Problems of nuclear waste. Disposal of radioactive waste: problems and concepts in the USA and Russia

Nuclear waste is a relatively recent term. The arms race of the 20th century accelerated the use of atomic energy. In any case, be it military use This energy or peaceful, in the process, waste is formed that is dangerous for all life on Earth. The article reveals some aspects of the recycling problem nuclear waste.

Extensive research in the field nuclear physics at the beginning of the twentieth century led to the large-scale use of atomic energy and radioactive materials in science, industry, medicine, agriculture and in educational process. It is clear that this practice is accompanied by the formation of various wastes. A special feature of this type of waste is the presence of radioactive elements in it. We must not forget that radioactivity has always been present on Earth and is present now. The only question is what is the level of this radioactivity.

Nuclear waste (synonymous with radioactive waste - RW) is a substance containing hazardous elements that cannot be used in the future. It is unacceptable to confuse this term with the term “spent nuclear fuel" Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is a mixture of substances consisting of nuclear fuel residues and fission products, such as cesium isotopes with a mass of 137 and strontium isotopes with a mass of 90. SNF is an additional source for obtaining nuclear fuel.

Criteria for classifying waste as radioactive

According to the state of aggregation, radioactive waste can be in gaseous, liquid and solid form. To understand what kind of “garbage” can be considered radioactive, let’s look at the regulations.

According to radiation safety standards SanPin 2.6.1.2523-09, waste is classified as radioactive in the case when the result of adding the ratios of specific (solid and liquid waste) and volumetric (gases) activities of radionuclides in waste to their minimum specific activity is greater than one. If it is impossible to calculate this, then the criterion for classifying waste as radioactive is the degree of radiation for waste in the solid state:

one Bq/g – sources emitting α-particles;
one hundred Bq/g – sources emitting β-particles;

and for liquids:

0.05 Bq/g – sources emitting α-particles;
0.5 Bq/g - sources emitting β-particles.

Waste emitting γ-radiation falls into the nuclear category when the dose rate at a distance of 10 cm from its surface is more than one μSv/h.

Bq - Becquerel is equal to one disintegration per second per gram (kilogram) of substance.

Sv – Sievert is equal to approximately one hundred roentgens. Roentgens measure total radiation, and sieverts measure the radiation received by a person.

Waste in a solid aggregate state can be sorted according to the dose rate of γ-radiation at a distance of 10 cm from the surface into waste:

low activity - 1 µSv/h – 0.3 mSv/h;
average activity - 0.3 mSv/h – 10 mSv/h;
high activity - more than 10 mSv/h.

Short-lived waste contains nuclides with a decay period of less than 1 year to a harmless level. Very low-level waste (VLLW) includes waste that does not exceed a γ-radiation dose of 1 μSv/h.

Separately, waste from spent reactor structures, transport and technical control equipment is distinguished.

How nuclear waste is disposed of, methods of disposal and recycling

Initially, the enterprise where nuclear waste is generated must collect it, characterize it, sort it and ensure its temporary storage. Properly packaged nuclear waste must then be transported to a facility where the radioactive waste is processed. The plant selects technology for processing and disposal, taking into account engineering and non-technical technical characteristics radioactive waste management.

Highly radioactive waste serves as a source for secondary raw materials (approximately 95% of the waste volume). The remaining 5% of substances, the half-life of which is hundreds and thousands of years, are vitrified and stored in deep wells located in the rocks.

Medium-level and low-level radioactive waste are subjected to the following types processing:

Solid:

combustible waste is subjected to incineration in furnaces, plasma incineration, thermochemical treatment, vitrification incineration or acid decomposition;
pressed – compacting and super compacting;
metal – compacting and melting;
fireproof and non-compressible - sent to containers.

Liquid:

organic combustible waste is burned in furnaces either separately or together with solid waste;
organic fireproof – adsorption on powders and cementation, thermochemical processing;
aqueous low-salt - concentration and cementation;
aqueous high-salt - bituminization and vitrification.

Gaseous waste is captured by chemical reagents or by adsorption.

Let's consider different ways disposal of nuclear waste carried out by the reprocessing plant separately.

Clothes, paper, wood, and household waste that have been irradiated are burned in specially designed ovens. The ash must be cemented.

Nuclear waste incinerator

Compacting– this is the pressing of solid radioactive waste under pressure. This method processing is unacceptable for explosive and flammable substances.

Supercompacting– this is the compaction of solid radioactive waste that has passed the compaction stage. Produced to reduce waste volumes.

Cementing is one of the most accessible methods for processing nuclear waste, especially liquid waste. Its advantages:

accessibility;
inflammability and non-plasticity of the final product;
low cost of equipment and containers for processing;
relative simplicity of technology.

Bitumenization- this is the inclusion of radioactive waste, especially waste containing any liquids, into the composition of bitumen. In terms of technological complexity, bitumenization is superior to cementation, but it also has some advantages. During bituminization, moisture evaporates, so the waste does not increase in volume and remains moisture resistant.

