information characterizing non-radioactive waste management practices and facilities, and Volumes 4 through 7 contain Appendices A through P with supporting information.

1992 annual report on low-level radioactive waste management progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-11-01

This report summarizes the progress States and compact regions made during 1992 in establishing new low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. It also provides summary information on the volume of low-level radioactive waste received for disposal in 1992 by commercially operated low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. This report is in response to section 7 (b) of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act

Large volume serial section tomography by Xe Plasma FIB dual beam microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burnett, T.L. [School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); FEI Company, Achtseweg Noord 5, Bldg, 5651 GG, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Kelley, R. [FEI Company, 5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, OR 97124 (United States); Winiarski, B. [School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); FEI Company, Achtseweg Noord 5, Bldg, 5651 GG, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Contreras, L. [FEI Company, 5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, OR 97124 (United States); Daly, M.; Gholinia, A.; Burke, M.G. [School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Withers, P.J., E-mail: P.J.Withers@manchester.ac.uk [School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); BP International Centre for Advanced Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

2016-02-15

Ga{sup +} Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscopes (FIB-SEM) have revolutionised the level of microstructural information that can be recovered in 3D by block face serial section tomography (SST), as well as enabling the site-specific removal of smaller regions for subsequent transmission electron microscope (TEM) examination. However, Ga{sup +} FIB material removal rates limit the volumes and depths that can be probed to dimensions in the tens of microns range. Emerging Xe{sup +} Plasma Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscope (PFIB-SEM) systems promise faster removal rates. Here we examine the potential of the method for large volume serial section tomography as applied to bainitic steel and WC–Co hard metals. Our studies demonstrate that with careful control of milling parameters precise automated serial sectioning can be achieved with low levels of milling artefacts at removal rates some 60× faster. Volumes that are hundreds of microns in dimension have been collected using fully automated SST routines in feasible timescales (<24 h) showing good grain orientation contrast and capturing microstructural features at the tens of nanometres to the tens of microns scale. Accompanying electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) maps show high indexing rates suggesting low levels of surface damage. Further, under high current Ga{sup +} FIB milling WC–Co is prone to amorphisation of WC surface layers and phase transformation of the Co phase, neither of which have been observed at PFIB currents as high as 60 nA at 30 kV. Xe{sup +} PFIB dual beam microscopes promise to radically extend our capability for 3D tomography, 3D EDX, 3D EBSD as well as correlative tomography. - Highlights: • The uptake of dual beam FIBs has been rapid but long milling times have limited imaged volumes to tens of micron dimensions. • Emerging plasma Xe{sup +} PFIB-SEM technology offers materials removal rates at least 60× greater than conventional Ga{sup +} FIB systems with

Geophysics Under Pressure: Large-Volume Presses Versus the Diamond-Anvil Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Hazen, R. M.

2002-05-01

Prior to 1970, the legacy of Harvard physicist Percy Bridgman dominated high-pressure geophysics. Massive presses with large-volume devices, including piston-cylinder, opposed-anvil, and multi-anvil configurations, were widely used in both science and industry to achieve a range of crustal and upper mantle temperatures and pressures. George Kennedy of UCLA was a particularly influential advocate of large-volume apparatus for geophysical research prior to his death in 1980. The high-pressure scene began to change in 1959 with the invention of the diamond-anvil cell, which was designed simultaneously and independently by John Jamieson at the University of Chicago and Alvin Van Valkenburg at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, DC. The compact, inexpensive diamond cell achieved record static pressures and had the advantage of optical access to the high-pressure environment. Nevertheless, members of the geophysical community, who favored the substantial sample volumes, geothermally relevant temperature range, and satisfying bulk of large-volume presses, initially viewed the diamond cell with indifference or even contempt. Several factors led to a gradual shift in emphasis from large-volume presses to diamond-anvil cells in geophysical research during the 1960s and 1970s. These factors include (1) their relatively low cost at time of fiscal restraint, (2) Alvin Van Valkenburg's new position as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation in 1964 (when George Kennedy's proposal for a Nation High-Pressure Laboratory was rejected), (3) the development of lasers and micro-analytical spectroscopic techniques suitable for analyzing samples in a diamond cell, and (4) the attainment of record pressures (e.g., 100 GPa in 1975 by Mao and Bell at the Geophysical Laboratory). Today, a more balanced collaborative approach has been adopted by the geophysics and mineral physics community. Many high-pressure laboratories operate a new generation of less expensive

Guidelines for selecting codes for ground-water transport modeling of low-level waste burial sites. Volume 2. Special test cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, C.S.; Cole, C.R.

1985-08-01

This document was written for the National Low-Level Waste Management Program to provide guidance for managers and site operators who need to select ground-water transport codes for assessing shallow-land burial site performance. The guidance given in this report also serves the needs of applications-oriented users who work under the direction of a manager or site operator. The guidelines are published in two volumes designed to support the needs of users having different technical backgrounds. An executive summary, published separately, gives managers and site operators an overview of the main guideline report. Volume 1, titled ''Guideline Approach,'' consists of Chapters 1 through 5 and a glossary. Chapters 2 through 5 provide the more detailed discussions about the code selection approach. This volume, Volume 2, consists of four appendices reporting on the technical evaluation test cases designed to help verify the accuracy of ground-water transport codes. 20 refs

Ice volume and climate changes from a 6000 year sea-level record in French Polynesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallmann, N; Camoin, G; Eisenhauer, A; Botella, A; Milne, G A; Vella, C; Samankassou, E; Pothin, V; Dussouillez, P; Fleury, J; Fietzke, J

2018-01-18

Mid- to late-Holocene sea-level records from low-latitude regions serve as an important baseline of natural variability in sea level and global ice volume prior to the Anthropocene. Here, we reconstruct a high-resolution sea-level curve encompassing the last 6000 years based on a comprehensive study of coral microatolls, which are sensitive low-tide recorders. Our curve is based on microatolls from several islands in a single region and comprises a total of 82 sea-level index points. Assuming thermosteric contributions are negligible on millennial time scales, our results constrain global ice melting to be 1.5-2.5 m (sea-level equivalent) since ~5500 years before present. The reconstructed curve includes isolated rapid events of several decimetres within a few centuries, one of which is most likely related to loss from the Antarctic ice sheet mass around 5000 years before present. In contrast, the occurrence of large and flat microatolls indicates periods of significant sea-level stability lasting up to ~300 years.

Low-level radioactive waste management: an economic assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peery, R.J.

1981-07-01

This paper has presented an overview of the economics of low-level radioactive waste disposal. It is hoped that this paper will assist the states in their efforts to determine their approach to the management of low-level wastes. Although the economies of scale realized by a larger facility are emphasized, the conclusion is that every state and region must examine its need for low-level waste disposal services and consider the interrelated factors that affect the volume of waste to be disposed, including waste reduction techniques, interim storage for not a single recommended capacity for a facility, but an acknowledgement of contingencies. In theory, per cubic foot disposal costs decrease as facility size increases. But theory does not preclude a state from constructing its own site, or a region generating small volumes of waste from building a shared facility. All factors should be weighed before a site is chosen and its size is determined

Overview of the performance objectives and scenarios of TWRS Low-Level Waste Disposal Program. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

As a result of past Department of Energy (DOE) weapons material production operations, Hanford now stores nuclear waste from processing facilities in underground tanks on the 200 area plateau. An agreement between the DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Washington state Department of Ecology (the Tri-Party Agreement, or TPA) establishes an enforceable schedule and a technical framework for recovering, processing, solidifying, and disposing of the Hanford tank wastes. The present plan includes retrieving the tank waste, pre-treating the waste to separate into low level and high level streams, and converting both streams to a glass waste form. The low level glass will represent by far the largest volume and lowest quantity of radioactivity (i.e., large volume of waste chemicals) of waste requiring disposal. The low level glass waste will be retrievably stored in sub-surface disposal vaults for several decades. Assuming the low level disposal system proves to be acceptable, the disposal site will be closed with the low level waste in place. If the disposal system is not acceptable, then the waste will be subject to possible retrieval followed by some other disposal solution. Westinghouse Hanford Company is also planning to emplace the waste so that it is retrievable for up to 50 years after completion of the tank waste processing

1989 Annual report on low-level radioactive waste management progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-10-01

This report summarizes the progress during 1989 of states and compacts in establishing new low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. It also provides summary information on the volume of low-level waste received for disposal in 1989 by commercially operated low-level waste disposal facilities. This report is in response to Section 7(b) of Title I of Public Law 99--240, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985. 2 figs., 5 tabs

Conceptual design of volume reduction system for ITER low level radioactive waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chon, Je Keun, E-mail: jekeun.chon@iter.org; Beaudoin, Virginie; Pitcher, Charles S.

2016-11-01

For ITER Type A (low-level radwaste) radioactive waste process system, the super-compaction of solid wastes is introduced to reduce the waste volume in order to increase the quantity of waste to be enclosed in a final package. A study has been conducted to develop the conceptual design of super-compaction system by exploring the optimum design features of available equipment. The principal finding of the study is that a compactor with a vertical extrusion die that can apply a compressive force of up to 7000 kN will be fit for purpose of ITER Type A waste treatment. The confinement box has been proposed to limit the spread of aerial effluents that might escape from the compacted pellets. In order to increase the packing efficiency of the disposal containers, the height of each pellet will be recorded, enabling the disposal containers to be filled as close as possible to their limit if pellets of an appropriate size are available. The proposed conceptual design of super-compaction system is capable of meeting the objectives and constraints of target waste streams from ITER operation.

Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste characterization: Estimated volumes, radionuclide activities, and other characteristics. Revision 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-09-01

The Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) planning for the disposal of greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC LLW) requires characterization of the waste. This report estimates volumes, radionuclide activities, and waste forms of GTCC LLW to the year 2035. It groups the waste into four categories, representative of the type of generator or holder of the waste: Nuclear Utilities, Sealed Sources, DOE-Held, and Other Generator. GTCC LLW includes activated metals (activation hardware from reactor operation and decommissioning), process wastes (i.e., resins, filters, etc.), sealed sources, and other wastes routinely generated by users of radioactive material. Estimates reflect the possible effect that packaging and concentration averaging may have on the total volume of GTCC LLW. Possible GTCC mixed LLW is also addressed. Nuclear utilities will probably generate the largest future volume of GTCC LLW with 65--83% of the total volume. The other generators will generate 17--23% of the waste volume, while GTCC sealed sources are expected to contribute 1--12%. A legal review of DOE`s obligations indicates that the current DOE-Held wastes described in this report will not require management as GTCC LLW because of the contractual circumstances under which they were accepted for storage. This report concludes that the volume of GTCC LLW should not pose a significant management problem from a scientific or technical standpoint. The projected volume is small enough to indicate that a dedicated GTCC LLW disposal facility may not be justified. Instead, co-disposal with other waste types is being considered as an option.

Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste characterization: Estimated volumes, radionuclide activities, and other characteristics. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE's) planning for the disposal of greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC LLW) requires characterization of the waste. This report estimates volumes, radionuclide activities, and waste forms of GTCC LLW to the year 2035. It groups the waste into four categories, representative of the type of generator or holder of the waste: Nuclear Utilities, Sealed Sources, DOE-Held, and Other Generator. GTCC LLW includes activated metals (activation hardware from reactor operation and decommissioning), process wastes (i.e., resins, filters, etc.), sealed sources, and other wastes routinely generated by users of radioactive material. Estimates reflect the possible effect that packaging and concentration averaging may have on the total volume of GTCC LLW. Possible GTCC mixed LLW is also addressed. Nuclear utilities will probably generate the largest future volume of GTCC LLW with 65--83% of the total volume. The other generators will generate 17--23% of the waste volume, while GTCC sealed sources are expected to contribute 1--12%. A legal review of DOE's obligations indicates that the current DOE-Held wastes described in this report will not require management as GTCC LLW because of the contractual circumstances under which they were accepted for storage. This report concludes that the volume of GTCC LLW should not pose a significant management problem from a scientific or technical standpoint. The projected volume is small enough to indicate that a dedicated GTCC LLW disposal facility may not be justified. Instead, co-disposal with other waste types is being considered as an option

Combined low-volume polyethylene glycol solution plus stimulant laxatives versus standard-volume polyethylene glycol solution: A prospective, randomized study of colon cleansing before colonoscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Hookey, Lawrence C; Depew, William T; Vanner, Stephen J

2006-01-01

INTRODUCTION The effectiveness of polyethylene glycol solutions (PEG) for colon cleansing is often limited by the inability of patients to drink adequate portions of the 4 L solution. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a reduced volume of PEG combined with stimulant laxatives would be better tolerated and as or more effective than the standard dose. METHODS Patients undergoing outpatient colonoscopy were randomly assigned to receive either low-volume PEG plus sennosides (120 mg oral sennosides syrup followed by 2 L PEG) or the standard volume preparation (4 L PEG). The subjects rated the tolerability of the preparations and their symptoms. Colonoscopists were blind to the colonic cleansing preparation and graded the cleansing efficacy using a validated tool (the Ottawa scale). RESULTS The low-volume PEG plus sennosides preparation was significantly better tolerated than the standard large volume PEG (Psennosides preparation was better tolerated, it was not as effective as standard large-volume PEG. However, in view of the significant difference in tolerance, further research investigating possible improvements in the reduced-volume regimen seems warranted. PMID:16482236

A low-level needle counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, Y.; Taguchi, Y.; Imamura, M.; Inoue, T.; Tanaka, S.

1977-01-01

A small end-window type gas-flow counter which has a sharpened needle (anode) against the end-window plane (cathode) was developed for low-level counting of β particles to the amount of less than one count per hour in solid sources of relatively high specific activity. The advantage of the needle counter for low-level work is that being of a conical shape the active volume as against the window area is small. The background count rate of 0.0092+-0.0005 cpm was obtained for a 10 mm dia needle counter operating in GM mode and in anticoincidence with a well-type NaI(Tl) guard crystal with massive shields. The counter design and the counter characteristics are presented in detail. The needle counter is simple in design, low-cost and stable in long time operation. (author)

On-Site Decontamination System for Liquid Low Level Radioactive Waste - 13010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

OSMANLIOGLU, Ahmet Erdal [Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center, Kucukcekmece Istanbul (Turkey)

2013-07-01

This study is based on an evaluation of purification methods for liquid low-level radioactive waste (LLLW) by using natural zeolite. Generally the volume of liquid low-level waste is relatively large and the specific activity is rather low when compared to other radioactive waste types. In this study, a pilot scale column was used with natural zeolite as an ion exchanger media. Decontamination and minimization of LLLW especially at the generation site decrease operational cost in waste management operations. Portable pilot scale column was constructed for decontamination of LLW on site. Effect of temperature on the radionuclide adsorption of the zeolite was determined to optimize the waste solution temperature for the plant scale operations. In addition, effect of pH on the radionuclide uptake of the zeolite column was determined to optimize the waste solution pH for the plant scale operations. The advantages of this method used for the processing of LLLW are discussed in this paper. (authors)

Effects of uncertainty in model predictions of individual tree volume on large area volume estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald E. McRoberts; James A. Westfall

2014-01-01

Forest inventory estimates of tree volume for large areas are typically calculated by adding model predictions of volumes for individual trees. However, the uncertainty in the model predictions is generally ignored with the result that the precision of the large area volume estimates is overestimated. The primary study objective was to estimate the effects of model...

Leak testing plan for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory liquid low-level waste systems (active tanks): Revision 2. Volume 1: Regulatory background and plan approach; Volume 2: Methods, protocols, and schedules; Volume 3: Evaluation of the ORNL/LT-823DP differential pressure leak detection method; Appendix to Revision 2: DOE/EPA/TDEC correspondence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Douglas, D.G.; Wise, R.F.; Starr, J.W.; Maresca, J.W. Jr. [Vista Research, Inc., Mountain View, CA (United States)

1994-11-01

This document, the Leak Testing Plan for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Liquid Low-Level Waste System (Active Tanks), comprises three volumes. The first two volumes address the component-based leak testing plan for the liquid low-level waste system at Oak Ridge, while the third volume describes the performance evaluation of the leak detection method that will be used to test this system. Volume 1, describes that portion of the liquid low-level waste system at that will be tested; it provides the regulatory background, especially in terms of the requirements stipulated in the Federal Facilities Agreement, upon which the leak testing plan is based. Volume 1 also describes the foundation of the plan, portions of which were abstracted from existing federal documents that regulate the petroleum and hazardous chemicals industries. Finally, Volume 1 gives an overview the plan, describing the methods that will be used to test the four classes of components in the liquid low-level waste system. Volume 2 takes the general information on component classes and leak detection methods presented in Volume 1 and shows how it applies particularly to each of the individual components. A complete test plan for each of the components is presented, with emphasis placed on the methods designated for testing tanks. The protocol for testing tank systems is described, and general leak testing schedules are presented. Volume 3 describes the results of a performance evaluation completed for the leak testing method that will be used to test the small tanks at the facility (those less than 3,000 gal in capacity). Some of the details described in Volumes 1 and 2 are expected to change as additional information is obtained, as the viability of candidate release detection methods is proven in the Oak Ridge environment, and as the testing program evolves.

Leak testing plan for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory liquid low-level waste systems (active tanks): Revision 2. Volume 1: Regulatory background and plan approach; Volume 2: Methods, protocols, and schedules; Volume 3: Evaluation of the ORNL/LT-823DP differential pressure leak detection method; Appendix to Revision 2: DOE/EPA/TDEC correspondence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Douglas, D.G.; Wise, R.F.; Starr, J.W.; Maresca, J.W. Jr.

1994-11-01

This document, the Leak Testing Plan for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Liquid Low-Level Waste System (Active Tanks), comprises three volumes. The first two volumes address the component-based leak testing plan for the liquid low-level waste system at Oak Ridge, while the third volume describes the performance evaluation of the leak detection method that will be used to test this system. Volume 1, describes that portion of the liquid low-level waste system at that will be tested; it provides the regulatory background, especially in terms of the requirements stipulated in the Federal Facilities Agreement, upon which the leak testing plan is based. Volume 1 also describes the foundation of the plan, portions of which were abstracted from existing federal documents that regulate the petroleum and hazardous chemicals industries. Finally, Volume 1 gives an overview the plan, describing the methods that will be used to test the four classes of components in the liquid low-level waste system. Volume 2 takes the general information on component classes and leak detection methods presented in Volume 1 and shows how it applies particularly to each of the individual components. A complete test plan for each of the components is presented, with emphasis placed on the methods designated for testing tanks. The protocol for testing tank systems is described, and general leak testing schedules are presented. Volume 3 describes the results of a performance evaluation completed for the leak testing method that will be used to test the small tanks at the facility (those less than 3,000 gal in capacity). Some of the details described in Volumes 1 and 2 are expected to change as additional information is obtained, as the viability of candidate release detection methods is proven in the Oak Ridge environment, and as the testing program evolves

Characterization of Class A low-level radioactive waste 1986--1990. Volume 3: Main report -- Part B

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dehmel, J.C.; Loomis, D.; Mauro, J. [S. Cohen & Associates, Inc., McLean, VA (United States); Kaplan, M. [Eastern Research Group, Inc., Lexington, MA (United States)

1994-01-01

Under contract to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, the firms of S. Cohen & Associates, Inc. (SC&A) and Eastern Research Group (ERG) have compiled a report that describes the physical, chemical, and radiological properties of Class-A low-level radioactive waste. The report also presents information characterizing various methods and facilities used to treat and dispose non-radioactive waste. A database management program was developed for use in accessing, sorting, analyzing, and displaying the electronic data provided by EG&G. The program was used to present and aggregate data characterizing the radiological, physical, and chemical properties of the waste from descriptions contained in shipping manifests. The data thus retrieved are summarized in tables, histograms, and cumulative distribution curves presenting radionuclide concentration distributions in Class-A waste as a function of waste streams, by category of waste generators, and regions of the United States. The report also provides information characterizing methods and facilities used to treat and dispose non-radioactive waste, including industrial, municipal, and hazardous waste regulated under Subparts C and D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The information includes a list of disposal options, the geographical locations of the processing and disposal facilities, and a description of the characteristics of such processing and disposal facilities. Volume 1 contains the Executive Summary, Volume 2 presents the Class-A waste database, Volume 3 presents the information characterizing non-radioactive waste management practices and facilities, and Volumes 4 to 7 contain Appendices A to P with supporting information.

Novel regenerative large-volume immobilized enzyme reactor: preparation, characterization and application.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruan, Guihua; Wei, Meiping; Chen, Zhengyi; Su, Rihui; Du, Fuyou; Zheng, Yanjie

2014-09-15

A novel large-volume immobilized enzyme reactor (IMER) on small column was prepared with organic-inorganic hybrid silica particles and applied for fast (10 min) and oriented digestion of protein. At first, a thin enzyme support layer was formed in the bottom of the small column by polymerization with α-methacrylic acid and dimethacrylate. After that, amino SiO2 particles was prepared by the sol-gel method with tetraethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Subsequently, the amino SiO2 particles were activated by glutaraldehyde for covalent immobilization of trypsin. Digestive capability of large-volume IMER for proteins was investigated by using bovine serum albumin (BSA), cytochrome c (Cyt-c) as model proteins. Results showed that although the sequence coverage of the BSA (20%) and Cyt-c (19%) was low, the large-volume IMER could produce peptides with stable specific sequence at 101-105, 156-160, 205-209, 212-218, 229-232, 257-263 and 473-451 of the amino sequence of BSA when digesting 1mg/mL BSA. Eight of common peptides were observed during each of the ten runs of large-volume IMER. Besides, the IMER could be easily regenerated by reactivating with GA and cross-linking with trypsin after breaking the -C=N- bond by 0.01 M HCl. The sequence coverage of BSA from regenerated IMER increased to 25% comparing the non-regenerated IMER (17%). 14 common peptides. accounting for 87.5% of first use of IMER, were produced both with IMER and regenerated IMER. When the IMER was applied for ginkgo albumin digestion, the sequence coverage of two main proteins of ginkgo, ginnacin and legumin, was 56% and 55%, respectively. (Reviewer 2) Above all, the fast and selective digestion property of the large-volume IMER indicated that the regenerative IMER could be tentatively used for the production of potential bioactive peptides and the study of oriented protein digestion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A low-volume cavity ring-down spectrometer for sample-limited applications

Science.gov (United States)

Stowasser, C.; Farinas, A. D.; Ware, J.; Wistisen, D. W.; Rella, C.; Wahl, E.; Crosson, E.; Blunier, T.

2014-08-01

In atmospheric and environmental sciences, optical spectrometers are used for the measurements of greenhouse gas mole fractions and the isotopic composition of water vapor or greenhouse gases. The large sample cell volumes (tens of milliliters to several liters) in commercially available spectrometers constrain the usefulness of such instruments for applications that are limited in sample size and/or need to track fast variations in the sample stream. In an effort to make spectrometers more suitable for sample-limited applications, we developed a low-volume analyzer capable of measuring mole fractions of methane and carbon monoxide based on a commercial cavity ring-down spectrometer. The instrument has a small sample cell (9.6 ml) and can selectively be operated at a sample cell pressure of 140, 45, or 20 Torr (effective internal volume of 1.8, 0.57, and 0.25 ml). We present the new sample cell design and the flow path configuration, which are optimized for small sample sizes. To quantify the spectrometer's usefulness for sample-limited applications, we determine the renewal rate of sample molecules within the low-volume spectrometer. Furthermore, we show that the performance of the low-volume spectrometer matches the performance of the standard commercial analyzers by investigating linearity, precision, and instrumental drift.

Vitrification of low level and mixed (radioactive and hazardous) wastes: Lessons learned from high level waste vitrification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jantzen, C.M.

1994-01-01

Borosilicate glasses will be used in the USA and in Europe immobilize radioactive high level liquid wastes (HLLW) for ultimate geologic disposal. Simultaneously, tehnologies are being developed by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Nuclear Facility sites to immobilize low-level and mixed (radioactive and hazardous) wastes (LLMW) in durable glass formulations for permanent disposal or long-term storage. Vitrification of LLMW achieves large volume reductions (86--97 %) which minimize the associated long-term storage costs. Vitrification of LLMW also ensures that mixed wastes are stabilized to the highest level reasonably possible, e.g. equivalent to HLLW, in order to meet both current and future regulatory waste disposal specifications The tehnologies being developed for vitrification of LLMW rely heavily on the technologies developed for HLLW and the lessons learned about process and product control

Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste characterization. Appendix E-4: Packaging factors for greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinn, G.; Grant, P.; Winberg, M.; Williams, K.

1994-09-01

This report estimates packaging factors for several waste types that are potential greater-than-Class C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste (LLW). The packaging factor is defined as the volume of a GTCC LLW disposal container divided by the as-generated or ''unpackaged'' volume of the waste loaded into the disposal container. Packaging factors reflect any processes that reduce or increase an original unpackaged volume of GTCC LLW, the volume inside a waste container not occupied by the waste, and the volume of the waste container itself. Three values are developed that represent (a) the base case or most likely value for a packaging factor, (b) a high case packaging factor that corresponds to the largest anticipated disposal volume of waste, and (c) a low case packaging factor for the smallest volume expected. GTCC LLW is placed in three categories for evaluation in this report: activated metals, sealed sources, and all other waste

Measurement of low levels of cesium-137 in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milham, R.C.; Kantelo, M.V.

1984-10-01

Large volume water sampling systems were developed to measure very low levels of cesium-137 in river water and in finished water from water treatment plants. Three hundred to six hundred liters of filtered water are passed through the inorganic ion exchanger potassium cobalti-ferrocyanide to remove greater than 90% of the cesium. Measurement of cesium-137 by gamma ray spectrometry results in a sensitivity of 0.001 pCi/L. Portable as well as stationary samplers were developed to encompass a variety of applications. Results of a one year study of water from the Savannah River and from water treatment plants processing Savannah River water are presented. 3 references, 7 figures

1983 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes shipped to commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-12-01

The 1983 report uses the volume of low-level waste reported as received at each commercial disposal site as the national baseline figure. A volume of 76,702 m 3 of radioactive waste containing 505,340 Ci of activity was reported disposed at the commercial sites in 1983. The distribution of these waste volumes by disposal site is tabulated. Typical radionuclides in low-level wastes by sector are given. Predominant waste forms associated with low-level waste by sector are tabulated. Sometimes the amount of waste reported by power facilities is equal to or exceeds the state volume reported from commercial disposal site operators. Discrepancies may be a result of waste volumes being credited to the home state of the waste broker instead of the actual state location of the generator. Additionally, waste volumes may have been in transit from the generator to the disposal site at year's end. The Low-Level Waste Management Program felt a responsibility to report information accurately from the various sources, so did not alter the figures to make them balance

F-term stabilization of odd axions in LARGE volume scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xin; Shukla, Pramod

2014-01-01

In the context of the LARGE volume scenario, stabilization of axionic moduli is revisited. This includes both even and odd axions with their scalar potential being generated by F-term contributions via various tree-level and non-perturbative effects like fluxed E3-brane instantons and fluxed poly-instantons. In all the cases, we estimate the decay constants and masses of the axions involved

Immunoglobulin G levels during collection of large volume plasma for fractionation.

Science.gov (United States)

Burkhardt, Thomas; Rothe, Remo; Moog, Rainer

2017-06-01

There is a need of comprehensive work dealing with the quality of plasma for fractionation with respect to the IgG content as today most plasma derivates are used to treat patients with immunodeficiencies and autoimmune disorders. Therefore, a prospective study was carried out to analyse IgG levels before plasmapheresis and every 200ml collected plasma. Fifty-four experienced plasmapheresis donors were recruited for subsequent 850ml plasmapheresis using the Aurora Plasmapheresis System. Donorś peripheral blood counts were analysed before and after plasmapheresis using an electronic counter. Total protein, IgG and citrate were measured turbidometrically before, during and after apheresis as well as in the plasma product. Furthermore, platelets, red and white blood cells were analysed as parameters of product quality. An average of 2751±247ml blood was processed in 47±6min. The collected plasma volume was 850±1mL and citrate consumption was 177±15mL. A continuous drop of donors' IgG level was observed during plasmapheresis. The drop was 13% of the IgG baseline value at 800mL collected plasma. Total protein, IgG and cell counts of the plasma product met current guidelines of plasma for fractionation. Donors' IgG levels during apheresis showed a steady decrease without compromising the quality of plasma product. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Guidelines for selecting codes for ground-water transport modeling of low-level waste burial sites. Volume 1. Guideline approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simmons, C.S.; Cole, C.R.

1985-05-01

This document was written for the National Low-Level Waste Management Program to provide guidance for managers and site operators who need to select ground-water transport codes for assessing shallow-land burial site performance. The guidance given in this report also serves the needs of applications-oriented users who work under the direction of a manager or site operator. The guidelines are published in two volumes designed to support the needs of users having different technical backgrounds. An executive summary, published separately, gives managers and site operators an overview of the main guideline report. This volume includes specific recommendations for decision-making managers and site operators on how to use these guidelines. The more detailed discussions about the code selection approach are provided. 242 refs., 6 figs.

Guidelines for selecting codes for ground-water transport modeling of low-level waste burial sites. Volume 1. Guideline approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, C.S.; Cole, C.R.

1985-05-01

This document was written for the National Low-Level Waste Management Program to provide guidance for managers and site operators who need to select ground-water transport codes for assessing shallow-land burial site performance. The guidance given in this report also serves the needs of applications-oriented users who work under the direction of a manager or site operator. The guidelines are published in two volumes designed to support the needs of users having different technical backgrounds. An executive summary, published separately, gives managers and site operators an overview of the main guideline report. This volume includes specific recommendations for decision-making managers and site operators on how to use these guidelines. The more detailed discussions about the code selection approach are provided. 242 refs., 6 figs

The volume reduction of low-activity solid wastes. Report of a panel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradel, J.; Parsons, P.J.; Malasek, E.

1970-01-01

The accumulation of large volumes of low-level solid radioactive wastes is a matter of concern to waste management authorities, particularly when the wastes are produced close to urban areas. Some of the older and larger nuclear establishments are situated in relatively sparsely populated regions where the problem of dealing with such wastes can even be solved on-site, usually by burial, with little or no pre-treatment. This is the most economical solution. Now, however, increasing amounts of wastes are being produced in more populated areas, and local storage can constitute a hindrance to urban development. It is therefore often necessary to transport the wastes elsewhere; to effect this economically the volume and, if possible, the weight must be reduced, so that the wastes can be transported in regulation packages. The present report is concerned with the methods by which this can be achieved for a large variety of solid materials that accrue as radioactive wastes. It has been compiled largely from information and experience gained at major establishments dealing with large quantities of waste, but articular attention has been paid to the interests of the waste management specialists working at smaller nuclear centres. The manual supplements the guides which have already appeared in IAEA publications series and have dealt with some specific aspect of waste management and, like them, it is oriented in the operational rather than the research direction

Analysis of the reduction in waste volumes received for disposal at the low-level radioactive waste site in the State of Washington

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, S.

1988-01-01

The commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal site at Richland, Washington has been receiving waste from generators nationwide since 1965 and is one of the three sites in the nation currently receiving commercial LLRW for disposal. In the past, volumes of LLRW have been increasing steadily, however, this trend has reversed since 1986. This paper addresses waste volume and activity of the waste disposed, factors which have caused this dramatic reduction in LLRW volume, and regulatory concerns regarding environmental protection, and public and occupational health and safety. Future volumes of LLRW that are disposed at the Richland site depend on economic, technological, political and regulatory variables. Provided there is a continual increase in industrial growth, and a demand for medical research and diagnosis, the volume of LLRW increases. However, this volume also offsets by an increase in demand for volume reduction due to economic and institutional pressures. Yet, if all generators continue to volume reduce their LLRW, some time in future, a limit will be reached when the facility site operator needs to increase the unit disposal cost to cover the fixed cost and maintain a profit margin in order to operate the site

National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudin, M.J.; Garcia, R.S.

1992-02-01

This volume serves as an introduction to the National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series. This report includes discussions of radionuclides listed in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 61.55, Tables 1 and 2 (including alpha-emitting transuranics with half-lives greater than five years). Each report includes information regarding radiological and chemical characteristics of specific radionuclides. Information is also included discussing waste streams and waste forms that may contain each radionuclide, and radionuclide behavior in the environment and in the human body. Not all radionuclides commonly found at low-level radioactive waste sites are included in this report. The discussion in this volume explains the rationale of the radionuclide selection process

Anaerobic digestion of low-level radioactive cellulosic and animal wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donaldson, T.L.; Strandberg, G.W.; Patton, B.D.; Harrington, F.E.

1983-02-01

A preliminary process design and a cost estimate have been made for a volume reduction plant for low-level, solid radioactive wastes generated at ORNL. The process is based on extension of existing anaerobic digestion technology and on laboratory studies indicating the feasibiity of this technology for digestion of the organic portion of low-level, solid radioactive wastes. A gaseous effluent (CO 2 and CH 4 ) is vented in the process, and a liquid ffluent containing undigested solids is filtered to remove solids, which are buried. The liquid is discharged to the low-level liquid waste system at ORNL. Overall volume reduction of solid waste by this process is estimated to be approximately 20:1. Costs appear to be comparable to costs for compaction. The process design is conservative, and several potential improvements which could increase efficiency are discussed in this report

Vitrification of low-level and mixed wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, T.R.; Bates, J.K.; Feng, Xiangdong.

1994-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) and nuclear utilities have large quantities of low-level and mixed wastes that must be treated to meet repository performance requirements, which are likely to become even more stringent. The DOE is developing cost-effective vitrification methods for producing durable waste forms. However, vitrification processes for high-level wastes are not applicable to commercial low-level wastes containing large quantities of metals and small amounts of fluxes. New vitrified waste formulations are needed that are durable when buried in surface repositories

Successful Large-volume Leukapheresis for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Collection in a Very-low-weight Brain Tumor Infant with Coagulopathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Mei Liao

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Peripheral apheresis has become a safe procedure to collect hematopoietic stem cells, even in pediatric patients and donors. However, the apheresis procedure for small and sick children is more complicated due to difficult venous access, relatively large extracorporeal volume, toxicity of citrate, and unstable hemostasis. We report a small and sick child with refractory medulloblastoma, impaired liver function, and coagulopathy after several major cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. She successfully received large-volume leukapheresis for hematopoietic stem cell collection, although the patient experienced severe coagulopathy during the procedures. Health care providers should be alert to this potential risk.

An experimental study on the excitation of large volume airguns in a small volume body of water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Baoshan; Yang, Wei; Yuan, Songyong; Ge, Hongkui; Chen, Yong; Guo, Shijun; Xu, Ping

2010-01-01

A large volume airgun array is effective in generating seismic waves, which is extensively used in large volume bodies of water such as oceans, lakes and reservoirs. So far, the application of large volume airguns is subject to the distribution of large volume bodies of water. This paper reports an attempt to utilize large volume airguns in a small body of water as a seismic source for seismotectonic studies. We carried out a field experiment in Mapaoquan pond, Fangshan district, Beijing, during the period 25–30 May 2009. Bolt LL1500 airguns, each with volumes of 2000 in 3 , the largest commercial airguns available today, were used in this experiment. We tested the excitation of the airgun array with one or two guns. The airgun array was placed 7–11 m below the water's surface. The near- and far-field seismic motions induced by the airgun source were recorded by a 100 km long seismic profile composed of 16 portable seismometers and a 100 m long strong motion seismograph profile, respectively. The following conclusions can be drawn from this experiment. First, it is feasible to excite large volume airguns in a small volume body of water. Second, seismic signals from a single shot of one airgun can be recognized at the offset up to 15 km. Taking advantage of high source repeatability, we stacked records from 128 shots to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, and direct P-waves can be easily identified at the offset ∼50 km in stacked records. Third, no detectable damage to fish or near-field constructions was caused by the airgun shots. Those results suggest that large volume airguns excited in small bodies of water can be used as a routinely operated seismic source for mid-scale (tens of kilometres) subsurface explorations and monitoring under various running conditions

Environmental assessment for the off-site volume reduction of low-level radioactive waste from the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-07-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1061) for the proposed off-site volume reduction of low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) generated at the Savannah River Site (SRS), near Aiken, South Carolina. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

Low-level radioactive waste from commercial nuclear reactors. Volume 2. Treatment, storage, disposal, and transportation technologies and constraints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jolley, R.L.; Dole, L.R.; Godbee, H.W.; Kibbey, A.H.; Oyen, L.C.; Robinson, S.M.; Rodgers, B.R.; Tucker, R.F. Jr.

1986-05-01

The overall task of this program was to provide an assessment of currently available technology for treating commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW), to initiate development of a methodology for choosing one technology for a given application, and to identify research needed to improve current treatment techniques and decision methodology. The resulting report is issued in four volumes. Volume 2 discusses the definition, forms, and sources of LLRW; regulatory constraints affecting treatment, storage, transportation, and disposal; current technologies used for treatment, packaging, storage, transportation, and disposal; and the development of a matrix relating treatment technology to the LLRW stream as an aid for choosing methods for treating the waste. Detailed discussions are presented for most LLRW treatment methods, such as aqueous processes (e.g., filtration, ion exchange); dewatering (e.g., evaporation, centrifugation); sorting/segregation; mechanical treatment (e.g., shredding, baling, compaction); thermal processes (e.g., incineration, vitrification); solidification (e.g., cement, asphalt); and biological treatment.

Low-level radioactive waste from commercial nuclear reactors. Volume 2. Treatment, storage, disposal, and transportation technologies and constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jolley, R.L.; Dole, L.R.; Godbee, H.W.; Kibbey, A.H.; Oyen, L.C.; Robinson, S.M.; Rodgers, B.R.; Tucker, R.F. Jr.

1986-05-01

The overall task of this program was to provide an assessment of currently available technology for treating commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW), to initiate development of a methodology for choosing one technology for a given application, and to identify research needed to improve current treatment techniques and decision methodology. The resulting report is issued in four volumes. Volume 2 discusses the definition, forms, and sources of LLRW; regulatory constraints affecting treatment, storage, transportation, and disposal; current technologies used for treatment, packaging, storage, transportation, and disposal; and the development of a matrix relating treatment technology to the LLRW stream as an aid for choosing methods for treating the waste. Detailed discussions are presented for most LLRW treatment methods, such as aqueous processes (e.g., filtration, ion exchange); dewatering (e.g., evaporation, centrifugation); sorting/segregation; mechanical treatment (e.g., shredding, baling, compaction); thermal processes (e.g., incineration, vitrification); solidification (e.g., cement, asphalt); and biological treatment

Low-frequency noise from large wind turbines.

Science.gov (United States)

Møller, Henrik; Pedersen, Christian Sejer

2011-06-01

As wind turbines get larger, worries have emerged that the turbine noise would move down in frequency and that the low-frequency noise would cause annoyance for the neighbors. The noise emission from 48 wind turbines with nominal electric power up to 3.6 MW is analyzed and discussed. The relative amount of low-frequency noise is higher for large turbines (2.3-3.6 MW) than for small turbines (≤ 2 MW), and the difference is statistically significant. The difference can also be expressed as a downward shift of the spectrum of approximately one-third of an octave. A further shift of similar size is suggested for future turbines in the 10-MW range. Due to the air absorption, the higher low-frequency content becomes even more pronounced, when sound pressure levels in relevant neighbor distances are considered. Even when A-weighted levels are considered, a substantial part of the noise is at low frequencies, and for several of the investigated large turbines, the one-third-octave band with the highest level is at or below 250 Hz. It is thus beyond any doubt that the low-frequency part of the spectrum plays an important role in the noise at the neighbors. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Segregation of low-level dry active waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kornblith, L. Jr.; Naughton, M.D.; Welsh, L.

1984-01-01

A program has been carried out to characterize the Dry Active Waste (DAW) stream from a typical PWR power plant in order to determine the usefulness of large-volume DAW monitors for segregating such waste in order to dispose of it in appropriate facilities. A waste monitor using plastic scintillation counters was used for measuring the waste. The monitor had a volume of about 300 liters and an overall efficiency of about 12% for a typical fission product mixture. It provides automatic compensation for background radioactivity and can measure a bag of waste in less than a minute, including background measurements. Six hundred consecutively generated bags of DAW were measured. These had a total activity of about one millicurie and an average specific activity of about 540 nanocuries per kilogram. About half of the bags contained less than 1000 nanocuries and had specific activities of less than 100 nanocuries per kilogram. Based on simplified preliminary calculations, it appears that an evaluation of the risks of disposal of bags such as these in a landfill other than a low-level waste disposal facility could be carried out that would demonstrate that such disposal of half or more of these bags would not result in any substantial hazard, either short or long term

Low level radioactive waste disposal/treatment technology overview: Savannah River site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sturm, H.F. Jr.

1987-01-01

The Savannah River Site will begin operation of several low-level waste disposal/treatment facilities during the next five years, including a new low-level solid waste disposal facility, a low-level liquid effluent treatment facility, and a low-level liquid waste solidification process. Closure of a radioactive hazardous waste burial ground will also be completed. Technical efforts directed toward waste volume reduction include compaction, incineration, waste avoidance, and clean waste segregation. This paper summarizes new technology being developed and implemented. 11 refs., 1 fig

Guidelines for upgrading of low volume roads

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Division of Roads

1993-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this manual is to provide guidelines on the upgrading of gravel low volume roads to roads and maintenance personnel of road authorities of all sizes. Low volume is, for the purpose of this document, defined to be less than 500...

Greater-than-Class C low-level waste characterization technical review process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hutchison, D.; Magleby, M.

1990-01-01

Existing volume projections of greater-than-Class C low-level waste (GTCC LLW) vary significantly. The Department of Energy (DOE) National Low-Level Waste Management Program (NLLWMP) has undertaken activities to develop a best estimate of GTCC LLW volumes and activities for use as the planning basis. Initial information about the generation of GTCC LLW was obtained through a DOE Energy Information Administration survey. That information, combined with information from other related literature, formed the basis of a computer model, which projects potential GTCC LLW. This paper describes uncertainties in existing GTCC LLW characterization and volume projections data and describes the technical review process that is being used to assist in projections of GTCC LLW expected for storage and disposal. 8 refs., 2 tabs.

