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Division Spotlight
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Four million nuclear jobs by 2050: Who will do them?
Industry leaders from around the globe met this month to discuss the talent development that will be necessary for the long-term success of the nuclear industry.
The International Conference on Nuclear Knowledge Management and Human Resources Development, hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency, was held in Vienna earlier this month. Discussed there was the agency’s forecast for nuclear capacity to more than double—or hopefully triple—by 2050 and the requirement of more than four million professionals to support the industry.
Ramesh Dayal, Richard F. Pietrzak, James H. Clinton
Nuclear Technology | Volume 72 | Number 2 | February 1986 | Pages 158-177
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT86-A33738
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The results of source term characterization studies for the Maxey Flats low-level radioactive waste disposal site show that because of the long residence time of water accumulations in the trenches, prolonged leaching and microbial degradation of waste materials occur continuously, leading to leachate formation. As a result of such interactions for extended time periods, the resultant trench leachates exhibit significant modifications in terms of inorganic, organic, and radionuclide constituents and acquire geochemical properties that are unique, compared to ambient groundwater. The leachates generally exhibit varying degrees of anoxia characterized by negative redox potentials, low dissolved oxygen and sulfate concentrations, high alkalinity, and high ammonia concentrations. The enrichments, to varying degrees, of inorganic, organic, and radionuclide constituents associated with fuel cycle and non-fuel cycle low-level wastes reflect the nature of the leaching process itself and of the waste materials. Elevated concentrations of Na+, K+, Fetotal, Mntotal, Cl‾, dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, and several organic compounds as well as radionuclides, such as 3H, 241Am, 60Co, 134Cs, 137Cs, 90Sr, 238Pu, and 239,240Pu are a consequence of waste leaching. Some of the waste-derived organic compounds present in the trenches, such as chelating agents and several carboxylic acids, are strong complexing agents and have the potential to form stable radionuclide complexes and thus enhance nuclide mobility. The consequences of past disposal practices as reflected in the problems associated with the burial of unsegregated, poorly packaged, and unstabilized wastes at the Maxey Flats disposal site indicate the significance of waste segregation, improved stabilization, and proper packaging. In accordance with current disposal procedures, stabilized and packaged waste not only ensures trench stability but also decreases the rate and extent of leaching and microbial degradation of waste materials.