Key factors in the formation of the main ions composition for power plant cooling water system: a case study of technological and environmental aspects

Abstract

Water is used for cooling in the power generation processes of a power plant to regulate the temperature of equipment, circulating, it can accumulate the main ions (HCO3−, CO32−, SO42−,CI−, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+) of the water. The article investigates the factors that influence the parameters of the main ions content of recycling water and conducts an environmental assessment of the discharge, identifying correlation dependencies that allow predicting the main ions content after the aqueous discharge of power plant wastewater. The purpose of this article is to investigate the factors of formation and trends in the composition of major ions of the water in the technological cycle of the power plant's circulating cooling system and the surface water of the river in the area of water discharge influence. Moreover, in this paper, grey water footprint is studied as a tool for implementing a combined approach to water use assessment. The research was conducted using process water from the circulating cooling system of an operating nuclear power plant and surface water from the Styr River (Ukraine). Furthermore, this work is related to solving the tasks of assessing the non-radiological impact of water discharge from a nuclear power plant. In particular, the concentration of the main ions in the water was monitored by a certified measuring laboratory. The novelty of our study lies in the application of statistical regression analysis to assess the factors and impact of the discharge of main ions with return water on the natural waters of the river.