Greater-than-Class C low-level waste characterization technical review process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchison, D.; Magleby, M.

1990-01-01

Existing volume projections of greater-than-Class C low-level waste (GTCC LLW) vary significantly. The Department of Energy (DOE) National Low-Level Waste Management Program (NLLWMP) has undertaken activities to develop a best estimate of GTCC LLW volumes and activities for use as the planning basis. Initial information about the generation of GTCC LLW was obtained through a DOE Energy Information Administration survey. That information, combined with information from other related literature, formed the basis of a computer model, which projects potential GTCC LLW. This paper describes uncertainties in existing GTCC LLW characterization and volume projections data and describes the technical review process that is being used to assist in projections of GTCC LLW expected for storage and disposal. 8 refs., 2 tabs

Low contrast volume run-off CT angiography with optimized scan time based on double-level test bolus technique – feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baxa, Jan; Vendiš, Tomáš; Moláček, Jiří; Štěpánková, Lucie; Flohr, Thomas; Schmidt, Bernhard; Korporaal, Johannes G.; Ferda, Jiří

2014-01-01

Purpose: To verify the technical feasibility of low contrast volume (40 mL) run-off CT angiography (run-off CTA) with the individual scan time optimization based on double-level test bolus technique. Materials and methods: A prospective study of 92 consecutive patients who underwent run-off CTA performed with 40 mL of contrast medium (injection rate of 6 mL/s) and optimized scan times on a second generation of dual-source CT. Individual optimized scan times were calculated from aortopopliteal transit times obtained on the basis of double-level test bolus technique – the single injection of 10 mL test bolus and dynamic acquisitions in two levels (abdominal aorta and popliteal arteries). Intraluminal attenuation (HU) was measured in 6 levels (aorta, iliac, femoral and popliteal arteries, middle and distal lower-legs) and subjective quality (3-point score) was assessed. Relations of image quality, test bolus parameters and arterial circulation involvement were analyzed. Results: High mean attenuation (HU) values (468; 437; 442; 440; 342; 274) and quality score in all monitored levels was achieved. In 91 patients (0.99) the sufficient diagnostic quality (score 1–2) in aorta, iliac and femoral arteries was determined. A total of 6 patients (0.07) were not evaluable in distal lower-legs. Only the weak indirect correlation of image quality and test-bolus parameters was proved in iliac, femoral and popliteal levels (r values: −0.263, −0.298 and −0.254). The statistically significant difference of the test-bolus parameters and image quality was proved in patients with occlusive and aneurysmal disease. Conclusion: We proved the technical feasibility and sufficient quality of run-off CTA with low volume of contrast medium and optimized scan time according to aortopopliteal transit time calculated from double-level test bolus

What will we do with the low level waste from reactor decommissioning?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meehan, A. R.; Wilmott, S.; Crockett, G.; Watt, N. R.

2008-01-01

The decommissioning of the UK's Magnox reactor sites will produce large volumes of low level waste (LLW) arisings. The vast majority of this waste takes the form of concrete, building rubble and redundant plant containing relatively low levels of radioactivity. Magnox Electric Ltd (Magnox) is leading a strategic initiative funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to explore opportunities for the disposal of such waste to suitably engineered facilities that might be located on or adjacent to the site of waste arising, if appropriate and subject to regulatory acceptance and stakeholder views. The strategic issues surrounding this initiative are described along with an update of progress with stakeholder consultations in relation to the proposed licensing of the first such facility at Hinkley Point A, which could be viewed as a test case for the development of similar disposal facilities at other nuclear sites in England and Wales. (authors)

Large volume axionic Swiss cheese inflation

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Aalok; Shukla, Pramod

2008-09-01

Continuing with the ideas of (Section 4 of) [A. Misra, P. Shukla, Moduli stabilization, large-volume dS minimum without anti-D3-branes, (non-)supersymmetric black hole attractors and two-parameter Swiss cheese Calabi Yau's, arXiv: 0707.0105 [hep-th], Nucl. Phys. B, in press], after inclusion of perturbative and non-perturbative α corrections to the Kähler potential and (D1- and D3-) instanton generated superpotential, we show the possibility of slow roll axionic inflation in the large volume limit of Swiss cheese Calabi Yau orientifold compactifications of type IIB string theory. We also include one- and two-loop corrections to the Kähler potential but find the same to be subdominant to the (perturbative and non-perturbative) α corrections. The NS NS axions provide a flat direction for slow roll inflation to proceed from a saddle point to the nearest dS minimum.

Large volume axionic Swiss cheese inflation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misra, Aalok; Shukla, Pramod

2008-01-01

Continuing with the ideas of (Section 4 of) [A. Misra, P. Shukla, Moduli stabilization, large-volume dS minimum without anti-D3-branes, (non-)supersymmetric black hole attractors and two-parameter Swiss cheese Calabi-Yau's, (arXiv: 0707.0105 [hep-th]), Nucl. Phys. B, in press], after inclusion of perturbative and non-perturbative α ' corrections to the Kaehler potential and (D1- and D3-) instanton generated superpotential, we show the possibility of slow roll axionic inflation in the large volume limit of Swiss cheese Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications of type IIB string theory. We also include one- and two-loop corrections to the Kaehler potential but find the same to be subdominant to the (perturbative and non-perturbative) α ' corrections. The NS-NS axions provide a flat direction for slow roll inflation to proceed from a saddle point to the nearest dS minimum

Hydrogeology of the 200 Areas low-level burial grounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Last, G.V.; Bjornstad, B.N.; Bergeron, M.P.

1989-01-01

This report presents information derived form the installation of 35 ground-water monitoring wells around six low-level radioactive/hazardous waste burial grounds located in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. This information was collected between May 20, 1987 and August 1, 1988. The contents of this report have been divided into two volumes. Volume 1 contains the main text. This Volume contains the appendixes, including data and supporting information that verify content and results found in the main text

De minimis applications for alternative disposal of very low level radioactive waste at Duke Power Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lan, C.

1986-01-01

Existing NRC regulations provide no minimum level of radioactivity in waste from a licensee's facility that may be disposed of in a manner other than as radioactive waste. With one exception, in 10CFRsection20.306, licensees may dispose of certain levels of tritium and carbon-14 in liquid-scintillation and animal-carcass waste without regard to its radioactivity. In the interim, before specific or generic provisions for disposing of very low level radioactive wastes are adopted through rule making, licensees have another alternative for obtaining approval to dispose of large volumes of materials contaminated with very low levels of radioactivity under provision 10CFRsection20.302(a) ''Method for obtaining approval of proposed disposal procedures.'' This paper provides the experiences of obtaining both NRC and states (North Carolina and South Carolina) approval for disposing of very low-level radioactive wastes from Duke Power Company's nuclear stations. The approved disposal procedures include landfarming of water treatment residues, on-site disposal (burial) of sand and feedwater heaters, and include offsite release for treatment and disposal of sanitary sewage sludge. In summary, users of radioactive materials should not exclude this approach in their quest to reduce the volume of radioactive waste. It is expected that such submittals could provide a data base for further development of generic limits for radioactive wastes

Large Item Disposal At The Drigg Low Level Waste Repository, United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffiths, Steve

2012-01-01

Currently the UK operates only one repository for low level radioactive waste, the LLWR near Drigg in Cumbria. It is located on the West Cumbrian coast near the village of Drigg. LLWR is designed for the management of solid LLW and has operated as the principal national disposal facility for LLW since 1959. LLWR is managed and operated on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) by UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd. (UKNWM), parent body of LLW Repository Ltd. UKNWM is a consortium led by URS, Studsvik and AREVA. Waste is accepted at LLWR based on conditions for acceptance (1). Although there is some history of disposal of non-containerised 'large items' at the Drigg site these are anecdotally described as 'not quite fitting into an ISO container (2)' and enquiries indicate that their disposal was restricted to the legacy times when items were tumble-tipped into open trenches at the site, a practise now long ceased. The feasibility of true single large item disposal at the LLWR presents complex problems arising from the poor suitability of both rail and road infrastructure in UK. LLWR is serviced both by road and rail links. The static weight of large items being taken nominally as up to ∼300 metric tons would not necessarily preclude transportation by rail but the practicalities of this route are limited. The ageing rail infrastructure includes numerous tunnels, bridges and sections of line with overhead electrification. All these would require either careful justification or significant work to ensure the safe transit of large loads. Nuclear facilities in UK are by design in remote locations, not all of which are serviced by rail connections and the rail network itself has evolved to service inter-city transportation rather than heavy freight and as such tends to route through town centres, exacerbating the tunnel, bridge and pantograph concerns already identified. Within only a few miles of the LLWR itself there are requirements to pass both over and

Low and intermediate level radioactive waste in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paredes, L.C.; Ortiz, J.R.; Sanchez, S.

2002-01-01

Currently, it is necessary to establish, in a few years, a definitive repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste in order to satisfy the necessities of Mexico for the next 50 years. Consequently, it is required to estimate the volumes of the radioactive waste generated annually, the stored volumes to-date and their projection to medium-term. On this subject, the annual average production of low and intermediate level radioactive waste from the electricity production by means of nuclear power reactors is 250 m 3 /y which consist of humid and dry solid waste from the 2 units of the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power plant having a re-use efficiency of effluents of 95%. On the other hand, the applications in medicine, industry and research generate 20 m 3 /y of solid waste, 280 m 3 /y of liquid waste and approximately 10 m 3 /y from 300 spent sealed radioactive sources. The estimation of the total volume of these waste to the year 2035 is 17500 m 3 corresponding to the 46% of the volume generated by the operation and maintenance of the 2 units of the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power plant, 34% to the decommissioning of these 2 units at the end of their useful life and 20% to the waste generated by applications in medicine, industry and research. (author)

Operation of low-level radioactive waste incinerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, E.C.; Drolet, T.S.; Stewart, W.B.; Campbell, A.V.

1979-01-01

Ontaro Hydro's radioactive waste incinerator designed to reduce the volume of low-level combustible wastes from nuclear generating station's was declared in-service in September 1977. Hiterto about 1500 m 3 of combustible waste have been processed in over 90 separate batches. The process has resulted in 40:1 reduction in the volume and 12.5:1 reduction in the weight of the Type 1 wastes. The ultimate volume reduction factor after storage is 23:1. Airborne emissions has been maintained at the order of 10 -3 to 10 -5 % of the Derived Emission Limits. Incineration of radioactive combustible wastes has been proven feasible, and will remain as one of the most important processes in Ontario Hydro's Radioactive Waste Management Program

Electrochemical processing of low-level waste solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hobbs, D.T.; Ebra, M.A.

1987-01-01

The feasibility of treating low-level Savannah River Plant (SRP) waste solutions by an electrolytic process has been demonstrated. Although the economics of the process are marginal at the current densities investigated at the laboratory scale, there are a number of positive environmental benefits. These benefits include: (1) reduction in the levels of nitrate and nitrite in the waste, (2) further decontamination of 99 Tc and 106 Ru, and (3) reduction in the volume of waste

Low-level radioactive waste management in hospitals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peyrin, J.O.

1991-01-01

In medical establishments, radioisotopes are used in diagnostic techniques, in chemotherapy or in radioimmunology. Hospitable radioactive wastes are characterized by polymorphism and low activity levels in a great volume. These wastes are also associated with infectivity and toxicity. This paper makes a balance and describes new radioactive waste management proposals. 4 refs.; 3 tabs.; 1 fig

Examining the interplay of climate and low amplitude sea-level change on the distribution and volume of massive dolomitization: Zebbag Formation, Cretaceous, Southern Tunisia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Newport, Richard; Hollis, Cathy; Bodin, Stéphane

2017-01-01

During the Cretaceous, a humid global climate, calcitic seas, high relative sea-level and low amplitude changes in relative sea-level largely prevented large-scale dolomitization in many carbonate successions. However, the well-exposed shallow-water carbonate sediments of the Upper Albian–Lower T...

Large-volume static compression using nano-polycrystalline diamond for opposed anvils in compact cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuchi, T; Sasaki, S; Ohno, Y; Osakabe, T; Odake, S; Kagi, H

2010-01-01

In order to extend the pressure regime of intrinsically low-sensitivity methods of measurement, such as neutron scattering and NMR, sample volume to be compressed in compact opposed-anvil cells is desired to be significantly increased. We hereby conducted a series of experiments using two types of compact cells equipped with enforced loading mechanisms. Super-hard nano-polycrystalline diamond (NPD) anvils were carefully prepared for large-volume compression in these cells. These anvils are harder, larger and stronger than single crystal diamond anvils, so that they could play an ideal role to accept the larger forces. Supported and unsupported anvil geometries were separately tested to evaluate this expectation. In spite of insufficient support to the anvils, pressures to 14 GPa were generated for the sample volume of > 0.1 mm 3 , without damaging the NPD anvils. These results demonstrate a large future potential of compact cells equipped with NPD anvils and enforced loading mechanism.

Data base for radioactive waste management: review of low-level radioactive waste disposal history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clancy, J.J.; Gray, D.F.; Oztunali, O.I.

1981-11-01

This document is prepared in three volumes and provides part of the technical support to the draft environmental impact statement (NUREG-0782) on a proposed regulation, 10CFR Part 61, setting forth licensing requirements for land disposal of low level radioactive waste. Volume 1 is a summary and analysis of the history of low level waste disposal at both commercial and government disposal facilities

Volume reduction of low-level, combustible, transuranic waste at Mound Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bond, W.H.; Doty, J.W.; Koenst, J.W. Jr.; Luthy, D.F.

Low-level combustible waste (<100 nCi per g of waste) generated during plutonium-238 processing is collected and stored in 55-gallon (200-liter) drums. The composition of this waste is approximately 32 wt % paper, 46% plastic, 16% rubber and cloth, and 6% metal. Treatment of this waste is initiated by burning in the Mound Cyclone Incinerator, which consists of a burning chamber, deluge tank, venturi scrubber and blower. During the two years of operating the Cyclone Incinerator, experiments have been performed on particle distribution throughout the system using various mixtures of feed material. Measurements were taken at the incinerator outlet, after the spray tank, and after the venturi scrubber. An average emission of 0.23 g of particles per kg of feed at the venturi outlet was determined. The distribution of chlorine from the combustion of polyvinyl chloride was studied. Analyses of the off-gas and scrubber solution show that approximately 75 wt % of the chlorine was captured by the scrubber solution and approximately 17 wt % remained in the off-gas after the venturi scrubber. Measurements of the amount of NO/sub chi/ present in the off-gas were also made during the chloride studies. An average of approximately 200 ppM NO/sub chi/ was produced during each incineration run. Immobilization of the incinerator ash is being studied with regard to long-term behavior of the product. The immobilization matrix which looks most promising is ash mixed with Portland 1A cement in a 65/35 wt % ash-to-cement ratio. This matrix exhibits good mechanical properties while maintaining a maximum volume reduction

Large Volume, Behaviorally-relevant Illumination for Optogenetics in Non-human Primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Acker, Leah C; Pino, Erica N; Boyden, Edward S; Desimone, Robert

2017-10-03

This protocol describes a large-volume illuminator, which was developed for optogenetic manipulations in the non-human primate brain. The illuminator is a modified plastic optical fiber with etched tip, such that the light emitting surface area is > 100x that of a conventional fiber. In addition to describing the construction of the large-volume illuminator, this protocol details the quality-control calibration used to ensure even light distribution. Further, this protocol describes techniques for inserting and removing the large volume illuminator. Both superficial and deep structures may be illuminated. This large volume illuminator does not need to be physically coupled to an electrode, and because the illuminator is made of plastic, not glass, it will simply bend in circumstances when traditional optical fibers would shatter. Because this illuminator delivers light over behaviorally-relevant tissue volumes (≈ 10 mm 3 ) with no greater penetration damage than a conventional optical fiber, it facilitates behavioral studies using optogenetics in non-human primates.

Low-level radwaste engineering economics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobs, M.H.; Miller, C.C.; Young, L.G.

1984-07-01

This topical report on engineering economics for low-level radwaste systems details the methodologies used for economic analyses of radwaste treatment systems and provides examples of radwaste economic evaluations. All of the parameters and cost items used in an evaluation are defined. Examples of the present-value-of-revenue-requirements method, levelized-revenue-requirements method, and the equivalent-capital-investment method are provided. Also, the calculation to determine the maximum justifiable capital expenditure for a radwaste system is illustrated. The report also provides examples of economic evaluations for many current radwaste treatment options. These options include evaporation versus demineralization, dewatering resins versus solidification of resins, and several volume reduction systems. 15 figures, 6 tables

Studies on a pulse shaping system for fast coincidence with very large volume HPGe detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bose, S.; Chatterjee, M.B.; Sinha, B.K.; Bhattacharya, R.

1987-01-01

A variant of the leading edge timing (LET) has been proposed which compensates the ''walk'' due to risetime spread in very large volume (∝100 cm 3 ) HPGe detectors. The method - shape compensated leading edge timing (SCLET) - can be used over a wide dynamic range of energies with 100% efficiency and has been compared with the LET and ARC methods. A time resolution of 10 ns fwhm and 21 ns fwtm has been obtained with 22 Na gamma rays and two HPGe detectors of 96 and 114 cm 3 volume. This circuit is easy to duplicate and use can be a low cost alternative to commercial circuits in experiments requiring a large number of detectors. (orig.)

Estimating retained gas volumes in the Hanford tanks using waste level measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitney, P.D.; Chen, G.; Gauglitz, P.A.; Meyer, P.A.; Miller, N.E.

1997-09-01

The Hanford site is home to 177 large, underground nuclear waste storage tanks. Safety and environmental concerns surround these tanks and their contents. One such concern is the propensity for the waste in these tanks to generate and trap flammable gases. This report focuses on understanding and improving the quality of retained gas volume estimates derived from tank waste level measurements. While direct measurements of gas volume are available for a small number of the Hanford tanks, the increasingly wide availability of tank waste level measurements provides an opportunity for less expensive (than direct gas volume measurement) assessment of gas hazard for the Hanford tanks. Retained gas in the tank waste is inferred from level measurements -- either long-term increase in the tank waste level, or fluctuations in tank waste level with atmospheric pressure changes. This report concentrates on the latter phenomena. As atmospheric pressure increases, the pressure on the gas in the tank waste increases, resulting in a level decrease (as long as the tank waste is open-quotes softclose quotes enough). Tanks with waste levels exhibiting fluctuations inversely correlated with atmospheric pressure fluctuations were catalogued in an earlier study. Additionally, models incorporating ideal-gas law behavior and waste material properties have been proposed. These models explicitly relate the retained gas volume in the tank with the magnitude of the waste level fluctuations, dL/dP. This report describes how these models compare with the tank waste level measurements

Proceedings of the eighth annual DOE low-level waste management forum: Technical Session 8, Future DOE low-level waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-02-01

This volume contains the following papers: (1) DOE Systems Approach and Integration; (2) Impacts of Hazardous Waste Regulation on Low-Level Waste Management; (3) Site Operator Needs and Resolution Status; and (4) Establishment of New Disposal Capacity for the Savannah River Plant. All papers have been processed for inclusion in the Energy Data Base. (AT)

Higgs, moduli problem, baryogenesis and large volume compactifications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higaki, Tetsutaro [RIKEN Nishina Center, Saitama (Japan). Mathematical Physics Lab.; Kamada, Kohei [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Takahashi, Fuminobu [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Dept. of Physics

2012-07-15

We consider the cosmological moduli problem in the context of high-scale supersymmetry breaking suggested by the recent discovery of the standard-model like Higgs boson. In order to solve the notorious moduli-induced gravitino problem, we focus on the LARGE volume scenario, in which the modulus decay into gravitinos can be kinematically forbidden. We then consider the Affleck-Dine mechanism with or without an enhanced coupling with the inflaton, taking account of possible Q-ball formation. We show that the baryon asymmetry of the present Universe can be generated by the Affleck-Dine mechanism in LARGE volume scenario, solving the moduli and gravitino problems.

Higgs, moduli problem, baryogenesis and large volume compactifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higaki, Tetsutaro; Takahashi, Fuminobu

2012-07-01

We consider the cosmological moduli problem in the context of high-scale supersymmetry breaking suggested by the recent discovery of the standard-model like Higgs boson. In order to solve the notorious moduli-induced gravitino problem, we focus on the LARGE volume scenario, in which the modulus decay into gravitinos can be kinematically forbidden. We then consider the Affleck-Dine mechanism with or without an enhanced coupling with the inflaton, taking account of possible Q-ball formation. We show that the baryon asymmetry of the present Universe can be generated by the Affleck-Dine mechanism in LARGE volume scenario, solving the moduli and gravitino problems.

Complex-wide review of DOE's Low-Level Waste Management ES ampersand H vulnerabilities. Volume I. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-05-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) conducted a comprehensive complex-wide review of its management of low-level waste (LLW) and the radioactive component of mixed low-level waste (MLLW). This review was conducted in response to a recommendation from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) which was established and authorized by Congress to oversee DOE. The DNFSB's recommendation concerning conformance with safety standards at DOE LLW sites was issued on September 8, 1994 and is referred to as Recommendation 94-2. DOE's Implementation Plan for its response to Recommendation 94-2 was submitted to the DNFSB on March 31, 1995. The DNFSB recommended that a complex-wide review of DOE's LLW management be initiated. The goal of the complex-wide review of DOE's LLW management system was to identify both programmatic and physical vulnerabilities that could lead to unnecessary radiation exposure of workers or the public or unnecessary releases of radioactive materials to the environment. Additionally, the DNFSB stated that an objective of the complex-wide review should be to establish the dimensions of the DOE LLW problem and support the identification of corrective actions to address safe disposition of past, present, and future volumes of LLW. The complex-wide review involved an evaluation of LLW management activities at 38 DOE facilities at 36 sites that actively manage LLW and MLLW

An immunomagnetic separator for concentration of pathogenic micro-organisms from large volume samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotariu, Ovidiu; Ogden, Iain D.; MacRae, Marion; Badescu, Vasile; Strachan, Norval J.C.

2005-01-01

The standard method of immunomagnetic separation of pathogenic bacteria from food and environmental matrices processes 1 ml volumes. Pathogens present at low levels ( 50 ml). Preliminary results show that between 70 and 113 times more Escherchia coli O157 are recovered compared with the standard 1 ml method

Calibration of a large volume argon-41 gas-effluent monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, William E.; Lovas, Thomas A.

1976-01-01

In September of 1975, a large volume Argon-41 sampler was calibrated using a series connected calibration chamber of known sensitivity and a constant flow of activated Argon gas. The calibration included analysis of the effects of flow rate through the large volume sampler and yielded a calibration constant of 2.34 x 10 -8 μc/cm 3 /CPM. (author)

Fifth international conference on radioactive waste management and environmental remediation -- ICEM '95: Proceedings. Volume 2: Management of low-level waste and remediation of contaminated sites and facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slate, S.; Baker, R.; Benda, G.

1995-01-01

The objective of this conference is the broad international exchange of information on technologies, operations, management approaches, economics, and public policies in the critical areas of radioactive waste management and environmental remediation. The ICEM '95 technical program includes four parallel program tracks: Low/intermediate-level waste management; High-level waste, spent fuel, nuclear material management; Environmental remediation and facility D and D; and Major institutional issues in environmental management. Volume 2 contains approximately 200 papers divided into the following topical sections: Characterization of low and intermediate level waste; Treatment of low and intermediate level waste; LLW disposal and near-surface contaminant migration; Characterization and remediation of contaminated sites; and Decontamination and decommissioning technologies and experience. Papers have been processed separately for inclusion on the data base

Center-stabilized Yang-Mills Theory:Confinement and Large N Volume Independence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unsal, Mithat; Yaffe, Laurence G.

2008-01-01

We examine a double trace deformation of SU(N) Yang-Mills theory which, for large N and large volume, is equivalent to unmodified Yang-Mills theory up to O(1/N 2 ) corrections. In contrast to the unmodified theory, large N volume independence is valid in the deformed theory down to arbitrarily small volumes. The double trace deformation prevents the spontaneous breaking of center symmetry which would otherwise disrupt large N volume independence in small volumes. For small values of N, if the theory is formulated on R 3 x S 1 with a sufficiently small compactification size L, then an analytic treatment of the non-perturbative dynamics of the deformed theory is possible. In this regime, we show that the deformed Yang-Mills theory has a mass gap and exhibits linear confinement. Increasing the circumference L or number of colors N decreases the separation of scales on which the analytic treatment relies. However, there are no order parameters which distinguish the small and large radius regimes. Consequently, for small N the deformed theory provides a novel example of a locally four-dimensional pure gauge theory in which one has analytic control over confinement, while for large N it provides a simple fully reduced model for Yang-Mills theory. The construction is easily generalized to QCD and other QCD-like theories

Center-stabilized Yang-Mills theory: Confinement and large N volume independence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uensal, Mithat; Yaffe, Laurence G.

2008-01-01

We examine a double trace deformation of SU(N) Yang-Mills theory which, for large N and large volume, is equivalent to unmodified Yang-Mills theory up to O(1/N 2 ) corrections. In contrast to the unmodified theory, large N volume independence is valid in the deformed theory down to arbitrarily small volumes. The double trace deformation prevents the spontaneous breaking of center symmetry which would otherwise disrupt large N volume independence in small volumes. For small values of N, if the theory is formulated on R 3 xS 1 with a sufficiently small compactification size L, then an analytic treatment of the nonperturbative dynamics of the deformed theory is possible. In this regime, we show that the deformed Yang-Mills theory has a mass gap and exhibits linear confinement. Increasing the circumference L or number of colors N decreases the separation of scales on which the analytic treatment relies. However, there are no order parameters which distinguish the small and large radius regimes. Consequently, for small N the deformed theory provides a novel example of a locally four-dimensional pure-gauge theory in which one has analytic control over confinement, while for large N it provides a simple fully reduced model for Yang-Mills theory. The construction is easily generalized to QCD and other QCD-like theories.

Plasma uric acid and tumor volume are highly predictive of outcome in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients receiving intensity modulated radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Hui; Lin, Huan-Xin; Ge, Nan; Wang, Hong-Zhi; Sun, Rui; Hu, Wei-Han

2013-01-01

The combined predictive value of plasma uric acid and primary tumor volume in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients receiving intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has not yet been determined. In this retrospective study, plasma uric acid level was measured after treatment in 130 histologically-proven NPC patients treated with IMRT. Tumor volume was calculated from treatment planning CT scans. Overall (OS), progression-free (PFS) and distant metastasis-free (DMFS) survival were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log rank test, and Cox multivariate and univariate regression models were created. Patients with a small tumor volume (<27 mL) had a significantly better DMFS, PFS and OS than patients with a large tumor volume. Patients with a high post-treatment plasma uric acid level (>301 μmol/L) had a better DMFS, PFS and OS than patients with a low post-treatment plasma uric acid level. Patients with a small tumor volume and high post-treatment plasma uric acid level had a favorable prognosis compared to patients with a large tumor volume and low post-treatment plasma uric acid level (7-year overall OS, 100% vs. 48.7%, P <0.001 and PFS, 100% vs. 69.5%, P <0.001). Post-treatment plasma uric acid level and pre-treatment tumor volume have predictive value for outcome in NPC patients receiving IMRT. NPC patients with a large tumor volume and low post-treatment plasma uric acid level may benefit from additional aggressive treatment after IMRT

Steam Reforming of Low-Level Mixed Waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1998-01-01

Under DOE Contract No. DE-AR21-95MC32091, Steam Reforming of Low-Level Mixed Waste, ThermoChem has successfully designed, fabricated and operated a nominal 90 pound per hour Process Development Unit (PDU) on various low-level mixed waste surrogates. The design construction, and testing of the PDU as well as performance and economic projections for a 500- lb/hr demonstration and commercial system are described. The overall system offers an environmentally safe, non-incinerating, cost-effective, and publicly acceptable method of processing LLMW. The steam-reforming technology was ranked the No. 1 non-incineration technology for destruction of hazardous organic wastes in a study commissioned by the Mixed Waste Focus Area published April 1997.1 The ThermoChem steam-reforming system has been developed over the last 13 years culminating in this successful test campaign on LLMW surrogates. Six surrogates were successfidly tested including a 750-hour test on material simulating a PCB- and Uranium- contaminated solid waste found at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The test results indicated essentially total (>99.9999oA) destruction of RCRA and TSCA hazardous halogenated organics, significant levels of volume reduction (> 400 to 1), and retention of radlonuclides in the volume-reduced solids. Cost studies have shown the steam-reforming system to be very cost competitive with more conventional and other emerging technologies.

Solid low level waste management guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, P.

1995-01-01

In the 1980's the nuclear industry began focusing a great deal of attention on minimizing the volume of low level radioactive waste (LLW) that required disposal. This was driven by several factors including rising disposal costs, increased regulatory pressures, and increased pressure from other organizations such as INPO. In the 1990's most utilities are faced with intense competition in the electrical generation market. The survival of a utility is based on their ability to produce electricity by the most efficient and economical means available. Waste management related costs are a substantial portion of most utilities O ampersand M budgets. Disposal site access denial continues to be a major factor in waste management program decision, and the pressures to minimize waste volumes from outside organizations is greater than ever

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of low-volume polyethylene glycol plus ascorbic acid versus standard-volume polyethylene glycol solution as bowel preparations for colonoscopy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingsong Xie

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Standard-volume polyethylene glycol (PEG gut lavage solutions are safe and effective, but they require the consumption of large volumes of fluid. A new lower-volume solution of PEG plus ascorbic acid has been used recently as a preparation for colonoscopy. AIM: A meta-analysis was performed to compare the performance of low-volume PEG plus ascorbic acid with standard-volume PEG as bowel preparation for colonoscopy. STUDY: Electronic and manual searches were performed to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs that compared the performance of low-volume PEG plus ascorbic acid with standard-volume PEG as bowel preparation for colonoscopy. After a methodological quality assessment and data extraction, the pooled estimates of bowel preparation efficacy during bowel cleansing, compliance with preparation, willingness to repeat the same preparation, and the side effects were calculated. We calculated pooled estimates of odds ratios (OR by fixed- and/or random-effects models. We also assessed heterogeneity among studies and the publication bias. RESULTS: Eleven RCTs were identified for analysis. The pooled OR for preparation efficacy during bowel cleansing and for compliance with preparation for low-volume PEG plus ascorbic acid were 1.08 (95% CI = 0.98-1.28, P = 0.34 and 2.23 (95% CI = 1.67-2.98, P<0.00001, respectively, compared with those for standard-volume PEG. The side effects of vomiting and nausea for low-volume PEG plus ascorbic acid were reduced relative to standard-volume PEG. There was no significant publication bias, according to a funnel plot. CONCLUSIONS: Low-volume PEG plus ascorbic acid gut lavage achieved non-inferior efficacy for bowel cleansing, is more acceptable to patients, and has fewer side effects than standard-volume PEG as a bowel preparation method for colonoscopy.

Adopting plasma pyrolysis for management of low-level solid radioactive waste in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, R.K.; Singh, A.K.; Yeotikar, R.G.; Patil, S.P.; Jha, Jyoti; Mishra, S.K.; Gandhi, K.G.; Misra, S.D.

2010-01-01

Since Plasma Pyrolysis of Low-Level Solid Radioactive Waste has the potential of reducing waste volumes by a factor of up to 1000:1, the new technology is seen as a sound engineering and economic option for managing voluminous low-active wastes. Development and adoption of such technique, to replace existing methods of Low-Level Solid Radioactive Waste management, is borne out of a compelling need to conserve disposal space. While Plasma-based systems are already in use for disposal of medical, toxic and other industrial wastes, the level of maturity is yet to be attained in their radioactive applications. A Prototype Plasma Pyrolysis Unit is being set up in India which, after extensive trials, will function as a full-scale plant for the volume reduction of Low-Level Solid Radioactive Wastes. This paper deals with the transition philosophy from the current techniques to the Plasma-based process. The design and engineering of the proposed facility and various system components is also briefly touched upon. (author)

Evaporation studies on Oak Ridge National Laboratory liquid low-level waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fowler, V.L. [PAI Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Perona, J.J. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1993-03-01

Evaporation studies were performed with Melton Valley storage tank liquid low-level radioactive waste concentrate and with surrogates (nonradioactive) to determine the feasibility of a proposed out-of-tank-evaporation project. Bench-scale tests indicated that volume reductions ranging from 30 to 55% could be attained. Vendor-site tests were conducted (with surrogate waste forms) using a bench-scale single-stage, low-pressure (subatmospheric), low-temperature (120 to 173{degree}F) evaporator similar to units in operation at several nuclear facilities. Vendor tests were successful; a 30% volume reduction was attained with no crystallization of solids and no foaming, as would be expected from a high pH solution. No fouling of the heat exchanger surfaces occurred during these tests. It is projected that 52,000 to 120,000 gal of water could be evaporated from the supernate stored in the Melton and Bethel Valley liquid low-level radioactive waste (LLLW) storage tanks with this type of evaporator.

WasteChem Corporation's Volume Reduction and Solidification (VRS) system for low-level radwaste treatment: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

Since 1965, low and medium level radwastes from nuclear power stations, reprocessing plants and nuclear research centers have been stabilized using the Volume Reduction and Solidification (VRS) system. The VRS system uses an extruder/evaporator to evaporate the liquids from waste influents, while simultaneously incorporating the remaining radioactive solids in an asphalt binder. In the period 1965 to 1986 a minimum of 700,000 cubic feet of wastes have been processed with the VRS system. This report provides current operating data from various systems including the volume reduction factors achieved, and the progress of start-ups in the US. The report also provides previously unpublished experience with mixed wastes including uranium raffinate and nitrate-bearing sludges from surface impoundments. VRS systems in the US are currently operating at the Palisades and Hope Creek nuclear stations. These systems produce a variety of waste types including boric acid, bead resin, sodium sulfate and powdered resins. There are three start-ups of VRS systems scheduled in the US in 1987. These systems are at Fermi 2, Seabrook, and Nine Mile Point 2. Overseas, the startup of new systems continues with three VRS process lines coming on-line at the LaHague Reprocessing Center in France in 1986 and a start-up scheduled for 1987 at the Laguna Verde plant in Mexico. The US systems are operating continuously and with little required maintenance. Data on maintenance and the operator exposure are provided in this report. 6 refs., 11 figs., 13 tabs

Characteristics of medically related low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weir, G.J. Jr.; Teele, B.

1986-07-01

This report describes a survey that identified the current sources of medically generated radioactive wastes. Included are recommendations on how to reduce the volume of medically-related material classified as low-level radioactive wastes, to improve handling techniques for long-lived radioisotopes, and for options for the use of radioactive materials in medical studies. 8 refs., 11 tabs

Effects of a Birth Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Level and Annual Volume of Very Low-Birth-Weight Infant Deliveries on Morbidity and Mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Erik A; Lorch, Scott A

2015-08-01

The annual volume of deliveries of very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants has a greater effect on mortality risk than does neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) level. The differential effect of these hospital factors on morbidity among VLBW infants is uncertain. To assess the independent effects of a birth hospital's annual volume of VLBW infant deliveries and NICU level on the risk of several neonatal morbidities and morbidity-mortality composite outcomes that are predictive of future neurocognitive development. Retrospective, population-based cohort study (performed in 2014) of all VLBW infants without severe congenital anomalies delivered in all hospitals in California, Missouri, and Pennsylvania between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2009 (N = 72,431). Risk-adjusted odds ratios and risk-adjusted probabilities were determined by logistic regression. The primary study outcomes were the individual composites of death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, and severe intraventricular hemorrhage. Among the 72,431 VLBW infants in the present study, birth at a hospital with 10 or less deliveries of VLBW infants per year was associated with the highest risk-adjusted probability of death (15.3% [95% CI, 14.4%-16.3%]), death or severe intraventricular hemorrhage (17.5% [95% CI, 16.5%-18.6%]), and death or necrotizing enterocolitis (19.3% [95% CI, 18.1%-20.4%]). These complications were also more common among infants born at hospitals with a level I or II NICU compared with infants delivered at hospitals with a level IIIB/C NICU. The risk-adjusted probability of death or retinopathy of prematurity was highest among infants born at hospitals with a level IIIB/C NICU and lowest among infants born at hospitals with a level IIIA NICU. When the effects of NICU level and annual volume of VLBW infant deliveries were evaluated simultaneously, the annual volume of deliveries was the stronger contributor to the risk of death, death or

Low Tidal Volume Reduces Lung Inflammation Induced by Liquid Ventilation in Piglets With Severe Lung Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Lijun; Feng, Huizhen; Chen, Xiaofan; Liang, Kaifeng; Ni, Chengyao

2017-05-01

Total liquid ventilation (TLV) is an alternative treatment for severe lung injury. High tidal volume is usually required for TLV to maintain adequate CO 2 clearance. However, high tidal volume may cause alveolar barotrauma. We aim to investigate the effect of low tidal volume on pulmonary inflammation in piglets with lung injury and under TLV. After the establishment of acute lung injury model by infusing lipopolysaccharide, 12 piglets were randomly divided into two groups, TLV with high tidal volume (25 mL/kg) or with low tidal volume (6 mL/kg) for 240 min, respectively. Extracorporeal CO 2 removal was applied in low tidal volume group to improve CO 2 clearance and in high tidal volume group as sham control. Gas exchange and hemodynamic status were monitored every 30 min during TLV. At the end of the study, pulmonary mRNA expression and plasmatic concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were measured by collecting lung tissue and blood samples from piglets. Arterial blood pressure, PaO 2 , and PaCO 2 showed no remarkable difference between groups during the observation period. Compared with high tidal volume strategy, low tidal volume resulted in 76% reduction of minute volume and over 80% reduction in peak inspiratory pressure during TLV. In addition, low tidal volume significantly diminished pulmonary mRNA expression and plasmatic level of IL-6 and IL-8. We conclude that during TLV, low tidal volume reduces lung inflammation in piglets with acute lung injury without compromising gas exchange. © 2016 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Epidemiological survey of the effects of low level radiation dose: a comparative assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rose, K.S.B.

1993-10-01

This volume presents the collations tables of a six volume comparative epidemiological survey of the effects of low level radiation dose. Data are collated for the effects observed in the following irradiated groups:- Preconception irradiation, intra-uterine irradiation, childhood irradiation, adult irradiation. (UK).

Assessment of the requirements for DOE's annual report to congress on low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-10-01

The Low-level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 (PL99-240; LLRWPAA) requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to ''submit to Congress on an annual basis a report which: (1) summarizes the progress of low-level waste disposal siting and licensing activities within each compact region, (2) reviews the available volume reduction technologies, their applications, effectiveness, and costs on a per unit volume basis, (3) reviews interim storage facility requirements, costs, and usage, (4) summarizes transportation requirements for such wastes on an inter- and intra-regional basis, (5) summarizes the data on the total amount of low-level waste shipped for disposal on a yearly basis, the proportion of such wastes subjected to volume reduction, the average volume reduction attained,, and the proportion of wastes stored on an interim basis, and (6) projects the interim storage and final disposal volume requirements anticipated for the following year, on a regional basis (Sec. 7(b)).'' This report reviews and assesses what is required for development of the annual report specified in the LLRWPAA. This report addresses each of the subject areas set out in the LLRWPAA

Large area APDs for low energy X-ray detection in intense magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boucher, M.; Huot, O.; Knowles, P.E.; Ludhova, L.; Mulhauser, F.; Schaller, L.A.; Conde, C.A.N.; Santos, J.M.F. dos; Fernandes, L.M.P.; Veloso, J.F.C.A.; Kottmann, F.; Antognini, A.; Pohl, R.; Taqqu, D.

2003-01-01

An experiment to measure the energy difference between the 2S-2P atomic levels (Lamb shift) in muonic hydrogen is being prepared at PSI. Since the energy levels of muonic hydrogen are a factor of 186 more energetic than those of hydrogen, according to the ratio of reduced masses, the transitions lie in the soft X-ray region. The experiment needs long-lived muonic hydrogen in the 2S state. This is achieved by stopping a low energy muon beam in a small volume of low pressure hydrogen in a 5 T magnetic field. A pulsed beam from a tunable laser induces the 2S-2P transition and the 1.9 keV X-ray photons resulting from the 2P-1S deexcitation will be detected. Measuring the coincidences between the laser pulse and the X-ray as a function of the laser wavelength allows us to determine the Lamb shift. In this presentation we will discuss the perspectives of using large area avalanche photodiodes for the direct detection of the X-rays. Compared to gaseous detectors, they are more compact and simpler in operation. They are also insensitive to magnetic fields

Large area APDs for low energy X-ray detection in intense magnetic fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boucher, M.; Huot, O.; Knowles, P.E.; Ludhova, L.; Mulhauser, F. E-mail: francoise.mulhauser@unifr.ch; Schaller, L.A.; Conde, C.A.N.; Santos, J.M.F. dos; Fernandes, L.M.P.; Veloso, J.F.C.A.; Kottmann, F.; Antognini, A.; Pohl, R.; Taqqu, D

2003-06-01

An experiment to measure the energy difference between the 2S-2P atomic levels (Lamb shift) in muonic hydrogen is being prepared at PSI. Since the energy levels of muonic hydrogen are a factor of 186 more energetic than those of hydrogen, according to the ratio of reduced masses, the transitions lie in the soft X-ray region. The experiment needs long-lived muonic hydrogen in the 2S state. This is achieved by stopping a low energy muon beam in a small volume of low pressure hydrogen in a 5 T magnetic field. A pulsed beam from a tunable laser induces the 2S-2P transition and the 1.9 keV X-ray photons resulting from the 2P-1S deexcitation will be detected. Measuring the coincidences between the laser pulse and the X-ray as a function of the laser wavelength allows us to determine the Lamb shift. In this presentation we will discuss the perspectives of using large area avalanche photodiodes for the direct detection of the X-rays. Compared to gaseous detectors, they are more compact and simpler in operation. They are also insensitive to magnetic fields.