Vitrification is a way to recycle nuclear waste different levels activity. Glass is a material that can absorb a large volume of substances not included in its composition. In addition, the resulting product will not decompose for a very long time.

After processing, containers with nuclear waste are buried. According to the IAEA, disposal is the placement of waste in specially prepared places (nuclear waste repository) without the purpose of its further use. Waste that has been converted into a solid state and properly packaged must be disposed of.

There are these types of burials:

Deep-sea disposal of nuclear waste: containers are placed on the seabed at a depth of approximately 1000 m.
Geological: isolation of waste in specially prepared engineering structures in stable layers of rock at a depth of several hundred meters. This is basically how highly active and long-lived radioactive waste is buried.
Near-surface: containers are placed in engineering structures on the surface and a layer of earth close to it or in mines at a depth of several tens of meters from the surface. This is how short-lived, low- and intermediate-level waste is buried.
Deep ocean disposal: placing containers of waste into sediment on the seabed at a depth of several thousand meters.
Burial under ocean floor: placement of radioactive waste in engineering structures located in the rocks of the coastal seabed.

Where does nuclear waste go in Russia?

Where does nuclear waste go in our country? In Russia, as throughout the world, work with nuclear waste is carried out at specialized enterprises equipped with high-quality equipment and technology. Every year, 5 million tons of nuclear waste are generated on the territory of our state, of which 3 million tons are processed and disposed of. By 2025, it is planned to store 89.5% of radioactive waste in a condition that is safe for people and the environment, 8% - in special containers, 0.016% - in non-permanent storage facilities.

Where is nuclear waste stored in Russia, which was accumulated during the arms race between the USSR and the USA? Let us recall examples of the use of atomic energy and the creation of nuclear waste repositories in our country.

IN most beautiful places Chelyabinsk region sadly hid under the leaves of the trees famous river Techa, Lake Karachay and closed city Ozersk It was here in 1948 that the first reactor of the Mayak production association for the creation of weapons-grade plutonium began operation. Yes, Soviet Union gave a worthy response to the United States, becoming a leader nuclear race weapons. But neither the United States nor the USSR gave much thought to where to dispose of waste.

The first nuclear waste repository of the enterprise was the small river Techa. In 1957, elements obtained as a result of the explosion of a container with radioactive waste were added to the nuclear waste constantly dumped into the river. In addition, there was a formation in the air radioactive cloud, which infected an area approximately 300–350 km northeast of the Mayak plant. After this terrible accident The Soviet government has identified a new location - a storage facility for hazardous waste. It became a lake in the Chelyabinsk region.

However, in 1967, as a result of a drought, the same radioactive elements were scattered from the bottom of Lake Karachay, a nuclear waste dump, for many kilometers around. After this, a decision was made to liquidate Karachay. At the end of the 60s of the last century, the lake began to be conserved, and this process lasted more than 40 years. Today it is buried using latest technologies more than 200 thousand cubic meters of highly active technogenic silts and loams.

The last welding seam of the protective screen at the Kraton - 3 facility

In the 70s of the twentieth century, peaceful underground explosions “Crystal” and “Kraton - 3” were carried out on the territory of Yakutia, as a result of which the surrounding territory was subjected to a radioactive attack. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, these sites were rehabilitated and nuclear waste repositories were created, which significantly improved the radioactive situation.

Modern view of the Kraton-3 object

On the Internet you can see maps clearly depicting nuclear waste disposal sites in Russia.

About unique processing methods radioactive waste at the enterprise Far East talk in the next video

Scientific and technological progress is impossible without the development of nuclear science and technology. However, in the modern arms race one should not forget about possible consequences. Radioactive waste poses a threat to all humanity and to all living organisms on our planet. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new safe methods for disposing of nuclear waste.

Check if there is a nuclear power plant, plant or nuclear research institute, radioactive waste or nuclear missile storage facility near you.

Nuclear power plants

Currently, there are 10 nuclear power plants in operation in Russia and two more are under construction (Baltic NPP in Kaliningrad region and the floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" in Chukotka). You can read more about them on the official website of Rosenergoatom.

At the same time, nuclear power plants in space former USSR cannot be considered numerous. As of 2017, 191 nuclear power plants are operating in the world, including 60 in the USA, 58 in European Union and Switzerland and 21 in China and India. There are 16 Japanese and 6 South Korean nuclear power plants operating in close proximity to the Russian Far East. The entire list of operating, under construction and closed nuclear power plants, indicating their exact location and technical characteristics, can be found on Wikipedia.

Nuclear factories and research institutes

Radiation hazardous objects (RHO), in addition to nuclear power plants, are enterprises and scientific organizations nuclear industry and ship repair yards, specializing in the nuclear fleet.

Official information on radioactive waste in the regions of Russia is on the website of Roshydromet, as well as in the yearbook “Radiation situation in Russia and neighboring states” on the website of the NPO Typhoon.

Radioactive waste

Low and medium level radioactive waste is generated in industry, as well as in scientific and medical organizations all over the country.

In Russia, their collection, transportation, processing and storage are carried out by Rosatom subsidiaries - RosRAO and Radon (in the Central region).

