Nuclear waste-form risk assessment for US defense waste at Savannah River Plant. Annual report FY, 1982

High level waste immobilization forms

“…This conclusion is illustrated by Fig. 18 which is based upon the "best estimate" calculation by Chung et al (104). Figure 18 shows that even alkali borosilicate nuclear waste glasses leached under 90 "C, MCC-1 static leach conditions of low SA/V (0.1 cm-') result in limiting individual dose rates that are only l/10 of background radiation (Fig.…”

“…A computer code, MISER, has been used by Cheung et al (104) to forecast quantitatively the transport and behavior of radionuclides in repositories.…”

“…Cheung et al (104) conclude that "the difference in performance between the two wasteforms [glass and ceramic] is insignificant." They also conclude that when the doses are sensitive to uncertainties in leaching rates, the doses are orders of magnitude below background.…”

“…This is a conservative estimate, since it does not consider the decrease in waste form temperatures or the accumulation of radionuclides in the glass surface film. When these factors are taken into account, it is likely that the limiting individual peak dose rates will be no more than 10V4 of background, as calculated by the methods of Cheung et al (104).…”