1994 annual report on low-level radioactive waste management progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-04-01

This report for calendar year 1994 summarizes the progress that states and compact regions made during the year in establishing new low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. Although events that have occurred in 1995 greatly alter the perspective in terms of storage versus disposal, the purpose of this report is to convey the concerns as evidenced during calendar year 1994. Significant developments occurring in 1995 are briefly outlined in the transmittal letter and will be detailed in the report for calendar year 1995. The report also provides summary information on the volume of low-level radioactive waste received for disposal in 1994 by commercially operated low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities, and is prepared is in response to Section 7(b) of Title I of Public Law 99-240, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985

Low-level radioactive waste management handbook series: Low-level radioactive waste management in medical and biomedical research institutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-03-01

Development of this handbook began in 1982 at the request of the Radhealth Branch of the California Department of Health Services. California Assembly Bill 1513 directed the DHS to ''evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of (1) reducing the volume, reactivity, and chemical and radioactive hazard of (low-level radioactive) waste and (2) substituting nonradioactive or short-lived radioactive materials for those radionuclides which require long-term isolation from the environment. A contract awarded to the University of California at Irvine-UCI (California Std. Agreement 79902), to develop a document focusing on methods for decreasing low-level radioactive waste (LLW) generation in institutions was a result of that directive. In early 1985, the US Department of Energy, through EG and G Idaho, Inc., contracted with UCI to expand, update, and revise the California text for national release

Low- and intermediate-level waste management practices in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlesworth, D.H.

1982-05-01

Low- and intermediate-level wastes arise in Canada from the operation of nuclear power stations, nuclear research establishments, nuclear fuel and radioisotope production facilities, as well as from many medical, research and industrial organizations. Essentially all of the solid radioactive wastas are stored in a retrievable fashion at five waste management areas from which a portion is expected to be transferred to future disposal facilities. Waste processing for volume reduction and stabilization is becoming an increasingly important part of low-level waste management because of the advantages it provides for both interim storage currently, and permanent disposal in the future

Numerical simulation of seismic wave propagation from land-excited large volume air-gun source

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, W.; Zhang, W.

2017-12-01

The land-excited large volume air-gun source can be used to study regional underground structures and to detect temporal velocity changes. The air-gun source is characterized by rich low frequency energy (from bubble oscillation, 2-8Hz) and high repeatability. It can be excited in rivers, reservoirs or man-made pool. Numerical simulation of the seismic wave propagation from the air-gun source helps to understand the energy partitioning and characteristics of the waveform records at stations. However, the effective energy recorded at a distance station is from the process of bubble oscillation, which can not be approximated by a single point source. We propose a method to simulate the seismic wave propagation from the land-excited large volume air-gun source by finite difference method. The process can be divided into three parts: bubble oscillation and source coupling, solid-fluid coupling and the propagation in the solid medium. For the first part, the wavelet of the bubble oscillation can be simulated by bubble model. We use wave injection method combining the bubble wavelet with elastic wave equation to achieve the source coupling. Then, the solid-fluid boundary condition is implemented along the water bottom. And the last part is the seismic wave propagation in the solid medium, which can be readily implemented by the finite difference method. Our method can get accuracy waveform of land-excited large volume air-gun source. Based on the above forward modeling technology, we analysis the effect of the excited P wave and the energy of converted S wave due to different water shapes. We study two land-excited large volume air-gun fields, one is Binchuan in Yunnan, and the other is Hutubi in Xinjiang. The station in Binchuan, Yunnan is located in a large irregular reservoir, the waveform records have a clear S wave. Nevertheless, the station in Hutubi, Xinjiang is located in a small man-made pool, the waveform records have very weak S wave. Better understanding of

Hydrogeology of the 200 Areas low-level burial grounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Last, G.V.; Bjornstad, B.N.; Bergeron, M.P.

1989-01-01

This report presents information derived from the installation of 35 ground-water monitoring wells around six low-level radioactive/hazardous waste burial grounds located in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. This information was collected between May 20, 1987 and August 1, 1988. The contents of this report have been divided into two volumes. This volume contains the main text. Volume 2 contains the appendixes, including data and supporting information that verify content and results found in the main text. This report documents information collected by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory at the request of Westinghouse Hanford Company. Presented in this report are the preliminary interpretations of the hydrogeologic environment of six low-level burial grounds, which comprise four waste management areas (WMAs) located in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site. This information and its accompanying interpretations were derived from sampling and testing activities associated with the construction of 35 ground-water monitoring wells as well as a multitude of previously existing boreholes. The new monitoring wells were installed as part of a ground-water monitoring program initiated in 1986. This ground-water monitoring program is based on requirements for interim status facilities in compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976)

Volume reduction and conditioning campaigns, upon low level solid waste drums, realised in ENEA centres of Trisaia (ITREC plant) and Saluggia (EUTREX plant)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gili, M.

1995-09-01

The volume reduction and conditioning campaigns, upon low level solid waste drums, realized between 1989 and 1993 in the ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) centres of Trisaia (ITREC plant) and Saluggia (EUREX plant), by the mean of supercompactation, and cement immobilization inside over packs, are hereby described. The operational techniques and the equipments used, the whole volume reduction factors obtained and some final considerations over this solid rad wastes treatment procedure are shown. This method, where correctly operated and coupled to an accurate radiological characterization, permits to save space for the waste storage in the short period and to obtain final manufacts, certified suitable for shallow burial disposal, according to italian technical guide n. 26

Economics of a small-volume low-level radioactive waste disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-04-01

This report was prepared by the US Department of Energy National Low-Level Waste Management Program to present the results of a life-cycle cost analysis of a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility, including all support facilities, beginning in the preoperational phase and continuing through post-closure care. The disposal technology selected for this report is earth-covered concrete vaults, which use reinforced concrete vaults constructed above grade and an earth cover constructed at the end of the operational period for permanent closure. The report develops a design, cost estimate, and schedule for the base case and eight alternative scenarios involving changes in total disposal capacity, operating life, annual disposal rate, source of financing and long-term interest rates. The purpose of this analysis of alternatives is to determine the sensitivity of cost to changes in key analytical or technical parameters, thereby evaluating the influence of a broad range of conditions. The total estimated cost of each alternative is estimated and a unit disposal charge is developed

Understanding low-level radioactive waste. National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-10-01

Chapters are devoted to: background and policymaking for low-level waste management; commercial low-level waste generation; Department of Energy low-level waste generation; low-level waste treatment; packaging and transportation; commercial low-level waste disposal; Department of Energy low-level waste disposal; Department of Energy low-level waste management program; and laws and regulations

National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudin, M.J.; Garcia, R.S.

1992-02-01

This report, Volume 3 of the National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, discusses the radiological and chemical characteristics of carbon-14. The report also discusses waste streams that contain carbon-14, waste forms that contain carbon-14, and carbon-14 behavior in the environment and in the human body

Low-frequency noise from large wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Henrik; Pedersen, Christian Sejer

2011-01-01

As wind turbines get larger, worries have emerged that the turbine noise would move down in frequency and that the low-frequency noise would cause annoyance for the neighbors. The noise emission from 48 wind turbines with nominal electric power up to 3.6 MW is analyzed and discussed. The relative...... amount of low-frequency noise is higher for large turbines (2.3–3.6 MW) than for small turbines (≤ 2 MW), and the difference is statistically significant. The difference can also be expressed as a downward shift of the spectrum of approximately one-third of an octave. A further shift of similar size...... is suggested for future turbines in the 10-MW range. Due to the air absorption, the higher low-frequency content becomes even more pronounced, when sound pressure levels in relevant neighbor distances are considered. Even when A-weighted levels are considered, a substantial part of the noise is at low...

Volume reduction and solidification of liquid and solid low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

May, J.R.

1979-01-01

This paper presents a brief background of the development of a method of radioactive waste volume reduction using a unique fluidized bed calciner/incinerator. The volume reduction system is capable of processing a variety of liquid chemical wastes, spent ion exchange resin beads, filter treatment sludges, contaminated lubricating oils, and miscellaneous combustible solids such as paper, rags, protective clothing, wood, etc. All of these wastes are processed in one chemical reaction vessel. Detailed process data is presented that shows the system is capable of reducing the total volume of disposable radioactive waste generated by light water reactors by a factor of 10. Equally important to reducing the volume of power reactor radwaste is the final form of the stored or disposable radwaste. This paper also presents process data related to a new radwaste solidification system, presently being developed, that is particularly suited for immobilizing the granular solids and ashes resulting from volume reduction by calcination and/or incineration

Low level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balaz, J.; Chren, O.

2015-01-01

The Mochovce National Radwaste Repository is a near surface multi-barrier disposal facility for disposal of processed low and very low level radioactive wastes (radwastes) resulting from the operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities situated in the territory of the Slovak Republic and from research institutes, laboratories, hospitals and other institutions (institutional RAW) which are in compliance with the acceptance criteria. The basic safety requirement of the Repository is to avoid a radioactive release to the environment during its operation and institutional inspection. This commitment is covered by the protection barrier system. The method of solution designed and implemented at the Repository construction complies with the latest knowledge and practice of the repository developments all over the world and meets requirements for the safe radwaste disposal with minimum environmental consequences. All wastes are solidified and have to meet the acceptance criteria before disposal into the Repository. They are processed and treated at the Bohunice RAW Treatment Centre and Liquid RAW Final Treatment Facility at Mochovce. The disposal facility for low level radwastes consists of two double-rows of reinforced concrete vaults with total capacity 7 200 fibre reinforced concrete containers (FCCs) with RAW. One double-row contains 40 The operation of the Repository was started in year 2001 and after ten years, in 2011 was conducted the periodic assessment of nuclear safety with positive results. Till the end of year 2014 was disposed to the Repository 11 514 m 3 RAW. The analysis of total RAW production from operation and decommissioning of all nuclear installation in SR, which has been carried out in frame of the BIDSF project C9.1, has showed that the total volume estimation of conditioned waste is 108 thousand m 3 of which 45.5 % are low level waste (LLW) and 54,5 % very low level waste (VLLW). On the base of this fact there is the need to build 7

Management of low level wastes at Rokkasho reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriya, N.; Ochi, E.

2006-01-01

Full text: At Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP), after start-up of the commercial operation, radioactive wastes will be generated. Wastes generated from a reprocessing plant generally consist of many kinds of characteristics in view of ''activity level'', ''nuclide composition'', ''chemical properties'', ''physical properties'', and so on. For stable operation of a reprocessing plant, we should t reat , ''condition'' and ''dispose'' these wastes considering these wastes characteristics. To contribute to the nuclear fuel cycle project, it is important to evaluate technologies such as, ''Treatment'', ''Conditioning'' and ''Final Disposal'', not only for technical but also for economical aspects. Considering the final disposal in the future, the basic policy in ''Treatment'' and ''Conditioning'' at RRP is shown below: Recover and reuse chemicals (such as nitric acid and TBP, etc.) in plant; Radioactive waste shall be divided, classified and managed according to activity level, nuclide composition, the radiation level, its physical properties, chemical properties, etc.; Treat them based on ''classification'' management with proper combination; Condition them as intermediate forms in order to keep flexibility in the future disposal method; Original volume of annually generated wastes at RRP is estimated as 5600m3 except highly radioactive vitrified waste, and these wastes shall be treated in the following units, which are now under commisioning, in order to reduce and stabilize wastes. Low-level concentrated liquid waste to be treated with a ''Drying and peptization'' unit; Spent solvent to be treated with a ''Pyrolysis and hydrothermal solidification'' unit; Relatively low-level non-alfa flammable wastes to be treated with a ''Incineration and hydrothermal solidification'' unit; CB/BP (Channel Box and Burnable Poison) to be processed with a ''Cutting'' unit; Other wastes to be kept as their generated state with a ''Intermediate storage''. As a result of these

1995 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes received at commercial disposal sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuchs, R.L.

1996-09-01

Each year the National Low-Level Waste Management Program publishes a state-by-state assessment report. This report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive waste commercially disposed in US. Data in this report are categorized according to disposal site, generator category, waste class, volumes, and radionuclide activity. Included are tables showing the distribution of waste by state for 1995 and a comparison of waste volumes and radioactivity by state for 1991 through 1995; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in US as of Dec. 31, 1994. This report distinguishes low-level radioactive waste shipped directly for disposal by generators and waste handled by an intermediary.

Bioprocessing of low-level radioactive and mixed hazard wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoner, D.L.

1990-01-01

Biologically-based treatment technologies are currently being developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to aid in volume reduction and/or reclassification of low-level radioactive and mixed hazardous wastes prior to processing for disposal. The approaches taken to treat low-level radioactive and mixed wastes will reflect the physical (e.g., liquid, solid, slurry) and chemical (inorganic and/or organic) nature of the waste material being processed. Bioprocessing utilizes the diverse metabolic and biochemical characteristics of microorganisms. The application of bioadsorption and bioflocculation to reduce the volume of low-level radioactive waste are strategies comparable to the use of ion-exchange resins and coagulants that are currently used in waste reduction processes. Mixed hazardous waste would require organic as well as radionuclide treatment processes. Biodegradation of organic wastes or bioemulsification could be used in conjunction with radioisotope bioadsorption methods to treat mixed hazardous radioactive wastes. The degradation of the organic constituents of mixed wastes can be considered an alternative to incineration, while the use of bioemulsification may simply be used as a means to separate inorganic and organics to enable reclassification of wastes. The proposed technology base for the biological treatment of low-level radioactive and mixed hazardous waste has been established. Biodegradation of a variety of organic compounds that are typically found in mixed hazardous wastes has been demonstrated, degradative pathways determined and the nutritional requirements of the microorganisms are understood. Accumulation, adsorption and concentration of heavy and transition metal species and transuranics by microorganisms is widely recognized. Work at the INEL focuses on the application of demonstrated microbial transformations to process development

Effect of large volume paracentesis on plasma volume--a cause of hypovolemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, H.W.; Rakov, N.E.; Savage, E.; Reynolds, T.B.

1985-01-01

Large volume paracentesis, while effectively relieving symptoms in patients with tense ascites, has been generally avoided due to reports of complications attributed to an acute reduction in intravascular volume. Measurements of plasma volume in these subjects have been by indirect methods and have not uniformly confirmed hypovolemia. We have prospectively evaluated 18 patients (20 paracenteses) with tense ascites and peripheral edema due to chronic liver disease undergoing 5 liter paracentesis for relief of symptoms. Plasma volume pre- and postparacentesis was assessed by a 125 I-labeled human serum albumin dilution technique as well as by the change in hematocrit and postural blood pressure difference. No significant change in serum sodium, urea nitrogen, hematocrit or postural systolic blood pressure difference was noted at 24 or 48 hr after paracentesis. Serum creatinine at 24 hr after paracentesis was unchanged but a small but statistically significant increase in serum creatinine was noted at 48 hr postparacentesis. Plasma volume changed -2.7% (n = 6, not statistically significant) during the first 24 hr and -2.8% (n = 12, not statistically significant) during the 0- to 48-hr period. No complications from paracentesis were noted. These results suggest that 5 liter paracentesis for relief of symptoms is safe in patients with tense ascites and peripheral edema from chronic liver disease

Large volume syringe pump extruder for desktop 3D printers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kira Pusch

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Syringe pump extruders are required for a wide range of 3D printing applications, including bioprinting, embedded printing, and food printing. However, the mass of the syringe becomes a major challenge for most printing platforms, requiring compromises in speed, resolution and/or volume. To address these issues, we have designed a syringe pump large volume extruder (LVE that is compatible with low-cost, open source 3D printers, and herein demonstrate its performance on a PrintrBot Simple Metal. Key aspects of the LVE include: (1 it is open source and compatible with open source hardware and software, making it inexpensive and widely accessible to the 3D printing community, (2 it utilizes a standard 60 mL syringe as its ink reservoir, effectively increasing print volume of the average bioprinter, (3 it is capable of retraction and high speed movements, and (4 it can print fluids using nozzle diameters as small as 100 μm, enabling the printing of complex shapes/objects when used in conjunction with the freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH 3D printing method. Printing performance of the LVE is demonstrated by utilizing alginate as a model biomaterial ink to fabricate parametric CAD models and standard calibration objects. Keywords: Additive manufacturing, 3D bioprinting, Embedded printing, FRESH, Soft materials extrusion

Low-level radioactive waste treatment systems in northern Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sjoeblom, R.

1987-08-01

In the United States, the use of low-level waste (LLW) treatment systems by low level waste generators can be expected to expand with increasing costs for disposal and continuing uncertainty over the availability of disposal space. This development increases the need for performance information and operational data and has prompted the US Department of Energy to commission several compilations of LLW systems experience. The present paper summarizes some of the know-how from Northern Europe where the incentive for LLW treatment and volume reduction is very high since deposition space has not been available for many years. 65 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs

Greater-than-Class-C Low-Level Waste Data Base user's manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-07-01

The Greater-than-Class-C Low-level Waste (GTCC LLW) Data Base characterizes GTCC LLW using low, base, and high cases for three different scenarios: unpackaged, packaged, and concentration averages. The GTCC LLW Data Base can be used to project future volumes and radionuclide activities. This manual provides instructions for users of the GTCC LLW Data Base

Volume Sculpting Using the Level-Set Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bærentzen, Jakob Andreas; Christensen, Niels Jørgen

2002-01-01

In this paper, we propose the use of the Level--Set Method as the underlying technology of a volume sculpting system. The main motivation is that this leads to a very generic technique for deformation of volumetric solids. In addition, our method preserves a distance field volume representation....... A scaling window is used to adapt the Level--Set Method to local deformations and to allow the user to control the intensity of the tool. Level--Set based tools have been implemented in an interactive sculpting system, and we show sculptures created using the system....

Service expectations from high- and low-volume customers in the alcoholic beverage industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacques Beukes

2013-08-01

Research purpose: This research study investigated the relationship between the volume a customer buys from an alcoholic beverage supply company and what influence this volume has on their customer service expectations. Motivation for the study: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate what influence the volume an organisation buys from alcoholic beverage suppliers has on their service quality expectations. Research design, approach and method: A non-probability judgement sample method was used, with a sample size of 220 respondents. The questionnaire requested respondents (high- and low-volume to rank their customer service expectations and opinions with reference to Parasuraman’s service delivery dimensions. Ranking was done using a five-point Likert scale. Main findings: The findings of the study indicated that both the high- and low-volume customers felt that alcoholic beverage supply companies had to deliver on all five service delivery dimensions but failed to do so to full satisfaction. Practical and managerial implications: It is recommended that the alcoholic beverage supply companies should address the problem areas identified in this study to avoid defection of customers. Contribution and value add: This may assist alcoholic beverage supply companies to better understand the customers’ demographic profiles. The study also revealed that the satisfaction level experienced by customers in both sections of the study (high- and low-demand, with a considerable gap between expectations and opinions within the empathy dimension.

Nonperturbative volume reduction of large-N QCD with adjoint fermions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bringoltz, Barak; Sharpe, Stephen R.

2009-01-01

We use nonperturbative lattice techniques to study the volume-reduced 'Eguchi-Kawai' version of four-dimensional large-N QCD with a single adjoint Dirac fermion. We explore the phase diagram of this single-site theory in the space of quark mass and gauge coupling using Wilson fermions for a number of colors in the range 8≤N≤15. Our evidence suggests that these values of N are large enough to determine the nature of the phase diagram for N→∞. We identify the region in the parameter space where the (Z N ) 4 center symmetry is intact. According to previous theoretical work using the orbifolding paradigm, and assuming that translation invariance is not spontaneously broken in the infinite-volume theory, in this region volume reduction holds: the single-site and infinite-volume theories become equivalent when N→∞. We find strong evidence that this region includes both light and heavy quarks (with masses that are at the cutoff scale), and our results are consistent with this region extending toward the continuum limit. We also compare the action density and the eigenvalue density of the overlap Dirac operator in the fundamental representation with those obtained in large-N pure-gauge theory.

IRMM low level underground laboratory in HADES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mouchel, D [CEC-JRC, Inst. for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Geel (Belgium); Wordel, R [CEC-JRC, Inst. for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Geel (Belgium)

1997-03-01

The operation of low background HPGe detectors at a depth of 225 m, reduced the background by two orders of magnitude; a large amount of the remaining background is still attributable to the cosmic rays. The selection of radiopure materials, the characterization of reference matrices and the measurements of low radioactivities in environmental samples are performed. Coupling the low level spectrometry with additional techniques, e.g. neutron activation, will allow to measure extremely low radioactivities. (orig.)

Chemical digestion of low level nuclear solid waste material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooley, C.R.; Lerch, R.E.

1976-01-01

A chemical digestion for treatment of low level combustible nuclear solid waste material is provided and comprises reacting the solid waste material with concentrated sulfuric acid at a temperature within the range of 230 0 --300 0 C and simultaneously and/or thereafter contacting the reacting mixture with concentrated nitric acid or nitrogen dioxide. In a special embodiment spent ion exchange resins are converted by this chemical digestion to noncombustible gases and a low volume noncombustible residue. 6 claims, no drawings

National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudin, M.J.; Stanton, C.; Patterson, R.G.; Garcia, R.S.

1992-02-01

This report, Volume 2 of the National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, discusses radiological and chemical characteristics of technetium-99. This report also includes discussions about waste streams in which technetium-99 can be found, waste forms that contain technetium-99, and technetium-99's behavior in the environment and in the human body

Solid low-level waste forecasting guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Templeton, K.J.; Dirks, L.L.

1995-03-01

Guidance for forecasting solid low-level waste (LLW) on a site-wide basis is described in this document. Forecasting is defined as an approach for collecting information about future waste receipts. The forecasting approach discussed in this document is based solely on hanford's experience within the last six years. Hanford's forecasting technique is not a statistical forecast based upon past receipts. Due to waste generator mission changes, startup of new facilities, and waste generator uncertainties, statistical methods have proven to be inadequate for the site. It is recommended that an approach similar to Hanford's annual forecasting strategy be implemented at each US Department of Energy (DOE) installation to ensure that forecast data are collected in a consistent manner across the DOE complex. Hanford's forecasting strategy consists of a forecast cycle that can take 12 to 30 months to complete. The duration of the cycle depends on the number of LLW generators and staff experience; however, the duration has been reduced with each new cycle. Several uncertainties are associated with collecting data about future waste receipts. Volume, shipping schedule, and characterization data are often reported as estimates with some level of uncertainty. At Hanford, several methods have been implemented to capture the level of uncertainty. Collection of a maximum and minimum volume range has been implemented as well as questionnaires to assess the relative certainty in the requested data

Low-level radioactive biomedical wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casarett, G.W.

A summary of the management and hazards of low-level radioactive biomedical wastes is presented. The volume, disposal methods, current problems, regulatory agencies, and possible solutions to disposal problems are discussed. The benefits derived from using radioactivity in medicine are briefly described. Potential health risks are discussed. The radioactivity in most of the radioactive biomedical waste is a small fraction of that contained naturally in the human body or in the natural environment. Benefit-risk-cost considerations are presented. The cost of managing these wastes is getting so high that a new perspective for comparison of radioactivity (facts, risks, costs, benefits and trade-offs) and alternate approaches to minimize the risk and cost and maximize the benefits is suggested

Scoping studies to reduce ICPP high-level radioactive waste volumes for final disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knecht, D.A.; Berreth, J.R.; Chipman, N.A.; Cole, H.S.; Geczi, L.S.; Kerr, W.B.; Staples, B.A.

1985-08-01

This report presents the results of scoping studies carried out to determine the feasibility of the following candidate options to reduce high-level waste volume: (1) low-fluoride, low-volume glass, (2) glass-ceramic and ceramic, (3) Modified Zirflex, (4) inerts removal by neutralization, and (5) modified Fluorinel processes. The results of the scoping studies show that the glass-ceramic/ceramic waste forms and neutralization process with potential HLW volume reductions ranging from 60 to 80% appear feasible, based on laboratory-scale tests. The presently used Fluorinel process modified by reducing HF usage also appears to be feasible and could result in up to a 10% potential volume reduction. If the current process start-up tests verify the practicality, reduced HF usage will be implemented. The low-volume glass and Modified Zirflex processes may also be feasible, based on laboratory tests, but would require significantly more process development and/or modifications and could result in only a 20 to 30% potential volume reduction. Based on these scoping studies, it is recommended that (1) the glass-ceramic/ceramic and neutralization processes be developed further, (2) reduced HF use for the Modified Fluorinel process be implemented as soon as practical and other options reducing chemical usage for criticality control be evaluated, (3) basic development for the glass process be continued as a back-up technology, and (4) laboratory-scale radioactive fuel dissolution testing for the Modified Zirflex process be completed with further process development discontinued unless needed in the future

Complex Security System for Premises Under Conditions of Large Volume of Passenger Traffic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yakubov Vladimir

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Subsystems of the design of a complex security system for premises under conditions of large volume of passenger traffic are considered. These subsystems provide video- and thermal imaging control, radio wave tomography, and gas analysis. Simultaneous application of all examined variants will essentially increase the probability of timely prevention of dangerous situations with the probability of false alarm as low as possible. It is important that finally, this will provide protection of population and will facilitate the work of intelligence services.

Low contrast media volume in pre-TAVI CT examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kok, Madeleine; Turek, Jakub; Mihl, Casper; Reinartz, Sebastian D; Gohmann, Robin F; Nijssen, Estelle C; Kats, Suzanne; van Ommen, Vincent G; Kietselaer, Bas L J H; Wildberger, Joachim E; Das, Marco

2016-08-01

To evaluate image quality using reduced contrast media (CM) volume in pre-TAVI assessment. Forty-seven consecutive patients referred for pre-TAVI examination were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1 BMI  28 kg/m(2) (n = 18). Patients received a combined scan protocol: retrospective ECG-gated helical CTA of the aortic root (80kVp) followed by a high-pitch spiral CTA (group 1: 70 kV; group 2: 80 kVp) from aortic arch to femoral arteries. All patients received one bolus of CM (300 mgI/ml): group 1: volume = 40 ml; flow rate = 3 ml/s, group 2: volume = 53 ml; flow rate = 4 ml/s. Attenuation values (HU) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured at the levels of the aortic root (helical) and peripheral arteries (high-pitch). Diagnostic image quality was considered sufficient at attenuation values > 250HU and CNR > 10. Diagnostic image quality for TAVI measurements was obtained in 46 patients. Mean attenuation values and CNR (HU ± SD) at the aortic root (helical) were: group 1: 381 ± 65HU and 13 ± 8; group 2: 442 ± 68HU and 10 ± 5. At the peripheral arteries (high-pitch), mean values were: group 1: 430 ± 117HU and 11 ± 6; group 2: 389 ± 102HU and 13 ± 6. CM volume can be substantially reduced using low kVp protocols, while maintaining sufficient image quality for the evaluation of aortic root and peripheral access sites. • Image quality could be maintained using low kVp scan protocols. • Low kVp protocols reduce contrast media volume by 34-67 %. • Less contrast media volume lowers the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy.

First results on material identification and imaging with a large-volume muon tomography prototype

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pesente, S. [INFN Sezione di Padova, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy); Vanini, S. [University of Padova and INFN Sezione di Padova, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy)], E-mail: sara.vanini@pd.infn.it; Benettoni, M. [INFN Sezione di Padova, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy); Bonomi, G. [University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia and INFN Sezione di Pavia, via Bassi 6, 27100 Pavia (Italy); Calvini, P. [University of Genova and INFN Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy); Checchia, P.; Conti, E.; Gonella, F.; Nebbia, G. [INFN Sezione di Padova, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy); Squarcia, S. [University of Genova and INFN Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy); Viesti, G. [University of Padova and INFN Sezione di Padova, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy); Zenoni, A. [University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia and INFN Sezione di Pavia, via Bassi 6, 27100 Pavia (Italy); Zumerle, G. [University of Padova and INFN Sezione di Padova, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy)

2009-06-11

The muon tomography technique, based on the Multiple Coulomb Scattering of cosmic ray muons, has been proposed recently as a tool to perform non-destructive assays of large-volume objects without any radiation hazard. In this paper we discuss experimental results obtained with a scanning system prototype, assembled using two large-area CMS Muon Barrel drift chambers. The capability of the apparatus to produce 3D images of objects and to classify them according to their density is presented. We show that the absorption of low-momentum muons in the scanned objects produces an underestimate of their scattering density, making the discrimination of materials heavier than lead more difficult.

Prevalence and prognosis of low-volume, oligorecurrent, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer amenable to lesion ablative therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

De Bruycker, Aurélie; Lambert, Bieke; Claeys, Tom; Delrue, Louke; Mbah, Chamberlain; De Meerleer, Gert; Villeirs, Geert; De Vos, Filip; De Man, Kathia; Decaestecker, Karel; Fonteyne, Valérie; Lumen, Nicolaas; Ameye, Filip; Billiet, Ignace; Joniau, Steven; Vanhaverbeke, Friedl; Duthoy, Wim; Ost, Piet

2017-12-01

To describe the anatomical patterns of prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence after primary therapy and to investigate if patients with low-volume disease have a better prognosis as compared with their counterparts. Patients eligible for an 18-F choline positron-emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Eligible patients had asymptomatic biochemical recurrence after primary PCa treatment and testosterone levels >50 ng/mL. The number of lesions was counted per scan. Patients with isolated local recurrence (LR) or with ≤3 metastases (with or without LR) were considered to have low-volume disease and patients with >3 metastases to have high-volume disease. Descriptive statistics were used to report recurrences. Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the influence of prognostic variables on the time to developing castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). In 208 patients, 625 sites of recurrence were detected in the lymph nodes (N1/M1a: 30%), the bone (18%), the prostate (bed; 11%), viscera (4%), or a combination of any of the previous (37%). In total, 153 patients (74%) had low-volume recurrence and 55 patients (26%) had high-volume recurrence. The 3-year CRPC-free survival rate for the whole cohort was 79% (95% confidence interval 43-55), 88% for low-volume recurrences and 50% for high-volume recurrences (P < 0.001). Longer PSA doubling time at time of recurrence and low-volume disease were associated with a longer time to CRPC. Three out of four patients with PCa with a 18-F choline PET-CT-detected recurrence have low-volume disease, potentially amenable to local therapy. Patients with low-volume disease have a better prognosis as compared with their counterparts. Lymph node recurrence was the most dominant failure pattern. © 2017 The Authors BJU International © 2017 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Secondary Low-Level Waste Treatment Strategy Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D.M. LaRue

1999-01-01

The objective of this analysis is to identify and review potential options for processing and disposing of the secondary low-level waste (LLW) that will be generated through operation of the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR). An estimate of annual secondary LLW is generated utilizing the mechanism established in ''Secondary Waste Treatment Analysis'' (Reference 8.1) and ''Secondary Low-Level Waste Generation Rate Analysis'' (Reference 8.5). The secondary LLW quantities are based on the spent fuel and high-level waste (HLW) arrival schedule as defined in the ''Controlled Design Assumptions Document'' (CDA) (Reference 8.6). This analysis presents estimates of the quantities of LLW in its various forms. A review of applicable laws, codes, and standards is discussed, and a synopsis of those applicable laws, codes, and standards and their impacts on potential processing and disposal options is presented. The analysis identifies viable processing/disposal options in light of the existing laws, codes, and standards, and then evaluates these options in regard to: (1) Process and equipment requirements; (2) LLW disposal volumes; and (3) Facility requirements

Considerations for alternative low-level radioactive disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, J.M.

1986-01-01

In the immediate future, there is a need for low-level radioactive disposal sites to accommodate wastes that would otherwise be placed at a later date in permanent, government sanctioned ''compact'' sites. Until these ''compact'' sites become operational, a potential, relatively low-cost alternative exists in the numerous inactive uranium processing sites that are likewise proposed for remedial action removal or stabilization operations. This paper addressed disposal from the aspects of engineering design, economics and liability of participating parties. Many uranium (and by-product) processing facilities in the western states now stand idle due to current economic conditions within the industry. Many more were previously deactivated for various reasons. All must be dealt with under the UMTRA Program Guidelines with regard to removal, reclamation or other remedial action activities. With cooperative efforts, some of these sites would appear to be suitable for disposal of small volume, low-level radioactive wastes that presently render urban properties valueless in terms of real estate and aesthetic values. Likely sites would appear to be those slated for in-place stabilization and reclamation, particularly where the urban property material has a lower level of radioactivity than the disposal site material. The resultant impacts for site stabilization and reclamation would be solely in the areas of increased material volumes (generally requiring a minimal increase in engineering design complexity) and liability. Clearly, liability will be the overriding factor in such an approach. With the complex hierarchy of regulatory agencies involved and the private sector, what appears to be a relative simple and economic approach may have extreme difficulty in achieving reality

SparseLeap: Efficient Empty Space Skipping for Large-Scale Volume Rendering

KAUST Repository

Hadwiger, Markus; Al-Awami, Ali K.; Beyer, Johanna; Agus, Marco; Pfister, Hanspeter

2017-01-01

Recent advances in data acquisition produce volume data of very high resolution and large size, such as terabyte-sized microscopy volumes. These data often contain many fine and intricate structures, which pose huge challenges for volume rendering, and make it particularly important to efficiently skip empty space. This paper addresses two major challenges: (1) The complexity of large volumes containing fine structures often leads to highly fragmented space subdivisions that make empty regions hard to skip efficiently. (2) The classification of space into empty and non-empty regions changes frequently, because the user or the evaluation of an interactive query activate a different set of objects, which makes it unfeasible to pre-compute a well-adapted space subdivision. We describe the novel SparseLeap method for efficient empty space skipping in very large volumes, even around fine structures. The main performance characteristic of SparseLeap is that it moves the major cost of empty space skipping out of the ray-casting stage. We achieve this via a hybrid strategy that balances the computational load between determining empty ray segments in a rasterization (object-order) stage, and sampling non-empty volume data in the ray-casting (image-order) stage. Before ray-casting, we exploit the fast hardware rasterization of GPUs to create a ray segment list for each pixel, which identifies non-empty regions along the ray. The ray-casting stage then leaps over empty space without hierarchy traversal. Ray segment lists are created by rasterizing a set of fine-grained, view-independent bounding boxes. Frame coherence is exploited by re-using the same bounding boxes unless the set of active objects changes. We show that SparseLeap scales better to large, sparse data than standard octree empty space skipping.

SparseLeap: Efficient Empty Space Skipping for Large-Scale Volume Rendering

KAUST Repository

Hadwiger, Markus

2017-08-28

Recent advances in data acquisition produce volume data of very high resolution and large size, such as terabyte-sized microscopy volumes. These data often contain many fine and intricate structures, which pose huge challenges for volume rendering, and make it particularly important to efficiently skip empty space. This paper addresses two major challenges: (1) The complexity of large volumes containing fine structures often leads to highly fragmented space subdivisions that make empty regions hard to skip efficiently. (2) The classification of space into empty and non-empty regions changes frequently, because the user or the evaluation of an interactive query activate a different set of objects, which makes it unfeasible to pre-compute a well-adapted space subdivision. We describe the novel SparseLeap method for efficient empty space skipping in very large volumes, even around fine structures. The main performance characteristic of SparseLeap is that it moves the major cost of empty space skipping out of the ray-casting stage. We achieve this via a hybrid strategy that balances the computational load between determining empty ray segments in a rasterization (object-order) stage, and sampling non-empty volume data in the ray-casting (image-order) stage. Before ray-casting, we exploit the fast hardware rasterization of GPUs to create a ray segment list for each pixel, which identifies non-empty regions along the ray. The ray-casting stage then leaps over empty space without hierarchy traversal. Ray segment lists are created by rasterizing a set of fine-grained, view-independent bounding boxes. Frame coherence is exploited by re-using the same bounding boxes unless the set of active objects changes. We show that SparseLeap scales better to large, sparse data than standard octree empty space skipping.

Large-volume injection in gas chromatographic trace analysis using temperature-programmable (PTV) injectors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mol, J.G.J.; Janssen, J.G.M.; Cramers, C.A.M.G.; Brinkman, U.A.T.

1996-01-01

The use of programmed-temperature vaporising (PTV) injectors for large-volume injection in capillary gas chromatography is briefly reviewed. The principles and optimisation of large-volume PTV injection are discussed. Guidelines are given for selection of the PTV conditions and injection mode for

1990 State-by-State assessment of low-level radioactive wastes received at commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, R.L.; Culbertson-Arendts, K.

1991-09-01

Each year the National Low-Level Waste Management Program publishes a state-by-state assessment report. This annual report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive wastes. Data in this report are categorized according to disposal site, generator category, waste class, volume, and activity. Included in this report are tables showing a distribution of wastes by state for 1990 and a comparison of waste volumes by state for 1986 through 1990; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States as of December 31, 1990. In this year's report, a distinction has been made between low-level radioactive waste shipped directly by generators for disposal and that which was handled by an intermediary. 5 refs., 4 tabs

1996 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes received at commercial disposal sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuchs, R.L.

1997-09-01

Each year the National Low-Level Waste Management Program publishes a state-by-state assessment report. This report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive waste commercially disposed in the US. Data in this report are categorized according to disposal site, generator category, waste class, volumes, and radionuclide activity. Included in this report are tables showing the distribution of waste by state for 1996 and a comparison of waste volumes and radioactivity by state for 1992 through 1996; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the US as of December 31, 1996. This report distinguishes between low-level radioactive waste shipped directly for disposal by generators and waste that was handled by an intermediary, a reporting change introduced in the 1988 state-by-state report.

1990 State-by-State assessment of low-level radioactive wastes received at commercial disposal sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuchs, R.L.; Culbertson-Arendts, K.

1991-09-01

Each year the National Low-Level Waste Management Program publishes a state-by-state assessment report. This annual report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive wastes. Data in this report are categorized according to disposal site, generator category, waste class, volume, and activity. Included in this report are tables showing a distribution of wastes by state for 1990 and a comparison of waste volumes by state for 1986 through 1990; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States as of December 31, 1990. In this year's report, a distinction has been made between low-level radioactive waste shipped directly by generators for disposal and that which was handled by an intermediary. 5 refs., 4 tabs.

PNGMDR 2013-2015. Industrial scheme for very-low-level waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-08-01

The objectives of this document are to recall quantitative and qualitative situations of the very-low-level waste management sector, to consolidate production perspectives for producers, to make an inventory of possibilities of extension and optimisation of industrial capacities of the sector, to define priorities for the different envisaged optimisation options, and to describe the organisation for the follow-up of action progress. After a brief presentation of the context, it presents the French very-low-level waste sector which is specific to the French context, outlines the main challenges for the industrial very-low-level waste management sector, indicates current projects of assessment for the sector, reports an analysis of the relevance of the different envisaged volume optimisation ways, briefly presents different scenarios, gives a brief overview of examples of very-low-level waste management in other countries, and finally states some proposals

LLW (Low-Level Waste) Notes, Volume 13, Number 1, February 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-02-01

LLW Notes is a newsletter distributed to Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum Participants and other state and compact officials. The LLW Forum provides an opportunity for state and compact officials to share information with one another and to exchange views with officials of federal agencies and other interested parties. This issue focuses on the following topics: DOI approves Ward Valley permit application; Project evidentiary hearings begin in Texas; and Summary judgment motions in California breach of contract action

LLW (Low-Level Waste) Notes, Volume 13, Number 1, February 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-02-01

LLW Notes is a newsletter distributed to Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum Participants and other state and compact officials. The LLW Forum provides an opportunity for state and compact officials to share information with one another and to exchange views with officials of federal agencies and other interested parties. This issue focuses on the following topics: DOI approves Ward Valley permit application; Project evidentiary hearings begin in Texas; and Summary judgment motions in California breach of contract action.

The 1986 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes received at commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-12-01

The data are grouped and presented by compact regions. The data include activity and volume by waste classes, generator type, and disposal site. The report uses the volume of low-level waste reported as received at each commercial disposal site as the national baseline figure. A volume of 1,804,998 cubic feet (51,113 cubic meters) of radioactive waste containing 233,726 curies of activity was reported disposed at the commercial sites in 1986. The total volume and curie values tabulated for each state were obtained directly from the commercial disposal site operators. The total is the sum of the volume and radioactivity reported by Chem Nuclear Systems, Inc., and US Ecology for each state. Sixty-three percent of low-level waste volumes disposed at commercial sites was assigned to the state of origin. These volumes represent those disposed at Beatty and Barnwell disposal sites. Thirty-seven percent, or 665,066 cubic feet (18,831 cubic meters), of the waste disposed in the US in 1986 went to the Richland site. 8 refs., 75 figs., 4 tabs

SDSS Log Viewer: visual exploratory analysis of large-volume SQL log data

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jian; Chen, Chaomei; Vogeley, Michael S.; Pan, Danny; Thakar, Ani; Raddick, Jordan

2012-01-01

User-generated Structured Query Language (SQL) queries are a rich source of information for database analysts, information scientists, and the end users of databases. In this study a group of scientists in astronomy and computer and information scientists work together to analyze a large volume of SQL log data generated by users of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data archive in order to better understand users' data seeking behavior. While statistical analysis of such logs is useful at aggregated levels, efficiently exploring specific patterns of queries is often a challenging task due to the typically large volume of the data, multivariate features, and data requirements specified in SQL queries. To enable and facilitate effective and efficient exploration of the SDSS log data, we designed an interactive visualization tool, called the SDSS Log Viewer, which integrates time series visualization, text visualization, and dynamic query techniques. We describe two analysis scenarios of visual exploration of SDSS log data, including understanding unusually high daily query traffic and modeling the types of data seeking behaviors of massive query generators. The two scenarios demonstrate that the SDSS Log Viewer provides a novel and potentially valuable approach to support these targeted tasks.

Investigation of a large volume negative hydrogen ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courteille, C.; Bruneteau, A.M.; Bacal, M.