In addition, RosRAO is engaged in the disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned nuclear submarines and naval ships, as well as the environmental rehabilitation of contaminated areas and radiation-hazardous sites (such as the former uranium processing plant in Kirovo-Chepetsk).

Information about their work in each region can be found in environmental reports published on the websites of Rosatom, branches of RosRAO, and the Radon enterprise.

Military nuclear facilities

Among military nuclear facilities, the most environmentally dangerous are, apparently, nuclear submarines.

Nuclear submarines (NPS) are so called because they run on atomic energy, which powers the boat's engines. Some of the nuclear submarines also carry missiles with nuclear warheads. However, major accidents on nuclear submarines known from open sources were associated with the operation of reactors or other causes (collision, fire, etc.), and not with nuclear warheads.

Atomic power plants They are also found on some surface ships of the Navy, such as the nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Velikiy. They also pose some environmental risks.

Information on the locations of nuclear submarines and nuclear ships of the Navy is shown on the map based on open source data.

The second type of military nuclear facilities are units of the Strategic Missile Forces armed with ballistic missiles. nuclear missiles. Cases of radiation accidents associated with nuclear weapons in open sources not found. The current location of Strategic Missile Forces formations is shown on the map according to information from the Ministry of Defense.

There are no storage facilities for nuclear weapons (missile warheads and aerial bombs) on the map, which can also pose an environmental threat.

Nuclear explosions

In 1949-1990, the USSR carried out an extensive program of 715 nuclear explosions for military and industrial purposes.

Atmospheric nuclear weapons testing

From 1949 to 1962 The USSR carried out 214 tests in the atmosphere, including 32 ground tests (with the greatest pollution environment), 177 air, 1 high-altitude (at an altitude of more than 7 km) and 4 space.

In 1963, the USSR and the USA signed a treaty banning nuclear tests in air, water and space.

Semipalatinsk test site (Kazakhstan)- test site of the first Soviet nuclear bomb in 1949 and the first Soviet prototype thermonuclear bombs s with a capacity of 1.6 Mt in 1957 (it was also the largest test in the history of the test site). A total of 116 atmospheric tests were carried out here, including 30 ground and 86 air tests.

Test site on Novaya Zemlya- the site of an unprecedented series of super-powerful explosions in 1958 and 1961-1962. A total of 85 charges were tested, including the most powerful in world history - the Tsar Bomba with a capacity of 50 Mt (1961). For comparison, the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima did not exceed 20 kilotons. In addition, in Chernaya Bay of the Novaya Zemlya test site, damaging factors nuclear explosion to naval facilities. For this, in 1955-1962. 1 ground, 2 surface and 3 underwater tests were carried out.

Missile test training ground "Kapustin Yar" V Astrakhan region- active test site Russian army. In 1957-1962. 5 air, 1 high-altitude and 4 space rocket tests were carried out here. The maximum power of air explosions was 40 kt, high-altitude and space explosions - 300 kt. From here in 1956, a rocket with a nuclear charge of 0.3 kt was launched, which fell and exploded in the Karakum Desert near the city of Aralsk.

On Totsky training ground in 1954, military exercises were held, during which an atomic bomb with a yield of 40 kt was dropped. After the explosion, the military units had to “take” the bombed objects.

Besides the USSR, only China has carried out nuclear tests in the atmosphere in Eurasia. For this purpose, the Lopnor training ground was used in the north-west of the country, approximately at the longitude of Novosibirsk. In total, from 1964 to 1980. China has carried out 22 ground and air tests, including thermonuclear explosions with a yield of up to 4 Mt.

Underground nuclear explosions

The USSR carried out underground nuclear explosions from 1961 to 1990. Initially, they were aimed at the development of nuclear weapons in connection with the ban on atmospheric testing. Since 1967, the creation of nuclear explosive technologies for industrial purposes began.

In total, of the 496 underground explosions, 340 were carried out at the Semipalatinsk test site and 39 at Novaya Zemlya. Tests on Novaya Zemlya in 1964-1975. were distinguished by their high power, including a record (about 4 Mt) underground explosion in 1973. After 1976, the power did not exceed 150 kt. The last nuclear explosion at the Semipalatinsk test site was carried out in 1989, and at Novaya Zemlya in 1990.

Training ground "Azgir" in Kazakhstan (near the Russian city of Orenburg) it was used to test industrial technologies. With the help of nuclear explosions, cavities were created in the layers here rock salt, and with repeated explosions, radioactive isotopes were produced in them. A total of 17 explosions with a power of up to 100 kt were carried out.

Outside the ranges in 1965-1988. 100 underground nuclear explosions were carried out for industrial purposes, including 80 in Russia, 15 in Kazakhstan, 2 each in Uzbekistan and Ukraine, and 1 in Turkmenistan. Their goal was deep seismic sounding to search for minerals, creating underground cavities for storage natural gas and industrial waste, intensification of oil and gas production, moving large amounts of soil for the construction of canals and dams, extinguishing gas fountains.

