The US plan for high-level nuclear waste includes the immobilization of long-lived radionuclides in glass or ceramic waste forms in stainless-steel canisters for disposal in deep geological repositories. Here we report that, under simulated repository conditions, corrosion could be significantly accelerated at the interfaces of different barrier materials, which has not been considered in the current safety and performance assessment models. Severe localized corrosion was found at the interfaces between stainless steel and a model nuclear waste glass and between stainless steel and a ceramic waste form. The accelerated corrosion can be attributed to changes of solution chemistry and local acidity/alkalinity within a confined space, which significantly alter the corrosion of both the waste-form materials and the metallic canisters. The corrosion that is accelerated by the interface interaction between dissimilar materials could profoundly impact the service life of the nuclear waste packages, which, therefore, should be carefully considered when evaluating the performance of waste forms and their packages. Moreover, compatible barriers should be selected to further optimize the performance of the geological repository system.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0579-x | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Absolute calibration methodology for non-uniform uranium and matrix distributions in large barrels of uranium-bearing solid waste.
Sci Rep
December 2024
Nuclear Safeguards and Physical Protection Department, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), Cairo, Egypt.
The effective implementation of domestic and international safeguards necessitates verification techniques for Nuclear Materials (NM). Even in the case of very small quantities of NMs, accounting for and analyzing such traces can provide insights into the mass balance of NMs and/or state activities, ensuring consistency in state declarations. This paper proposes and benchmarks an absolute calibration methodology for estimating the uranium-mass content in large-volume barrels (200 L).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnhancing hexavalent chromium stable reduction via sodium alginate encapsulation of newly isolated fungal and bacterial consortia.
J Hazard Mater
December 2024
School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, China; Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, China. Electronic address:
Chromium [Cr(VI)]-induced soil pollution is a serious environmental threat. Bioremediation utilizes specific microbes capable of transforming Cr(VI) into the less toxic Cr(III), however, microbial efficacy can be inhibited by elevated pollutant concentrations and competition from indigenous microbial communities. Thus, this study explored the potential of single and multi-domain microbial consortia encapsulated in alginate to overcome these shortcomings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSulfur-modified tea-waste biochar improves rice growth in arsenic contaminated soil and reduces arsenic accumulation.
iScience
December 2024
Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IESD), Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, India.
Arsenic (As) is a non-essential carcinogenic metalloid and an issue of concern for rice crops. This study investigated the effects of sulfur-loaded tea waste biochar (TWB) due to modification with sodium sulfide (SSTWB) or thiourea (TUTWB) on As stress and accumulation in rice plants. The results showed that sulfur-modified TWB improved plant morphology compared to plants grown in As-contaminated soil alone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUptake of metals, metalloids, and radiocesium varies with habitat use among passerine communities at coal combustion and nuclear fission legacy waste sites.
Environ Pollut
December 2024
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Releases of coal combustion and nuclear fission wastes create contaminated landscapes that pose long-term management challenges. Efforts to facilitate the natural attenuation of legacy wastes in the environment can provide attractive habitat for passerine birds. Passerines have diverse foraging and nesting behaviors that lead to heterogenous contaminant exposure, yet few studies investigate contaminant uptake in passerines on a community scale.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of microRNA in the regulation of hepatic metabolism and energy-expensive processes in the hibernating dormouse.
Cryobiology
December 2024
Institute of Biochemistry and Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
The garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) is a fat-storing mammal that undergoes annual periods of hibernation to mitigate the effects of food scarcity, low ambient temperatures, and reduced photoperiod that characterize winter. Like other hibernating species, this animal suppresses its metabolic rate by downregulating nonessential genes and processes in order to prolong available energy stores and limit waste accumulation throughout the season. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs that bind to mRNA and mediate post-transcriptional suppression, making miRNA ideal for modulating widespread changes in gene expression, including global downregulation typified by metabolic rate depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!