1995-01-01

The electron and negative ion densities and temperatures are reported for a large volume hybrid multicusp negative ion source. Based on the scaling laws an analysis is made of the plasma formation and loss processes. It is shown that the positive ions are predominantly lost to the walls, although the observed scaling law is n + ∝I 0.57 d . However, the total plasma loss scales linearly with the discharge current, in agreement with the theoretical model. The negative ion formation and loss is also discussed. It is shown that at low pressure (1 mTorr) the negative ion wall loss becomes a significant part of the total loss. The dependence of n - /n e versus the electron temperature is reported. When the negative ion wall loss is negligible, all the data on n - /n e versus the electron temperatures fit a single curve. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Concrete conditioners for low-intermediate level nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roehl, J.L.; Lorentz, R.G.; Franzen, H.R.

1986-01-01

The conditioning of low-intermediate level radioactive waste disposal, in Brazil, with concrete packages designed in such way that, in spite of being destined to receive compacted materials in long term sub-surface disposal, they may also be able to attend other storage or disposal necessities, is analysed. A design of a reinforced concrete package with a net volume of 360 l and, with compatible diameter to contain compacted 200 l drums, was developed. A study on compactation of 200 l steel packages is done. A pressure of 30.000 KN for compacting these 200 l drums was adapted, and two series of tests to verify the pressure volume reduction ratio and, the final dimensions and density of the compacted elements, was executed. (Author) [pt

Fee structures for low-level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutherland, A.A.; Baird, R.D.; Rogers, V.C.

1988-01-01

Some compacts and states require that the fee system at their new low-level waste (LLW) disposal facility be based on the volume and radioactive hazard of the wastes. The fee structure discussed in this paper includes many potential fee elements that could be used to recover the costs of disposal and at the same time influence the volume and nature of waste that arrives at the disposal facility. It includes a base fee which accounts for some of the underlying administrative costs of disposal, and a broad range of charges related to certain parameters of the waste, such as volume, radioactivity, etc. It also includes credits, such as credits for waste with short-lived radionuclides or superior waste forms. The fee structure presented should contain elements of interest to all states and compacts. While no single disposal facility is likely to incorporate all of the elements discussed here in its fee structure, the paper presents a fairly exhaustive list of factors worth considering

Treatment options for low-level radiologically contaminated ORNL filtercake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hom-Ti; Bostick, W.D.

1996-04-01

Water softening sludge (>4000 stored low level contaminated drums; 600 drums per year) generated by the ORNL Process Waste Treatment Plant must be treated, stabilized, and placed in safe storage/disposal. The sludge is primarily CaCO 3 and is contaminated by low levels of 90 Sr and 137 Cs. In this study, microwave sintering and calcination were evaluated for treating the sludge. The microwave melting experiments showed promise: volume reductions were significant (3-5X), and the waste form was durable with glass additives (LiOH, fly ash). A commercial vendor using surrogate has demonstrated a melt mineralization process that yields a dense monolithic waste form with a volume reduction factor (VR) of 7.7. Calcination of the sludge at 850-900 C yielded a VR of 2.5. Compaction at 4500 psi increased the VR to 4.2, but the compressed form is not dimensionally stable. Addition of paraffin helped consolidate fines and yielded a VR of 3.5. In conclusion, microwave melting or another form of vitrification is likely to be the best method; however for immediate implementation, the calculation/compaction/waxing process is viable

FUNDING ALTERNATIVES FOR LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, Bruce D.; Carilli, Jhon

2003-01-01

For 13 years, low-level waste (LLW) generator fees and disposal volumes for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office (NNSA/NV) Radioactive Waste Management Sites (RWMSs) had been on a veritable roller coaster ride. As forecast volumes and disposal volumes fluctuated wildly, generator fees were difficult to determine and implement. Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 forecast projections were so low, the very existence of disposal operations at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were threatened. Providing the DOE Complex with a viable, cost-effective disposal option, while assuring the disposal site a stable source of funding, became the driving force behind the development of the Waste Generator Access Fee at the NTS. On September 26, 2000, NNSA/NV (after seeking input from DOE/Headquarters [HQ]), granted permission to Bechtel Nevada (BN) to implement the Access Fee for FY 2001 as a two-year Pilot Program. In FY 2001 (the first year the Access Fee was implemented), the NTS Disposal Operations experienced a 90 percent increase in waste receipts from the previous year and a 33 percent reduction in disposal fee charged to the waste generators. Waste receipts for FY 2002 were projected to be 63 percent higher than FY 2001 and 15 percent lower in cost. Forecast data for the outyears are just as promising. This paper describes the development, implementation, and ultimate success of this fee strategy

Low Plasma Volume in Normotensive Formerly Preeclamptic Women Predisposes to Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Scholten, Ralph R; Lotgering, Fred K; Hopman, Maria T; Van Dijk, Arie; Van de Vlugt, Maureen; Janssen, Mirian C H; Spaanderman, Marc E A

2015-11-01

Formerly preeclamptic women are at risk for cardiovascular disease. Low plasma volume may reflect latent hypertension and potentially links preeclampsia with chronic cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that low plasma volume in normotensive formerly preeclamptic women predisposes to hypertension. We longitudinally studied n=104 formerly preeclamptic women in whom plasma volume was measured 3 to 30 months after the preeclamptic pregnancy. Cardiovascular variables were assessed at 2 points in time (3-30 months postpartum and 2-5 years thereafter). Study population was divided into low plasma volume (≤1373 mL/m(2)) and normal plasma volume (>1373 mL/m(2)). Primary end point was hypertension at the second visit: defined as ≥140 mm Hg systolic or ≥90 mm Hg diastolic. Secondary outcome of this study was change in traditional cardiovascular risk profile between visits. Variables correlating univariately with change in blood pressure between visits were introduced in regression analysis. Eighteen of 104 (17%) formerly preeclamptic women who were normotensive at first visit had hypertension at second evaluation 2 to 5 years later. Hypertension developed more often in women with low plasma volume (10/35 [29%]) than in women with normal plasma volume (8/69 [12%]; odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-8.6). After adjustments, relationship between plasma volume status and subsequent hypertension persisted (adjusted odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-8.5). Mean arterial pressure at second visit correlated inverse linearly with plasma volume (r=-0.49; Phypertension within 5 years. Women with low plasma volume have higher chance to develop hypertension than women with normal plasma volume. Clinically, follow-up of blood pressure seems warranted in women with history of preeclampsia, even when initially normotensive. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Low energy neutrino astrophysics with the large liquid-scintillator detector LENA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wurm, M.; Feilitzsch, F. von; Goeger-Neff, M.; Undagoitia, T. Marrodan; Oberauer, L.; Potzel, W.; Winter, J.

2007-01-01

The large-volume liquid-scintillator detector LENA (Low Energy Neutrino Astronomy) will cover a broad field of physics. Apart from the detection of terrestrial and artificial neutrinos, and the search for proton decay, important contributions can be made to the astrophysics of stars by high-precision spectroscopy of low-energetic solar neutrinos and by the observation of neutrinos emitted by a galactic supernova. Moreover, the detection of the diffuse supernova neutrino background in LENA will offer the opportunity of studying both supernova core-collapse models and the supernova rate on cosmological timescales (z e events in an almost background-free energy window from ∼10 to 25 MeV. The search for such rare low-energetic events takes advantage of the high energy resolution and excellent background rejection possible in the LENA detector

Refined universal laws for hull volumes and perimeters in large planar maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guitter, Emmanuel

2017-01-01

We consider ensembles of planar maps with two marked vertices at distance k from each other, and look at the closed line separating these vertices and lying at distance d from the first one ( d   <   k ). This line divides the map into two components, the hull at distance d which corresponds to the part of the map lying on the same side as the first vertex and its complementary. The number of faces within the hull is called the hull volume, and the length of the separating line the hull perimeter. We study the statistics of the hull volume and perimeter for arbitrary d and k in the limit of infinitely large planar quadrangulations, triangulations and Eulerian triangulations. We consider more precisely situations where both d and k become large with the ratio d / k remaining finite. For infinitely large maps, two regimes may be encountered: either the hull has a finite volume and its complementary is infinitely large, or the hull itself has an infinite volume and its complementary is of finite size. We compute the probability for the map to be in either regime as a function of d / k as well as a number of universal statistical laws for the hull perimeter and volume when maps are conditioned to be in one regime or the other. (paper)

Capillary gas chromatographic analysis of nerve agents using large volume injections. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deinum, T.; Nieuwenhuy, C.

1994-11-01

The procedure developed at TNO-Prins Maurits Laboratory (TNO-PML) for the verification of intact organophosphorus chemical warfare agents in water samples was improved. The last step in this procedure, the laborious and non-reproducible transfer of an ethyl acetate extract onto a Tenax-adsorption tube followed by thermal desorption of the Tenax-tube, was replaced by large volume injection of the extract onto a capillary gas chromatographic system. The parameters controlling the injection of a large volume of an extract (200 ul) were investigated and optimized. As ethyl acetate caused severe problems, potential new solvents were evaluated. With the improved procedure, the nerve agents sarin, tabun, soman, diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) and VX could be determined in freshly prepared water samples at pg/ml (ppt) levels. The fate of the nerve agents under study in water at two pH`s (4.8 and 6) was investigated. For VX, the pH should be adjusted before extraction. Moreover, it is worthwhile to acidify water samples to diminish hydrolysis.

Treatment of low-level liquid radioactive wastes by electrodialysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DelDebbio, J.A.; Donovan, R.I.

1986-01-01

This paper presents the results of pilot plant studies on the use of electrodialysis (ED) for the removal of radioactive and chemical contaminants from acidic low-level radioactive wastes resulting from nuclear fuel reprocessing operations. Decontamination efficiencies are reported for strontium-90, cesium-137, iodine-129, ruthenium-106 and mercury. Data for contaminant adsorption on ED membranes and liquid waste volumes generated are also presented

Chromatographic lipophilicity determination using large volume injections of the solvents non-miscible with the mobile phase.

Science.gov (United States)

Sârbu, Costel; Naşcu-Briciu, Rodica Domnica; Casoni, Dorina; Kot-Wasik, Agata; Wasik, Andrzej; Namieśnik, Jacek

2012-11-30

A new perspective in the lipophilicity evaluation through RP-HPLC is permitted by analysis of the retention factor (k) obtained by injecting large volumes of test samples prepared in solvents immiscible with mobile phase. The experiment is carried out on representative groups of compounds with increased toxicity (mycotoxins and alkaloids) and amines with important biological activity (naturally occurring monoamine compounds and related drugs), which are covering a large interval of lipophilicity. The stock solution of each compound was prepared in hexane and the used mobile phases were mixtures of methanol or acetonitrile and water, in suited volume ratio. The injected volume was between 10 and 100 μL, while the used stationary phases were RP-18 and RP-8. On both reverse stationary phases the retention factors were linearly decreasing while the injection volume was increasing. In all cases, the linear models were highly statistically significant. On the basis of the obtained results new lipophilicity indices were purposed and discussed. The developed lipophilicity indices and the computationally expressed ones are correlated at a high level of statistical significance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Summary report. Low-level radioactive waste management activities in the states and compacts. Volume 4, No. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-08-01

'Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Activities in the States and Compacts' is a supplement to 'LLW Notes' and is distributed periodically by Afton Associates, Inc. to state, compact and federal officials that receive 'LLW Notes'. The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum (LLW Forum) is an association of state and compact representatives, appointed by governors and compact commissions, established to facilitate state and compact implementation of the Low- Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 and the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 and to promote the objectives of low-level radioactive waste regional compacts. The LLW Forum provides an opportunity for state and compact officials to share information with one another and to exchange views with officials of federal agencies and other interested parties

Development of volume reduction treatment techniques for low level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nabatame, Yasuzi

1984-01-01

The solid wastes packed in drums are preserved in the stores of nuclear establishments in Japan, and the quantity of preservation has already reached about 60 % of the capacity. It has become an important subject to reduce the quantity of generation of radioactive wastes and how to reduce the volume of generated wastes. As the result of the research aiming at the development of the solidified bodies which are excellent in the effect of volume reduction and physical properties, it was confirmed that the plastic solidified bodies using thermosetting resin were superior to conventional cement or asphalt solidification. The plastic solidifying system can treat various radioactive wastes. After radioactive wastes are dried and powdered, they are solidified with plastics, therefore, the effect of volume reduction is excellent. The specific gravity, strength and the resistance to water, fire and radiation were confirmed to be satisfacotory. The plastic solidifying system comprises three subsystems, that is, drying system, powder storing and supplying system and plastic solidifying system. Also the granulation technique after drying and powdering, acid decomposition technique, the microwave melting and solidifying technique for incineration ash, plasma melting process and electrolytic polishing decontamination are described. (Kako, I.)

U.S. policy and current practices for blending low-level radioactive waste for disposal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kessel, David S.; Kim, Chang Lak [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

In the near future, many countries, including the Republic of Korea, will face a significant increase in low level radioactive waste (LLW) from nuclear power plant decommissioning. The purpose of this paper is to look at blending as a method for enhancing disposal options for low-level radioactive waste from the decommissioning of nuclear reactors. The 2007 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission strategic assessment of the status of the U.S. LLW program identified the need to move to a risk-informed and performance-based regulatory approach for managing LLW. The strategic assessment identified blending waste of varying radionuclide concentrations as a potential means of enhancing options for LLW disposal. The NRC's position is that concentration averaging or blending can be performed in a way that does not diminish the overall safety of LLW disposal. The revised regulatory requirements for blending LLW are presented in the revised NRC Branch Technical Position for Concentration Averaging and Encapsulation (CA BTP 2015). The changes to the CA BTP that are the most significant for NPP operation, maintenance and decommissioning are reviewed in this paper and a potential application is identified for decommissioning waste in Korea. By far the largest volume of LLW from NPPs will come from decommissioning rather than operation. The large volumes in decommissioning present an opportunity for significant gains in disposal efficiency from blending and concentration averaging. The application of concentration averaging waste from a reactor bio-shield is also presented.

U.S. policy and current practices for blending low-level radioactive waste for disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kessel, David S.; Kim, Chang Lak

2016-01-01

In the near future, many countries, including the Republic of Korea, will face a significant increase in low level radioactive waste (LLW) from nuclear power plant decommissioning. The purpose of this paper is to look at blending as a method for enhancing disposal options for low-level radioactive waste from the decommissioning of nuclear reactors. The 2007 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission strategic assessment of the status of the U.S. LLW program identified the need to move to a risk-informed and performance-based regulatory approach for managing LLW. The strategic assessment identified blending waste of varying radionuclide concentrations as a potential means of enhancing options for LLW disposal. The NRC's position is that concentration averaging or blending can be performed in a way that does not diminish the overall safety of LLW disposal. The revised regulatory requirements for blending LLW are presented in the revised NRC Branch Technical Position for Concentration Averaging and Encapsulation (CA BTP 2015). The changes to the CA BTP that are the most significant for NPP operation, maintenance and decommissioning are reviewed in this paper and a potential application is identified for decommissioning waste in Korea. By far the largest volume of LLW from NPPs will come from decommissioning rather than operation. The large volumes in decommissioning present an opportunity for significant gains in disposal efficiency from blending and concentration averaging. The application of concentration averaging waste from a reactor bio-shield is also presented

Plasma Hearth Process vitrification of DOE low-level mixed waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillins, R.L.; Geimer, R.M.

1995-01-01

The Plasma Hearth Process (PHP) demonstration project is one of the key technology projects in the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Development Mixed Waste Focus Area. The PHP is recognized as one of the more promising solutions to DOE's mixed waste treatment needs, with potential application in the treatment of a wide variety of DOE mixed wastes. The PHP is a high temperature vitrification process using a plasma arc torch in a stationary, refractory lined chamber that destroys organics and stabilizes the residuals in a nonleaching, vitrified waste form. This technology will be equally applicable to low-level mixed wastes generated by nuclear utilities. The final waste form will be volume reduced to the maximum extent practical, because all organics will have been destroyed and the inorganics will be in a high-density, low void-space form and little or no volume-increasing glass makers will have been added. Low volume and high integrity waste forms result in low disposal costs. This project is structured to ensure that the plasma technology can be successfully employed in radioactive service. The PHP technology will be developed into a production system through a sequence of tests on several test units, both non-radioactive and radioactive. As the final step, a prototype PHP system will be constructed for full-scale radioactive waste treatment demonstration

1992 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes received at commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, R.L.; McDonald, S.D.

1993-09-01

Each year the National Low-Level Waste Management Program publishes a state-by-state assessment report. This report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive waste commercially disposed in the United States. Data in this report are categorized according to disposal site, generator category, waste class, volumes, and radionuclide activity. Included in this report are tables showing the distribution of waste by state for 1992 and a comparison of waste volumes and radioactivity by state for 1988 through 1992; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States as of December 31, 1992. This report distinguishes between low-level radioactive waste shipped directly for disposal by generators and waste that was handled by an intermediary, a reporting change introduced in the 1988 state-by-state report

1994 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes received at commercial disposal sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

Each year the National Low-Level Waste Management Program publishes a state-by-state assessment report. This report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive waste commercially disposed in the United States. Data in this report are categorized according to disposal site, generator category, waste class, volumes, and radionuclide activity. Included in this report are tables showing the distribution of waste by state for 1994 and a comparison of waste volumes and radioactivity by state for 1990 through 1994; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States as of December 31, 1994. This report distinguishes between low-level radioactive waste shipped directly for disposal by generators and waste that was handled by an intermediary, a reporting change introduced in the 1988 state-by-state report.

Greater-confinement disposal of low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trevorrow, L.E.; Gilbert, T.L.; Luner, C.; Merry-Libby, P.A.; Meshkov, N.K.; Yu, C.

1985-01-01

Low-level radioactive wastes include a broad spectrum of wastes that have different radionuclide concentrations, half-lives, and physical and chemical properties. Standard shallow-land burial practice can provide adequate protection of public health and safety for most low-level wastes, but a small volume fraction (about 1%) containing most of the activity inventory (approx.90%) requires specific measures known as ''greater-confinement disposal'' (GCD). Different site characteristics and different waste characteristics - such as high radionuclide concentrations, long radionuclide half-lives, high radionuclide mobility, and physical or chemical characteristics that present exceptional hazards - lead to different GCD facility design requirements. Facility design alternatives considered for GCD include the augered shaft, deep trench, engineered structure, hydrofracture, improved waste form, and high-integrity container. Selection of an appropriate design must also consider the interplay between basic risk limits for protection of public health and safety, performance characteristics and objectives, costs, waste-acceptance criteria, waste characteristics, and site characteristics. This paper presents an overview of the factors that must be considered in planning the application of methods proposed for providing greater confinement of low-level wastes. 27 refs

State compacts and low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, H.

1984-01-01

In 1979, for the first time, low-level waste (LLW) was brought to the attention of policy makers in most states. For several decades, technical personnel had regulated and managed LLW, but elected officials and their staff had been largely ignorant of the origins and destination of low-level radioactive materials. Events in the fall of 1979 set in motion a sequence of events that has compelled the continuing attention of policy makers in every state in the nation. In December 1979, the Executive Committee of the National Governors' Association appointed an eight-member task force, chaired by Governor Bruce Babbitt of Arizona, to review low-level waste management and to formulate state policy by July 1980. The principal findings were as follows: 1. LLW could be managed most efficiently, both technically and politically, at the state level. 2. Each state should take responsibility for its own waste. 3. The creation of a regional waste management system by means of interstate compacts offered the best promise of creating new disposal capacity. 4. Regions should be allowed to exclude waste generated outside their borders after a specified date

State and Federal activities on low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

With the passage of the Low-Level Waste Policy Act in December 1980, the states have assumed the management responsibility and the federal government has become a facilitator. State and Federal roles in regulation have not altered. This paper reviews the developments over the last two years to point out the progress made and critical steps that lie ahead. Both technological and political aspects are covered, and a conclusion is presented with a look to the future. Since compact development in the tool chosen by the politicans for low-level waste management, the author reviews the present status starting with the northwest compact which has been introduced into the House and Senate and is subject to hearings. The past two years have seen real progress in technology in the broadest sense. An information development and dissemination system was established in 1978 wih the state-by-state assessment of low-level waste disposal. Annual examinations have been made through 1981 which enables one to understand the generation of low-level wastes. Policy level planning by states can be supported by the base level of information available. Incineration of dry active waste and other non-fuel cycle waste is ready to be fully accepted. Much work has been done on volume reduction of liquids. The increased understanding of the ways to make a disposal site work represents a major technolological improvement. Within the DOE system, there is beginning to be a real understanding of the critical parameters in disposal site performance in the East

Ocean dumping of low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Templeton, W.L.

1982-10-01

Scientific bases, developed internationally over the last 20 years, to control and restrict to acceptable levels the resultant radiation doses that potentially could occur from the dumping of low-level radioactive wastes in the deep oceans were presented. The author concluded that present evaluations of the disposal of radioactive wastes into the oceans, coastal and deep ocean, indicate that these are being conducted within the ICRP recommended dose limits. However, there are presently no international institutions or mechanisms to deal with the long-term radiation exposure at low-levels to large numbers of people on a regional basis if not a global level. Recommendations were made to deal with these aspects through the established mechanisms of NEA/OECD and the London Dumping Convention, in cooperation with ICRP, UNSCEAR and the IAEA

Flow-through electroporation based on constant voltage for large-volume transfection of cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Tao; Zhan, Yihong; Wang, Hsiang-Yu; Witting, Scott R; Cornetta, Kenneth G; Lu, Chang

2010-05-21

Genetic modification of cells is a critical step involved in many cell therapy and gene therapy protocols. In these applications, cell samples of large volume (10(8)-10(9)cells) are often processed for transfection. This poses new challenges for current transfection methods and practices. Here we present a novel flow-through electroporation method for delivery of genes into cells at high flow rates (up to approximately 20 mL/min) based on disposable microfluidic chips, a syringe pump, and a low-cost direct current (DC) power supply that provides a constant voltage. By eliminating pulse generators used in conventional electroporation, we dramatically lowered the cost of the apparatus and improved the stability and consistency of the electroporation field for long-time operation. We tested the delivery of pEFGP-C1 plasmids encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells in the devices of various dimensions and geometries. Cells were mixed with plasmids and then flowed through a fluidic channel continuously while a constant voltage was established across the device. Together with the applied voltage, the geometry and dimensions of the fluidic channel determined the electrical parameters of the electroporation. With the optimal design, approximately 75% of the viable CHO cells were transfected after the procedure. We also generalize the guidelines for scaling up these flow-through electroporation devices. We envision that this technique will serve as a generic and low-cost tool for a variety of clinical applications requiring large volume of transfected cells. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nuclear waste calorimeter for very large drums with 385 litres sample volume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jossens, G.; Mathonat, C. [SETARAM Instrumentation, Caluire (France); Bachelet, F. [CEA Valduc, Is sur Tille (France)

2015-03-15

Calorimetry is a very precise and well adapted tool for the classification of drums containing nuclear waste material depending on their level of activities (low, medium, high). A new calorimeter has been developed by SETARAM Instrumentation and the CEA Valduc in France. This new calorimeter is designed for drums having a volume bigger than 100 liters. It guarantees high operator safety by optimizing drum handling and air circulation for cooling, and optimized software for direct measurement of the quantity of nuclear material. The LVC1380 calorimeter makes it possible to work over the range 10 to 3000 mW, which corresponds to approximately 0.03 to 10 g of tritium or 3 to 955 g of {sup 241}Pu in a volume up to 385 liters. This calorimeter is based on the heat flow measurement using Peltier elements which surround the drum in the 3 dimensions and therefore measure all the heat coming from the radioactive stuff whatever its position inside the drum. Calorimeter's insulating layers constitute a thermal barrier designed to filter disturbances until they represent less than 0.001 Celsius degrees and to eliminate long term disturbances associated, for example, with laboratory temperature variations between day and night. A calibration device based on Joule effect has also been designed. Measurement time has been optimized but remains long compared with other methods of measurement such as gamma spectrometry but its main asset is to have a good accuracy for low level activities.

Association of Very Low-Volume Practice With Vascular Surgery Outcomes in New York.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Jialin; Goodney, Philip; Cronenwett, Jack; Sedrakyan, Art

2017-08-01

Little research has focused on very low-volume surgery, especially in the context of decreasing vascular surgery volume with the adoption of endovascular procedures. To investigate the existence and outcomes of open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (OAR) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) performed by very low-volume surgeons in New York. This cohort study examined inpatient data of patients undergoing elective OAR or CEA from 2000 to 2014 from all New York hospitals. Surgeons who performed 1 or less designated procedure per year on average were considered very low volume, as opposed to higher-volume surgeons. Temporal trends of the existence of very low-volume practice were evaluated. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to compare in-hospital outcomes and health care resource use between patients treated by very low-volume surgeons and higher-volume surgeons for both OAR and CEA, adjusting for patient, surgeon, and hospital characteristics. There were 8781 OAR procedures and 68 896 CEA procedures included in the study. The mean (SD) patient age was 71.7 (8.4) years for OAR and 71.5 (9.1) years for CEA. A total of 614 surgeons performed OAR and 1071 performed CEA in New York during the study period. Of these, 318 (51.8%) and 512 (47.8%), respectively, were very low-volume surgeons. Very low-volume surgeons were less likely to be vascular surgeons. The number and proportion of very low-volume surgeons decreased over years. Compared with patients treated by higher-volume surgeons, those treated by very low-volume surgeons were more likely to have higher in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR], 2.09; 95% CI, 1.41-3.08) following OAR and higher risks of postoperative myocardial infarction (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.03-3.26) and stroke (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.21-2.62) following CEA. Patients treated by very low-volume surgeons also had greater health care resource use following both surgeries, including prolonged length of stay (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.11-1.70) following OAR as

1984 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes shipped to commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-12-01

The 1984 report uses the volume of low-level waste reported as received at each commercial disposal site as the national baseline figure. A volume of 75,429 m 3 of radioactive waste containing 600,909 Ci of activity was reported disposed at the commercial sites in 1984. The distribution of these waste volumes by disposal site is presented in Table 1. Table 2 displays typical radionuclides in low-level wastes by sector. Table 3 presents predominant waste forms associated with low-level waste by sector. The total volume and curie values tabulated for each state were obtained directly from the commercial disposal site operators. The total is the sum of the volume and radioactivity reported by Chem Nuclear and US Ecology for each state. Figure 1 displays the disposal capacity remaining at Barnwell, Richland, and Beatty commercial disposal sites as of December 31, 1984. Summary information on commercial nuclear power plant wastes was obtained from semiannual waste and effluent reports submitted to the NRC in accordance with the NRC Regulatory Guide 1.21. Where reported data were not available, data were obtained by communication with the utility. Non-reactor waste volumes are actual amounts recorded as received at the commercial waste repositories in 1984. Waste categories are defined as academic, medical, government, and industrial. Academic includes university hospitals and medical and nonmedical research facilities. The medical category includes hospitals and clinics, research facilities, and private medical offices. The industrial category includes private entities such as research and development companies, manufacturers, nondestructive testing, mining, and radiopharmaceutical manufacturers. Government includes state and federal agencies. Data from previous publications were also used as a comparison. 11 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs

21 CFR 201.323 - Aluminum in large and small volume parenterals used in total parenteral nutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Aluminum in large and small volume parenterals... for Specific Drug Products § 201.323 Aluminum in large and small volume parenterals used in total parenteral nutrition. (a) The aluminum content of large volume parenteral (LVP) drug products used in total...

Application of solvlent change techniques to blended cements used to immobilize low-level radioactive liquid waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruger, A.A.

1996-07-01

The microstructures of hardened portland and blended cement pastes, including those being considered for use in immobilizing hazardous wastes, have a complex pore structure that changes with time. In solvent exchange, the pore structure is examined by immersing a saturated sample in a large volume of solvent that is miscible with the pore fluid. This paper reports the results of solvent replacement measurements on several blended cements mixed at a solution:solids ratio of 1.0 with alkaline solutions from the simulation of the off- gas treatment system in a vitrification facility treating low-level radioactive liquid wastes. The results show that these samples have a lower permeability than ordinary portland cement samples mixed at a water:solids ratio of 0.70, despite having a higher volume of porosity. The microstructure is changed by these alkaline solutions, and these changes have important consequences with regard to durability

1997 State-by-State Assessment of Low-Level Radioactive Wastes Received at Commercial Disposal Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, R. L.

1998-01-01

Each year the National Low-Level Waste Management Program publishes a state-by-state assessment report. This report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive waste commercially disposed in the United States. Data in this report are categorized according to disposal site, generator category, waste class, volumes, and radionuclide activity. Included in this report are tables showing the distribution of waste by state for 1997 and a comparison of waste volumes and radioactivity by state for 1993 through 1997; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States as of December 31, 1997

Low mass large aperture vacuum window development at CEBAF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keppel, C.

1995-01-01

Large aperture low mass vacuum windows are being developed for the HMS (High Momentum Spectrometer) and SOS (Short Orbit Spectrometer) spectrometers in Hall C at CEBAF. Because multiple scattering degrades the performance of a spectrometer it is important that the volume be evacuated and that the entrance and exit windows be as low mass as possible. The material used for such windows must be thin and light enough so as to have minimum effect of the beam, and at the same time, be thick and strong enough to operate reliably and safely. To achieve these goals, composite vacuum windows have been constructed of a thin sheet of Mylar with a reinforcing fabric. Reinforcing fabrics such as Kevlar and Spectra are available with tensile strengths significantly greater than that of Mylar. A thin layer of Myler remains necessary since the fabrics cannot achieve any sort of vacuum seal. The design, fabrication, testing, and operating experience with such composite windows for the Hall C spectrometers will be discussed

The 1985 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes shipped to commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-12-01

The 1985 report uses the volume of low-level waste reported as received at each commercial disposal site as the national baseline figure. A volume of 75,909 m 3 of radioactive waste containing 748,903 Ci of activity was reported disposed at the commercial sites in 1985. The distribution of these waste volumes by disposal site is presented in Table 1. Table 2 displays typical radionuclides in low-level wastes by sector. Table 3 presents predominant waste forms associated with low-level waste by sector. The total volume and curie values tabulated for each state were obtained directly from the commercial disposal site operators. The total is the sum of the volume and radioactivity reported by Chem Nuclear and US Ecology for each state. Figure 1 displays the disposal capacity remaining at Barnwell, Richland, and Beatty commercial disposal sites as of December 31, 1985. Summary information on commercial nuclear power plant wastes was obtained from semiannual waste and effluent reports submitted to the NRC in accordance with the NRC Regulatory Guide 1.21. Where reported data were not available, data were obtained by communication with the utility. Nonreactor waste volumes are actual amounts recorded as received at the commercial waste repositories in 1985. Waste categories are defined as academic, medical, government, and industrial. New to the 1985 report is Appendix B, 1985 Assessments Listed By Ratified Compacts, as well as the proposed Western and Appalachian compacts. Inclusion of the most accurate information available from all sources has resulted in an improved national waste distribution profile of generator sectors. 11 refs

Solid low level waste management guidelines: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castagnacci, A.; Dalton, D.; Genoa, P.

1994-11-01

Since 1989, the nuclear industry has been moving in the direction of greater minimization of low level radioactive waste (LLW). This has been driven in part by increasing regulatory attention, but it also is in response to the desire on the part of nuclear utilities to be more cost efficient and to be environmentally responsive. Over the past half-dozen years, LLW disposal costs have increased dramatically. In addition, improvements in LLW volume reduction technologies have substantially reduced the volume of LLW that is disposed. At the same time, utilities are implementing aggressive source reduction programs and programs to reuse materials so as to extend the useful life of many materials. Thus, there has been a dramatic change in LLW economics and LLW management practices in just the past few years. This report was developed by utility nuclear experts to provide guidance to all utilities on mechanisms for integrating the program economics, advanced volume reduction techniques, and approaches to source reduction. Thus, utilizes will be able to use this report as a guide to optimizing their LLW program economics and minimizing LLW disposal volumes to the smallest reasonable fraction. This report discusses the implementation of these guidelines, management support, waste materials and waste inventory, radioactive tool and equipment management, protective clothing management, processing and volume reduction, solid LLW tracking, outage LLW management, and interim storage of LLW

1987 annual report on low-level radioactive waste management progress: Report to Congress in response to Public Law 99-240

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-08-01

In response to Section 7(b) of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-240), this report summarizes the progress of states and low-level radioactive waste compacts in 1987 in establishing new low-level waste disposal facilities. It also reports the volume of low-level waste received for disposal in 1987 by commercially operated low-level waste disposal facilities

Low-Level Waste Forum notes and summary reports for 1994. Volume 9, Number 2, April 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-04-01

This is a publication of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum Participants. The topics of the publication include DOE policy, state concerns and activities, court hearings and decisions, federal agency activities, US NRC waste management function reorganization, low-level radioactive waste storage and compaction, and US NRC rulemaking and hearings

Low-Level Waste Forum notes and summary reports for 1994. Volume 9, Number 2, April 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-04-01

This is a publication of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum Participants. The topics of the publication include DOE policy, state concerns and activities, court hearings and decisions, federal agency activities, US NRC waste management function reorganization, low-level radioactive waste storage and compaction, and US NRC rulemaking and hearings.

Mixed and low-level waste treatment facility project. Volume 3, Waste treatment technologies (Draft)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-04-01

The technology information provided in this report is only the first step toward the identification and selection of process systems that may be recommended for a proposed mixed and low-level waste treatment facility. More specific information on each technology will be required to conduct the system and equipment tradeoff studies that will follow these preengineering studies. For example, capacity, maintainability, reliability, cost, applicability to specific waste streams, and technology availability must be further defined. This report does not currently contain all needed information; however, all major technologies considered to be potentially applicable to the treatment of mixed and low-level waste are identified and described herein. Future reports will seek to improve the depth of information on technologies.

Low and intermediate level radioactive waste processing in plasma reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauchyn, V.; Khvedchyn, I.; Van Oost, G.

2013-01-01

Methods of low and intermediate level radioactive waste processing comprise: cementation, bituminization, curing in polymer matrices, combustion and pyrolysis. All these methods are limited in their application in the field of chemical, morphological, and aggregate composition of material to be processed. The thermal plasma method is one of the universal methods of RAW processing. The use of electric-arc plasma with mean temperatures 2000 - 8000 K can effectively carry out the destruction of organic compounds into atoms and ions with very high speeds and high degree of conversion. Destruction of complex substances without oxygen leads to a decrease of the volume of exhaust gases and dimension of gas cleaning system. This paper presents the plasma reactor for thermal processing of low and intermediate level radioactive waste of mixed morphology. The equipment realizes plasma-pyrolytic conversion of wastes and results in a conditioned product in a single stage. As a result, the volume of conditioned waste is significantly reduced (more than 10 times). Waste is converted into an environmentally friendly form that suits long-term storage. The leaching rate of macro-components from the vitrified compound is less than 1.10 -7 g/(cm 2 .day). (authors)

Low-level radioactive waste, mixed low-level radioactive waste, and biomedical mixed waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

This document describes the proceedings of a workshop entitled: Low-Level Radioactive Waste, Mixed Low-Level Radioactive Waste, and Biomedical Mixed Waste presented by the National Low-Level Waste Management Program at the University of Florida, October 17-19, 1994. The topics covered during the workshop include technical data and practical information regarding the generation, handling, storage and disposal of low-level radioactive and mixed wastes. A description of low-level radioactive waste activities in the United States and the regional compacts is presented

Low-level Radioactive waste Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This meeting describes low-level radioactive waste management problems and contains 8 papers: 1 Low-level radioactive waste management: exemption concept and criteria used by international organizations. 2 Low-level radioactive waste management: french and foreign regulations 3 Low-level radioactive waste management in EDF nuclear power plants (FRANCE) 4 Low-level radioactive waste management in COGEMA (FRANCE) 5 Importance of low-level radioactive wastes in dismantling strategy in CEA (FRANCE) 6 Low-level radioactive waste management in hospitals 7 Low-level radioactive waste disposal: radiation protection laws 8 Methods of low-level radioactive materials measurements during reactor dismantling or nuclear facilities demolition (FRANCE)

Enhancing the low-level tape layer of CERN Tape Archive software

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2160814; Ruse, Laura Cristina; Vasilescu, Laura

CERN manages the largest scientific data archive in the HEP domain. The archive currently holds over 180 Petabytes, with forecasts of up to 100PB of new data added per year. Considering this numbers, the most cost-effective solution for storage in terms of capacity and maintenance is represented by magnetic tapes. The drawback of this solution is the access time which can raise to several minutes for a series of files. In an environment where very large volumes of physics data are being traded from tape to disk and vice versa, this issue becomes a serious performance bottleneck. This thesis introduces two low-level tape access optimizations: first, adding support for the Recommended Access Order (RAO), a mechanism offered by the tape hardware infrastructure to compute the file order corresponding to the minimum access time. We will present our solution for including RAO in the file retrieval operations in CERN tape archive software in order to benefit from the reduced reading time. The second optimization ...

Preliminary level 2 specification for the nested, fixed-depth sampling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BOGER, R.M.

1999-01-01

This preliminary Level 2 Component Specification establishes the performance, design, development, and test requirements for the in-tank sampling system which will support the BNFL contract in the final disposal of Hanford's High Level Wastes (HLW) and Low Activity Wastes (LAW). The PHMC will provide Low Activity Wastes (LAW) tank wastes for final treatment by BNFL from double-shell feed tanks. Concerns about the inability of the baseline ''grab'' sampling to provide large volume samples within time constraints has led to the development of a nested, fixed-depth sampling system. This sampling system will provide large volume? representative samples without the environmental, radiation exposure, and sample volume Impacts of the current base-line ''grab'' sampling method. This preliminary Level 2 Component Specification is not a general specification for tank sampling, but is based on a ''record of decision'', AGA (HNF-SD-TWR-AGA-001 ), the System Specification for the Double Shell Tank System (HNF-SD-WM-TRD-O07), and the BNFL privatization contract

Determination of radionuclide concentrations in ground level air using the ASS-500 high volume sampler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frenzel, E.; Arnold, D.; Wershofen, H.

1996-01-01

A method for determination of radionuclide concentrations in air aerosol samples collected by the high volume aerosol sampler ASS-500 was elaborated. The aerosol sampling station ASS-500 is a Stand alone, all-weather proofed instrument. It is designed for representative sampling of airborne radionuclides from ground level air at a height of about 1.5 m above ground level. The ASS-500 station enables continuous air monitoring both normal and emergency Situations. The collection of aerosols on the Petrianov FPP-15-1.5 type filter out of an air volume of about 100,000 m 3 (sampling period 1 wk) or of about 250,000 m 3 (sampling period 3 wk) admits accurate spectrometric low level measurements of natural and artificial radionuclides. The achieved detection limit is 0.5 μBq m -3 and 0.2 μBq m -3 for 137 Cs, respectively. A new developed air flow Meter system allows to enhance the collected air volume to about 150,000 m 3 per week and lowers the detection limit to -3 for 137 Cs for weekly collected aerosol samples. In Poland the CLOR uses 9 Stations ASS-500 at different sites as atmospheric radioactivity control system. On the basis of spectrometric measurements of natural and artificial radionuclides in the collected aerosol samples at the different sites, CLOR establishes a weekly report about the radiological situation at Poland for responsible authorities. The very low achievable detection limit of the Station ASS-500 due 10 the high air flow fate and the long possible sampling period were the key argument for other government radiation protection authorities in Europe to introduce the Station ASS-500 into their low level radionuclide atmospheric monitoring programs (Austria, Belarus, France, Germany, Iceland, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine)

Development of a low-level radon reference chamber; Entwicklung einer Low-Level-Radon-Referenzkammer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linzmaier, Diana

2013-01-04

The naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas radon-222 exists worldwide in different activity concentrations in the air. During the decay of radon-222, decay products are generated which are electrically charged and attach to aerosols in the air. Together with the aerosols, the radon is inhaled and exhaled by humans. While the radon is nearly completely exhaled, ca. 20 % of the inhaled aerosols remain in the lungs in one breath cycle. Due to ionizing radiation, in a chain of events, lung cancer might occur. Consequently, radon and its decay products are according to the current findings the second leading cause of lung cancer. At the workplace and in the home measurements of radon activity concentration are performed to determine the radiation exposition of humans. All measurement devices for the determination of radon activity concentration are calibrated above 1000 Bq/m{sup 3}, even though the mean value of the present investigation in Germany shows only 50 Bq/m{sup 3}. For the calibration of measurement devices in the range below 1000 Bq/m{sup 3} over a long time period, the generation of a stable reference atmosphere is presented in this work. Due to a long term calibration (t>5 days) of the measurement devices, smaller uncertainties result for the calibration factor. For the calibration procedure, a so-called low-level radon reference chamber was set up and started operation. The generation of a stable reference atmosphere is effected by means of emanation sources which consist of a radium-226 activity standard. On the basis of {gamma}-spectrometry, the effective emanation coefficient ofthe emanation sources is determined. The traceability of the activity concentration in the reference volume is realized via the activity ofthe radium-226, the emanation coefficient and the volume. With the emanation sources produced, stable reference atmospheres within the range of 150 Bq/m{sup 3} to 1900 Bq/m{sup 3} are achieved. For the realization, maintenance and

Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste characterization. Appendix E-3: GTCC LLW assumptions matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This study identifies four categories of GTCC LLW: nuclear utility; sealed sources; DOE-held; and other generators. Within each category, inventory and projection data are modeled in three scenarios: (1) Unpackaged volume--this is the unpackaged volume of waste that would exceed Class C limits if the waste calculation methods in 10 CFR 61.55 were applied to the discrete items before concentration averaging methods were applied to the volume; (2) Not-concentration-averaged (NCA) packaged volume--this is the packaged volume of GTCC LLW assuming that no concentration averaging is allowed; and (3) After-concentration-averaging (ACA) packaged volume--this is the packaged volume of GTCC LLW, which, for regulatory or practical reasons, cannot be disposed of in a LLW disposal facility using allowable concentration averaging practices. Three cases are calculated for each of the volumes described above. These values are defined as the low, base, and high cases. The following tables explain the assumptions used to determine low, base, and high case estimates for each scenario, within each generator category. The appendices referred to in these tables are appendices to Greater-Than-Class C Low-Level Radioactive Waste Characterization: Estimated Volumes, Radionuclide Activities, and Other Characteristics (DOE/LLW-114, Revision 1)

Low level radiation: how low can you get?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Townsley, M.