Other countries. China carried out 23 underground nuclear explosions at the Lop Nor test site in 1969-1996, India - 6 explosions in 1974 and 1998, Pakistan - 6 explosions in 1998, North Korea - 5 explosions in 2006-2016.

The US, UK and France conducted all their testing outside of Eurasia.

Literature

Much data about nuclear explosions in the USSR is open.

Official information about the power, purpose and geography of each explosion was published in 2000 in the book of a group of authors of the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy “Nuclear Tests of the USSR”. It also provides a history and description of the Semipalatinsk and Novaya Zemlya test sites, the first tests of nuclear and thermonuclear bombs, the Tsar Bomba test, the nuclear explosion at the Totsk test site and other data.

A detailed description of the test site on Novaya Zemlya and the testing program at it can be found in the article “Review of Soviet nuclear tests on Novaya Zemlya in 1955-1990”, and their environmental consequences- in the book "

List of nuclear facilities compiled in 1998 by Itogi magazine, on the Kulichki.com website.

Estimated location of various objects on interactive maps

Removal, processing and disposal of waste from hazard classes 1 to 5

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Collection, modification and disposal of radioactive waste must be carried out separately from other types of waste materials. Dumping them into water bodies is prohibited, otherwise the consequences will be very sad. , which are of no practical value for further production. They include a collection of radioactive chemical elements. According to Russian legislation, subsequent use of such compounds is prohibited.

Before starting the disposal process, radioactive waste must be sorted according to the degree of radioactivity, form and decay period. Subsequently, to reduce the volume of dangerous isotopes and neutralize radionuclides, they are processed through combustion, evaporation, pressing and filtration.

Subsequent processing consists of fixation with cement or bitumen for the purpose of hardening, or vitrification of highly active radioactive waste.

The fixed isotopes are placed in special, complexly designed containers with thick walls for their further transportation to the storage location. In order to increase safety, they are supplied with additional packaging.

General characteristics

Radioactive waste can be generated from various sources and have a variety of different shapes and properties.

TO important characteristics Radioactive waste includes:

Concentration. A parameter showing the value of specific activity. That is, this is the activity that accounts for one unit of mass. The most popular unit of measurement is Ci/T. Accordingly, the greater this characteristic, the more dangerous consequences may bring such rubbish with it.
Half life. The duration of the decay of half the atoms in a radioactive element. It is worth noting that the faster this period, the more energy the garbage releases, causing more harm, but in this case the substance loses its properties faster.

Harmful substances can have different forms; there are three main physical states:

Gaseous. As a rule, this includes emissions from ventilation units of organizations involved in the direct processing of radioactive materials.
In liquid forms. This may be liquid waste that was generated during the processing of already used fuel. Such waste is highly active and can therefore cause severe harm to the environment.
Solid form. These are glass and glassware from hospitals and research laboratories.

Storage of radioactive waste

The owner of a radioactive waste storage facility in Russia can be: legal entity, and the federal government. For temporary storage, radioactive waste must be placed in a special container that ensures the conservation of spent fuel. Moreover, the material from which the container is made should not enter into any chemical reaction with substance.

Storage premises must be equipped with dry drums, which allow short-lived radioactive waste to decay before further processing. Such a room is a radioactive waste storage facility. The purpose of its operation is the temporary placement of radioactive waste for further transportation to their disposal sites.

Container for solid radioactive waste

Disposal of radioactive waste cannot be done without a special container called a container for radioactive waste. A container for radioactive waste is a vessel used as a storage facility for radioactive waste. In Russia, the law establishes a huge number of requirements for such an invention.

The main ones:

The non-returnable container is not intended for storing liquid radioactive waste. Its structure allows it to contain only solid or hardened substances.
The body that the container has must be sealed and not allow even a small part of the stored waste to pass through.
After removing the cover and decontamination, contamination should not exceed 5 particles per m2. It is impossible to allow more pollution, since unpleasant consequences can also affect the external environment.
The container must withstand the harshest temperature conditions from - 50 to + 70 degrees Celsius.
When draining radioactive substance With high temperature into a container, the container must withstand temperatures up to + 130 degrees Celsius.
The container must withstand external physical influences, in particular earthquakes.

The isotope storage process in Russia should ensure:

Their isolation, compliance with protective measures, as well as monitoring the state of the environment. The consequences of violating such a rule can be disastrous, since the substances can almost instantly pollute nearby areas.
Possibility of facilitating further procedures at subsequent stages.

The main directions of the process are:

Storage of radioactive waste with short term life. Subsequently, they are discharged in strictly regulated volumes.
Storage of high-level radioactive waste until disposal. This allows you to reduce the amount of heat they generate and reduce the consequences of harmful effects on the environment.

Disposal of radioactive waste

Problems with radioactive waste disposal still exist in Russia. Not only the environmental protection of humans, but also the environment must be ensured. This type activity presupposes the presence of a license for the use of subsoil and the right to carry out work on the development of nuclear energy. Radioactive waste disposal facilities can be either federally owned or owned by the state corporation Rosatom. Today, radioactive waste is buried in the Russian Federation in specially designated places called radioactive waste repositories.

