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Title: Dose consequences from a postulated criticality occurring in a low-level waste disposal facility

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/634004· OSTI ID:634004

Evaluations were done to determine conditions that could permit nuclear criticality with fissile uranium in low-level waste (LLW) facilities and to estimate potential radiation exposures to personnel if there were such an accident. Simultaneous hydrogeochemical and nuclear criticality studies were done (1) to identity realistic scenarios for uranium migration and concentration increase at LLW disposal facilities, (2) to model groundwater transport of uranium and subsequent concentration via sorption or precipitation, (3) to evaluate the potential for nuclear criticality resulting from potential increases in uranium concentration over disposal limits, and (4) to estimate potential radiation exposures to personnel resulting from criticality consequences. This paper presents the details of the radiation exposure calculations relying on the conditions as determined from the preceding studies detailed in a cited reference.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States); USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-96OR22464
OSTI ID:
634004
Report Number(s):
ORNL/CP-96095; CONF-980403-; ON: TI98003172; BR: 41W1376L1; TRN: 98:009770
Resource Relation:
Conference: Radiation protection and shielding topical meeting: technologies for the new century, Nashville, TN (United States), 19-23 Apr 1998; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English