1990-01-01

Information stored on the world's largest data bank concerning the health of nuclear industry workers is to be handed over to researchers at Birmingham University by the US Department of Energy. The data bank contains detailed information on 300,000 nuclear employees, going back to the 1940s. Such a large sample size will allow the results of a previous study conducted on workers in the US nuclear industry to be verified. That study was concluded in 1978 and showed that the risk estimates set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) were between 10 and 30 times too low. The current ICRP estimate allows workers up to 50mSv of exposure to low level radiation per year. Risk estimates have been derived from data relating to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However in those cases the radiation doses were relatively high but over a short period. In the nuclear industry the doses are lower but are long term and this may account for the apparent anomalies such as the incidence of leukaemia amongst children whose fathers have worked in the nuclear industry compared with that for the children whose fathers received radiation doses from the atomic bombings. It is expected the study will show that low-level radiation is more damaging than has previously been thought. (author)

The 1988 state-by-state assessment of Low-Level Radioactive Wastes received at commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, R.L.; Culbertson-Arendts, K.

1989-12-01

This report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive wastes. Data in this report are divided into generator categories, waste classes, volumes, and activities. Included in this report are tables showing a distribution of wastes by state for 1988 and a comparison of waste volumes by state for 1984 through 1988; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States as of December 31, 1988. In this year's report, a distinction has been made between low-level radioactive waste shipped directly for disposal by generators and that which was handled by an intermediary. 8 refs., 3 tabs

Large-Animal Biventricular Working Heart Perfusion System with Low Priming Volume-Comparison between in vivo and ex vivo Cardiac Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Abicht, Jan-Michael; Mayr, Tanja Axinja Jelena; Jauch, Judith; Guethoff, Sonja; Buchholz, Stefan; Reichart, Bruno; Bauer, Andreas

2018-01-01

Existing large-animal, ex vivo, cardiac perfusion models are restricted in their ability to establish an ischemia/reperfusion condition as seen in cardiac surgery or transplantation. Other working heart systems only challenge one ventricle or require a substantially larger priming volume. We describe a novel biventricular cardiac perfusion system with reduced priming volume. Juvenile pig hearts were cardiopleged, explanted, and reperfused ex vivo after 150 minutes of cold ischemia. Autologous whole blood was used as perfusate (minimal priming volume 350 mL). After 15 minutes of Langendorff perfusion (LM), the system was switched into a biventricular working mode (WM) and studied for 3 hours. During reperfusion, complete unloading of both ventricles and constant-pressure coronary perfusion was achieved. During working mode perfusion, the preload and afterload pressure of both ventricles was controlled within the targeted physiologic range. Functional parameters such as left ventricular work index were reduced in ex vivo working mode (in vivo: 787 ± 186 vs. 1 h WM 498 ± 66 mm Hg·mL/g·min; p  hours while functional and blood parameters are easily accessible. Moreover, because of the minimal priming volume, the novel ex vivo cardiac perfusion circuit allows for autologous perfusion, using the limited amount of blood available from the organ donating animal. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Experiences with large-area frisch grid chambers in low-level alpha spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoetzl, H.; Winkler, R. (Gesellschaft fuer Strahlen- und Umweltforschung m.b.H. Muenchen, Neuherberg (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Strahlenschutz)

1984-06-15

The properties of parallel-plate gridded ionization chambers with areas of 300 cm/sup 2/, developed by us for alpha spectrometry of samples with low specific alpha activity are reported. Several practical hints for optimum operating conditions are presented. The chambers can be operated routinely at atmospheric pressure for several days, without the need for purification of the gas filling (P10). The minimum detectable activity at 5 MeV is 0.01 pCi, based on 4.65 standard deviations of background and 1000 min counting time. At the GSF Research Center ionization chambers of this type are used for the analysis of natural alpha emitters, as well as of transuranium nuclides in environmental samples by: a) direct alpha spectrometry without any previous treatment of the sample, b) semi-direct spectrometry after removal of organic matter by low-temperature ashing and c) spectrometry after chemical separation. Some typical example of application are given. Furthermore the range of application of the chambers in comparison to semiconductor detectors in the field of low-level alpha spectrometry is discussed.

Experiences with large-area frisch grid chambers in low-level alpha spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoetzl, H.; Winkler, R.

1984-01-01

The properties of parallel-plate gridded ionization chambers with areas of 300 cm 2 , developed by us for alpha spectrometry of samples with low specific alpha activity are reported. Several practical hints for optimum operating conditions are presented. The chambers can be operated routinely at atmospheric pressure for several days, without the need for purification of the gas filling (P10). The minimum detectable activity at 5 MeV is 0.01 pCi, based on 4.65 standard deviations of background and 1000 min counting time. At the GSF Research Center ionization chambers of this type are used for the analysis of natural alpha emitters, as well as of transuranium nuclides in environmental samples by: a) direct alpha spectrometry without any previous treatment of the sample, b) semi-direct spectrometry after removal of organic matter by low-temperature ashing and c) spectrometry after chemical separation. Some typical example of application are given. Furthermore the range of application of the chambers in comparison to semiconductor detectors in the field of low-level alpha spectrometry is discussed. (orig.)

Relationship between left ventricular mechanics and low free triiodothyronine levels after myocardial infarction: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jankauskienė, Edita; Orda, Paulius; Barauskienė, Greta; Mickuvienė, Narseta; Brožaitienė, Julija; Vaškelytė, Jolanta Justina; Bunevičius, Robertas

2016-04-01

Low free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are associated with greater impairment in cardiac mechanics compared with patients with AMI who have normal values of thyroid hormones. The objectives are to investigate left ventricular (LV) function and mechanics during a 6-month follow-up after myocardial infarction and to evaluate their prognostic implication using two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography and 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with low fT3 levels. The study design is prospective cohort study. One hundred forty patients with first-onset AMI were grouped according to serum fT3 levels: low fT3 group (fT3 3.2 pmol/L; n = 96). Low levels of fT3 were associated with greater LV diameters and LV end-diastolic volume, and decreased systolic LV function. Systolic apical and basal rotation, peak systolic global longitudinal strain and strain rate, and LV twist and torsion were significantly decreased in the low fT3 group. The prognostic implication for predicting low fT3 levels was evaluated using ROC analysis. LV end-diastolic diameter index is the most sensitive (94.12 %), but has low specificity (37.93 %; area = 0.659, p = 0.01). By contrast, LV end-systolic volume is the most specific (94.03 %), but has low sensitivity (26.32 %; area = 0.594, p = 0.04). Low fT3 levels are significantly associated with worse LV mechanics. Low fT3 levels are important for prediction of LV structure, function, rotation, and deformation parameters during the late post-myocardial infarction period.

Low-level wastewater treatment facility process control operational test report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergquist, G.G.

1996-01-01

This test report documents the results obtained while conducting operational testing of a new TK 102 level controller and total outflow integrator added to the NHCON software that controls the Low-Level Wastewater Treatment Facility (LLWTF). The test was performed with WHC-SD-CP-OTP 154, PFP Low-Level Wastewater Treatment Facility Process Control Operational Test. A complete test copy is included in appendix A. The new TK 102 level controller provides a signal, hereafter referred to its cascade mode, to the treatment train flow controller which enables the water treatment process to run for long periods without continuous operator monitoring. The test successfully demonstrated the functionality of the new controller under standard and abnormal conditions expected from the LLWTF operation. In addition, a flow totalizer is now displayed on the LLWTF outlet MICON screen which tallies the process output in gallons. This feature substantially improves the ability to retrieve daily process volumes for maintaining accurate material balances

A review of low-level radioactive waste compacts on a national level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenneman, F.N.

1985-01-01

Since the 1950s, increased quantities of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) have been produced in the United States as a result of the use of radioactive materials in medical diagnoses and treatment, research, industrial processes, and electrical power generation by nuclear plants. With increasing volumes of commercially generated waste, the private sector was encouraged to develop LLW disposal facilities, to be licensed by the AEC or by AEC Agreement states. In 1962, the commercially operated Beaty, Nevada low-level waste facility was opened. During the ensuing nine years, five additional low-level waste disposal facilities opened, resulting, although not planned, in a regional distribution of such facilities. A number of technical and regulatory issues were raised over a period of two years by states and federal agencies, and, for the most part, were resolved. The NRC, DOE, and DOT reviewed and commented on the compacts throughout the drafting of compact language. Comments addressed the scope of the compacts (''management'' vs. ''disposal''), inspection of NRC licensees, regulatory roles of compact commissions, and regulatory requirements inconsistent with federal regulations, to name a few. Among those unresolved issues in some compacts is the definition of LLW, which varies among the compacts. Those in PL96-573 and the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 were both used, with and without variations. The definition of transuranic waste and those concentrations allowable at the disposal facilities are not uniform in the compacts

A model for steady-state large-volume plasma generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhm, H.S.; Miller, J.D.; Schneider, R.F.

1991-01-01

In this paper, a simple, new scheme to generate a uniform, steady-state, large-volume plasma is presented. The weakly magnetized plasma is created by direct ionization of the background gas by low-energy electrons generated from thermionic filaments. An annular arrangement of the filaments ensures a uniform plasma density in the radial direction as predicted by theory. Experiments have been performed to characterize the plasma generated in such a configuration. In order to explain the experimental observation, we develop a bulk plasma theory based on plasma transport via cross-field diffusion. As assumed in the theoretical model, the experimental measurements indicate a uniform plasma density along the axis. Both the theory and experiment indicate that the plasma density is a function of the square of the external magnetic field. The theory also predicts the plasma density to be proportional to the neutral density to the two-thirds power in agreement with the experimental data. We also observe the experimental data to agree remarkably well with theoretical prediction for a broad range of system parameters

Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste characterization. Appendix A-3: Basis for greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste light water reactor projections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mancini, A.; Tuite, P.; Tuite, K.; Woodberry, S.

1994-09-01

This study characterizes low-level radioactive waste types that may exceed Class C limits at light water reactors, estimates the amounts of waste generated, and estimates radionuclide content and distribution within the waste. Waste types that may exceed Class C limits include metal components that become activated during operations, process wastes such as cartridge filters and decontamination resins, and activated metals from decommissioning activities. Operating parameters and current management practices at operating plants are reviewed and used to estimate the amounts of low-level waste exceeding Class C limits that is generated per fuel cycle, including amounts of routinely generated activated metal components and process waste. Radionuclide content is calculated for specific activated metals components. Empirical data from actual low-level radioactive waste are used to estimate radionuclide content for process wastes. Volumes and activities are also estimated for decommissioning activated metals that exceed Class C limits. To estimate activation levels of decommissioning waste, six typical light water reactors are modeled and analyzed. This study does not consider concentration averaging

1992 annual report on low-level radioactive waste management progress; Report to Congress in response to Public Law 99-240

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1993-11-01

This report summarizes the progress States and compact regions made during 1992 in establishing new low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. It also provides summary information on the volume of low-level radioactive waste received for disposal in 1992 by commercially operated low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. This report is in response to section 7 (b) of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act.

Low-volume high-intensity swim training is superior to high-volume low-intensity training in relation to insulin sensitivity and glucose control in inactive middle-aged women.

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Luke J; Nordsborg, Nikolai B; Nyberg, Michael; Weihe, Pál; Krustrup, Peter; Mohr, Magni

2016-10-01

We tested the hypothesis that low-volume high-intensity swimming has a larger impact on insulin sensitivity and glucose control than high-volume low-intensity swimming in inactive premenopausal women with mild hypertension. Sixty-two untrained premenopausal women were randomised to an inactive control (n = 20; CON), a high-intensity low-volume (n = 21; HIT) or a low-intensity high-volume (n = 21; LIT) training group. During the 15-week intervention period, HIT performed 3 weekly 6-10 × 30-s all-out swimming intervals (average heart rate (HR) = 86 ± 3 % HRmax) interspersed by 2-min recovery periods and LIT swam continuously for 1 h at low intensity (average HR = 73 ± 3 % HRmax). Fasting blood samples were taken and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted pre- and post-intervention. After HIT, resting plasma [insulin] was lowered (17 ± 34 %; P high-intensity intermittent swimming is an effective and time-efficient training strategy for improving insulin sensitivity, glucose control and biomarkers of vascular function in inactive, middle-aged mildly hypertensive women.

Low and intermediate radioactive waste management at OPG's western waste management facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellsworth, M.

2006-01-01

'Full text:' This paper will discuss low and intermediate level radioactive waste operations at Ontario Power Generation's Western Waste Management Facility. The facility has been in operation since 1974 and receives about 5000 - 7000 m 3 of low and intermediate level radioactive waste per year from Ontario's nuclear power plants. Low-level radioactive waste is received at the Waste Volume Reduction Building for possible volume reduction before it is placed into storage. Waste may be volume reduced by one of two methods at the WWMF, through either compaction or incineration. The Compactor is capable of reducing the volume of waste by a factor up to 5:1 for most waste. The Radioactive Incinerator is capable of volume reducing incinerable material by a factor up to 70:1. After processing, low-level waste is stored in above ground concrete warehouse-like structures called Low Level Storage Buildings. Low-level waste that cannot be volume reduced is placed into steel containers and stored in the Low Level Storage Buildings. Intermediate level waste is stored mainly in steel lined concrete storage structures. WWMF has both above ground and in-ground storage structures for intermediate level waste. Intermediate level waste consists primarily of resin and filters used to keep reactor water systems clean, and some used reactor core components. All low and intermediate level waste storage at the WWMF is considered interim storage and the material can be retrieved for future disposal or permanent storage. Current improvement initiatives include the installation of a new radioactive incinerator and a shredder/bagger. The new incinerator is a continuous feed system that is expected to achieve volume reduction rates up to 70:1, while incinerating higher volumes of waste than its predecessor. The shredder will break down large/bulky items into a form, which can be processed for further volume reduction. A Refurbishment Waste Storage Project is underway in anticipation of the

1991 annual report on low-level radioactive waste management progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

This report summarizes the progress during 1991 of States and compact regions in establishing new low-level radioactive waste disposal capacity. It has been prepared in response to requirements in Section 7 (b) of Title I of Public Law 99-240, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 (the Act). By the end of 1991, 9 compact regions (totaling 42 States) were functioning with plans to establish low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities: Appalachian, Central, Central Midwest, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southeast, and Southwestern. Also planning to construct disposal facilities, but unaffiliated with a compact region, are Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Vermont. The District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Michigan are unaffiliated with a compact region and do not plan to construct a disposal facility. Michigan was the host State for the Midwest compact region until July 1991 when the Midwest Interstate Compact Commission revoked Michigan's membership. Only the Central, Central Midwest, and Southwestern compact regions met the January 1, 1992, milestone in the Act to submit a complete disposal license application. None of the States or compact regions project meeting the January 1, 1993, milestone to have an operational low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. Also summarized are significant events that occurred in low-level radioactive waste management in 1991 and early 1992, including the 1992 United States Supreme Court decision in New York v. United States in which New York challenged the constitutionality of the Act, particularly the ''take-title'' provision. Summary information is also provided on the volume of low-level radioactive waste received for disposal in 1991 by commercially operated low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities

Impact of Different Tidal Volume Levels at Low Mechanical Power on Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury in Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lillian Moraes

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Tidal volume (VT has been considered the main determinant of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI. Recently, experimental studies have suggested that mechanical power transferred from the ventilator to the lungs is the promoter of VILI. We hypothesized that, as long as mechanical power is kept below a safe threshold, high VT should not be injurious. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of different VT levels and respiratory rates (RR on lung function, diffuse alveolar damage (DAD, alveolar ultrastructure, and expression of genes related to inflammation [interleukin (IL-6], alveolar stretch (amphiregulin, epithelial [club cell secretory protein (CC16] and endothelial [intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1] cell injury, and extracellular matrix damage [syndecan-1, decorin, and metalloproteinase (MMP-9] in experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS under low-power mechanical ventilation. Twenty-eight Wistar rats received Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide intratracheally. After 24 h, 21 animals were randomly assigned to ventilation (2 h with low mechanical power at three different VT levels (n = 7/group: (1 VT = 6 mL/kg and RR adjusted to normocapnia; (2 VT = 13 mL/kg; and 3 VT = 22 mL/kg. In the second and third groups, RR was adjusted to yield low mechanical power comparable to that of the first group. Mechanical power was calculated as [(ΔP,L2/Est,L/2]× RR (ΔP,L = transpulmonary driving pressure, Est,L = static lung elastance. Seven rats were not mechanically ventilated (NV and were used for molecular biology analysis. Mechanical power was comparable among groups, while VT gradually increased. ΔP,L and mechanical energy were higher in VT = 22 mL/kg than VT = 6 mL/kg and VT = 13 mL/kg (p < 0.001 for both. Accordingly, DAD score increased in VT = 22 mL/kg compared to VT = 6 mL/kg and VT = 13 mL/kg [23(18.5–24.75 vs. 16(12–17.75 and 16(13.25–18, p < 0.05, respectively]. VT = 22 mL/kg was associated with higher

Low-level waste disposal site selection demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, V.C.

1984-01-01

This paper discusses the results of recent studies undertaken at EPRI related to low-level waste disposal technology. The initial work provided an overview of the state of the art including an assessment of its influence upon transportation costs and waste form requirements. The paper discusses work done on the overall system design aspects and computer modeling of disposal site performance characteristics. The results of this analysis are presented and provide a relative ranking of the importance of disposal parameters. This allows trade-off evaluations to be made of factors important in the design of a shallow land burial facility. To help minimize the impact of a shortage of low-level radioactive waste disposal sites, EPRI is closely observing the development of bellweather projects for developing new sites. The purpose of this activity is to provide information about lessons learned in those projects in order to expedite the development of additional disposal facilities. This paper describes most of the major stems in selecting a low-level radioactive waste disposal site in Texas. It shows how the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority started with a wide range of potential siting areas in Texas and narrowed its attention down to a few preferred sites. The parameters used to discriminate between large areas of Texas and, eventually, 50 candidate disposal sites are described, along with the steps in the process. The Texas process is compared to those described in DOE and EPRI handbooks on site selection and to pertinent NRC requirements. The paper also describes how an inventory of low-level waste specific to Texas was developed and applied in preliminary performance assessments of two candidate sites. Finally, generic closure requirements and closure operations for low-level waste facilities in arid regions are given

Development of batch electrolytic enrichment cells with 100-fold volume reduction, control electronic units and neutralization/distillation unit, to enable better sensitivity to be achieved in low-level tritium measurements when liquid scintillation counting follows the enrichment process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, C.B.

1980-06-01

Full details of the batch-cell tritium enrichment system design are provided including electronic control circuits specially developed for these cells. The system incorporates a new type of concentric electrode cell (outer cathode of mild steel, anode of stainless steel, inner cathode of mild steel) with volume reduction capability 1 l to ca 9 ml. Electrolysis of 20 cells is performed in 2 steps. Down to sample volume ca 20 ml, the cells are series connected at constant currents up to 14.5 A, in the 2nd step, each cell is connected to its own individual current supply (2A) and control circuit. Automatic shut-off at the desired final volume is achieved by sensing the drop in current through the inner cathode as the electrolyte level falls below a PTFE insulator. The large electrode surface area and careful dimensioning at the foot of the cell allow operation with low starting electrolyte concentration 1.5 g Na 2 O 2 .l -1 . After electrolysis, quantitative recovery as distilled water of all hydrogen from the enriched residue is achieved by CO 2 -neutralisation and vacuum distillation at 100 0 C in a distillation unit which handles 20 cells simultaneously

Very Low Cerebral Blood Volume Predicts Parenchymal Hematoma in Acute Ischemic Stroke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hermitte, Laure; Cho, Tae-Hee; Ozenne, Brice

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Parenchymal hematoma (PH) may worsen the outcome of patients with stroke. The aim of our study was to confirm the relationship between the volume of very low cerebral blood volume (CBV) and PH using a European multicenter database (I-KNOW). A secondary objective was to exp......BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Parenchymal hematoma (PH) may worsen the outcome of patients with stroke. The aim of our study was to confirm the relationship between the volume of very low cerebral blood volume (CBV) and PH using a European multicenter database (I-KNOW). A secondary objective...

Indigenous high volume air sampler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotrappa, P.; Setty, N.P.N.; Raghunath, B.; Sivasubrahmanyam, P.S.

1978-01-01

A high volume air sampler for use in assessing concentrations of low levels of air borne particulates has been fabricated. The sampler will be of use in radioactive installations, conventional industries and environmental pollution analysis. It is comparable in performance with the imported Staplex air samplers. A turbine and motor system similar to the one found in conventional vacuum cleaners is used in its design. The sampler units can be produced in large numbers. (M.G.B.)

Considerations in reviewing the waste volume reduction program in a large utility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohout, R.; Calzolari, L.M.

1987-01-01

A program is underway at Ontario Hydro to establish a desirable future scheme for central processing/volume reduction of solid radioactive Low-Level Wastes (LLW) prior to their placement into the centralized storage, and in the future into a disposal facility. The approach being investigated is to furnish the current Waste Volume Reduction Facility (WVRF) with state-of-art processes, reclassify the waste categories and segregate the wastes such that each volume reduction (VR) process is then applied where it would be most effective. The ''optimized'' approach is then compared with other, specific schemes, which basically differ in that each scheme omits one of the major VR processes, thus allowing the next most effective process to take over its role. Each scheme is assessed quantitatively from the viewpoint of cost and VR effectiveness, and qualitatively from the viewpoint of resultant waste form. The economic assessments take into consideration the long term (20 year) impact of selected VR schemes on the overall waste management cost, including construction and operation of the storage facility. This paper highlights the overall study, includes the major results, and identifies aspects that need to be addressed in the selection of a desirable combination of VR processes in absence of knowledge of future waste disposal costs

Proceedings of the tenth annual DOE low-level waste management conference: Session 4: Waste treatment minimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-12-01

This document contains eleven papers on various aspects of low-level radioactive waste management. Topics in this volume include: volume reduction plans; incentitives; and cost proposals; acid detoxification and reclamation; decontamination of lead; leach tests; West Valley demonstration project status report; and DOE's regional management strategies. Individual papers were processed separately for the data base

Polyethylene solidification of low-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalb, P.D.; Colombo, P.

1985-02-01

This topical report describes the results of an investigation on the solidification of low-level radioactive waste in polyethylene. Waste streams selected for this study included those which result from advanced volume reduction technologies (dry evaporator concentrate salts and incinerator ash) and those which remain problematic for solidification using contemporary agents (ion exchange resins). Four types of commercially available low-density polyethylenes were employed which encompass a range of processing and property characteristics. Process development studies were conducted to ascertain optimal process control parameters for successful solidification. Maximum waste loadings were determined for each waste and polyethylene type. Property evaluation testing was performed on laboratory-scale specimens to assess the potential behavior of actual waste forms in a disposal environment. Waste form property tests included water immersion, deformation under compressive load, thermal cycling and radionuclide leaching. Recommended waste loadings of 70 wt % sodium sulfate, 50 wt % boric acid, 40 wt % incinerator ash, and 30 wt % ion exchange resins, which are based on process control and waste form performance considerations are reported. 37 refs., 33 figs., 22 tabs

Complex-wide review of DOE's management of low-level radioactive waste - progress to date

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letourneau, M.J.

1995-01-01

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 94-2 includes a recommendation that the Department of Energy (DOE) conduct a comprehensive, complex-wide review of the low-level waste issue to establish the dimensions of the low-level waste problem and to identify necessary corrective actions to address the safe disposition of past, present, and future volumes. DOE's Implementation Plan calls for the conduct of a complex-wide review of low-level radioactive waste treatment, storage, and disposal sites to identify environmental, safety, and health vulnerabilities. The complex-wide review focuses on low-level waste disposal facilities through a site evaluation survey, reviews of existing documentation, and onsite observations. Low-level waste treatment and storage facilities will be assessed for their ability to meet waste acceptance criteria for disposal. Results from the complex-wide review will be used to form the basis for an integrated and planned set of actions to correct the identified vulnerabilities and to prompt development of new requirements for managing low-level waste

Department of Energy pretreatment of high-level and low-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGinnis, C.P.; Hunt, R.D.

1995-01-01

The remediation of the 1 x 10 8 gal of highly radioactive waste in the underground storage tanks (USTs) at five US Department of Energy (DOE) sites is one of DOE's greatest challenges. Therefore, the DOE Office of Environmental Management has created the Tank Focus Area (TFA) to manage an integrated technology development program that results in the safe and efficient remediation of UST waste. The TFA has divided its efforts into five areas, which are safety, characterization, retrieval/closure, pretreatment, and immobilization. All DOE pretreatment activities are integrated by the Pretreatment Technical Integration Manager of the TFA. For FY 1996, the 14 pretreatment tasks are divided into 3 systems: supernate separations, sludge treatment, and solid/liquid separation. The plans and recent results of these TFA tasks, which include two 25,000-gal demonstrations and two former TFA tasks on Cs removal, are presented. The pretreatment goals are to minimize the volume of high-level waste and the radioactivity in low-level waste

Large-scale correlations in gas traced by Mg II absorbers around low-mass galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Kauffmann, Guinevere

2018-03-01

The physical origin of the large-scale conformity in the colours and specific star formation rates of isolated low-mass central galaxies and their neighbours on scales in excess of 1 Mpc is still under debate. One possible scenario is that gas is heated over large scales by feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), leading to coherent modulation of cooling and star formation between well-separated galaxies. In this Letter, the metal line absorption catalogue of Zhu & Ménard is used to probe gas out to large projected radii around a sample of a million galaxies with stellar masses ˜1010M⊙ and photometric redshifts in the range 0.4 Survey imaging data. This galaxy sample covers an effective volume of 2.2 Gpc3. A statistically significant excess of Mg II absorbers is present around the red-low-mass galaxies compared to their blue counterparts out to projected radii of 10 Mpc. In addition, the equivalent width distribution function of Mg II absorbers around low-mass galaxies is shown to be strongly affected by the presence of a nearby (Rp < 2 Mpc) radio-loud AGNs out to projected radii of 5 Mpc.

US Army facility for the consolidation of low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stein, S.L.; Tanner, J.E.; Murphy, B.L.; Gillings, J.C.; Hadley, R.T.; Lyso, O.M.; Gilchrist, R.L.; Murphy, D.W.

1983-12-01

A preliminary study of a waste consolidation facility for the Department of the Army's low-level radioactive waste was carried out to determine a possible site and perform a cost-benefit analysis. Four sites were assessed as possible locations for such a facility, using predetermined site selection criteria. To assist in the selection of a site, an evaluation of environmental issues was included as part of each site review. In addition, a preliminary design for a waste consolidation facility was developed, and facilities at each site were reviewed for their availability and suitability for this purpose. Currently available processes for volume reduction, as well as processes still under development, were then investigated, and the support and handling equipment and the staff needed for the safe operation of a waste consolidation facility were studied. Using current costs for the transportation and burial of low-level waste, a cost comparison was then made between waste disposal with and without the utilization of volume reduction. Finally, regulations that could affect the operation of a waste consolidation facility were identified and their impact was assessed. 11 references, 5 figures, 16 tables

Geographic factors related to site suitability of low-level waste disposal

Science.gov (United States)

Zittel, H. E.

Factors related to the site suitability of low level waste disposal sites are discussed including those which might be considered environmental and those dealing with site criteria. Possible population criteria, alternative site selection, transportation criteria, and community involvement are considered. All these factors are based on the premise that the technology exists to carry out low level waste disposal in a manner such that public health and safety can be insured. It is concluded that problems encountered in siting low level waste facilities are largely societal and political in nature.

The Department of Energy's National Disposition Strategy for the Treatment and Disposal of Low Level and Mixed Low Level Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, G.R.; Tonkay, D.W.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) program is committed to the environmental remediation of DOE sites. This cleanup mission will continue to produce large amounts of Low Level Waste (LLW) and Mixed Low-Level Waste (MLLW). This paper reports on the development of the DOE LLW/MLLW National Disposition Strategy that maps the Department's long-range strategy to manage LLW and MLLW. Existing corporate LLW and MLLW data proved insufficient to develop this strategy. Therefore, new data requirements were developed in conjunction with waste managers. The paper will report on the results of this data collection effort, which will result in development of DOE LLW/MLLW disposition maps. (authors)

Recycle operations as a methodology for radioactive waste volume reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, G.A.

1985-01-01

The costs for packaging, transportation and burial of low-level radioactive metallic waste have become so expensive that an alternate method of decontamination for volume reduction prior to disposal can now be justified. The operation of a large-scale centralized recycle center for decontamination of selected low level radioactive waste has been proven to be an effective method for waste volume reduction and for retrieving valuable materials for unlimited use. The centralized recycle center concept allows application of state-of-the-art decontamination technology resulting in a reduction in utility disposal costs and a reduction in overall net amount of material being buried. Examples of specific decontamination process activities at the centralized facility will be reviewed along with a discussion of the economic impact of decontamination for recycling and volume reduction. Based on almost two years of operation of a centralized decontamination facility, a demonstrated capability exists. The concept has been cost effective and proves that valuable resources can be recycled

Alternative methods for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes. Task 2c: technical requirements for earth mounded concrete bunker disposal of low-level radioactive waste. Volume 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, W.O.; Bennett, R.D.

1985-10-01

The study reported herein contains the results of Task 2c (Technical Requirements for Earth Mounded Concrete Bunker Disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Waste) of a four-task study entitled ''Criteria for Evaluating Engineered Facilities''. The overall objective of this study is to ensure that the criteria needed to evaluate five alternative low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal methods are available to potential license applicants. The earth mounded concrete bunker disposal alternative is one of several methods that may be proposed for disposal of low-level radioactive waste. The name of this alternative is descriptive of the disposal method used in France at the Centre de la Manche. Experience gained with this method at the Centre is described, including unit operations and features and components. Some improvements to the French system are recommended herein, including the use of previous backfill around monoliths and extending the limits of a low permeability surface layer. The applicability of existing criteria developed for near-surface disposal (10 CFR Part 61 Subpart D) to the earth mounded concrete bunker disposal method, as assessed in Task 1, are reassessed herein. With minor qualifications, these criteria were found to be applicable in the reassessment. These conclusions differ slightly from the Task 1 findings

Research on near-surface disposal of very low level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Shaowei; Yue Huiguo; Hou Jie; Chen Haiying; Zuo Rui; Wang Jinsheng

2012-01-01

Radioactive waste disposal is one of the most sensitive environmental problems to control and solve. As the arriving of decommissioning of early period nuclear facilities in China, large amounts of very low level radioactive waste will be produced inevitably. The domestic and abroad definitions about very low level radioactive waste and its disposal were introduced, and then siting principles of near-surface disposal of very low level radioactive waste were discussed. The near- surface disposal siting methods of very low level radioactive waste were analyzed from natural and geographical conditions assessment, geological conditions analysis, hydrogeological conditions analysis, geological hazard assessment and radioactive background investigation; the near-surface disposal sites'natural barriers of very low level radioactive waste were analyzed from the crustal structure and physico-chemical characteristics, the dynamics characteristics of groundwater, the radionuclide adsorption characteristics of natural barriers and so on; the near-surface disposal sites' engineered barriers of very low level radioactive waste were analyzed from the repository design, the repository barrier materials selection and so on. Finally, the improving direction of very low level radioactive waste disposal was proposed. (authors)

Feasibility of low contrast media volume in CT angiography of the aorta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seehofnerová, Anna; Kok, Madeleine; Mihl, Casper; Douwes, Dave; Sailer, Anni; Nijssen, Estelle; Haan, Michiel J.W. de; Wildberger, Joachim E.; Das, Marco

2015-01-01

Using smaller volumes of contrast media (CM) in CT angiography (CTA) is desirable in terms of cost reduction and prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The purpose was to evaluate the feasibility of low CM volume in CTA of the aorta. 77 patients referred for CTA of the aorta were scanned using a standard MDCT protocol at 100 kV. A bolus of 50 ml CM (Iopromide 300 mg Iodine/ml) at a flow rate of 6 ml/s was applied (Iodine delivery rate IDR = 1.8 g/s; Iodine load 15 g) followed by a saline bolus of 40 ml at the same flow rate. Scan delay was determined by the test bolus method. Subjective image quality was assessed and contrast enhancement was measured at 10 anatomical levels of the aorta. Diagnostic quality images were obtained for all patients, reaching a mean overall contrast enhancement of 324 ± 28 HU. Mean attenuation was 350 ± 60 HU at the thoracic aorta and 315 ± 83 HU at the abdominal aorta. A straightforward low volume CM protocol proved to be technically feasible and led to CTA examinations reaching diagnostic image quality of the aorta at 100 kV. Based on these findings, the use of a relatively small CM bolus can be incorporated into routine clinical imaging

A data base for low-level radioactive waste disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daum, M.L.; Moskowitz, P.D.

1989-07-01

A computerized database was developed to assist the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in evaluating methods and data for characterizing health hazards associated with land and ocean disposal options for low-level radioactive wastes. The data cover 1984 to 1987. The types of sites considered include Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensed commercial disposal sites, EPA National Priority List (NPL) sites, US Department of Energy (DOE) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Project (FUSRAP) and DOE Surplus Facilities Management Program (SFMP) sites, inactive US ocean disposal sites, and DOE/Department of Defense facilities. Sources of information include reports from EPA, the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), as well as direct communication with individuals associated with specific programs. The data include site descriptions, waste volumes and activity levels, and physical and radiological characterization of low-level wastes. Additional information on mixed waste, packaging forms, and disposal methods were compiled, but are not yet included in the database. 55 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Report to Congress in response to Public Law 99-240: 1990 Annual report on low-level radioactive waste management progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

This report summarizes the progress during 1990 of states and compact regions in establishing new low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. It also provides summary information on the volume of low-level radioactive waste received for disposal in 1990 by commercially operated low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. This report is in response to section 7 (b) of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act, as amended by Public Law 99-240

The role of the national low level waste repository operator in delivering new solutions for the management of low level wastes in the UK - 16217

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walkingshaw, Martin

2009-01-01

The UK National Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) is located near to the village of Drigg in West Cumbria. It is the principal site for disposal of solid Low Level Radioactive Waste (LLW) in the United Kingdom. This paper describes the program of work currently being undertaken by the site's operators, (LLW Repository Ltd and its newly appointed Parent Body Organisation), to extend the life of the LLWR and reduce the overall cost of LLW management to the UK taxpayer. The current focus of this program is to prevent disposal capacity being taken up at LLWR by waste types which lend themselves to alternative treatment and/or disposition routes. The chosen approach enables consignors to segregate LLW at source into formats which allow further treatment for volume reduction or, (for wastes with lower levels of activity), consignment in the future to alternative disposal facilities. Segregated waste services are incorporated into LLW Disposal commercial agreements between the LLWR operator and waste consignors. (author)

Modulating ventilation - low cost VAV for office buildings. [Variable Air Volume]; Modulerende ventilation - low cost VAV til kontor-bygninger. Slutrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoej Christensen, A.; Olsen, Hans; Drivsholm, C.

2012-02-15

The report describes a concept for renovating older existing Constant Air Volume (CAV) ventilation systems to modulating low-cost Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems. The concept is based on the total ventilated area being divided into appropriate indoor climate zones, which can cover from one to several offices with similar climate needs. For this initial climate assessment two relatively ''simple'' tools were developed that can estimate the temperature level in one room from the ventilation airflow, heat loads, etc.: - BSimFast (24-hour mean temperature calculation according to SBI-196, 2000); - BSimLight (Temperature simulation based on Danvak Textbook of Heat and Climate Technology). The concept of 'one room' can also be extended to 'one zone' with appropriate assumptions. However, only one mean room temperature is calculated. The different climate zones were equipped with Halton HFB control unit at the air supply and exhaust side. The project the following feedback options were used: - HFB unit's damper opening degree (0 to 90 degrees); - HFB unit's current flow; - HFB unit's exhaust temperature; and feedback from: - Frequency transformer (fan speed); - The central static duct pressure at the ventilation unit. In the project a control algorithm is developed that ensures a robust control of the entire ventilation system without adverse cyclic variations, based among other things on the exhaust temperature for each climate zone, and with the requirement that at least one throttle valve is always at least 80% open. It turned out that information on the current partial air volumes was necessary in addition to the individual throttle settings. Otherwise, a cyclic variations could not be controlled..Thus, it was the exhaust temperature from individual climate zones that defined the respective volumes of air. The concept was implemented on a complete CAV system and on part of a large CAV system, respectively. (LN)

Radiation from Large Gas Volumes and Heat Exchange in Steam Boiler Furnaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makarov, A. N., E-mail: tgtu-kafedra-ese@mail.ru [Tver State Technical University (Russian Federation)

2015-09-15

Radiation from large cylindrical gas volumes is studied as a means of simulating the flare in steam boiler furnaces. Calculations of heat exchange in a furnace by the zonal method and by simulation of the flare with cylindrical gas volumes are described. The latter method is more accurate and yields more reliable information on heat transfer processes taking place in furnaces.

Low frequency noise from large wind turbines - updated 2011; Lavfrekvent stoej fra store vindmoeller - opdateret 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moeller, H.; Sejer Pedersen, C.; Pedersen, Steffen

2011-07-01

The study analyzed measurements of noise from 65 wind turbines, 25 large turbines (2.3 to 3.6 MW) and 40 small ones (up to 2 MW). The large mills (2.3 to 3.6 MW) emit relatively more low frequency noise than the small ones (up to 2 MW). The difference is statistically significant for the frequency range 63-250 Hz, regardless of whether calculations are performed on all the large mills or only on new wind turbines. There are no significant differences between prototype turbines and the new mills. Because of wind noise in the measurements of the small mills, it is not possible to determine whether the difference between small and large turbines continues further down in frequency. Looking at the A-weighted sound pressure in relevant neighbor distances, the lower frequencies constitute an essential part of the noise from the large mills, and there is no doubt that the low frequency noise is both audible and annoying. When the total A-weighted sound pressure level is the same, there will on average be about 3 dB more low frequency noise from large turbines than from small ones. At large distances the noise character becomes yet more low frequency because atmospheric absorption reduces the high frequencies more than the low frequencies. Depending on the sound insulation the low frequency noise can also be annoying indoors. If the total A-weighted sound pressure level outdoors is 44 dB, the low frequency noise can be heard indoors in all the houses and for all the large turbines. The sound pressure level will in many cases exceed the indoor limit for evening night at 20 dB. (ln)

“Finite” non-Gaussianities and tensor-scalar ratio in large volume Swiss-cheese compactifications

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Aalok; Shukla, Pramod

2009-03-01

Developing on the ideas of (Section 4 of) [A. Misra, P. Shukla, Moduli stabilization, large-volume dS minimum without anti-D3-branes, (non-)supersymmetric black hole attractors and two-parameter Swiss cheese Calabi-Yau's, Nucl. Phys. B 799 (2008) 165-198, arXiv: 0707.0105] and [A. Misra, P. Shukla, Large volume axionic Swiss-cheese inflation, Nucl. Phys. B 800 (2008) 384-400, arXiv: 0712.1260 [hep-th

Measurement of very low alpha activity in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crespo, M. T.; Acena, M. L.

1987-01-01

Measurement of very low levels of alpha-emitting nuclides in water needs substantial improvements. A system based on the adsorbing properties manganese dioxide eliminates the need for transporting very large volumes of water and increases the sensitivity of the measurement. (Author) 21 refs

State-of-the-Art in GPU-Based Large-Scale Volume Visualization

KAUST Repository

Beyer, Johanna

2015-05-01

This survey gives an overview of the current state of the art in GPU techniques for interactive large-scale volume visualization. Modern techniques in this field have brought about a sea change in how interactive visualization and analysis of giga-, tera- and petabytes of volume data can be enabled on GPUs. In addition to combining the parallel processing power of GPUs with out-of-core methods and data streaming, a major enabler for interactivity is making both the computational and the visualization effort proportional to the amount and resolution of data that is actually visible on screen, i.e. \\'output-sensitive\\' algorithms and system designs. This leads to recent output-sensitive approaches that are \\'ray-guided\\', \\'visualization-driven\\' or \\'display-aware\\'. In this survey, we focus on these characteristics and propose a new categorization of GPU-based large-scale volume visualization techniques based on the notions of actual output-resolution visibility and the current working set of volume bricks-the current subset of data that is minimally required to produce an output image of the desired display resolution. Furthermore, we discuss the differences and similarities of different rendering and data traversal strategies in volume rendering by putting them into a common context-the notion of address translation. For our purposes here, we view parallel (distributed) visualization using clusters as an orthogonal set of techniques that we do not discuss in detail but that can be used in conjunction with what we present in this survey. © 2015 The Eurographics Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

State-of-the-Art in GPU-Based Large-Scale Volume Visualization

KAUST Repository

Beyer, Johanna; Hadwiger, Markus; Pfister, Hanspeter

2015-01-01

This survey gives an overview of the current state of the art in GPU techniques for interactive large-scale volume visualization. Modern techniques in this field have brought about a sea change in how interactive visualization and analysis of giga-, tera- and petabytes of volume data can be enabled on GPUs. In addition to combining the parallel processing power of GPUs with out-of-core methods and data streaming, a major enabler for interactivity is making both the computational and the visualization effort proportional to the amount and resolution of data that is actually visible on screen, i.e. 'output-sensitive' algorithms and system designs. This leads to recent output-sensitive approaches that are 'ray-guided', 'visualization-driven' or 'display-aware'. In this survey, we focus on these characteristics and propose a new categorization of GPU-based large-scale volume visualization techniques based on the notions of actual output-resolution visibility and the current working set of volume bricks-the current subset of data that is minimally required to produce an output image of the desired display resolution. Furthermore, we discuss the differences and similarities of different rendering and data traversal strategies in volume rendering by putting them into a common context-the notion of address translation. For our purposes here, we view parallel (distributed) visualization using clusters as an orthogonal set of techniques that we do not discuss in detail but that can be used in conjunction with what we present in this survey. © 2015 The Eurographics Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Six-year experiences in the operation of a low level liquid waste treatment plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, S.-J.; Hwang, S.-L.; Tsai, C.-M.