There are three types of disposal, their classification depends on the duration of storage of radioactive substances:

Long-term disposal of radioactive waste - ten years. Harmful elements are buried in trenches, small engineering structures made on or under the ground.
For hundreds of years. In this case, the disposal of radioactive waste is carried out in the geological structures of the continent, which includes underground workings and natural cavities. In Russia and other countries, they actively practice the creation of burial grounds on the ocean floor.
Transmutation. Theoretically possible way disposal of radioactive substances, which involves irradiating long-lived radionuclides and converting them into short-lived ones.

The type of burial is selected based on three parameters:

Specific activity of a substance
Packaging sealing level
Estimated shelf life

Radioactive waste storage facilities in Russia must meet the following requirements:

The radioactive waste storage facility should be located away from the city. The distance between them must be at least 20 kilometers. The consequences of violating this rule are poisoning and possible death of the population.
There should be no built-up areas near the burial site, otherwise there is a risk of damage to the containers.
There must be an area at the training ground where the work will be carried out.
The level of ground sources should be as far away as possible. If waste gets into the water, the consequences will be sad - the death of animals and humans
Radioactive burial sites for solid and other waste must have sanitary protective zone. Its length cannot be less than 1 kilometer from livestock grazing areas and populated areas.
At the landfill there should be a plant engaged in the detoxification of radioactive waste.

Waste recycling

Reprocessing of radioactive waste is a procedure that is aimed at direct transformation state of aggregation or properties of a radioactive substance, in order to create convenience for the transportation and storage of waste.

Each type of waste has its own methods for carrying out such a procedure:

For liquids - precipitation, exchange using ions and distillation.
For solids – combustion, pressing and calcination. Leftovers solid waste sent to burial sites.
For gases - chemical absorption and filtration. Substances will then be stored in high-pressure cylinders.

Regardless of which unit the product is processed, the end result will be immobilized compact blocks of solid types. For immobilization and further isolation solids, the following methods are used:

Cementing. Used for waste with low and medium activity of the substance. As a rule, this is solid waste.
Burning at high temperatures.
Vitrification.
Packaging in special containers. Typically these containers are made of steel or lead.

Deactivation

Due to active environmental pollution, in Russia and other countries of the world they are trying to find an up-to-date method for decontaminating radioactive waste. Yes, the burial and disposal of solid radioactive waste produces results, but unfortunately, these procedures do not ensure environmental safety, and therefore are not perfect. Currently, several methods of radioactive waste decontamination are practiced in Russia.

Using sodium carbonate

This method is used exclusively for solid waste that has entered the soil: sodium carbonate leaches radionuclides, which are extracted from the alkali solution by ion particles containing in their composition magnetic material. Next, the chelate complexes are removed using a magnet. This method of processing solids is quite effective, but there are disadvantages.

Method problem:

The lixiviant (formula Na2Co3) has a fairly limited chemical ability. He is simply not able to extract the entire range of radioactive compounds from solid state and convert them into liquid materials.
The high cost of the method is mainly due to the chemisorption material, which has a unique structure.

Dissolution in nitric acid

Let's apply the method to radioactive pulps and sediments; these substances are dissolved in nitric acid with an admixture of hydrazine. After this, the solution is packaged and vitrified.

Main problem This is an expensive procedure, since the evaporation of the solution and further disposal of radioactive waste is quite expensive.

Soil elution

Used for decontamination of soil and soil. This method is the most environmentally friendly. The bottom line is this: contaminated soil or soil is treated by elution with water, aqueous solutions with additions of ammonium salts, and ammonia solutions.

The main problem is the relatively low efficiency in extracting radionuclides that are bound to the soil at the chemical level.

Decontamination of liquid waste

Radioactive waste of liquid types – special kind garbage that is difficult to store and dispose of. This is why decontamination is the best remedy getting rid of such substances.

There are three ways to clean harmful material from radionuclides:

Physical method. Refers to the process of evaporation or freezing of substances. Next, the hazardous elements are sealed and placed into waste repositories.
Physico-chemical. Extraction is carried out using a solution with selective extractants, i.e. removal of radionuclides.
Chemical. Purification of radionuclides using various natural reagents. The main problem with this method is large quantities the remaining sludge, which is sent to disposal sites.

Common problem with each method:

Physical methods - extremely high costs for evaporation and freezing of solutions.
Physico-chemical and chemical - huge volumes of radioactive sludge sent to burial sites. The burial procedure is quite expensive, it requires a lot of money and time.

Radioactive waste is a problem not only in Russia, but also in other countries. The main task of humanity at the moment– disposal of radioactive waste and its disposal. Each state decides independently how to do this.

Switzerland does not independently reprocess and dispose of radioactive waste, but is actively developing programs for the management of such waste. If you do not take any action, the consequences can be the most tragic, including the death of humanity and animals.