1980-01-01

The operation of a low level liquid waste treatment plant is described. The plant is designed for the disposal of liquid waste produced primarily by a 40 MW Taiwan Research Reactor as well as a fuel fabrication plant for the CANDU type reactor and a radioisotopes production laboratory. The monthly volume treated is about 600-2500 ton of low level liquid waste. The activity levels are in the range of 10 -5 -10 -3 μCi/cm 3 . The continuous treatment system of the low level liquid waste treatment plant and the treatment data collected since 1973 are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of continuous and batch processes are compared. In the continuous process, the efficiency of sludge treatment, vermiculite ion exchange and the adsorption of peat are investigated for further improvement. (H.K.)

A large, benign prostatic cyst presented with an extremely high serum prostate-specific antigen level.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Han-Kuang; Pemberton, Richard

2016-01-08

We report a case of a patient who presented with an extremely high serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level and underwent radical prostatectomy for presumed prostate cancer. Surprisingly, the whole mount prostatectomy specimen showed only small volume, organ-confined prostate adenocarcinoma and a large, benign intraprostatic cyst, which was thought to be responsible for the PSA elevation. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Low-level effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devine, R.T.; Chaput, R.L.

1987-01-01

Risk assignments can be made to given practices involving exposure to radiation, because sufficient data are available for the effects of high-dose, low-LET radiation and because sufficient exists in the methods of extrapolation to low doses and low dose rates. The confidence in the extrapolations is based on the fact that the risk is not expected to be overestimated, using the assumptions made (as opposed to the possibility that the extrapolations represent an accurate estimate of the risk). These risk estimates have been applied to the selection of permissible exposure levels, to show that various amounts of radiation involve no greater risk to the worker than the risk expected in another industry that is generally considered safe. The setting of standards for protection from exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation is made by expert committees at the national and international levels who weigh social factors as well as scientific factors. Data on low-level effects may be applied when assigning a ''probability of causation'' to a certain exposure of radiation. This has become a prominent method for arriving at an equitable award for damages caused by such exposure. The generation of these tables requires as many (if not more) social and political considerations as does the setting up of protection criteria. It is impossible to extract a purely scientific conclusion solely from the protection standards and other legal decisions. Sufficient information exists on low-LET radiation that safety standards for exposure can be rationally (if not scientifically) agreed upon

Costs of mixed low-level waste stabilization options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwinkendorf, W.E.; Cooley, C.R.

1998-01-01

Selection of final waste forms to be used for disposal of DOE's mixed low-level waste (MLLW) depends on the waste form characteristics and total life cycle cost. In this paper the various cost factors associated with production and disposal of the final waste form are discussed and combined to develop life-cycle costs associated with several waste stabilization options. Cost factors used in this paper are based on a series of treatment system studies in which cost and mass balance analyses were performed for several mixed low-level waste treatment systems and various waste stabilization methods including vitrification, grout, phosphate bonded ceramic and polymer. Major cost elements include waste form production, final waste form volume, unit disposal cost, and system availability. Production of grout costs less than the production of a vitrified waste form if each treatment process has equal operating time (availability) each year; however, because of the lower volume of a high temperature slag, certification and handling costs and disposal costs of the final waste form are less. Both the total treatment cost and life cycle costs are higher for a system producing grout than for a system producing high temperature slag, assuming equal system availability. The treatment costs decrease with increasing availability regardless of the waste form produced. If the availability of a system producing grout is sufficiently greater than a system producing slag, then the cost of treatment for the grout system will be less than the cost for the slag system, and the life cycle cost (including disposal) may be less depending on the unit disposal cost. Treatment and disposal costs will determine the return on investment in improved system availability

Glass Property Data and Models for Estimating High-Level Waste Glass Volume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vienna, John D.; Fluegel, Alexander; Kim, Dong-Sang; Hrma, Pavel R.

2009-10-05

This report describes recent efforts to develop glass property models that can be used to help estimate the volume of high-level waste (HLW) glass that will result from vitrification of Hanford tank waste. The compositions of acceptable and processable HLW glasses need to be optimized to minimize the waste-form volume and, hence, to save cost. A database of properties and associated compositions for simulated waste glasses was collected for developing property-composition models. This database, although not comprehensive, represents a large fraction of data on waste-glass compositions and properties that were available at the time of this report. Glass property-composition models were fit to subsets of the database for several key glass properties. These models apply to a significantly broader composition space than those previously publised. These models should be considered for interim use in calculating properties of Hanford waste glasses.

Glass Property Data and Models for Estimating High-Level Waste Glass Volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vienna, John D.; Fluegel, Alexander; Kim, Dong-Sang; Hrma, Pavel R.

2009-01-01

This report describes recent efforts to develop glass property models that can be used to help estimate the volume of high-level waste (HLW) glass that will result from vitrification of Hanford tank waste. The compositions of acceptable and processable HLW glasses need to be optimized to minimize the waste-form volume and, hence, to save cost. A database of properties and associated compositions for simulated waste glasses was collected for developing property-composition models. This database, although not comprehensive, represents a large fraction of data on waste-glass compositions and properties that were available at the time of this report. Glass property-composition models were fit to subsets of the database for several key glass properties. These models apply to a significantly broader composition space than those previously publised. These models should be considered for interim use in calculating properties of Hanford waste glasses.

Removal of radiocesium from low level radioactive effluents by hexacyanoferrate loaded synthetic zeolite. Laboratory to pilot plant scale demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, Dayamoy; Rao, Manjula A.; Khot, Shantinath A.; Shah, Jayesh G.; Banerjee, Kalyan [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India). Nuclear Recycle Group; Pawaskar, Chandrahas S.; Gangadharan, Anand; Rao, Shankar N.; Jain, Savita [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

2017-06-01

Present paper reports removal of radiocesium from low level waste using a modified sorbent (13X-CFC) prepared by in-situ precipitation of potassium copper hexacyanoferrate(II) inside the macropores of a synthetic zeolite. The Cs exchange isotherm of the sorbent is established and it found to follow Fruendlich absorption isotherm equation. It is varified that presence of hexacyanoferrate on zeolite facilitates rapid Cs uptake performance. This is further confirmed in laboratory scale column tests, wherein excellent Cs removal performance from low level waste simulant was observed even at higher flow rates (40 bed volumes per hour). The utility of the sorbent is established through successful demonstration in a pilot scale (50 L) trial with almost complete removal of {sup 137}Cs from more than 14,000 bed volumes of actual low level waste. The sorbent, owing to its low cost and excellent {sup 137}Cs removal performance, is expected to find application in treatment of very low active waste streams.

Enhanced FIB-SEM systems for large-volume 3D imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, C Shan; Hayworth, Kenneth J; Lu, Zhiyuan; Grob, Patricia; Hassan, Ahmed M; García-Cerdán, José G; Niyogi, Krishna K; Nogales, Eva; Weinberg, Richard J; Hess, Harald F

2017-01-01

Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) can automatically generate 3D images with superior z-axis resolution, yielding data that needs minimal image registration and related post-processing. Obstacles blocking wider adoption of FIB-SEM include slow imaging speed and lack of long-term system stability, which caps the maximum possible acquisition volume. Here, we present techniques that accelerate image acquisition while greatly improving FIB-SEM reliability, allowing the system to operate for months and generating continuously imaged volumes > 106 µm3. These volumes are large enough for connectomics, where the excellent z resolution can help in tracing of small neuronal processes and accelerate the tedious and time-consuming human proofreading effort. Even higher resolution can be achieved on smaller volumes. We present example data sets from mammalian neural tissue, Drosophila brain, and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to illustrate the power of this novel high-resolution technique to address questions in both connectomics and cell biology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25916.001 PMID:28500755

GPU-Based 3D Cone-Beam CT Image Reconstruction for Large Data Volume

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xing Zhao

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, 3D cone-beam CT image reconstruction speed is still a severe limitation for clinical application. The computational power of modern graphics processing units (GPUs has been harnessed to provide impressive acceleration of 3D volume image reconstruction. For extra large data volume exceeding the physical graphic memory of GPU, a straightforward compromise is to divide data volume into blocks. Different from the conventional Octree partition method, a new partition scheme is proposed in this paper. This method divides both projection data and reconstructed image volume into subsets according to geometric symmetries in circular cone-beam projection layout, and a fast reconstruction for large data volume can be implemented by packing the subsets of projection data into the RGBA channels of GPU, performing the reconstruction chunk by chunk and combining the individual results in the end. The method is evaluated by reconstructing 3D images from computer-simulation data and real micro-CT data. Our results indicate that the GPU implementation can maintain original precision and speed up the reconstruction process by 110–120 times for circular cone-beam scan, as compared to traditional CPU implementation.

SyPRID sampler: A large-volume, high-resolution, autonomous, deep-ocean precision plankton sampling system

Science.gov (United States)

Billings, Andrew; Kaiser, Carl; Young, Craig M.; Hiebert, Laurel S.; Cole, Eli; Wagner, Jamie K. S.; Van Dover, Cindy Lee

2017-03-01

The current standard for large-volume (thousands of cubic meters) zooplankton sampling in the deep sea is the MOCNESS, a system of multiple opening-closing nets, typically lowered to within 50 m of the seabed and towed obliquely to the surface to obtain low-spatial-resolution samples that integrate across 10 s of meters of water depth. The SyPRID (Sentry Precision Robotic Impeller Driven) sampler is an innovative, deep-rated (6000 m) plankton sampler that partners with the Sentry Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to obtain paired, large-volume plankton samples at specified depths and survey lines to within 1.5 m of the seabed and with simultaneous collection of sensor data. SyPRID uses a perforated Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight (UHMW) plastic tube to support a fine mesh net within an outer carbon composite tube (tube-within-a-tube design), with an axial flow pump located aft of the capture filter. The pump facilitates flow through the system and reduces or possibly eliminates the bow wave at the mouth opening. The cod end, a hollow truncated cone, is also made of UHMW plastic and includes a collection volume designed to provide an area where zooplankton can collect, out of the high flow region. SyPRID attaches as a saddle-pack to the Sentry vehicle. Sentry itself is configured with a flight control system that enables autonomous survey paths to low altitudes. In its verification deployment at the Blake Ridge Seep (2160 m) on the US Atlantic Margin, SyPRID was operated for 6 h at an altitude of 5 m. It recovered plankton samples, including delicate living larvae, from the near-bottom stratum that is seldom sampled by a typical MOCNESS tow. The prototype SyPRID and its next generations will enable studies of plankton or other particulate distributions associated with localized physico-chemical strata in the water column or above patchy habitats on the seafloor.

A self-sampling method to obtain large volumes of undiluted cervicovaginal secretions.

Science.gov (United States)

Boskey, Elizabeth R; Moench, Thomas R; Hees, Paul S; Cone, Richard A

2003-02-01

Studies of vaginal physiology and pathophysiology sometime require larger volumes of undiluted cervicovaginal secretions than can be obtained by current methods. A convenient method for self-sampling these secretions outside a clinical setting can facilitate such studies of reproductive health. The goal was to develop a vaginal self-sampling method for collecting large volumes of undiluted cervicovaginal secretions. A menstrual collection device (the Instead cup) was inserted briefly into the vagina to collect secretions that were then retrieved from the cup by centrifugation in a 50-ml conical tube. All 16 women asked to perform this procedure found it feasible and acceptable. Among 27 samples, an average of 0.5 g of secretions (range, 0.1-1.5 g) was collected. This is a rapid and convenient self-sampling method for obtaining relatively large volumes of undiluted cervicovaginal secretions. It should prove suitable for a wide range of assays, including those involving sexually transmitted diseases, microbicides, vaginal physiology, immunology, and pathophysiology.

Hierarchical imaging: a new concept for targeted imaging of large volumes from cells to tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Wacker, Irene; Spomer, Waldemar; Hofmann, Andreas; Thaler, Marlene; Hillmer, Stefan; Gengenbach, Ulrich; Schröder, Rasmus R

2016-12-12

Imaging large volumes such as entire cells or small model organisms at nanoscale resolution seemed an unrealistic, rather tedious task so far. Now, technical advances have lead to several electron microscopy (EM) large volume imaging techniques. One is array tomography, where ribbons of ultrathin serial sections are deposited on solid substrates like silicon wafers or glass coverslips. To ensure reliable retrieval of multiple ribbons from the boat of a diamond knife we introduce a substrate holder with 7 axes of translation or rotation specifically designed for that purpose. With this device we are able to deposit hundreds of sections in an ordered way in an area of 22 × 22 mm, the size of a coverslip. Imaging such arrays in a standard wide field fluorescence microscope produces reconstructions with 200 nm lateral resolution and 100 nm (the section thickness) resolution in z. By hierarchical imaging cascades in the scanning electron microscope (SEM), using a new software platform, we can address volumes from single cells to complete organs. In our first example, a cell population isolated from zebrafish spleen, we characterize different cell types according to their organelle inventory by segmenting 3D reconstructions of complete cells imaged with nanoscale resolution. In addition, by screening large numbers of cells at decreased resolution we can define the percentage at which different cell types are present in our preparation. With the second example, the root tip of cress, we illustrate how combining information from intermediate resolution data with high resolution data from selected regions of interest can drastically reduce the amount of data that has to be recorded. By imaging only the interesting parts of a sample considerably less data need to be stored, handled and eventually analysed. Our custom-designed substrate holder allows reproducible generation of section libraries, which can then be imaged in a hierarchical way. We demonstrate, that EM

Case mix-adjusted cost of colectomy at low-, middle-, and high-volume academic centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Alex L; Kim, Young; Ertel, Audrey E; Hoehn, Richard S; Wima, Koffi; Abbott, Daniel E; Shah, Shimul A

2017-05-01

Efforts to regionalize surgery based on thresholds in procedure volume may have consequences on the cost of health care delivery. This study aims to delineate the relationship between hospital volume, case mix, and variability in the cost of operative intervention using colectomy as the model. All patients undergoing colectomy (n = 90,583) at 183 academic hospitals from 2009-2012 in The University HealthSystems Consortium Database were studied. Patient and procedure details were used to generate a case mix-adjusted predictive model of total direct costs. Observed to expected costs for each center were evaluated between centers based on overall procedure volume. Patient and procedure characteristics were significantly different between volume tertiles. Observed costs at high-volume centers were less than at middle- and low-volume centers. According to our predictive model, high-volume centers cared for a less expensive case mix than middle- and low-volume centers ($12,786 vs $13,236 and $14,497, P case mix at low-volume centers, which may lead to perceived poor performance at these centers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Treatment of ORNL liquid low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, J.B.; Brown, C.H. Jr.; Fowler, V.L.; Robinson, S.M.

1988-01-01

Discontinuation of the hydrofracture disposal method at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has caused intensive efforts to reduce liquid waste generation. Improving the treatment of slightly radioactive liquid waste, called process waste, has reduced the volume of the resulting contaminated liquid radioactive waste effluent by 66%. Proposed processing improvements could eliminate the contaminated liquid effluent and reduce solid low-level waste by an additional one-third. The improved process meets stringent discharge limits for radionuclides. Discharge limits for radionuclides are expected to be enforced at the outfall of the treatment plant to a creek; currently, limits are enforced at the reservation boundary. Plant discharge is monitored according to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for ORNL. 1 ref., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Complex-wide review of DOE`s management of low-level radioactive waste - progress to date

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Letourneau, M.J.

1995-12-31

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 94-2 includes a recommendation that the Department of Energy (DOE) conduct a comprehensive, complex-wide review of the low-level waste issue to establish the dimensions of the low-level waste problem and to identify necessary corrective actions to address the safe disposition of past, present, and future volumes. DOE`s Implementation Plan calls for the conduct of a complex-wide review of low-level radioactive waste treatment, storage, and disposal sites to identify environmental, safety, and health vulnerabilities. The complex-wide review focuses on low-level waste disposal facilities through a site evaluation survey, reviews of existing documentation, and onsite observations. Low-level waste treatment and storage facilities will be assessed for their ability to meet waste acceptance criteria for disposal. Results from the complex-wide review will be used to form the basis for an integrated and planned set of actions to correct the identified vulnerabilities and to prompt development of new requirements for managing low-level waste.

Operational and regulatory impacts of regional management on transportation of commercial low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirley, C.G.; Wilmot, E.L.; Shepherd, E.W.

1981-09-01

The 96th Congress of the United States, as part of the Low-level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-573), instructed the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) to prepare a report on the current US low-level waste management situation and the conditions and requirements for management on a regional basis. The Transportation Technology Center has compared the transportation requirement and regional management scenarios for commercial low-level radioactive waste in support of the DOE response to this instruction. Using 1979 low-level waste volumes shipped to commercial burial grounds and six management regions postulated by DOE, transportation requirements were estimated and compared for the two management scenarios in terms of cumulative shipping distance and transportation cost. Effects of these results on the demand for transportation services and equipment and on population risks were considered. Finally, current regulatory issues and the potential effects of regional management on regulation of low-level waste transportation were reviewed

Intense volume reduction of mixed and low-level waste, solidification in sulphur polymer concrete, and excellent disposal at minimum cost

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darnell, G.R.

1990-01-01

Progressive changes in regulations governing the disposal of the nation's radioactive and hazardous wastes demand the development of more advanced treatment and disposal systems. The U.S. Department of Energy's Radioactive Waste Technology Support Program (formerly the Defense Low-Level Waste Management Program) was given the task of demonstrating the degree of excellence that could be achieved at reasonable cost using existing technology. The resulting concept is a Waste Treatment and Disposal Complex that will fully treat contact-handled mixed and low-level radioactive waste to a disposable product that is totally liquid-free and approximately 98% inorganic. An excellent volume reduction factor is achieved through sorting, sizing, incineration, vitrification, and final grouting. Inorganic waste items larger than 1/4 in. will be placed in inexpensive, uniform-sized, smooth-sided, thin-walled steel boxes. The smaller particles will be mixed with sulfur polymer concrete and pumped into the boxes, filling most voids. The appendage-free boxes measuring 1 by 1 by 1 m will be stacked tightly in an abovegrade, earth-mounded, concrete disposal vault where a temporary roof will protect them from rain and snow. A concrete roof poured directly on top of the dense, essentially voidless waste stack will be topped by an engineered, water-shedding earthen cover. Total cost for design, construction, testing, 30 years of treatment and disposal, administration, decontamination and decommissioning, site closure, and postclosure monitoring and maintenance will cost less per cubic foot than is currently expended for subsurface disposal. A radiological performance assessment shows this concept will exceed the nation's existing disposal systems and governmental performance objectives for the protection of the general public by a factor of 30,000

Inhaled smoke volume and puff indices with cigarettes of different tar and nicotine levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodman, G.; Newman, S.P.; Pavia, D.; Clarke, S.W.

1987-01-01

Ten asymptomatic smokers each smoked a low, low-to-middle and a middle tar cigarette with approximately the same tar-to-nicotine ratio, in a randomised order. The inhaled smoke volume was measured by tracing the smoke with the inert gas 81 Kr m . Puffing indices were recorded using an electronic smoking analyser and flowhead/cigarette holder. Throughout the study neither the mean inhaled smoke volume per puff nor the total inhaled smoke volume per cigarette changed significantly; however, the mean and total puff volumes were largest with the low tar cigarette and decreased with the higher tar brands. Puff volume was related to puff work (r s =0.83,P s =0.10,P>0.1). It is concluded that when switched between brands with the same tar-to-nicotine ratio, smokers increase their puff volumes with a lower tar cigarette but do not change the volume of smoke inhaled. Puff work and puff resistance were significantly correlated (r s =0.45,P<0.02). (author)

Ionizing radiation: levels and effects. Volume I. Levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1972-01-01

This is the sixth substantive report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation to the General Assembly. It reviews the levels of radiation received from all sources to which man is exposed and, among the effects of ionizing radiation, it considers the genetic effects, the effects on the immune response and the induction of malignancies in animals and man. These are not the only effects of ionizing radiation. The acute consequences of massive amounts of radiation that may be received accidentally or during nuclear warfare are not reviewed here (the short discussion of this subject in the 1962 report is still largely valid, at least as an introduction), nor are the effects on the nervous system and the induction of chromosome anomalies in somatic cells, which were both considered by the Committee in its 1969 report. Unlike previous reports of the Committee, the present report is submitted to the General Assembly without the technical annexes in which the evidence considered by the Committee is discussed in detail and in which the bases for the Committee's conclusions, which are stated in the report, are fully documented. However, the annexes are being made available at the same time as the report in a separate publication, issued in two volumes and the Committee wishes to draw the attention of the General Assembly to the fact that the separation of the report from the annexes is for convenience only and that major importance attaches to the scientific evidence given in the annexes.

Conventional incinerator redesign for the incineration of low level radioactive solid wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lara Z, L.E.C.

1997-01-01

From several years ago have been detected some problems with the storage of low level radioactive solids wastes, they are occasioned growth in volume and weight, one of most effective treatment for its reduction, the incineration has been. In the work was designed an incinerator of low level radioactive solid wastes, the characteristics, range of temperatures, that operate and the excess of air in order to get a near incineration at 100 %; thickness of refractory material in the combustion chamber, materials and forms of installation, the balances of mass, energy and radioactive material necessary for the design of the auxiliary peripheral equipment is discussed. In theory the incineration is a viable option for the treatment of low level radioactive solid wastes, upon getting an approximate reduction to 95 % of the wastes introduced to the incinerator in the Department of Radioactive Wastes of the National Institute of Nuclear Research, avoiding the dispersion of combustion gases and radioactive material at the environment. (Author)

1980 state-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes shipped to commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-06-01

Information is presented on the volumes, curie values, sources, and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) in each state. The wastes are segmented into 2 broad categories - institutional/industrial and commercial power reactor wastes. The volumes and curie values were obtained from the commercial site operators. The percentage of LLW disposed of at each of the 3 operating disposal sites located at Barnwell, SC, Beatty, NV, and Richland, WA are included

NTP monograph on health effects of low-level lead.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-01

Although reductions in lead (Pb) exposure for the U.S. population have resulted in lower blood Pb levels over time, epidemiological studies continue to provide evidence of health effects at lower and lower blood Pb levels. Low-level Pb was selected for evaluation by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) because of (1) the availability of a large number of epidemiological studies of Pb, (2) a nomination by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for an assessment of Pb at lower levels of exposure, and (3) public concern for effects of Pb in children and adults. This evaluation summarizes the evidence in humans and presents conclusions on health effects in children and adults associated with low-level Pb exposure as indicated by less than 10 micrograms of Pb per deciliter of blood (Monograph on Health Effects of Low-Level Lead. The document and appendices are available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/evals. This document provides background on Pb exposure and includes a review of the primary epidemiological literature for evidence that low-level Pb is associated with neurological, immunological, cardiovascular, renal, and/or reproductive and developmental effects. The NTP Monograph presents specific conclusions for each health effect area. Overall, the NTP concludes that there is sufficient evidence that blood Pb levels Monograph on November 17-18, 2011 (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/37090.

New York State low-level radioactive waste status report for 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voelk, H.

1999-06-01

This report summarizes data on low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) generated in New York State: it is based on reports from generators that must be filed annually with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and on data from the US Department of Energy (US DOE). The New York State Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Act (State Act) requires LLRW generators in the State to submit annual reports detailing the classes and quantities of waste generated. This is the 13th year generators have been required to submit these reports to NYSERDA. The data are summarized in a series of tables and figures. There are four sections in the report. Section 1 covers volume, activity, and other characteristics of waste shipped for disposal in 1998. Activity is the measure of a material's radioactivity, or the number of radiation-emitting events occurring each second. Section 2 summarizes volume, activity, and other characteristics of waste held for storage as of December 31, 1998. Section 3 shows historical LLRW generation and includes generators' projections for the next five years. Section 4 provides a list, by county, of all facilities from which 1998 LLRW reports were received. 2 figs., 23 tabs

Development of large-volume rhyolitic ignibrites (LRI'S): The Chalupas Caldera, an example from Ecuador

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammersley, L.; DePaolo, D.J; Beate, B

2001-01-01

The mechanisms responsible for the generation of large volumes of silicic magma and the eruption of large-volume rhyolitic ignimbrites (LRI's) remain poorly understood. Of particular interest are the relative roles of crustal assimilation, fractional crystallization and magma supply and the processes by which large volumes of magma accumulate in crustal chambers rather than erupt in smaller batches. Isotope geochemistry, combined with study of major and trace element variations of lavas, can be used to infer the relative contribution of crustal material and continued magmatic supply. Timescales for the accumulation of magma can be estimated using detailed geochronology. Magma supply rates can be estimated from eruption rates of nearby volcanoes. In this study we investigate the evolution of the Chalupas LRI, a caldera system in the Ecuadorian Andes where LRI's are rare in comparison to the Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) of South America (au)

Low back pain and low level flying

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.C.F.M. Aghina

1989-01-01

textabstractLow level flying is a very good tactical possibility to carry out a mission unseen by a hostile radarsystem. Nowadays, Western Europe in general and the Federal Republic of Germany in particular, decreased . the permissions to low level flying in assigned regions. That's why the

Development of metallic molds for the large volume plastic scintillator fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calvo, Wilson A.P.; Vieira, Jose M.; Rela, Paulo R.; Bruzinga, Wilson A.; Araujo, Eduardo P.; Costa Junior, Nelson P.; Hamada, Margarida M.

1997-01-01

The plastic scintillators are radiation detectors made of organic fluorescent compounds dissolved in a solidified polymer matrix. The manufacturing process of large volume detectors (55 liters) at low cost, by polymerization of the styrene monomer plus PPO and POPOP scintillators, was studied in this paper. Metallic molds of ASTM 1200 aluminum and AISI 304 stainless steel were produced by TIG welding process since the polymerization reaction is very exothermic. The measurements of transmittance, luminescence, X-ray fluorescence and light output were carried out in the plastic scintillators made using different metallic molds. The characterization results of the detectors produced in an open system using ASTM 1200 aluminum mold show that there is not quality change in the scintillator, even with aluminum being considered as unstable for styrene monomer. Therefore, the ASTM 1200 aluminum was found to be the best alternative to produce the detector by an open system polymerization. (author). 11 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

Measurement of Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillations with Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescopes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. P. Yáñez

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Neutrino oscillations have been probed during the last few decades using multiple neutrino sources and experimental set-ups. In the recent years, very large volume neutrino telescopes have started contributing to the field. First ANTARES and then IceCube have relied on large and sparsely instrumented volumes to observe atmospheric neutrinos for combinations of baselines and energies inaccessible to other experiments. Using this advantage, the latest result from IceCube starts approaching the precision of other established technologies and is paving the way for future detectors, such as ORCA and PINGU. These new projects seek to provide better measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters and eventually determine the neutrino mass ordering. The results from running experiments and the potential from proposed projects are discussed in this review, emphasizing the experimental challenges involved in the measurements.

Low-level Radioactivity Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churtgen, C.

2007-01-01

The low-level radioactivity measurements service performs measurements of alpha or beta emitters on various types of low-radioactivity samples (biological and environmental) from internal and external clients. to maintain and develop techniques concerning the measurement of low-level radioactivity of alpha and beta emitting radionuclides in environmental or biological samples; to measure these samples by means of low-background counters (liquid scintillators, proportional counters, ZnS counters and alpha-spectrometers); to support and advise the nuclear and non-nuclear industry on problems of radioactive contamination or low level radioactivity measurements; to maintain the quality assurance system according to the ISO17025 standard for which we obtained the Beltest accreditation in 1998; to assess the internal dose from occupational intakes of radionuclides for workers of the nuclear industry;

Construction and Start-up of a Large-Volume Thermostat for Dielectric-Constant Gas Thermometry

Science.gov (United States)

Merlone, A.; Moro, F.; Zandt, T.; Gaiser, C.; Fellmuth, B.

2010-07-01

A liquid-bath thermostat with a volume of about 800 L was designed to provide a suitable thermal environment for a dielectric-constant gas thermometer (DCGT) in the range from the triple point of mercury to the melting point of gallium. In the article, results obtained with the unique, huge thermostat without the DCGT measuring chamber are reported to demonstrate the capability of controlling the temperature of very large systems at a metrological level. First tests showed that the bath together with its temperature controller provide a temperature variation of less than ±0.5mK peak-to-peak. This temperature instability could be maintained over a period of several days. In the central working volume (diameter—500mm, height—650mm), in which the vacuum chamber containing the measuring system of the DCGT will be placed later, the temperature inhomogeneity has been demonstrated to be also well below 1mK.

Lamar Low-Level Jet Program Interim Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelley, N.; Shirazi, M.; Jager, D.; Wilde, S.; Adams, J.; Buhl, M.; Sullivan, P.; Patton, E.

2004-01-01

This interim report presents the results to date from the Lamar Low-Level Jet Program (LLLJP) that has been established as joint effort among the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and General Electric Wind Energy (GE Wind). The purpose of this project is to develop an understanding of the influence of nocturnal low-level jet streams on the inflow turbulence environment and the documenting of any potential operating impacts on current large wind turbines and the Low Wind Speed Turbine (LWST) designs of the future. A year's record of detailed nocturnal turbulence measurements has been collected from NREL instrumentation installed on the GE Wind 120-m tower in southeastern Colorado and supplemented with mean wind profile data collected using an acoustic wind profiler or SODAR (Sound Detection and Ranging). The analyses of measurements taken as part of a previous program conducted at the NWTC have been used to aid in the interpretation of the results of representative case studies of data collected from the GE Wind tower.

Low-volume resuscitation using polyethylene glycol-20k in a preclinical porcine model of hemorrhagic shock.

Science.gov (United States)

Plant, Valerie; Limkemann, Ashley; Liebrecht, Loren; Blocher, Charles; Ferrada, Paula; Aboutanos, Michel; Mangino, Martin J

2016-12-01

Polyethylene glycol-20k (PEG-20k) is highly effective for low-volume resuscitation (LVR) by increasing tolerance to the low-volume state. In our rodent shock model, PEG-20k increased survival and expanded the "golden hour" 16-fold compared to saline. The molecular mechanism is largely attributed to normalizations in cell and tissue fluid shifts after low-flow ischemia resulting in efficient microvascular exchange. The objective of this study was to evaluate PEG-20k as an LVR solution for hemorrhagic shock in a preclinical model. Anesthetized male Yorkshire pigs (30-40 kg) were hemorrhaged to a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 35 to 40 mm Hg. Once lactate reached 7 mmol/L, either saline (n = 5) or 10% PEG-20k (n = 5) was rapidly infused at 10% calculated blood volume. The primary outcome was LVR time, defined by the time from LVR administration to the time when lactate again reached 7 mmol/L. Other outcomes measured included MAP, heart rate, cardiac output, mixed venous oxygen saturation, splanchnic blood flow, and hemoglobin. Relative to saline, PEG-20k given after controlled hemorrhage increased LVR time by 16-fold, a conservative estimate given that the lactate never rose after LVR in the PEG-20k group. Survival was 80% for PEG-20k LVR compared to 0% for the saline controls (p the intravascular compartment. In a preclinical model of controlled hemorrhagic shock, PEG-20k-based LVR solution increased tolerance to the shock state 16-fold compared to saline. Polyethylene glycol-20k is a superior crystalloid for LVR that may increase safe transport times in the prehospital setting and find use in hospital emergency departments and operating rooms for patients awaiting volume replacement or normalization of cell, tissue, and compartment fluid volumes.

Geographic factors related to site suitability of low-level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zittel, H.E.

1981-01-01

A number of factors related to the site suitability of low-level waste disposal sites are discussed. The factors are a combination of those which might be considered environmental and those dealing with site criteria. Among the factors covered are: possible population criteria, alternative site selection, transportation criteria and community involvement considerations. All these factors are discussed in a manner based on the premise that the technology exists to carry out low-level waste disposal in a manner such that public health and safety can be insured. The conclusion of the discussion is that problems encountered in siting low-level waste facilities will be largely societal and political in nature

Low-level Radioactivity Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurtgen, C.

2002-01-01

The objectives of the research performed in the area of low-level radioactivity measurements are (1) to maintain and develop techniques for the measurement of low-level environmental and biological samples, (2) to measure these samples by means of low-background counters (liquid scintillators, proportional counters, ZnS counters, alpha spectrometry), (3) to support and advise the nuclear and non-nuclear industry on problems of radioactive contamination and low-level radioactivity measurements; (4) to maintain and improve the quality assurance system according to the ISO17025 standard; and (5) to assess the internal dose from occupational intakes of radionuclides of workers of the nuclear industry. Progress and achievements in these areas in 2001 are reported

Low-level Radioactivity Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurtgen, C.

2001-01-01

The objectives of the research performed in the area of low-level radioactivity measurements are (1) to maintain and develop techniques for the measurement of low-level environmental and biological samples, (2) to measure these samples by means of low-background counters (liquid scintillators, proportional counters, ZnS counters, alpha spectrometry), (3) to support and advice the nuclear and non-nuclear industry in matters concerning radioactive contamination and/or low-level radioactivity measurements; (4) to maintain the quality assurance system according to the EN45001/ISO17025 standard; and (5) to assess the internal dose from occupational intakes of radionuclides of workers of the nuclear industry. Progress and achievements in these areas in 2000 are reported

Successfully burying low-level waste for fun and profit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong, T.R.; Kirner, N.P.

1984-01-01

The state of Washington, now receiving more than half the nation's waste, is here to provide a practical review of the benefits of having a low-level waste disposal site and to provide our perspective on how the state of Washington carries out its responsibilities through regulation of that disposal site. This information is offered in the hope that it may be useful to other states when they accept their responsibility to provide for the disposal of their low-level radioactive waste. The 1980 Low-Level Waste Policy Act very directly gave the responsibility for finding and developing new waste disposal capacity to the states. Through the process of compacting, the states have begun to accept this responsibility. From Washington's perspective, however, the progress shown to date, especially in some states generating very large amounts of waste, has not been adequate to meet the 1986 deadline

High Energy Performance Tests of Large Volume LaBr{sub 3}:Ce Detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naqvi, A.A.; Gondal, M.A.; Khiari, F.Z.; Dastageer, M.A. [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Maslehuddin, M.M. [Center for Engineering Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Al-Amoudi, O.S.B. [Department of Civil Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia)

2015-07-01

High energy prompt gamma ray tests of a large volume cylindrical 100 mm x 100 mm (height x diameter) LaBr{sub 3}:Ce detector were carried out using a portable neutron generator-based Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) setup. In this study prompt gamma-rays yield were measured from water samples contaminated with toxic elements such nickel, chromium and mercury compounds with gamma ray energies up to 10 MeV. The experimental yield of prompt gamma-rays from toxic elements were compared with the results of Monte Carlo calculations. In spite of its higher intrinsic background due to its larger volume, an excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated yields of high energy gamma-rays from Ni, Cr and Hg samples has been achieved for the large volume LaBr{sub 3}:Ce detector. (authors)

Decontamination processes for low level radioactive waste metal objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Longnecker, E.F.; Ichikawa, Sekigo; Kanamori, Osamu

1996-01-01

Disposal and safe storage of contaminated nuclear waste is a problem of international scope. Although the greatest volume of such waste is concentrated in the USA and former Soviet Union, Western Europe and Japan have contaminated nuclear waste requiring attention. Japan's radioactive nuclear waste is principally generated at nuclear power plants since it has no nuclear weapons production. However, their waste reduction, storage and disposal problems may be comparable to that of the USA on an inhabited area basis when consideration is given to population density where Japan's population, half that of the USA, lives in an area slightly smaller than that of California's. If everyone's backyard was in California, the USA might have insoluble radioactive waste reduction, storage and disposal problems. Viewing Japan's contaminated nuclear waste as a national problem requiring solutions, as well as an economic opportunity, Morikawa began research and development for decontaminating low level radioactive nuclear waste seven years ago. As engineers and manufacturers of special machinery for many years Morikawa brings special electro/mechanical/pneumatic Skills and knowledge to solving these unique problems. Genden Engineering Services and Construction Company (GESC), an affiliate of Japan Atomic Power Company, recently joined with Morikawa in this R ampersand D effort to decontaminate low level radioactive nuclear waste (LLW) and to substantially reduce the volume of such nuclear waste requiring long term storage. This paper will present equipment with both mechanical and chemical processes developed over these several years by Morikawa and most recently in cooperation with GESC

The parallel volume at large distances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kampf, Jürgen

In this paper we examine the asymptotic behavior of the parallel volume of planar non-convex bodies as the distance tends to infinity. We show that the difference between the parallel volume of the convex hull of a body and the parallel volume of the body itself tends to . This yields a new proof...... for the fact that a planar body can only have polynomial parallel volume, if it is convex. Extensions to Minkowski spaces and random sets are also discussed....

The parallel volume at large distances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kampf, Jürgen

In this paper we examine the asymptotic behavior of the parallel volume of planar non-convex bodies as the distance tends to infinity. We show that the difference between the parallel volume of the convex hull of a body and the parallel volume of the body itself tends to 0. This yields a new proof...... for the fact that a planar body can only have polynomial parallel volume, if it is convex. Extensions to Minkowski spaces and random sets are also discussed....

Risk Factors Associated with Crash Severity on Low-Volume Rural Roads in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prato, Carlo Giacomo; Rasmussen, Thomas Kjær; Kaplan, Sigal

2014-01-01

Safety on low-volume rural roads is drawing attention due to the high fatality and severe injury rates in comparison with high-volume roads and the increasing awareness of sustainable rural development among policy makers. This study analyzes the risk factors associated with crash severity on low......-volume rural roads, including crash characteristics, driver attributes and behavior, vehicle type, road features, environmental conditions, distance from the nearest hospital, and zone rurality degree. The data consist of a set of crashes occurred on low-volume rural roads in Denmark between 2007 and 2011...... advantage in accommodating the ordered-response nature of severity while relaxing the proportional odds assumption. Model estimates and pseudoelasticities show that aggravated crash injury severity is significantly associated with (1) alcohol and failure to wear seatbelts, (2) involvement of vulnerable road...

Comparison of the outcomes for laparoscopic gastrectomy performed by the same surgeon between a low-volume hospital and a high-volume center.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min Gyu; Kwon, Sung Joon

2014-05-01

The volume-outcome relationship in laparoscopic surgery is controversial. This study was designed to identify differences in laparoscopic gastrectomy outcomes between a low-volume hospital and a high-volume center and to provide guidelines for overcoming the problems associated with a low-volume hospital. From April 2009 to November 2012, one surgeon performed 134 totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomies (TLDGs) at a high-volume center (HVC; ASAN Medical Center) and at a low-volume hospital (LVH; Hanyang University Guri Hospital). All laparoscopically assisted gastrectomies were excluded from this study. During the early period of laparoscopic gastrectomy at the low-volume hospital, TLDG with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy (RYGJ) was performed according to the surgeon's choice. The reconstruction method was classified as gastroduodenostomy (GD) or RYGJ. Early surgical outcomes achieved at the LVH were investigated and compared with those obtained at the HVC. The early surgical outcomes differed significantly between the two hospitals. In particular, the postoperative complication rate for the patients who underwent TLDG RYGJ at the LVH was higher than at the HVC (LVH 15.4 % vs. HVC 0 %; p = 0.037). Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the mean operation time (TLDG GD: LVH 141.0 min vs. HVC 117.4 min, p = 0.001; TLDG RYGJ: LVH 186.3 min vs. HVC 134.6 min, p = 0.009) and length of hospital stay (TLDG GD: LVH 8.1 days vs. HVC 7.2 days, p = 0.044; TLDG RYGJ: LVH 11.5 day vs. HVC 6.8 day, p = 0.009). Although all the operations were performed by one experienced surgeon, the early surgical outcomes differed significantly between the low- and high-volume hospitals. Low-volume hospitals often lack well-trained surgical professionals such as first assistants and scrub nurses. Therefore, the authors recommend that a surgeon who works at an LVH should assess potential personnel shortages and find a solution before operating.

A container for storage and disposal of low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fish, R.L.; Butler, B.D.

1989-01-01

A unique concept for corrosion-resistant containers for storing and disposing of low-level radioactive, mixed and toxic wastes has been developed. The strength and low cost of carbon steel has been combined with the corrosion and abrasion resistance of a proprietary combination of polymers to provide an inexpensive alternative to currently available waste containers. The initial development effort has focused on a 55-gallon container, the B and W ECOSAFE-55 tm . However, Babcock and Wilcox (B and W) can develop a family of ECOSAFE waste containers using this technology to accommodate user-preferred configurations and volumes. The containers will be capable of accepting a wide range of low-level radioactive (LLRW) and industrial waste forms. Basic engineering design analyses and functional tests were performed to show compliance of the container with transportation functional requirements. These tests and analyses, along with chemical resistance tests, qualify the container for use in storing a wide range of radioactive and chemical wastes. For the container to be licensed for use as a high-integrity container in shallow land, low-level radioactive waste burial facilities, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires certain tests and analyses to demonstrate that container gross physical properties and identity can be maintained for 300 years. This paper describes the container concept in generic terms and provides information on the initial, ECOSAFE-55 container design, testing and engineering analysis efforts

Solid phase extraction of large volume of water and beverage samples to improve detection limits for GC-MS analysis of bisphenol A and four other bisphenols.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xu-Liang; Popovic, Svetlana

2018-01-01

Solid phase extraction (SPE) of large volumes of water and beverage products was investigated for the GC-MS analysis of bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol AF (BPAF), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol E (BPE), and bisphenol B (BPB). While absolute recoveries of the method were improved for water and some beverage products (e.g. diet cola, iced tea), breakthrough may also have occurred during SPE of 200 mL of other beverages (e.g. BPF in cola). Improvements in method detection limits were observed with the analysis of large sample volumes for all bisphenols at ppt (pg/g) to sub-ppt levels. This improvement was found to be proportional to sample volumes for water and beverage products with less interferences and noise levels around the analytes. Matrix effects and interferences were observed during SPE of larger volumes (100 and 200 mL) of the beverage products, and affected the accurate analysis of BPF. This improved method was used to analyse bisphenols in various beverage samples, and only BPA was detected, with levels ranging from 0.022 to 0.030 ng/g for products in PET bottles, and 0.085 to 0.32 ng/g for products in cans.

Low-Level Waste Forum notes and summary reports for 1994. Volume 9, Number 3, May-June 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-06-01

This issue includes the following articles: Vermont ratifies Texas compact; Pennsylvania study on rates of decay for classes of low-level radioactive waste; South Carolina legislature adjourns without extending access to Barnwell for out-of-region generators; Southeast Compact Commission authorizes payments for facility development, also votes on petitions, access contracts; storage of low-level radioactive waste at Rancho Seco removed from consideration; plutonium estimates for Ward Valley, California; judgment issued in Ward Valley lawsuits; Central Midwest Commission questions court`s jurisdiction over surcharge rebates litigation; Supreme Court decides commerce clause case involving solid waste; parties voluntarily dismiss Envirocare case; appellate court affirms dismissal of suit against Central Commission; LLW Forum mixed waste working group meets; US EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air rulemakings; EPA issues draft radiation site cleanup regulation; EPA extends mixed waste enforcement moratorium; and NRC denies petition to amend low-level radioactive waste classification regulations.

Low-Level Waste Forum notes and summary reports for 1994. Volume 9, Number 3, May-June 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

This issue includes the following articles: Vermont ratifies Texas compact; Pennsylvania study on rates of decay for classes of low-level radioactive waste; South Carolina legislature adjourns without extending access to Barnwell for out-of-region generators; Southeast Compact Commission authorizes payments for facility development, also votes on petitions, access contracts; storage of low-level radioactive waste at Rancho Seco removed from consideration; plutonium estimates for Ward Valley, California; judgment issued in Ward Valley lawsuits; Central Midwest Commission questions court's jurisdiction over surcharge rebates litigation; Supreme Court decides commerce clause case involving solid waste; parties voluntarily dismiss Envirocare case; appellate court affirms dismissal of suit against Central Commission; LLW Forum mixed waste working group meets; US EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air rulemakings; EPA issues draft radiation site cleanup regulation; EPA extends mixed waste enforcement moratorium; and NRC denies petition to amend low-level radioactive waste classification regulations

Adsorption of transuranic elements from large volume sea water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holm, E.; Ballestra, S.

1976-01-01

Some years ago a sampler for concentrating radionuclides from large volumes of sea water was developed by Silker et al. of the Battelle Northwest Laboratories. They used pure A1 2 O 3 as the adsorbent. The device has been applied successfully to the determination of 238 Pu and 239 Pu in several sea water samples. Our experience on the application of an identical system for the determination of transuranics in Mediterranean sea water was not quite as satisfactory as we had hoped. The chemistry involved in leaching up to 1 kg Al 2 O 3 . with acid, followed by removal of dissolved aluminium from the transuranic fraction, is rather tedious and time-consuming for routine use. The adsorption efficiency of transuranics, checked by dual-bed adsorption did not give consistent results. However, since the principle of the device is attractive enough for handling large volume water samples, it was felt that it was worthwhile to test other types of adsorbents which are easier to handle than Al 2 O 3 . For this purpose, chitosan and manganese dioxide were chosen and series of experiments were conducted in order to examine the suitability of these materials as an adsorbent in the system

Low level waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, P.R.H.; Wilson, M.A.

1983-11-01

Factors in selecting a site for low-level radioactive waste disposal are discussed. South Australia has used a former tailings dam in a remote, arid location as a llw repository. There are also low-level waste disposal procedures at the Olympic Dam copper/uranium project

Contribution of piezometric measurement on knowledge and management of low water levels

Science.gov (United States)

Bessiere, Hélène; Stollsteiner, Philippe; Allier, Delphine; Nicolas, Jérôme; Gourcy, Laurence

2014-05-01

This article is based on a BRGM study on piezometric indicators, threshold values of discharges and groundwater levels for the assessment of potentially pumpable volumes of chalky watersheds. A method for estimating low water levels from groundwater levels is presented from three examples of chalk aquifer; the first one is located in Picardy and the two other in the Champagne Ardennes region. Piezometers with "annual" cycles, used in these examples, are supposed to be representative of the aquifer hydrodynamics. The analysis leads to relatively precise and satisfactory relationships between groundwater levels and observed discharges for this chalky context. These relationships may be useful for monitoring, validation, extension or reconstruction of the low water flow. On the one hand, they allow defining the piezometric levels corresponding to the different alert thresholds of river discharges. On the other hand, they clarify the distribution of low water flow from runoff or the draining of the aquifer. Finally, these correlations give an assessment of the minimum flow for the coming weeks using of the rate of draining of the aquifer. Nevertheless the use of these correlations does not allow to optimize the value of pumpable volumes because it seems to be difficult to integrate the amount of the effective rainfall that may occur during the draining period. In addition, these relationships cannot be exploited for multi-annual cycle systems. In these cases, the solution seems to lie on the realization of a rainfall-runoff-piezometric level model. Therefore, two possibilities are possible. The first one is to achieve each year, on a given date, a forecast for the days or months to come with various frequential distributions rainfalls. However, the forecast must be reiterated each year depending on climatic conditions. The principle of the second method is to simulate forecasts for different rainfall intensities and following different initial conditions. The results

Rejecting escape events in large volume Ge detectors by a pulse shape selection procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del Zoppo, A.; Agodi, C.; Alba, R.; Bellia, G.; Coniglione, R.; Loukachine, K.; Maiolino, C.; Migneco, E.; Piattelli, P.; Santonocito, D.; Sapienza, P.

1993-01-01

The dependence of the response to γ-rays of a large volume Ge detector on the interval width of a selected initial rise pulse slope is investigated. The number of escape events associated with a small pulse slope is found to be greater than the corresponding number of full energy events. An escape event rejection procedure based on the observed correlation between energy deposition and pulse shape is discussed. Such a procedure seems particularly suited for the design of highly granular large volume Ge detector arrays. (orig.)

Low magnesium level

Science.gov (United States)

Low magnesium level is a condition in which the amount of magnesium in the blood is lower than normal. The medical ... that convert or use energy ( metabolism ). When the level of magnesium in the body drops below normal, ...

Experience of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office with EARP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklin, B.J.; Pollock, R.W.

1996-01-01

The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office (LLRWMO) was established by the federal government in 1982 to carry out the government's responsibilities for low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) management in Canada. The LLRWMO mandate includes the resolution of historic waste problems which are a federal responsibility. Assessment of LLRWMO projects in accordance with the federal Environmental Assessment Review Process (EARP) has been a long-standing requirement, both as a matter of AECL policy and because the work is federally funded. Several projects have required interim storage at, or near, the original waste site. This aspect, interim storage, can be controversial, and is the primary focus of this paper. Specifically, the paper describes LLRWMO experience with environmental assessment, including public consultation as an integral part of the assessment process, for projects from 1983 to present which have involved substantial volumes of contaminated soil. (author)

Appalachian States Compact Low-Level Radioactive Waste management survey, 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, K.N.

1989-03-01

Since the enactment of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Act in February 1988, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has undertaken major steps to develop a Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) Disposal Facility within its borders for the exclusive use of radioactive material licensees in the Appalachian States Compact. In order to adequately plan for the design and development of that facility, it is essential to obtain accurate data on LLRW being generated in the Compact. To that end, the Division of Nuclear Safety of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Radiation Protection (BRP) conducted a survey to determine volume and activity of LLRW shipped and stored in 1987 by the licensees in the Appalachian States Compact. The 1986 LLRW survey included licensees in Pennsylvania and Maryland, while surveys conducted prior to 1986 involved only Pennsylvania licensees. So this is the first survey conducted by BRP that has included all four states of the Compact

Mild hypothermia attenuates changes in respiratory system mechanics and modifies cytokine concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid during low lung volume ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dostál, P; Senkeřík, M; Pařízková, R; Bareš, D; Zivný, P; Zivná, H; Cerný, V

2010-01-01

Hypothermia was shown to attenuate ventilator-induced lung injury due to large tidal volumes. It is unclear if the protective effect of hypothermia is maintained under less injurious mechanical ventilation in animals without previous lung injury. Tracheostomized rats were randomly allocated to non-ventilated group (group C) or ventilated groups of normothermia (group N) and mild hypothermia (group H). After two hours of mechanical ventilation with inspiratory fraction of oxygen 1.0, respiratory rate 60 min(-1), tidal volume 10 ml x kg(-1), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 2 cm H2O or immediately after tracheostomy in non-ventilated animals inspiratory pressures were recorded, rats were sacrificed, pressure-volume (PV) curve of respiratory system constructed, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and aortic blood samples obtained. Group N animals exhibited a higher rise in peak inspiratory pressures in comparison to group H animals. Shift of the PV curve to right, higher total protein and interleukin-6 levels in BAL fluid were observed in normothermia animals in comparison with hypothermia animals and non-ventilated controls. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha was lower in the hypothermia group in comparison with normothermia and non-ventilated groups. Mild hypothermia attenuated changes in respiratory system mechanics and modified cytokine concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid during low lung volume ventilation in animals without previous lung injury.

Documentation of currently operating low-level radioactive waste treatment systems: Shredder/compactor report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-04-01

The report documents a volume reduction waste treatment system for dry active waste, a shredder/compactor, and includes specifics on system selection, system descriptions, and detailed system performance data from three operational nuclear power plants. Data gathered from the plants have shown the ability to increase the density (thereby reducing the volume) of dry active waste to /approximately/50 pounds per cubic foot when using shredder/compactors and/approximately/80 to 100 pounds per cubic foot for shredder/high pressure compactors depending on reactor type and plant specific waste characteristics. An economic evaluation of various alternative volume reduction systems for dry active waste is also presented. The report presents a method on calculating the associated costs and paybacks achieved using various volume reduction alternatives. A 10 year cost (operating expenses and capital outlay for equipment) for a shredder/high pressure compactor is 1.85 million dollars for a BWR as compared to /approximately/3 million for a conventional drum compactor. The resulting payback for the shredder/compactor is as low as 1.7 years. The report provides generators of low level waste additional information to understand the nuances of shredder/compactor systems to select a system which best suits their individual needs. 4 refs., 6 figs., 10 tabs

Biological monitors for low levels of ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohankumar, M.N.; Jeevanram, R.K.

1995-01-01

The biological effects of high doses of ionising radiation are well understood and the methods of measurement of these doses well established. However the effects due to extremely low doses remain by and large uncertain. This is because of the fact that at such low doses no gross symptoms are seen. In fact, at these levels the occurrence of double strand breaks leading to the formation of chromosomal aberrations like dicentrics is rare and chances of mutation due to base damage are negligible. Hence neither chromosomal aberration studies nor mutational assays are useful for detecting doses of the order of a few milligray. Results of exhaustive work done by various laboratories indicate that below 20 mGy the chromosomal aberration technique based on scoring of dicentrics cannot distinguish between a linear or a threshold model. However indirect methods like unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) appear to be promising for the detection of radiation exposures due to low levels of radiation. This report reviews the available literature on the biological effects of low levels of ionising radiation and highlights the merits and demerits of the various methods employed in the measurement of UDS and SCE. The phenomenon of radio-adaptive response (RAR) and its relation to DNA repair is also discussed. (author)

Capillary gas chromatographic analysis of nerve agents using large volume injections

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Degenhardt, C.E.A.M.; Kientz, C.E.

1996-01-01

The use of large volume injections has been studied for the verification of intact organophosphorus chemical warfare agents in water samples. As the use of ethyl acetate caused severe detection problems new potential solvents were evaluated. With the developed procedure, the nerve agents sarin,

High-Dimensional Function Approximation With Neural Networks for Large Volumes of Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Andras, Peter

2018-02-01

Approximation of high-dimensional functions is a challenge for neural networks due to the curse of dimensionality. Often the data for which the approximated function is defined resides on a low-dimensional manifold and in principle the approximation of the function over this manifold should improve the approximation performance. It has been show that projecting the data manifold into a lower dimensional space, followed by the neural network approximation of the function over this space, provides a more precise approximation of the function than the approximation of the function with neural networks in the original data space. However, if the data volume is very large, the projection into the low-dimensional space has to be based on a limited sample of the data. Here, we investigate the nature of the approximation error of neural networks trained over the projection space. We show that such neural networks should have better approximation performance than neural networks trained on high-dimensional data even if the projection is based on a relatively sparse sample of the data manifold. We also find that it is preferable to use a uniformly distributed sparse sample of the data for the purpose of the generation of the low-dimensional projection. We illustrate these results considering the practical neural network approximation of a set of functions defined on high-dimensional data including real world data as well.

Steam reforming of low-level mixed waste. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-06-01

ThermoChem has successfully designed, fabricated and operated a nominal 90 pound per hour Process Development Unit (PDU) on various low-level mixed waste surrogates. The design, construction, and testing of the PDU as well as performance and economic projections for a 300-lb/hr demonstration and commercial system are described. The overall system offers an environmentally safe, non-incinerating, cost-effective, and publicly acceptable method of processing LLMW. The steam-reforming technology was ranked the No. 1 non-incineration technology for destruction of hazardous organic wastes in a study commissioned by the Mixed Waste Focus Area and published in April 1997. The ThermoChem steam-reforming system has been developed over the last 13 years culminating in this successful test campaign on LLMW surrogates. Six surrogates were successfully tested including a 750-hour test on material simulating a PCB- and Uranium-contaminated solid waste found at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The test results indicated essentially total (> 99.9999%) destruction of RCRA and TSCA hazardous halogenated organics, significant levels of volume reduction (> 400 to 1), and retention of radionuclides in the volume-reduced solids. Economic evaluations have shown the steam-reforming system to be very cost competitive with more conventional and other emerging technologies.

Steam reforming of low-level mixed waste. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-06-01

ThermoChem has successfully designed, fabricated and operated a nominal 90 pound per hour Process Development Unit (PDU) on various low-level mixed waste surrogates. The design, construction, and testing of the PDU as well as performance and economic projections for a 300-lb/hr demonstration and commercial system are described. The overall system offers an environmentally safe, non-incinerating, cost-effective, and publicly acceptable method of processing LLMW. The steam-reforming technology was ranked the No. 1 non-incineration technology for destruction of hazardous organic wastes in a study commissioned by the Mixed Waste Focus Area and published in April 1997. The ThermoChem steam-reforming system has been developed over the last 13 years culminating in this successful test campaign on LLMW surrogates. Six surrogates were successfully tested including a 750-hour test on material simulating a PCB- and Uranium-contaminated solid waste found at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The test results indicated essentially total (> 99.9999%) destruction of RCRA and TSCA hazardous halogenated organics, significant levels of volume reduction (> 400 to 1), and retention of radionuclides in the volume-reduced solids. Economic evaluations have shown the steam-reforming system to be very cost competitive with more conventional and other emerging technologies

Predicting adult pulmonary ventilation volume and wearing complianceby on-board accelerometry during personal level exposure assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Rodes, C. E.; Chillrud, S. N.; Haskell, W. L.; Intille, S. S.; Albinali, F.; Rosenberger, M. E.

2012-09-01

regression is likely to be usable for a wider range of adults to predict ventilation volumes from accelerometry data over a range of low to moderate energy level activities. The predicted volumes would then allow real-time estimates of potential dose, enabling more robust panel studies. The poorer correlation in predicting ventilation rate for an accelerometer located on the wrist suggested that this location should not be considered for predictions of ventilation volume.

Packaged low-level waste verification system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuite, K.; Winberg, M.R.; McIsaac, C.V. [Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

1995-12-31

The Department of Energy through the National Low-Level Waste Management Program and WMG Inc. have entered into a joint development effort to design, build, and demonstrate the Packaged Low-Level Waste Verification System. Currently, states and low-level radioactive waste disposal site operators have no method to independently verify the radionuclide content of packaged low-level waste that arrives at disposal sites for disposition. At this time, the disposal site relies on the low-level waste generator shipping manifests and accompanying records to ensure that low-level waste received meets the site`s waste acceptance criteria. The subject invention provides the equipment, software, and methods to enable the independent verification of low-level waste shipping records to ensure that the site`s waste acceptance criteria are being met. The objective of the prototype system is to demonstrate a mobile system capable of independently verifying the content of packaged low-level waste.

Controlling low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This series of information sheets describes at a popular level the sources of low-level radioactive wastes, their associated hazards, methods of storage, transportation and disposal, and the Canadian regulations that cover low-level wastes

Material properties of large-volume cadmium zinc telluride crystals and their relationship to nuclear detector performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, R.B.; Lund, J.; Yoon, H.

1997-01-01

The material showing the greatest promise today for production of large-volume gamma-ray spectrometers operable at room temperature is cadmium zinc telluride (CZT). Unfortunately, because of deficiencies in the quality of the present material, high-resolution CZT spectrometers have thus far been limited to relatively small dimensions, which makes them inefficient at detecting high photon energies and ineffective for weak radiation signals except in near proximity. To exploit CZT fully, it will be necessary to make substantial improvements in the material quality. Improving the material involves advances in the purity, crystallinity, and control of the electrical compensation mechanism. Sandia National Laboratories, California, in close collaboration with US industry and academia, has initiated efforts to develop a detailed understanding of the underlying material problems limiting the performance of large volume gamma-ray spectrometers and to overcome them through appropriate corrections therein. A variety of analytical and numerical techniques are employed to quantify impurities, compositional and stoichiometric variations, crystallinity, strain, bulk and surface defect states, carrier mobilities and lifetimes, electric field distributions, and contact chemistry. Data from these measurements are correlated with spatial maps of the gamma-ray and alpha particle spectroscopic response to determine improvements in the material purification, crystal growth, detector fabrication, and surface passivation procedures. The results of several analytical techniques will be discussed. The intended accomplishment of this work is to develop a low-cost, high-efficiency CZT spectrometer with an active volume of 5 cm 3 and energy resolution of 1--2% (at 662 keV), which would give the US a new field capability for screening radioactive substances

Broadband frequency ECR ion source concepts with large resonant plasma volumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.

1995-01-01

New techniques are proposed for enhancing the performances of ECR ion sources. The techniques are based on the use of high-power, variable-frequency, multiple-discrete-frequency, or broadband microwave radiation, derived from standard TWT technology, to effect large resonant ''volume'' ECR sources. The creation of a large ECR plasma ''volume'' permits coupling of more power into the plasma, resulting in the heating of a much larger electron population to higher energies, the effect of which is to produce higher charge state distributions and much higher intensities within a particular charge state than possible in present forms of the ECR ion source. If successful, these developments could significantly impact future accelerator designs and accelerator-based, heavy-ion-research programs by providing multiply-charged ion beams with the energies and intensities required for nuclear physics research from existing ECR ion sources. The methods described in this article can be used to retrofit any ECR ion source predicated on B-minimum plasma confinement techniques

PREPARATION OF ULTRA-LOW VOLUME WEIGHT AUTOCLAVED AERATED CONCRETE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ondrej Koutny

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Autoclaved aerated concrete is a modern construction material that gains its popularity especially due to its thermal insulation performance resulting from low volume weight and porous structure with sufficient mechanical strength. Nowadays, there are attempts to use this material for thermal insulation purposes and to replace current systems, which have many disadvantages, mainly concerning durability. The key for improvement of thermal insulation properties is therefore obtaining a material based on autoclaved aerated concrete with extremely low volume weight (below 200 kg/m ³ ensuring good thermal isolation properties, but with sufficient mechanical properties to allow easy manipulation. This material can be prepared by foaming very fine powder materials such as silica fume or very finely ground sand. This paper deals with the possibilities of preparation and summarizes the basic requirements for successful preparation of such a material.

Low volume tubes are not effective to reduce the rate of hemolyzed specimens from the emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Lippi, Giuseppe; Bonelli, Patrizia; Graiani, Virna; Caleffi, Catia; Cervellin, Gianfranco

2014-02-01

Spurious hemolysis is the leading source of nonconformities that can be recorded in diagnostic samples, especially those collected in the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to assess whether the shift from regular to low volume blood collection tubes may reduce the rate of hemolysis in a large urban ED, where approximately 80% of blood collections are performed through catheters. In a former 5-month period, blood collection in the ED was performed using 5.0mL (13×100mm) plastic serum tubes, which were then completely replaced with 3.5mL (13×75mm) plastic serum tubes for another period of 5months. The rate of hemolyzed specimens (i.e., those containing a cell-free hemoglobin ≥0.5gL) collected in the two periods was compared by Fisher exact test. The rate of hemolyzed specimens received from the ED increased from 3.5% using 5.0mL plastic serum tubes to 5.2% after introduction of 3.5mL plastic serum tubes (p<0.001). The use of low volume tubes was not effective to decrease the hemolysis rate in a large urban ED. Copyright © 2013 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-level waste borosilicate glass: A compendium of corrosion characteristics. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunnane, J.C.

1994-03-01

The objective of this document is to summarize scientific information pertinent to evaluating the extent to which high-level waste borosilicate glass corrosion and the associated radionuclide release processes are understood for the range of environmental conditions to which waste glass may be exposed in service. Alteration processes occurring within the bulk of the glass (e.g., devitrification and radiation-induced changes) are discussed insofar as they affect glass corrosion.This document is organized into three volumes. Volumes I and II represent a tiered set of information intended for somewhat different audiences. Volume I is intended to provide an overview of waste glass corrosion, and Volume 11 is intended to provide additional experimental details on experimental factors that influence waste glass corrosion. Volume III contains a bibliography of glass corrosion studies, including studies that are not cited in Volumes I and II. Volume I is intended for managers, decision makers, and modelers, the combined set of Volumes I, II, and III is intended for scientists and engineers working in the field of high-level waste

High-level waste borosilicate glass: A compendium of corrosion characteristics. Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cunnane, J.C. [comp.; Bates, J.K.; Bradley, C.R. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)] [and others

1994-03-01

The objective of this document is to summarize scientific information pertinent to evaluating the extent to which high-level waste borosilicate glass corrosion and the associated radionuclide release processes are understood for the range of environmental conditions to which waste glass may be exposed in service. Alteration processes occurring within the bulk of the glass (e.g., devitrification and radiation-induced changes) are discussed insofar as they affect glass corrosion.This document is organized into three volumes. Volumes I and II represent a tiered set of information intended for somewhat different audiences. Volume I is intended to provide an overview of waste glass corrosion, and Volume 11 is intended to provide additional experimental details on experimental factors that influence waste glass corrosion. Volume III contains a bibliography of glass corrosion studies, including studies that are not cited in Volumes I and II. Volume I is intended for managers, decision makers, and modelers, the combined set of Volumes I, II, and III is intended for scientists and engineers working in the field of high-level waste.

Long-term management of wastes resulting from dismantling operations. Storing the very low-level activity wastes at Morvilliers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duret, F.; Dutzer, M.; Beranger, V.; Lecoq, P.

2003-01-01

Extension of dismantling operations in France in the years to come poses the question of availability of long-term waste facility. Large amount of such wastes will be produced after progressive shutdown of the 58 pressurized water reactors now in operation, not before 2010. However, France is already confronted with dismantling of 9 power reactors (6 of which of gas cooled graphite type), the first reprocessing plant at Marcoule, as well as, dismantling of other installations, for instance the CEA reactors or laboratories. The systems of processing the dismantling waste are not different from those used for wastes resulting from nuclear operations. For the high-level or long-term intermediate level activity disposal the debates must start by 2006, as based on the results of the research conducted according to different provisions of the December 30, 1991 law. These wastes represent however small amounts from the dismantling (around 2000 t for the 9 reactors at shutdown) and they will be stored until a decision will be made. A specific storing system should be implemented by 2008-2010 for the graphite wastes (around 23,000 t) which contain significant amount of long-lived radioelements, although their gross activity is low. But the most significant amount will come from low-level or intermediate-level of short lifetime or from wastes of very low activity. The first category is stored at Storage Center at Aube (CSA), its capacity being of 1,000,000 m 3 of drums. The total volume stored by the end of 2002 amounted 136,500 m 3 with an annual delivering of 12-15,000 m 3 at design rate of 30,000 m 3 /y. This center will be able to absorb the flux increase resulting from dismantling of the decommissioned nuclear installations (around 50,000 t from the dismantling of the 9 power reactor). The Center at Aube can be also adapted for storing wastes of large sizes as for instance the lid of the reactor vessel. According to the French regulation, the wastes produced within a

Development of a large volume injection method using a programmed temperature vaporization injector - gas chromatography hyphenated to ICP-MS for the simultaneous determination of mercury, tin and lead species at ultra-trace levels in natural waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Terán-Baamonde, J; Bouchet, S; Tessier, E; Amouroux, D

2018-04-27

The current EU legislation lays down Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for 45 priority substances in surface waters; among them levels for (organo)metallic species of Hg, Sn and Pb are set between ng L -1 (for Hg and Sn) and μg L -1 (for Pb). To date, only a few analytical methods can reach these very restrictive limits and there is thus a need for comprehensive methods able to analyze these species down to these levels in natural waters. The aim of this work was to develop an online automated pre-concentration method using large volume injections with a Programmed Temperature Vaporization (PTV) injector fitted with a sorbent packed liner coupled to GC-ICP-MS to further improve the detection limits associated to this well-established method. The influence of several parameters such as the PTV transfer temperature and time, carrier gas flow rate and amount of packing material was investigated. Finally, the maximum volume injected through single or multiple injection modes was optimized to obtain the best compromise between chromatographic resolution and sensitivity. After optimization, very satisfactory results in terms of absolute and methodological detection limits were achieved, down to the pg L -1 level for all species studied. The potential of the method was exemplified by determining the concentrations of organometallic compounds in unpolluted river waters samples from the Adour river basin (SW France) and results were compared with conventional (splitless) GC-ICP-MS. The strength of this analytical method lies in the low detection limits reached for the simultaneous analysis of a wide group of organometallic compounds, and the potential to transfer this method to other gas chromatographic applications with inherent lower sensitivity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is largely unresponsive to low regulatory levels of hydrogen peroxide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sousa-Lopes Ana

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The reversible oxidation of protein SH groups has been considered to be the basis of redox regulation by which changes in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 concentrations may control protein function. Several proteins become S-glutathionylated following exposure to H2O2 in a variety of cellular systems. In yeast, when using a high initial H2O2 dose, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH was identified as the major target of S-glutathionylation which leads to reversible inactivation of the enzyme. GAPDH inactivation by H2O2 functions to reroute carbohydrate flux to produce NADPH. Here we report the effect of low regulatory H2O2 doses on GAPDH activity and expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Results A calibrated and controlled method of H2O2 delivery - the steady-state titration - in which cells are exposed to constant, low, and known H2O2 concentrations, was used in this study. This technique, contrary to the common bolus addition, allows determining which H2O2 concentrations trigger specific biological responses. This work shows that both in exponential- and stationary-phase cells, low regulatory H2O2 concentrations induce a large upregulation of catalase, a fingerprint of the cellular oxidative stress response, but GAPDH oxidation and the ensuing activity decrease are only observed at death-inducing high H2O2 doses. GAPDH activity is constant upon incubation with sub-lethal H2O2 doses, but in stationary-phase cells there is a differential response in the expression of the three GAPDH isoenzymes: Tdh1p is strongly upregulated while Tdh2p/Tdh3p are slightly downregulated. Conclusions In yeast GAPDH activity is largely unresponsive to low to moderate H2O2 doses. This points to a scenario where (a cellular redoxins efficiently cope with levels of GAPDH oxidation induced by a vast range of sub-lethal H2O2 concentrations, (b inactivation of GAPDH cannot be considered a sensitive biomarker of H2O2-induced oxidation in vivo

Doping the 1 kton Large Volume Detector with Gd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruno, Gianmarco; Fulgione, Walter; Porta, Amanda; Machado, Ana Amelia Bergamini; Mal'gin, Alexei; Molinario, Andrea; Vigorito, Carlo

2011-01-01

The Large Volume Detector (LVD) in the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Italy, is a ν observatory which has been monitoring the Galaxy since June 1992 to study neutrinos from core collapse supernovae. The experiment in the present configuration is made by 840 scintillator detectors, for a total active mass of 1000 tons. The detector sensitivity to neutrino bursts due to a core collapse supernova has been already discussed in term of maximum detectable distance. In this paper we evaluate the improvements that LVD could obtain if all its active scintillator mass was doped with a small amount (0.14% in weight) of Gadolinium. We simulated neutron captures following ν-bar e inverse beta decay reactions in one LVD counter (1.2 ton) with Gd doped liquid scintillator obtaining an efficiency for the detection of this process of η n | Gd = 80% and a mean capture time τ = 25μs, in good agreement with the results obtained by the measures. This implies a gain of a factor ∼ 20 in the signal to noise ratio for neutron capture detection with respect to the undoped liquid scintillator. We discuss how the captures of neutrons from rock radioactivity on Gd modify the background conditions of the detector and we calculate the curves expressing the sensitivity to a ν-bar e burst from core collapse supernovae depending on the distance of the collapsing star. It results that doping the 1 kton Large Volume Detector with Gd would assure a 90% detection efficiency at the distance of the Large Magellanic Cloud (50 kpc), an achievement which is equivalent to that obtained by doubling the number of counters in LVD

Final closure of a low level waste disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potier, J.M.

1995-01-01

The low-level radioactive waste disposal facility operated by the Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs near La Hague, France was opened in 1969 and is scheduled for final closure in 1996. The last waste package was received in June 1994. The total volume of disposed waste is approximately 525,000 m 3 . The site closure consists of covering the disposal structures with a multi-layer impervious cap system to prevent rainwater from infiltrating the waste isolation system. A monitoring system has been set up to verify the compliance of infiltration rates with hydraulic performance objectives (less than 10 liters per square meter and per year)

A pomegranate-inspired nanoscale design for large-volume-change lithium battery anodes

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Nian; Lu, Zhenda; Zhao, Jie; McDowell, Matthew T.; Lee, Hyun-Wook; Zhao, Wenting; Cui, Yi

2014-03-01

Silicon is an attractive material for anodes in energy storage devices, because it has ten times the theoretical capacity of its state-of-the-art carbonaceous counterpart. Silicon anodes can be used both in traditional lithium-ion batteries and in more recent Li-O2 and Li-S batteries as a replacement for the dendrite-forming lithium metal anodes. The main challenges associated with silicon anodes are structural degradation and instability of the solid-electrolyte interphase caused by the large volume change (~300%) during cycling, the occurrence of side reactions with the electrolyte, and the low volumetric capacity when the material size is reduced to a nanometre scale. Here, we propose a hierarchical structured silicon anode that tackles all three of these problems. Our design is inspired by the structure of a pomegranate, where single silicon nanoparticles are encapsulated by a conductive carbon layer that leaves enough room for expansion and contraction following lithiation and delithiation. An ensemble of these hybrid nanoparticles is then encapsulated by a thicker carbon layer in micrometre-size pouches to act as an electrolyte barrier. As a result of this hierarchical arrangement, the solid-electrolyte interphase remains stable and spatially confined, resulting in superior cyclability (97% capacity retention after 1,000 cycles). In addition, the microstructures lower the electrode-electrolyte contact area, resulting in high Coulombic efficiency (99.87%) and volumetric capacity (1,270 mAh cm-3), and the cycling remains stable even when the areal capacity is increased to the level of commercial lithium-ion batteries (3.7 mAh cm-2).

The core collapse supernova rate from 24 years of data of the Large Volume Detector

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, G.; Fulgione, W.; Molinario, A.; Vigorito, C.; LVD Collaboration

2017-09-01

The Large Volume Detector (LVD) at INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy is a 1 kt liquid scintillator neutrino observatory mainly designed to study low energy neutrinos from Gravitational Stellar Collapses (GSC) with 100% efficiency over the entire Galaxy. Here we summarize the results of the search for supernova neutrino bursts over the full data set lasting from June 1992 to May 2016 for a total live time of 8211 days. In the lack of a positive observation, either in standalone mode or in coincidence with other experiments, we establish the upper limit to the rate of GSC event in the Milky Way: 0.1 year-1 at 90% c.l..

Characteristics of low-level radioactive waste disposed during 1987--1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roles, G.W.

1990-12-01

This report presents the volume, activity, and radionuclide distributions in low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposed during 1987 through 1989 at the commercial disposal facilities located near Barnwell, SC, Richland, WA, and Beatty, NV. The report has been entirely assembled from descriptions of waste provided in LLW shipment manifests. Individual radionuclide distributions are listed as a function of waste class, of general industry, and of waste stream. In addition, information is presented about disposal of wastes containing chelating agents, about use of solidification media, about the distribution of radiation levels at the surfaces of waste containers, and about the distribution of waste container sizes. Considerably more information is presented about waste disposed at the Richland and Beatty disposal facilities than at the Barnwell disposal facility

Projected Response of Low-Level Convergence and Associated Precipitation to Greenhouse Warming

Science.gov (United States)

Weller, Evan; Jakob, Christian; Reeder, Michael J.

2017-10-01

The parameterization of convection in climate models is a large source of uncertainty in projecting future precipitation changes. Here an objective method to identify organized low-level convergence lines has been used to better understand how atmospheric convection is organized and projected to change, as low-level convergence plays an important role in the processes leading to precipitation. The frequency and strength of convergence lines over both ocean and land in current climate simulations is too low compared to reanalysis data. Projections show a further reduction in the frequency and strength of convergence lines over the midlatitudes. In the tropics, the largest changes in frequency are generally associated with shifts in major low-latitude convergence zones, consistent with changes in the precipitation. Further, examining convergence lines when in the presence or absence of precipitation results in large spatial contrasts, providing a better understanding of regional changes in terms of thermodynamic and dynamic effects.

1982 State-by-state assessment of low-level radioactive wastes shipped to commercial disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-12-01

This report uses the volume of low-level waste reported as received at each commercial disposal site as the national baseline figure. A volume of 75,891 cubic meters of radioactive waste containing 413,898 curies of activity was reported disposed at the commercial sites in 1982. The distribution of these waste volumes by disposal site is presented in Table 1. Table 2 summarizes estimated volumes by generator categories. The total volume and curie values tabulated for each state were obtained directly from the commercial disposal site operators. The total is the sum of the volume and radioactivity by disposal site for each state. Summary information on commercial nuclear power plant wastes was obtained from semiannual waste reports submitted to the NRC in accordance with the NRC Regulatory Guide 1.21. Data reported for the calendar year 1982 were used for this report where available. When report data were not available, reactor information was obtained directly from the utility

Laboratory Investigations on Mechanical Properties of High Volume Fly Ash Concrete and Composite Sections

OpenAIRE

Aravindkumar B. Harwalkar; S. S. Awanti

2013-01-01

Use of fly ash as a supplementary cementing material in large volumes can bring both technological and economic benefits for concrete industry. In this investigation mix proportions for high volume fly ash concrete were determined at cement replacement levels of 50%, 55%, 60% and 65% with low calcium fly ash. Flexural and compressive strengths of different mixes were measured at ages of 7, 28 and 90 days. Flexural strength of composite section prepared from pavement quali...

Absorption and scattering coefficient dependence of laser-Doppler flowmetry models for large tissue volumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binzoni, T; Leung, T S; Ruefenacht, D; Delpy, D T

2006-01-01

Based on quasi-elastic scattering theory (and random walk on a lattice approach), a model of laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) has been derived which can be applied to measurements in large tissue volumes (e.g. when the interoptode distance is >30 mm). The model holds for a semi-infinite medium and takes into account the transport-corrected scattering coefficient and the absorption coefficient of the tissue, and the scattering coefficient of the red blood cells. The model holds for anisotropic scattering and for multiple scattering of the photons by the moving scatterers of finite size. In particular, it has also been possible to take into account the simultaneous presence of both Brownian and pure translational movements. An analytical and simplified version of the model has also been derived and its validity investigated, for the case of measurements in human skeletal muscle tissue. It is shown that at large optode spacing it is possible to use the simplified model, taking into account only a 'mean' light pathlength, to predict the blood flow related parameters. It is also demonstrated that the 'classical' blood volume parameter, derived from LDF instruments, may not represent the actual blood volume variations when the investigated tissue volume is large. The simplified model does not need knowledge of the tissue optical parameters and thus should allow the development of very simple and cost-effective LDF hardware

The design and performance of a large-volume spherical CsI(Tl) scintillation counter for gamma-ray spectroscopy

CERN Document Server

Meng, L J; Chirkin, V M; Potapov, V N; Ivanov, O P; Ignatov, S M

2002-01-01

This paper presents details of the design and performance of a prototype large-volume scintillation detector used for gamma-ray spectroscopy. In this detector, a spherical CsI(Tl) scintillation crystal having a diameter of 5.7 cm was polished and packed in dry MgO powder. The scintillation light from the crystal was viewed using a single 1x1 cm sup 2 silicon PIN diode. A low-noise preamplifier was also integrated within the detector housing. The measured noise level was equivalent to approx 800 electrons (FWHM). Such a configuration provided a very good light collection efficiency, which resulted in an average of 20 electrons being generated per keV of energy deposited in the crystal. One of the key features of the detector design is that it minimises spatial variations in the light collection efficiency throughout the detector. Compared with a standard 3 in. NaI scintillation counter, this feature leads to a much-improved energy resolution, particularly for photon energies above 1 MeV. The results presented ...

Biological monitors for low levels of ionising radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohankumar, M N; Jeevanram, R K [Safety Research and Health Physics Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam (India)

1996-12-31

The biological effects of high doses of ionising radiation are well understood and the methods of measurement of these doses well established. However the effects due to extremely low doses remain by and large uncertain. This is because of the fact that at such low doses no gross symptoms are seen. In fact, at these levels the occurrence of double strand breaks leading to the formation of chromosomal aberrations like dicentrics is rare and chances of mutation due to base damage are negligible. Hence neither chromosomal aberration studies nor mutational assays are useful for detecting doses of the order of a few milligray. Results of exhaustive work done by various laboratories indicate that below 20 mGy the chromosomal aberration technique based on scoring of dicentrics cannot distinguish between a linear or a threshold model. However indirect methods like unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) appear to be promising for the detection of radiation exposures due to low levels of radiation. This report reviews the available literature on the biological effects of low levels of ionising radiation and highlights the merits and demerits of the various methods employed in the measurement of UDS and SCE. The phenomenon of radio-adaptive response (RAR) and its relation to DNA repair is also discussed. (author). 98 refs., 11 figs., 4 tabs.

Practices and developments in the management of low and intermediate level radioactive waste in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hultgren, Aa.

1983-06-01

In the Swedish nuclear power program ten reactors are in operation and two more under construction. About 100000 m 3 of low and intermediate level radioactive waste will be produced from the operation of these reactors until the year 2010 and about 150000 m 3 from their decommissioning. All burnable radioactive wastes are sent to the Studsvik incineration plant for incineration. Spent resins are incorporated into cement or bitumen. The volume of non-combustible solid waste is reduced by compaction where possible. At the Studsvik research centre a substantial program for improved management of accumulated and future radioactive waste is at the beginning of its implementation. This includes advanced treatment and intermediate storage in a rock cavity. An R and D program on volume reduction of spent resins has reached the point of process verification and equipment design. All low and intermediate radioactive waste will be disposed in a rock cavity planned for commissioning by 1988. The paper reviews actual management experience and development efforts for low and intermediate level radioactive waste in Sweden. Contribution to the Seminar on the Management of Radioactive Waste, Taipei, Taiwan, 25-26 June, 1983. (Author)

Characteristics and prediction of sound level in extra-large spaces

OpenAIRE

Wang, C.; Ma, H.; Wu, Y.; Kang, J.

2018-01-01

This paper aims to examine sound fields in extra-large spaces, which are defined in this paper as spaces used by people, with a volume approximately larger than 125,000m 3 and absorption coefficient less than 0.7. In such spaces inhomogeneous reverberant energy caused by uneven early reflections with increasing volume has a significant effect on sound fields. Measurements were conducted in four spaces to examine the attenuation of the total and reverberant energy with increasing source-receiv...

Assessment of solid low-level waste management at the Savannah River Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenimore, J.W.; Hooker, R.L.

1977-08-01

Site description, facilities, operating practices, and assessment of solid low-level waste management at the Savannah River Plant are covered. The following recommendations are made. Programs to reduce the volume of waste generated at the source should be continued. Planning to utilize volume reduction by compaction and/or incineration should be continued and adopted when practical technology is available. Utilization of grading and ditching to reduce water infiltration into trenches and to control erosion should be continued. Burial ground studies should be continued to: measure Kd's of all important radionuclides in burial ground sediments; measure hydraulic conductivities in disturbed backfill and underlying undisturbed sediments at sufficient locations to give a statistically significant sampling; and measure water flow rates better, so that individual radionuclide rates can be computed

Treatment of low- and intermediate-level solid radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

One of the essential aims in the waste management is to reduce as much as possible the waste volumes to be stored or disposed of, and to concentrate and immobilize as much as possible the radioactivity contained in the waste. This document describes the treatment of low- and intermediate-level solid waste prior to its conditioning for storage and disposal. This report aims primarily at compiling the experience gained in treating low- and intermediate-active solid wastes, one of the major waste sources in nuclear technology. Apart from the description of existing facilities and demonstrated handling schemes, this report provides the reader with the basis for a judgement that facilitates the selection of appropriate solutions for a given solid-waste management problem. It thus aims at providing guidelines in the particular field and indicates new promising approaches that are actually under investigation and development

The use of cosmic muons in detecting heterogeneities in large volumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grabski, V.; Reche, R.; Alfaro, R.; Belmont-Moreno, E.; Martinez-Davalos, A.; Sandoval, A.; Menchaca-Rocha, A.

2008-01-01

The muon intensity attenuation method to detect heterogeneities in large matter volumes is analyzed. Approximate analytical expressions to estimate the collection time and the signal to noise ratio, are proposed and validated by Monte Carlo simulations. Important parameters, including point spread function and coordinate reconstruction uncertainty are also estimated using Monte Carlo simulations

Progress report on the design of a Low-Level Waste Pilot Facility at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hensley, L.C.; Turner, V.L.; Pruitt, A.S.