How is nuclear waste disposed of? Yes, it’s elementary, they just take it and bury it. The only thing is that the orchestra and wreaths “From Colleagues” are missing, but the principle is the same. A large hole is exploded in the rock, barrels of radioactive waste are placed there and the whole facility is filled with concrete. Well, that's it in a nutshell. And if in more detail, then process burial looks somewhat more complicated. But first things first.

Place of events

By the will of fate, I ended up at the Ural Electrochemical Plant. If anyone doesn’t know, I’ll say that this is the world’s largest production facility for the production of enriched uranium (40% of global production), from which it can then be used to make fuel for nuclear power plants, and if the Motherland orders, then atomic bomb(well, that's by the way). And like any production, unfortunately, it cannot do without waste. And it would be fine if he produced tractors or televisions, otherwise he produces uranium, and the waste, accordingly, is radioactive. They cannot be thrown into a landfill or recycled. There is only one way out - to bury, i.e. transform them into an “unrecoverable form.”
For reference: JSC UEIP (Novouralsk) is the world's largest uranium enrichment enterprise. The country's first enterprise for separating uranium isotopes and processing highly enriched uranium into low-enriched uranium. It is part of the TVEL Fuel Company of the Rosatom State Corporation. Comfortably located in a mountain valley in the Middle Urals. Founded 1946

The essence of the question

What are these same radioactive waste? These are filters, all kinds of couplings, gaskets, hoses and even special clothing that have been subjected to α-irradiation. Uranium is an expensive thing, so it is not sent to waste; if even a milligram of the substance is lost somewhere in these things, it will be found, picked out and returned back to the technological chain. And what remains is sent for recycling.

The main danger of radioactive waste is radiation. Radiation also comes in different forms, there is alpha radiation, there is beta radiation, there is gamma radiation. Alpha radiation, so to speak, is the most “harmless”. At their core, they are just helium atoms, only with a positive charge. Physical properties uranium is such that it does not produce any other radiation, and for α-particles even a sheet of paper is an insurmountable barrier. Another thing is spent nuclear fuel, this is real Hell! People often confuse radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, but the difference between them is colossal. Suffice it to say that you can easily take a uranium tablet in your hand before immersing it in the reactor. If you try to do the same with spent fuel, you will immediately lose your arm, and then probably die.

Actually, the fuel itself for nuclear power plants looks like this. Yes, yes, this is uranium (photo vladimir_pak)

α-radiation is also no joke. Well, you grabbed a piece of uranium - pfft... you washed your hands with soap, and that's all. α-particles are unable to even penetrate the stratum corneum of your skin. But if radioactive dust gets inside the body, then there will be trouble (remember poor Litvinenko). Therefore, respirators are the number one thing for nuclear workers. And one more detail - there is a water fountain in the workshop. I ask - can I drink? They answer - it is necessary! Just don’t drink, but rinse, I went to smoke - I rinsed my mouth, I went to eat - I rinsed twice!

In the photo, a worker closes a container with radioactive waste

The process itself.

But let's return to recycling technology. So, the generated waste is carefully packaged in a special container and sent to the recycling workshop. Two fates await them there - either pressing or burning. Mainly filters are pressed. Of course, they didn’t show us the procedure itself, because... they were tense with waste. If in 2010 the plant squeezed out 560 cubic meters of waste, then in 2011 it was only 500, and this year even less - the plan is 465 cubic meters. They are not pressed every day, and burned even less often. To be more precise, the furnace is turned on only twice a year. The furnace itself is a rather bulky structure with a height of 12.5 m.

Here she is. Nothing big. The separator for the production of yoghurt even looks cooler.

Everything rubber, plastic and textile goes into the firebox. As a result of combustion (as we know), smoke and ash are formed. So, the smoke, having gone through FIVE stages of purification, goes into the atmosphere, and at the same time, it is immeasurably cleaner than what comes from the chimney of your bathhouse in the country, but the ash is collected and packaged in special 200-liter barrels. Each barrel costs 1,000 rubles, and does not rust at all. After the barrel is filled, it is placed on a special rotating pedestal and its radioactivity begins to be measured using a mass spectrometer. It spins on the stand for about 30 minutes, after which a passport is drawn up for the container, where it is written down almost atomically what kind of garbage, with what radiation and in what quantity is there.

Well, here is the barrel itself and the Trans Spec mass spectrometer.

Then it is taken to the PPZR - a near-surface disposal site for radioactive waste. PPZR, as I wrote above, is a small pit in the rock, 7 meters deep. Barrels of 4 are placed in special concrete containers with a wall thickness of 10 cm. The containers are loaded into a pit and filled with extra-strong concrete. Initially, the designers thought that such “cemeteries” would exist comfortably for 300 years. However, after examining the very first burials, which were already sixty years old, they came to the conclusion that concern about their condition would need to be shown in 1500 years, not earlier.

This pit is not ours, but South African, but everything is the same.

These nuclear scientists are real penny pinchers. Despite the fact that they produce hundreds of tons of nuclear fuel, they tremble over every milligram and keep records, almost to the fifth decimal place. For them, burying waste is the same as burying money. If we express this in numbers, then I will say one thing - what comes into the recycling shop and what comes out of it differs in volume by 100-150 times! That is, at the entrance is a loaded KamAZ, at the exit is a 200-liter barrel, at the entrance is a 200-liter barrel, at the exit is a one and a half liter bottle.

There are also problems with radiation. During our press tour, the sound more often was not “let’s take a photo,” but “let’s measure ourselves!” The poor dosimetrists were exhausted, fulfilling all our wishes. The results are:

Background on the street, next to the workshop - 0.07 mSv.

The background next to the “stove” is 0.14 mSv.

The permissible norm is 2.3 mSv.

Our guardian angel dosimetrist

For reference: Sievert (Sv/Sv) biological effect of radiation or dose received by organic tissue. Depends on the nature of the radiation and the irradiated organs of the body. The result is called " effective dose” and is usually measured in millisieverts (mSv). 70% of the radiation a person receives comes from the sun, air and food.

About uranium.

An inquisitive reader will probably ask the question: “what about uranium?” Indeed, if “ordinary” uranium is made into “enriched” uranium, then where does the “depleted” go? And he goes to the warehouse. Actually, the very presence of several hundred iron barrels in front of your eyes is not very inspiring, but realizing that all this equipment lying in front of you costs more than a BILLION dollars, you involuntarily want to touch it all. Nothing glorifies an iron cylinder more than the inscription "uranium hexafluoride".

Has anyone ever seen a billion dollars in one place? Here he is in front of you

This warehouse contains domestic uranium, Japanese and American. Raw materials for processing are brought from all over the world. The uranium isotope 235 is isolated from the initial product, which is used for fuel production, and the waste uranium 238 goes to the warehouse. Waste uranium238 is not just stored, it is stored. As the nuclear scientists themselves say, these barrels are the key to a comfortable existence for our grandchildren. Almost free energy can be extracted from all this, it’s just that the technological level of human civilization is not yet high enough, but it’s a matter of time.

Well, that's all. We are leaving the nuclear bins (in the literal sense of the word) of our country.

If anyone is interested, I can write about how this uranium is enriched in general.
Or rather, I already wrote it)

The existence of living organisms (people, birds, animals, plants) on earth largely depends on how protected the environment in which they live is from pollution. Every year, humanity accumulates a huge amount of garbage, and this leads to the fact that radioactive waste becomes a threat to the whole world if it is not destroyed.

Now there are already many countries where they pay special attention to the problem of environmental pollution, the sources of which are household and industrial waste:

separate household waste and then use methods to safely recycle it;
build waste recycling plants;
create specially equipped sites for the disposal of hazardous substances;
create new technologies for processing secondary raw materials.

Countries such as Japan, Sweden, Holland and some other states on the issues of radioactive waste disposal and disposal household waste are taken seriously.

The result of an irresponsible attitude is the formation of giant landfills, where waste products decompose, turning into mountains of toxic waste.

When did the waste appear?

With the advent of man on Earth, waste also appeared. But if the ancient inhabitants did not know what light bulbs, glass, polyethylene and others were modern achievements, then now scientific laboratories are working on the problem of destroying chemical waste, where talented scientists are attracted. It is still not entirely clear what awaits the world in hundreds, thousands of years if waste continues to accumulate.

The first household inventions appeared with the development of glass production. At first, little was produced, and no one thought about the problem of waste generation. Industry, keeping pace with scientific achievements, began to actively develop towards early XIX century. Factories that used machinery grew rapidly. Tons of processed coal were released into the atmosphere, which polluted the atmosphere due to the formation of acrid smoke. Now industrial giants are “feeding” rivers, seas and lakes with huge amounts of toxic emissions, natural springs inevitably become places of their burial.

Classification

Valid in Russia Federal Law No. 190 dated July 11, 2011, which reflects the main provisions for the collection and management of radioactive waste. The main evaluation criteria by which radioactive waste is classified are:

disposed - radioactive waste that does not exceed the risks of radiation exposure and the costs of removal from storage with subsequent burial or management.
special - radioactive waste that exceeds the risks of radiation exposure and the costs of subsequent disposal or recovery.

Radiation sources are dangerous due to their detrimental effect on the human body, and therefore the need to localize active waste is extremely important. Nuclear power plants produce almost nothing, but there is another difficult problem associated with them. Spent fuel is filled into containers; they remain radioactive for a long time, and its quantity is constantly growing. Back in the 50s, the first research attempts were made to solve the problem of radioactive waste. Proposals have been made to send them into space, store them on the ocean floor and other hard-to-reach places.

There are different landfill plans, but decisions on how to use the sites are contested public organizations and environmentalists. State scientific laboratories have been working on the problem of destroying the most hazardous waste almost since nuclear physics appeared.

If successful, this will reduce the amount of radioactive waste generated by nuclear power plants by up to 90 percent.

On nuclear power plants What happens is that the fuel rod containing uranium oxide is contained in a stainless steel cylinder. It is placed in a reactor, the uranium decays and releases thermal energy, it drives a turbine and produces electricity. But after only 5 percent of the uranium was exposed radioactive decay, the entire rod becomes contaminated with other elements and must be disposed of.