1980-01-01

All low-level radioactive solid wastes, excluding TRU wastes, are disposed of by shallow land burial at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Contaminated liquids and sludges are hydrofractures. The TRU wastes are stored in a retrievable fashion in concrete storage facilities. Currently, the capacity for low-level radioactive waste burial at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is adequate for another six years of service at the current solids disposal rate which ranges between 80,000 and 100,000 cu ft per year. Decontamination and decommissioning of a number of ORNL facilities will be a significant activity in the next few years. Quantities of radioactive materials to be stored or disposed of as a result of these activities will be large; therefore, the technology to dispose of large quantities of low-level radioactive wastes must be demonstrated. The UCC-ND Engineering Division, in concert with divisions of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been requested to prepare a conceptual design for a facility to both dispose of the currently produced low-level radioactive waste and also to provide a test bed for demonstration of other processes which may be used in future low-level radioactive wastes disposal facilities. This facility is designated as the Low-Level Waste Pilot Facility (LLWPF). This paper describes the status of the conceptual design of a facility for disposal of the subject radioactive waste

Recommendations to the NRC for soil cover systems over uranium mill tailings and low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, R.D.; Kimbrell, A.F.

1991-02-01

The US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES) has provided recommendations to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the selection placement, compaction, testing, and acceptance of soils proposed to be placed in cover systems over uranium mill tailings and low-level radioactive wastes. The recommendations from WES are contained in three volumes of NUREG/CR-5432. Volume 1 identifies the various soil types and engineering properties that are needed to fulfill important soil cover functions. The identified soils are then ranked according to their capability to perform the low-permeability and filter and drainage functions. Volume 2 provides recommendations for conducting pertinent laboratory and field tests to ensure acceptable soil cover performance. Volume 3 covers recommendations from WES on proper field construction methods including guidance on quality control testing and inspections. Recommendations are given for sealing penetrations (e.g., observation wells) that are required to penetrate covers for environmental monitoring of disposal facility performance. 30 refs., 6 figs., 9 tabs

Aeolian sands as material to construct low-volume roads

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Paige-Green, P

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Aeolian sands are widespread in many semi-arid to arid areas of the world and often provide the only economic source of construction materials for low volume roads. Experience in southern Africa over a number of decades has shown that provided...

Large-scale Circulation Control of the Occurrence of Low-level Turbulence at Hong Kong International Airport

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Marco Y. T.; Zhou, Wen; Shun, Chi-Ming; Chan, Pak-Wai

2018-04-01

This study identifies the atmospheric circulation features that are favorable for the occurrence of low-level turbulence at Hong Kong International Airport [below 1600 feet (around 500 m)]. By using LIDAR data at the airport, turbulence and nonturbulence cases are selected. It is found that the occurrence of turbulence is significantly related to the strength of the southerly wind at 850 hPa over the South China coast. On the other hand, the east-west wind at this height demonstrates a weak relation to the occurrence. This suggests that turbulence is generated by flow passing Lantau Island from the south. The southerly wind also transports moisture from the South China Sea to Hong Kong, reducing local stability. This is favorable for the development of strong turbulence. It is also noted that the strong southerly wind during the occurrence of low-level turbulence is contributed by an anomalous zonal gradient of geopotential in the lower troposphere over the South China Sea. This gradient is caused by the combination of variations at different timescales. These are the passage of synoptic extratropical cyclones and anticyclones and the intraseasonal variation in the western North Pacific subtropical high. The seasonal variation in geopotential east of the Tibetan Plateau leads to a seasonal change in meridional wind, by which the frequency of low-level turbulence is maximized in spring and minimized in autumn.

Transportation and disposal configuration for DOE-managed low-level and mixed low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnsen, T.

1993-06-01

This report briefly examines the current U.S. Department of Energy complex-wide configuration for transportation and disposal of low-level and mixed low-level waste, and also retraces the historical sequence of events and rationale that has guided its development. The study determined that Nevada Test Site and the Hanford Site are the only two sites that currently provide substantial disposal services for offsite low-level waste generators. It was also determined that mixed low-level waste shipments are infrequent and are generally limited to shipments to offsite commercial treatment facilities or other Department of Energy sites for storage. The current alignment of generator to disposal site for low-level waste shipments is generally consistent with the programmatic mission of the generator; that is, defense-generated waste is shipped to the Nevada Test Site and research-generated waste is transported to the Hanford Site. The historical development of the current configuration was resurrected by retrieving Department of Energy documentation and interviewing both current and former department and contractor personnel. According to several accounts, the basic framework of the system was developed during the late 1970s, and was reportedly based on the ability of the disposal site to manage a given waste form. Documented evidence to support this reasoning, however, could not be uncovered

Doping the 1 kton Large Volume Detector with Gd

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruno, Gianmarco [University of L' Aquila, Via Vetoio snc, 67100 Coppito (AQ) Italy (Italy); Fulgione, Walter; Porta, Amanda [Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario, INAF, Corso Fiume 4, Torino (Italy); Machado, Ana Amelia Bergamini [Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, INFN, s.s. 17bis Km 18-10, Assergi (AQ) (Italy); Mal' gin, Alexei [Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Shestidesyatiletiya Oktyabrya 7a, Moscow, 117312 (Russian Federation); Molinario, Andrea; Vigorito, Carlo, E-mail: bruno@to.infn.it, E-mail: fulgione@to.infn.it, E-mail: ana.machado@lngs.infn.it, E-mail: malgin@lngs.infn.it, E-mail: amolinar@to.infn.it, E-mail: Amanda.Porta@subatech.in2p3.fr, E-mail: vigorito@to.infn.it [INFN, Via Pietro Giuria 1, Torino (Italy)

2011-06-01

The Large Volume Detector (LVD) in the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Italy, is a ν observatory which has been monitoring the Galaxy since June 1992 to study neutrinos from core collapse supernovae. The experiment in the present configuration is made by 840 scintillator detectors, for a total active mass of 1000 tons. The detector sensitivity to neutrino bursts due to a core collapse supernova has been already discussed in term of maximum detectable distance. In this paper we evaluate the improvements that LVD could obtain if all its active scintillator mass was doped with a small amount (0.14% in weight) of Gadolinium. We simulated neutron captures following ν-bar {sub e} inverse beta decay reactions in one LVD counter (1.2 ton) with Gd doped liquid scintillator obtaining an efficiency for the detection of this process of η{sub n}|{sub Gd} = 80% and a mean capture time τ = 25μs, in good agreement with the results obtained by the measures. This implies a gain of a factor ∼ 20 in the signal to noise ratio for neutron capture detection with respect to the undoped liquid scintillator. We discuss how the captures of neutrons from rock radioactivity on Gd modify the background conditions of the detector and we calculate the curves expressing the sensitivity to a ν-bar {sub e} burst from core collapse supernovae depending on the distance of the collapsing star. It results that doping the 1 kton Large Volume Detector with Gd would assure a 90% detection efficiency at the distance of the Large Magellanic Cloud (50 kpc), an achievement which is equivalent to that obtained by doubling the number of counters in LVD.

Assembly, operation and disassembly manual for the Battelle Large Volume Water Sampler (BLVWS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, V.W.; Campbell, R.M.

1984-12-01

Assembly, operation and disassembly of the Battelle Large Volume Water Sampler (BLVWS) are described in detail. Step by step instructions of assembly, general operation and disassembly are provided to allow an operator completely unfamiliar with the sampler to successfully apply the BLVWS to his research sampling needs. The sampler permits concentration of both particulate and dissolved radionuclides from large volumes of ocean and fresh water. The water sample passes through a filtration section for particle removal then through sorption or ion exchange beds where species of interest are removed. The sampler components which contact the water being sampled are constructed of polyvinylchloride (PVC). The sampler has been successfully applied to many sampling needs over the past fifteen years. 9 references, 8 figures

Accurate measurement of indoor radon concentration using a low-effective volume radon monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Aya; Minami, Nodoka; Mukai, Takahiro; Yasuoka, Yumi; Iimoto, Takeshi; Omori, Yasutaka; Nagahama, Hiroyuki; Muto, Jun

2017-01-01

AlphaGUARD is a low-effective volume detector and one of the most popular portable radon monitors which is currently available. This study investigated whether AlphaGUARD can accurately measure the variable indoor radon levels. The consistency of the radon-concentration data obtained by AlphaGUARD is evaluated against simultaneous measurements by two other monitors (each ∼10 times more sensitive than AlphaGUARD). When accurately measuring radon concentration with AlphaGUARD, we found that the net counts of the AlphaGUARD were required of at least 500 counts, <25% of the relative percent difference. AlphaGUARD can provide accurate measurements of radon concentration for the world average level (∼50 Bq m -3 ) and the reference level of workplace (1000 Bq m -3 ), using integrated data over at least 3 h and 10 min, respectively. (authors)

Material properties of large-volume cadmium zinc telluride crystals and their relationship to nuclear detector performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

James, R.B.; Lund, J. [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Yoon, H. [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States)]|[Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)] [and others

1997-09-01

The material showing the greatest promise today for production of large-volume gamma-ray spectrometers operable at room temperature is cadmium zinc telluride (CZT). Unfortunately, because of deficiencies in the quality of the present material, high-resolution CZT spectrometers have thus far been limited to relatively small dimensions, which makes them inefficient at detecting high photon energies and ineffective for weak radiation signals except in near proximity. To exploit CZT fully, it will be necessary to make substantial improvements in the material quality. Improving the material involves advances in the purity, crystallinity, and control of the electrical compensation mechanism. Sandia National Laboratories, California, in close collaboration with US industry and academia, has initiated efforts to develop a detailed understanding of the underlying material problems limiting the performance of large volume gamma-ray spectrometers and to overcome them through appropriate corrections therein. A variety of analytical and numerical techniques are employed to quantify impurities, compositional and stoichiometric variations, crystallinity, strain, bulk and surface defect states, carrier mobilities and lifetimes, electric field distributions, and contact chemistry. Data from these measurements are correlated with spatial maps of the gamma-ray and alpha particle spectroscopic response to determine improvements in the material purification, crystal growth, detector fabrication, and surface passivation procedures. The results of several analytical techniques will be discussed. The intended accomplishment of this work is to develop a low-cost, high-efficiency CZT spectrometer with an active volume of 5 cm{sup 3} and energy resolution of 1--2% (at 662 keV), which would give the US a new field capability for screening radioactive substances.

A Novel Technique for Endovascular Removal of Large Volume Right Atrial Tumor Thrombus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nickel, Barbara, E-mail: nickel.ba@gmail.com [US Teleradiology and Quantum Medical Radiology Group (United States); McClure, Timothy, E-mail: tmcclure@gmail.com; Moriarty, John, E-mail: jmoriarty@mednet.ucla.edu [UCLA Medical Center, Department of Interventional Radiology (United States)

2015-08-15

Venous thromboembolic disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in the setting of large volume pulmonary embolism. Thrombolytic therapy has been shown to be a successful treatment modality; however, its use somewhat limited due to the risk of hemorrhage and potential for distal embolization in the setting of large mobile thrombi. In patients where either thrombolysis is contraindicated or unsuccessful, and conventional therapies prove inadequate, surgical thrombectomy may be considered. We present a case of percutaneous endovascular extraction of a large mobile mass extending from the inferior vena cava into the right atrium using the Angiovac device, a venovenous bypass system designed for high-volume aspiration of undesired endovascular material. Standard endovascular methods for removal of cancer-associated thrombus, such as catheter-directed lysis, maceration, and exclusion, may prove inadequate in the setting of underlying tumor thrombus. Where conventional endovascular methods either fail or are unsuitable, endovascular thrombectomy with the Angiovac device may be a useful and safe minimally invasive alternative to open resection.

A Novel Technique for Endovascular Removal of Large Volume Right Atrial Tumor Thrombus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nickel, Barbara; McClure, Timothy; Moriarty, John

2015-01-01

Venous thromboembolic disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in the setting of large volume pulmonary embolism. Thrombolytic therapy has been shown to be a successful treatment modality; however, its use somewhat limited due to the risk of hemorrhage and potential for distal embolization in the setting of large mobile thrombi. In patients where either thrombolysis is contraindicated or unsuccessful, and conventional therapies prove inadequate, surgical thrombectomy may be considered. We present a case of percutaneous endovascular extraction of a large mobile mass extending from the inferior vena cava into the right atrium using the Angiovac device, a venovenous bypass system designed for high-volume aspiration of undesired endovascular material. Standard endovascular methods for removal of cancer-associated thrombus, such as catheter-directed lysis, maceration, and exclusion, may prove inadequate in the setting of underlying tumor thrombus. Where conventional endovascular methods either fail or are unsuitable, endovascular thrombectomy with the Angiovac device may be a useful and safe minimally invasive alternative to open resection

Toxicity Profile With a Large Prostate Volume After External Beam Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinkawa, Michael; Fischedick, Karin; Asadpour, Branka; Gagel, Bernd; Piroth, Marc D.; Nussen, Sandra; Eble, Michael J.

2008-01-01

Purpose: To assess the impact of prostate volume on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) before and at different intervals after radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: A group of 204 patients was surveyed prospectively before (Time A), at the last day (Time B), 2 months after (Time C), and 16 months (median) after (Time D) radiotherapy, with a validated questionnaire (Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite). The group was divided into subgroups with a small (11-43 cm 3 ) and a large (44-151 cm 3 ) prostate volume. Results: Patients with large prostates presented with lower urinary bother scores (median 79 vs. 89; p = 0.01) before treatment. Urinary function/bother scores for patients with large prostates decreased significantly compared to patients with small prostates due to irritative/obstructive symptoms only at Time B (pain with urination more than once daily in 48% vs. 18%; p 3 vs. 47 cm 3 ; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Patients with a large prostate volume have a great risk of irritative/obstructive symptoms (particularly dysuria) in the acute radiotherapy phase. These symptoms recover rapidly and do not influence long-term HRQOL

Rapid estimate of solid volume in large tuff cores using a gas pycnometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thies, C.; Geddis, A.M.; Guzman, A.G.

1996-09-01

A thermally insulated, rigid-volume gas pycnometer system has been developed. The pycnometer chambers have been machined from solid PVC cylinders. Two chambers confine dry high-purity helium at different pressures. A thick-walled design ensures minimal heat exchange with the surrounding environment and a constant volume system, while expansion takes place between the chambers. The internal energy of the gas is assumed constant over the expansion. The ideal gas law is used to estimate the volume of solid material sealed in one of the chambers. Temperature is monitored continuously and incorporated into the calculation of solid volume. Temperature variation between measurements is less than 0.1 degrees C. The data are used to compute grain density for oven-dried Apache Leap tuff core samples. The measured volume of solid and the sample bulk volume are used to estimate porosity and bulk density. Intrinsic permeability was estimated from the porosity and measured pore surface area and is compared to in-situ measurements by the air permeability method. The gas pycnometer accommodates large core samples (0.25 m length x 0.11 m diameter) and can measure solid volume greater than 2.20 cm 3 with less than 1% error

Effect of crowd size on patient volume at a large, multipurpose, indoor stadium.

Science.gov (United States)

De Lorenzo, R A; Gray, B C; Bennett, P C; Lamparella, V J

1989-01-01

A prediction of patient volume expected at "mass gatherings" is desirable in order to provide optimal on-site emergency medical care. While several methods of predicting patient loads have been suggested, a reliable technique has not been established. This study examines the frequency of medical emergencies at the Syracuse University Carrier Dome, a 50,500-seat indoor stadium. Patient volume and level of care at collegiate basketball and football games as well as rock concerts, over a 7-year period were examined and tabulated. This information was analyzed using simple regression and nonparametric statistical methods to determine level of correlation between crowd size and patient volume. These analyses demonstrated no statistically significant increase in patient volume for increasing crowd size for basketball and football events. There was a small but statistically significant increase in patient volume for increasing crowd size for concerts. A comparison of similar crowd size for each of the three events showed that patient frequency is greatest for concerts and smallest for basketball. The study suggests that crowd size alone has only a minor influence on patient volume at any given event. Structuring medical services based solely on expected crowd size and not considering other influences such as event type and duration may give poor results.

Considerations for achieving low level radioactivity measurements with liquid scintillation counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noakes, J.E.

1977-01-01

Low level LS counting requires that the most rigorous standards be maintained in sample preparation, instrument stability and low background operation. In order to achieve these goals, one must pay particular attention to sample chemistry and cocktail selection in order to minimize quench and obtain the highest counting efficiency. The use of special low volume vials, fabricated for positive seal and with material of low cocktail permeability and low natural radioactivity, is one of the most economical means for lowering background and reducing sample loss during long counting periods. Acquisition of select high quantum yield low noise PMT's is an excellent way to achieve high counting efficiency and lower electronic-generated background. Radiation shielding both by massive and electronic guards is the most important means for reducing background caused by external radiation sources. Pulse height discrimination and fast pulse time circuitry can both be applied with fast coincidence counting for background reduction. PSA can be applied to β, γ and β-γ counting and as a means for background reduction. 8 figures, 3 tables

Status report on Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avant, R.V. Jr.

1990-01-01

In 1981, the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority was created by Article 4590f-1 to site, develop, operate, decommission, and close a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility for Texas generated waste. In 1989, the Authority's act was recodified by the Texas legislature in the Health and Safety Code., Title 5. Sanitation and Environmental Quality, Subtitle D. Nuclear and Radioactive Materials, Chapter 402. The Authority is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Governor, composed of a certified health physicist, geologist, attorney, medical doctor, and two private citizens. Under the statute, low-level radioactive waste is defined as any radioactive material with a half-life of 35 years or less or having less than 10 nanocuries per gram of transuranics. Materials with half-lives of greater than 35 years may be classed as low-level waste if special criteria are established by the Texas Department of Health Bureau of Radiation Control. Subsequent sessions of the legislature have amended the act to revise siting criteria, require consideration of state land, create a Citizen's Advisory Committee, incorporate alternative designs, and establish a special low-level radioactive waste account in the state treasury. The Authority began its activities in 1982. The Authority has proposed a site in far West Texas near Fort Hancock, but El Paso County, the neighboring county to the west, has instituted three separate lawsuits to slow or stop the site selection process. Particular attention was paid early in the site selection process to items which could be fatal flaws from a licensing standpoint. This paper discusses the Fort Hancock site description, site evaluation studies, siting issues, waste volume projections, facility design, license application, cost and schedule

Savannah River Plant low-level waste incinerator demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallman, J.A.

1984-01-01

A two-year demonstration facility was constructed at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) to incinerate suspect contaminated solid and low-level solvent wastes. Since startup in January 1984, 4460 kilograms and 5300 liters of simulated (uncontaminated) solid and solvent waste have been incinerated to establish the technical and operating data base for the facility. Combustion safeguards have been enhanced, process controls and interlocks refined, some materials handling problems identified and operating experience gained as a result of the 6 month cold run-in. Volume reductions of 20:1 for solid and 25:1 for solvent waste have been demonstrated. Stack emissions (NO 2 , SO 2 , CO, and particulates) were only 0.5% of the South Carolina ambient air quality standards. Radioactive waste processing is scheduled to begin in July 1984. 2 figures, 2 tables

Low-level waste program technical strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bledsoe, K.W.

1994-01-01

The Low-Level Waste Technical Strategy document describes the mechanisms which the Low-Level Waste Program Office plans to implement to achieve its mission. The mission is to manage the receipt, immobilization, packaging, storage/disposal and RCRA closure (of the site) of the low-level Hanford waste (pretreated tank wastes) in an environmentally sound, safe and cost-effective manner. The primary objective of the TWRS Low-level waste Program office is to vitrify the LLW fraction of the tank waste and dispose of it onsite

Management of Large Volumes of Waste Arising in a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-10-01

This publication, prepared in light of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety developed after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, addresses the management of large volumes of radioactive waste arising in a nuclear or radiological emergency, as part of overall emergency preparedness. The management of large volumes of waste will be one of many efforts to be dealt with to allow recovery of affected areas, to support return of evacuated or relocated populations and preparations for normal social and economic activities, and/or to mitigate additional environmental impacts. The publication is intended to be of use to national planners and policy makers, facility and programme managers, and other professionals responsible for developing and implementing national plans and strategies to manage radioactive waste arising from nuclear or radiological emergencies.

Technology, Safety and Costs of Decommissioning a Reference Low-Level Waste Burial Ground. Appendices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

None

1980-01-01

Safety and cost information are developed for the conceptual decommissioning of commercial low-level waste (LLW) burial grounds. Two generic burial grounds, one located on an arid western site and the other located on a humid eastern site, are used as reference facilities for the study. The two burial grounds are assumed to have the same site capacity for waste, the same radioactive waste inventory, and similar trench characteristics and operating procedures. The climate, geology. and hydrology of the two sites are chosen to be typical of real western and eastern sites. Volume 2 (Appendices) contains the detailed analyses and data needed to support the results given in Volume 1.

Potential impact of DOE's performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruders on low-level waste disposals at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.

1993-01-01

Performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive waste at Department of Energy (DOE) sites include limits on radiation dose to inadvertent intruders. This paper investigates the potential impact of DOE's performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruders on the acceptability of low-level waste disposals at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The analysis is based on waste volumes and radionuclide inventories for recent disposals and estimated doses to an inadvertent intruder for assumed exposure scenarios. The analysis indicates that more than 99% of the total volume of waste in recent disposals meets the performance objective for inadvertent intruders, and the volume of waste found to be unacceptable for disposal is only about 16 m 3 . Therefore, DOE's performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruders probably will not have unreasonably adverse impacts on acceptable waste disposals at ORNL

Assessment of dedicated low-dose cardiac micro-CT reconstruction algorithms using the left ventricular volume of small rodents as a performance measure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maier, Joscha, E-mail: joscha.maier@dkfz.de [Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Sawall, Stefan; Kachelrieß, Marc [Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany and Institute of Medical Physics, University of Erlangen–Nürnberg, 91052 Erlangen (Germany)

2014-05-15

Purpose: Phase-correlated microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) imaging plays an important role in the assessment of mouse models of cardiovascular diseases and the determination of functional parameters as the left ventricular volume. As the current gold standard, the phase-correlated Feldkamp reconstruction (PCF), shows poor performance in case of low dose scans, more sophisticated reconstruction algorithms have been proposed to enable low-dose imaging. In this study, the authors focus on the McKinnon-Bates (MKB) algorithm, the low dose phase-correlated (LDPC) reconstruction, and the high-dimensional total variation minimization reconstruction (HDTV) and investigate their potential to accurately determine the left ventricular volume at different dose levels from 50 to 500 mGy. The results were verified in phantom studies of a five-dimensional (5D) mathematical mouse phantom. Methods: Micro-CT data of eight mice, each administered with an x-ray dose of 500 mGy, were acquired, retrospectively gated for cardiac and respiratory motion and reconstructed using PCF, MKB, LDPC, and HDTV. Dose levels down to 50 mGy were simulated by using only a fraction of the projections. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was evaluated as a measure of image quality. Left ventricular volume was determined using different segmentation algorithms (Otsu, level sets, region growing). Forward projections of the 5D mouse phantom were performed to simulate a micro-CT scan. The simulated data were processed the same way as the real mouse data sets. Results: Compared to the conventional PCF reconstruction, the MKB, LDPC, and HDTV algorithm yield images of increased quality in terms of CNR. While the MKB reconstruction only provides small improvements, a significant increase of the CNR is observed in LDPC and HDTV reconstructions. The phantom studies demonstrate that left ventricular volumes can be determined accurately at 500 mGy. For lower dose levels which were simulated for real mouse data sets, the

Assessment of dedicated low-dose cardiac micro-CT reconstruction algorithms using the left ventricular volume of small rodents as a performance measure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maier, Joscha; Sawall, Stefan; Kachelrieß, Marc

2014-01-01

Purpose: Phase-correlated microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) imaging plays an important role in the assessment of mouse models of cardiovascular diseases and the determination of functional parameters as the left ventricular volume. As the current gold standard, the phase-correlated Feldkamp reconstruction (PCF), shows poor performance in case of low dose scans, more sophisticated reconstruction algorithms have been proposed to enable low-dose imaging. In this study, the authors focus on the McKinnon-Bates (MKB) algorithm, the low dose phase-correlated (LDPC) reconstruction, and the high-dimensional total variation minimization reconstruction (HDTV) and investigate their potential to accurately determine the left ventricular volume at different dose levels from 50 to 500 mGy. The results were verified in phantom studies of a five-dimensional (5D) mathematical mouse phantom. Methods: Micro-CT data of eight mice, each administered with an x-ray dose of 500 mGy, were acquired, retrospectively gated for cardiac and respiratory motion and reconstructed using PCF, MKB, LDPC, and HDTV. Dose levels down to 50 mGy were simulated by using only a fraction of the projections. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was evaluated as a measure of image quality. Left ventricular volume was determined using different segmentation algorithms (Otsu, level sets, region growing). Forward projections of the 5D mouse phantom were performed to simulate a micro-CT scan. The simulated data were processed the same way as the real mouse data sets. Results: Compared to the conventional PCF reconstruction, the MKB, LDPC, and HDTV algorithm yield images of increased quality in terms of CNR. While the MKB reconstruction only provides small improvements, a significant increase of the CNR is observed in LDPC and HDTV reconstructions. The phantom studies demonstrate that left ventricular volumes can be determined accurately at 500 mGy. For lower dose levels which were simulated for real mouse data sets, the

Assessment of dedicated low-dose cardiac micro-CT reconstruction algorithms using the left ventricular volume of small rodents as a performance measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, Joscha; Sawall, Stefan; Kachelrieß, Marc

2014-05-01

Phase-correlated microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) imaging plays an important role in the assessment of mouse models of cardiovascular diseases and the determination of functional parameters as the left ventricular volume. As the current gold standard, the phase-correlated Feldkamp reconstruction (PCF), shows poor performance in case of low dose scans, more sophisticated reconstruction algorithms have been proposed to enable low-dose imaging. In this study, the authors focus on the McKinnon-Bates (MKB) algorithm, the low dose phase-correlated (LDPC) reconstruction, and the high-dimensional total variation minimization reconstruction (HDTV) and investigate their potential to accurately determine the left ventricular volume at different dose levels from 50 to 500 mGy. The results were verified in phantom studies of a five-dimensional (5D) mathematical mouse phantom. Micro-CT data of eight mice, each administered with an x-ray dose of 500 mGy, were acquired, retrospectively gated for cardiac and respiratory motion and reconstructed using PCF, MKB, LDPC, and HDTV. Dose levels down to 50 mGy were simulated by using only a fraction of the projections. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was evaluated as a measure of image quality. Left ventricular volume was determined using different segmentation algorithms (Otsu, level sets, region growing). Forward projections of the 5D mouse phantom were performed to simulate a micro-CT scan. The simulated data were processed the same way as the real mouse data sets. Compared to the conventional PCF reconstruction, the MKB, LDPC, and HDTV algorithm yield images of increased quality in terms of CNR. While the MKB reconstruction only provides small improvements, a significant increase of the CNR is observed in LDPC and HDTV reconstructions. The phantom studies demonstrate that left ventricular volumes can be determined accurately at 500 mGy. For lower dose levels which were simulated for real mouse data sets, the HDTV algorithm shows the

Competing Quantum Hall Phases in the Second Landau Level in Low Density Limit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Wei [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Serafin, A. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab); Xia, J. S. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab); Liang, Y. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab); Sullivan, N. S. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab); Baldwin, K. W. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); West, K. W. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Pfeiffer, L. N. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Tsui, D. C. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

2015-01-01

Up to date, studies of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) states in the second Landau level have mainly been carried out in the high electron density regime, where the electron mobility is the highest. Only recently, with the advance of high quality low density MBE growth, experiments have been pushed to the low density regime [1], where the electron-electron interactions are strong and the Landau level mixing parameter, defined by κ = e²/εI_B/ℏω_e, is large. Here, l_B = (ℏe/B)^1/2 is the magnetic length and ω_c = eB/m the cyclotron frequency. All other parameters have their normal meanings. It has been shown that a large Landau level mixing effect strongly affects the electron physics in the second Landau level [2].

Viability study for the implantation of an incineration unit for low level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, Andre Wagner Oliani

1995-01-01

Incineration have been a world-wide accepted volume reduction technique for combustible materials due to its high efficiency and excellent results. This technique is used since the last century as an alternative to reduce cities garbage and during the last four decades for the hazardous wastes. The nuclear industry is also involved in this technique development related to the low level radioactive waste management. There are different types of incineration installations and the definition of the right system is based on a criterious survey of its main characteristics, related to the rad wastes as well technical, economical and burocratic parameters. After the autonomous Brazilian nuclear programme development and the onlook of the future intensive nuclear energy uses, a radwaste generation increase is expected. One of the installations where these radwastes volumes are awaited to be high is the Experimental Center of ARAMAR (CEA). Nuclear reactors for propulsion and power generation have been developed in CEA beyond other nuclear combustible cycle activities. In this panorama it is important to evaluate the incineration role in CEA installations, as a volume reduction technique for an appropriate radioactive wastes management implementation. In this work main aspects related to the low level radwaste incineration systems were up rised. This information are important to a coherent viability study and also to give a clear and impartial about a topic that is still non discussed in the national scenery. (author)

SUSY’s Ladder: reframing sequestering at Large Volume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reece, Matthew [Department of Physics, Harvard University,Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Xue, Wei [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2016-04-07

Theories with approximate no-scale structure, such as the Large Volume Scenario, have a distinctive hierarchy of multiple mass scales in between TeV gaugino masses and the Planck scale, which we call SUSY’s Ladder. This is a particular realization of Split Supersymmetry in which the same small parameter suppresses gaugino masses relative to scalar soft masses, scalar soft masses relative to the gravitino mass, and the UV cutoff or string scale relative to the Planck scale. This scenario has many phenomenologically interesting properties, and can avoid dangers including the gravitino problem, flavor problems, and the moduli-induced LSP problem that plague other supersymmetric theories. We study SUSY’s Ladder using a superspace formalism that makes the mysterious cancelations in previous computations manifest. This opens the possibility of a consistent effective field theory understanding of the phenomenology of these scenarios, based on power-counting in the small ratio of string to Planck scales. We also show that four-dimensional theories with approximate no-scale structure enforced by a single volume modulus arise only from two special higher-dimensional theories: five-dimensional supergravity and ten-dimensional type IIB supergravity. This gives a phenomenological argument in favor of ten dimensional ultraviolet physics which is different from standard arguments based on the consistency of superstring theory.

New York State low-level radioactive waste status report for 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-06-01

This report summarizes data on low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) generated in New York State. It is based on reports from generators that must be filed annually with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and on data from the US Department of Energy (US DOE). The data are summarized in a series of tables and figures. There are four sections in this report. Section 1 covers volume, activity, and other characteristics of waste shipped for disposal in 1997. (Activity is the measure of a material's radioactivity, or the number of radiation-emitting events occurring each second.) Section 2 summarizes volume, activity, and other characteristics of waste held for storage as of December 31, 1997. Section 3 shows historical LLRW generation and includes generators' projections for the next five years. Section 4 provides a list, by county, of all facilities from which 1997 LLRW reports were received

Environmental assessment for the treatment of Class A low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste generated by the West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-11-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently evaluating low-level radioactive waste management alternatives at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) located on the Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC) near West Valley, New York. The WVDP's mission is to vitrify high-level radioactive waste resulting from commercial fuel reprocessing operations that took place at the WNYNSC from 1966 to 1972. During the process of high-level waste vitrification, low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and mixed low-level waste (MILLW) will result and must be properly managed. It is estimated that the WVDP's LLW storage facilities will be filled to capacity in 1996. In order to provide sufficient safe storage of LLW until disposal options become available and partially fulfill requirements under the Federal Facilities Compliance Act (FFCA), the DOE is proposing to use U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed and permitted commercial facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Clive, Utah; and Houston, Texas to treat (volume-reduce) a limited amount of Class A LLW and MLLW generated from the WVDP. Alternatives for ultimate disposal of the West Valley LLW are currently being evaluated in an environmental impact statement. This proposed action is for a limited quantity of waste, over a limited period of time, and for treatment only; this proposal does not include disposal. The proposed action consists of sorting, repacking, and loading waste at the WVDP; transporting the waste for commercial treatment; and returning the residual waste to the WVDP for interim storage. For the purposes of this assessment, environmental impacts were quantified for a five-year operating period (1996 - 2001). Alternatives to the proposed action include no action, construction of additional on-site storage facilities, construction of a treatment facility at the WVDP comparable to commercial treatment, and off-site disposal at a commercial or DOE facility

Annealing as grown large volume CZT single crystals for increased spectral resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Longxia

2008-01-01

The spectroscopic performance of current large-volume Cadmium 10% Zinc Telluride, Cd 0.9 Zn 0.1 Te, (CZT) detectors is impaired by cumulative effect of tellurium precipitates (secondary phases) presented in CZT single-crystal grown by low-pressure Bridgman techniques(1). This statistical effect may limit the energy resolution of large-volume CZT detectors (typically 2-5% at 662 keV for 12-mm thick devices). The stochastic nature of the interaction prevents the use of any electronic or digital charge correction techniques without a significant reduction in the detector efficiency. This volume constraint hampers the utility of CZT since the detectors are inefficient at detecting photons >1MeV and/or in low fluency situations. During the project, seven runs CZT ingots have been grown, in these ingots the indium dopant concentrations have been changed in the range between 0.5ppm to 6ppm. The I-R mapping imaging method has been employed to study the Te-precipitates. The Teprecipitates in as-grown CZT wafers, and after annealing wafers have been systematically studied by using I-R mapping system (home installed, resolution of 1.5 (micro)m). We employed our I-R standard annealing CZT (Zn=4%) procedure or two-steps annealing into radiation CZT (Zn=10%), we achieved the 'non'-Te precipitates (size 10 9-10 (Omega)-cm. We believe that the Te-precipitates are the p-type defects, its reducing number causes the CZT became n+-type, therefore we varied or reduced the indium dapant concentration during the growth and changed the Te-precipitates size and density by using different Cd-temperature and different annealing procedures. We have made the comparisons among Te-precipitates size, density and Indium dopant concentrations, and we found that the CZT with smaller size of Te-precipitates is suitable for radiation uses but non-Te precipitates is impossible to be used in the radiation detectors, because the CZT would became un-dopant or 'intrinsic' with non radiation affection (we

Low potassium level

Science.gov (United States)

... treat and prevent low level of potassium. These foods include: Avocados Baked potato Bananas Bran Carrots Cooked lean beef Milk Oranges Peanut butter Peas and beans Salmon Seaweed Spinach Tomatoes Wheat germ

Directions in low-level radioactive waste management: A brief history of commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-10-01

This report presents a history of commercial low-level radioactive waste management in the United States, with emphasis on the history of six commercially operated low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. The report includes a brief description of important steps that have been taken during the 1980s to ensure the safe disposal of low-level waste in the 1990s and beyond. These steps include the issuance of Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 61, Licensing Requirements for the Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985, and steps taken by states and regional compacts to establish additional disposal sites. 42 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab

Rapid estimate of solid volume in large tuff cores using a gas pycnometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thies, C. [ed.; Geddis, A.M.; Guzman, A.G. [and others

1996-09-01

A thermally insulated, rigid-volume gas pycnometer system has been developed. The pycnometer chambers have been machined from solid PVC cylinders. Two chambers confine dry high-purity helium at different pressures. A thick-walled design ensures minimal heat exchange with the surrounding environment and a constant volume system, while expansion takes place between the chambers. The internal energy of the gas is assumed constant over the expansion. The ideal gas law is used to estimate the volume of solid material sealed in one of the chambers. Temperature is monitored continuously and incorporated into the calculation of solid volume. Temperature variation between measurements is less than 0.1{degrees}C. The data are used to compute grain density for oven-dried Apache Leap tuff core samples. The measured volume of solid and the sample bulk volume are used to estimate porosity and bulk density. Intrinsic permeability was estimated from the porosity and measured pore surface area and is compared to in-situ measurements by the air permeability method. The gas pycnometer accommodates large core samples (0.25 m length x 0.11 m diameter) and can measure solid volume greater than 2.20 cm{sup 3} with less than 1% error.

Large electrically induced height and volume changes in poly(3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene) /poly(styrenesulfonate) thin films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Charrier, D.S.H.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Kemerink, M.

2010-01-01

We demonstrate large, partly reversible height and volume changes of thin films of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) on the anode of interdigitating gold electrodes under ambient conditions by applying an electrical bias. The height and volume changes were monitored

Technical area status report for low-level mixed waste final waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayberry, J.L.; Huebner, T.L.; Ross, W.; Nakaoka, R.; Schumacher, R.; Cunnane, J.; Singh, D.; Darnell, R.; Greenhalgh, W.

1993-08-01

This report presents information on low-level mixed waste forms.The descriptions of the low-level mixed waste (LLMW) streams that are considered by the Mixed Waste Integrated Program (MWIP) are given in Appendix A. This information was taken from descriptions generated by the Mixed Waste Treatment Program (MWTP). Appendix B provides a list of characteristic properties initially considered by the Final Waste Form (FWF) Working Group (WG). A description of facilities available to test the various FWFs discussed in Volume I of DOE/MWIP-3 are given in Appendix C. Appendix D provides a summary of numerous articles that were reviewed on testing of FWFS. Information that was collected by the tests on the characteristic properties considered in this report are documented in Appendix D. The articles reviewed are not a comprehensive list, but are provided to give an indication of the data that are available

Alternatives to dose, quality factor and dose equivalent for low level irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sondhaus, C.A.; Bond, V.P.; Feinendegen, L.E.

1988-01-01

Randomly occurring energy deposition events produced by low levels of ionizing radiation interacting with tissue deliver variable amounts of energy to the sensitive target volumes within a small fraction of the cell population. A model is described in which an experimentally derived function relating event size to cell response probability operates mathematically on the microdosimetric event size distribution characterizing a given irradiation and thus determines the total fractional number of responding cells; this fraction measures the effectiveness of the given radiation. Normalizing to equal numbers of events produced by different radiations and applying this cell response or hit size effectiveness function (HSEF) should define radiation quality, or relative effectiveness, on a more nearly absolute basis than do the absorbed dose and dose evaluation, which are confounded when applied to low level irradiations. Examples using both calculation and experimental data are presented. 15 refs., 18 figs

Low level liquid scintillation analysis for environmental and biomedical quantitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kessler, M.J.

1991-01-01

Over the past five years low level liquid scintillation counting has become increasing popular because of the large number of applications which can be performed using this technique. These applications include environmental monitoring ( 3 H, 90 Sr/ 90 Y, etc.), radiocarbon dating (for age determination to 50,000 years), food adulteration studies (alcohol and beverage industries), radon monitoring (air/water), nuclear power plant monitoring (low level 3 H) and metabolism studies (pharmaceutical research). These applications can be performed with either a dedicated low level LSC or using a standard liquid scintillation counter in conjunction with the new technique of time-resolved LSC (TR-LSC). This technique when used on a standard LSC reduces the instrument background without substantially effecting the background, thus increasing the performance (E 2 /B) of the LSC. Data will be presented for each of the applications mentioned above, comparing the standard LSC and the new TR-LSC techniques. The optimization of the samples for each of these applications will be explored in detail with experimental results. In conclusion, by using the TR-LSC technique in conjunction with a standard LSC the performance of the standard LSC can be increased substantially without dedicating the LSC to doing only low level samples

Development of a low-level, in-line alpha counter (LLILAC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gritzo, R.E.; Farnham, J.E.; Fowler, M.M.; Wouters, J.

1996-01-01

This is the final report of a two-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). With the increasing awareness of water contamination issues and the rising consequences of any form of contamination, real-time continuous monitoring is rapidly becoming a necessity. In particular, monitoring for the presence of any radioactive material is paramount. The most difficult of such monitoring tasks is that of detecting alpha-emitting radionuclides in water. Our development of the Low Level In-Line Alpha Counter (LLILAC) addresses the need for on-line, near real-time monitoring of alpha-emitting radionuclides in aqueous streams in a wide variety of applications. Although primarily designed as an on-line instrument for real-time applications, the detector can also be used for long-term in situ/post-closure monitoring. This detection system operates by allowing the stream to be monitored to come in contact with a large number of small rods or tubes made of scintillation material. By maximizing the surface to volume ratio of the scintillator, the response to alpha particles is favored over other types of radiation. Several configurations of scintillator and light collection schemes have been investigated to optimize the detection efficiency. We have also written several Monte Carlo codes to help to predict and understand the detector performance

High tidal volume decreases adult respiratory distress syndrome, atelectasis, and ventilator days compared with low tidal volume in pediatric burned patients with inhalation injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousse, Linda E; Herndon, David N; Andersen, Clark R; Ali, Arham; Benjamin, Nicole C; Granchi, Thomas; Suman, Oscar E; Mlcak, Ronald P

2015-04-01

Inhalation injury, which is among the causes of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), continues to represent a significant source of mortality in burned patients. Inhalation injury often requires mechanical ventilation, but the ideal tidal volume strategy is not clearly defined in burned pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of low and high tidal volume on the number of ventilator days, ventilation pressures, and incidence of atelectasis, pneumonia, and ARDS in pediatric burned patients with inhalation injury within 1 year post burn injury. From 1986 to 2014, inhalation injury was diagnosed by bronchoscopy in pediatric burned patients (n = 932). Patients were divided into 3 groups: unventilated (n = 241), high tidal volume (HTV, 15 ± 3 mL/kg, n = 190), and low tidal volume (LTV, 9 ± 3 mL/kg, n = 501). High tidal volume was associated with significantly decreased ventilator days (p tidal volume significantly decreases ventilator days and the incidence of both atelectasis and ARDS compared with low tidal volume in pediatric burned patients with inhalation injury. Therefore, the use of HTV may interrupt sequences leading to lung injury in our patient population. Copyright © 2015 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.