This produces so-called spent radioactive fuel. It is no longer useful for generating electricity and becomes waste. The substance contains impurities of plutonium, americium, cerium and other by-products of nuclear decay - this is a dangerous radioactive “cocktail”. American scientists are conducting experiments using special devices to artificially complete the nuclear decay cycle.

Waste disposal

The facilities where radioactive waste is stored are not marked on maps, there are no identification signs on the roads, and the perimeter is carefully guarded. At the same time, it is prohibited to show the security system to anyone. Several dozen such objects are scattered across Russia. Radioactive waste storage facilities are being built here. One of these associations reprocesses nuclear fuel. Nutrients separated from active waste. They are disposed of, and valuable components are again sold.

The requirements of the foreign buyer are simple: he takes the fuel, uses it, and returns the radioactive waste. They are taken to the factory by railway, loading is done by robots, and it is mortally dangerous for a person to approach these containers. Sealed, durable containers are installed in special cars. A large carriage is turned over, containers with fuel are placed using special machines, then it is returned to the rails and special compounds with the warning railway services and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they are sent from the nuclear power plant to the enterprise point.

In 2002, “green” demonstrations took place, they protested against the import of nuclear waste into the country. Russian nuclear scientists believe that they are being provoked by foreign competitors.

Specialized factories process waste of medium and low activity. Sources - everything that surrounds people in everyday life: irradiated parts of medical devices, parts electronic technology and other devices. They are brought in containers on special vehicles that deliver radioactive waste via regular roads, accompanied by police. Externally, they are distinguished from a standard garbage truck only by their coloring. At the entrance there is a sanitary checkpoint. Here everyone must change clothes and change shoes.

Only after this can you get to workplace, where it is prohibited to eat, drink alcohol, smoke, use cosmetics or be without overalls.

For employees of such specific enterprises, this is normal work. The difference is one thing: if a red light suddenly lights up on the control panel, you need to immediately run away: the radiation sources can neither be seen nor felt. Control devices are installed in all rooms. When everything is in order, the green lamp is on. The workspaces are divided into 3 classes.

1st class

Waste is processed here. In the furnace, radioactive waste is turned into glass. People are prohibited from entering such premises - it is mortally dangerous. All processes are automated. You can only enter in the event of an accident while wearing special protective equipment:

insulating gas mask (special protection made of lead, absorbing, shields for eye protection);
special uniforms;
remote means: probes, grippers, special manipulators;

By working in such enterprises and following impeccable safety precautions, people are not exposed to radiation.

2nd grade

From here the operator controls the furnaces; on the monitor he sees everything that happens in them. The second class also includes rooms where they work with containers. They contain waste of different activity. There are three basic rules here: “stand further”, “work faster”, “don’t forget about protection”!

You cannot pick up a waste container with your bare hands. There is a risk of serious radiation exposure. Respirators and work gloves are worn only once; when they are removed, they also become radioactive waste. They are burned and the ashes are decontaminated. Each worker always wears an individual dosimeter, which shows how much radiation is collected during the work shift and the total dose; if it exceeds the norm, the person is transferred to safe work.

3rd grade

This includes corridors and ventilation shafts. There is a powerful air conditioning system here. Every 5 minutes the air is completely replaced. The radioactive waste processing plant is cleaner than the kitchen of a good housewife. After each transportation, the vehicles are watered with a special solution. Several people work in rubber boots with a hose in their hands, but the processes are being automated so that they become less labor-intensive.

The workshop area is washed with water and ordinary washing powder 2 times a day, the floor is covered with plastic compound, the corners are rounded, the seams are well taped, there are no baseboards or hard-to-reach places that cannot be thoroughly washed. After cleaning, the water becomes radioactive, it flows into special holes and is collected through pipes into a huge container underground. Liquid waste is carefully filtered. The water is purified so that it can be drunk.

Radioactive waste is hidden “under seven locks.” The depth of the bunkers is usually 7-8 meters, the walls are reinforced concrete, while the storage facility is being filled, a metal hangar is installed above it. Containers with a high degree of protection are used to store very hazardous waste. Inside such a container is lead, there are only 12 small holes the size of a gun cartridge. Less hazardous waste is placed in huge reinforced concrete containers. All this is lowered into the shafts and closed with a hatch.

These containers can later be removed and sent for subsequent processing to complete the final disposal of radioactive waste.

Filled storage facilities are filled with a special type of clay; in the event of an earthquake, it will glue the cracks together. The storage facility is covered with reinforced concrete slabs, cemented, asphalted and covered with earth. After this, radioactive waste poses no danger. Some of them decay into safe elements only after 100–200 years. On secret maps where vaults are marked, there is a stamp “keep forever”!

Landfills where radioactive waste is buried are located at a considerable distance from cities, towns and reservoirs. Nuclear energy, military programs - problems that concern everyone world community. They are not only to protect people from the influence of sources of radioactive waste, but also to carefully protect them from terrorists. It is possible that landfills where radioactive waste is stored could become targets during military conflicts.