Overview of Plutonium and Its Health Effects
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Table 2.Iii.1. Fissionable Isotopes1
FISSIONABLE ISOTOPES Charles P. Blair Last revised: 2012 “While several isotopes are theoretically fissionable, RANNSAD defines fissionable isotopes as either uranium-233 or 235; plutonium 238, 239, 240, 241, or 242, or Americium-241. See, Ackerman, Asal, Bale, Blair and Rethemeyer, Anatomizing Radiological and Nuclear Non-State Adversaries: Identifying the Adversary, p. 99-101, footnote #10, TABLE 2.III.1. FISSIONABLE ISOTOPES1 Isotope Availability Possible Fission Bare Critical Weapon-types mass2 Uranium-233 MEDIUM: DOE reportedly stores Gun-type or implosion-type 15 kg more than one metric ton of U- 233.3 Uranium-235 HIGH: As of 2007, 1700 metric Gun-type or implosion-type 50 kg tons of HEU existed globally, in both civilian and military stocks.4 Plutonium- HIGH: A separated global stock of Implosion 10 kg 238 plutonium, both civilian and military, of over 500 tons.5 Implosion 10 kg Plutonium- Produced in military and civilian 239 reactor fuels. Typically, reactor Plutonium- grade plutonium (RGP) consists Implosion 40 kg 240 of roughly 60 percent plutonium- Plutonium- 239, 25 percent plutonium-240, Implosion 10-13 kg nine percent plutonium-241, five 241 percent plutonium-242 and one Plutonium- percent plutonium-2386 (these Implosion 89 -100 kg 242 percentages are influenced by how long the fuel is irradiated in the reactor).7 1 This table is drawn, in part, from Charles P. Blair, “Jihadists and Nuclear Weapons,” in Gary A. Ackerman and Jeremy Tamsett, ed., Jihadists and Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Growing Threat (New York: Taylor and Francis, 2009), pp. 196-197. See also, David Albright N 2 “Bare critical mass” refers to the absence of an initiator or a reflector. -
The Nuclear Waste Primer September 2016 What Is Nuclear Waste?
The Nuclear Waste Primer September 2016 What is Nuclear Waste? Nuclear waste is the catch-all term for anything contaminated with radioactive material. Nuclear waste can be broadly divided into three categories: • Low-level waste (LLW), comprised of protective clothing, medical waste, and other lightly-contaminated items • Transuranic waste (TRU), comprised of long-lived isotopes heavier than uranium • High-level waste (HLW), comprised of spent nuclear fuel and other highly-radioactive materials Low-level waste is relatively short-lived and easy to handle. Currently, four locations for LLW disposal exist in the United States. Two of them, Energy Solutions in Clive, Utah and Waste Control Specialists in Andrews, Texas, accept waste from any U.S. state. Transuranic waste is often a byproduct of nuclear weapons production and contains long-lived radioactive elements heavier than uranium, like plutonium and americium. Currently, the U.S. stores TRU waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. High-level waste includes spent nuclear fuel and the most radioactive materials produced by nuclear weapons production. Yucca Mountain is the currently designated high-level waste repository for the United States. 1 | What is Spent Nuclear Fuel? Spent nuclear fuel (SNF), alternatively referred to as used nuclear fuel, is the primary byproduct of nuclear reactors. In commercial power reactors in the U.S., fuel begins as uranium oxide clad in a thin layer of zirconium-aluminum cladding. After several years inside of the reactor, around fi ve percent of the uranium has been converted in some way, ranging from short-lived and highly radioactive fi ssion products to long-lived actinides like plutonium, americium, and neptunium. -
An Introduction to Isotopic Calculations John M
An Introduction to Isotopic Calculations John M. Hayes ([email protected]) Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA, 30 September 2004 Abstract. These notes provide an introduction to: termed isotope effects. As a result of such effects, the • Methods for the expression of isotopic abundances, natural abundances of the stable isotopes of practically • Isotopic mass balances, and all elements involved in low-temperature geochemical • Isotope effects and their consequences in open and (< 200°C) and biological processes are not precisely con- closed systems. stant. Taking carbon as an example, the range of interest is roughly 0.00998 ≤ 13F ≤ 0.01121. Within that range, Notation. Absolute abundances of isotopes are com- differences as small as 0.00001 can provide information monly reported in terms of atom percent. For example, about the source of the carbon and about processes in 13 13 12 13 atom percent C = [ C/( C + C)]100 (1) which the carbon has participated. A closely related term is the fractional abundance The delta notation. Because the interesting isotopic 13 13 fractional abundance of C ≡ F differences between natural samples usually occur at and 13F = 13C/(12C + 13C) (2) beyond the third significant figure of the isotope ratio, it has become conventional to express isotopic abundances These variables deserve attention because they provide using a differential notation. To provide a concrete the only basis for perfectly accurate mass balances. example, it is far easier to say – and to remember – that Isotope ratios are also measures of the absolute abun- the isotope ratios of samples A and B differ by one part dance of isotopes; they are usually arranged so that the per thousand than to say that sample A has 0.3663 %15N more abundant isotope appears in the denominator and sample B has 0.3659 %15N. -
Nuclear Energy in Everyday Life Nuclear Energy in Everyday Life
Nuclear Energy in Everyday Life Nuclear Energy in Everyday Life Understanding Radioactivity and Radiation in our Everyday Lives Radioactivity is part of our earth – it has existed all along. Naturally occurring radio- active materials are present in the earth’s crust, the floors and walls of our homes, schools, and offices and in the food we eat and drink. Our own bodies- muscles, bones and tissues, contain naturally occurring radioactive elements. Man has always been exposed to natural radiation arising from earth as well as from outside. Most people, upon hearing the word radioactivity, think only about some- thing harmful or even deadly; especially events such as the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, or the Chernobyl Disaster of 1986. However, upon understanding radiation, people will learn to appreciate that radia- tion has peaceful and beneficial applications to our everyday lives. What are atoms? Knowledge of atoms is essential to understanding the origins of radiation, and the impact it could have on the human body and the environment around us. All materi- als in the universe are composed of combination of basic substances called chemical elements. There are 92 different chemical elements in nature. The smallest particles, into which an element can be divided without losing its properties, are called atoms, which are unique to a particular element. An atom consists of two main parts namely a nu- cleus with a circling electron cloud. The nucleus consists of subatomic particles called protons and neutrons. Atoms vary in size from the simple hydro- gen atom, which has one proton and one electron, to large atoms such as uranium, which has 92 pro- tons, 92 electrons. -
IAEA Guidelines and Formatting Rules for Papers for Proceeding
Interactive Computer Codes for Education and Training on Nuclear Safety and Radioprotection Francisco leszczynski∗ RA-6 Division, Nuclear Engineering Unit, Bariloche Atomic Center, CNEA, Av.E.Bustillo 8500, S.C.de Bariloche, RN, Argentina Abstract. Two interactive computer codes for education and training on nuclear safety and radioprotection developed at RA6 Reactor Division-Bariloche Atomic Center-CNEA are presented on this paper. The first code named SIMREACT has been developed in order to simulate the control of a research nuclear reactor in real time with a simple but accurate approach. The code solves the equations of neutron punctual kinetics with time variable reactivity. Utilizing the timer of the computer and the controls of a PC keyboard, with an adequate graphic interface, a simulation in real time of the temporal behavior of a research reactor is obtained. The reactivity can be changed by means of the extraction or insertion of control rods. It was implemented also the simulation of automatic pilot and scram. The use of this code is focalized on practices of nuclear reactor control like start-up from the subcritical state with external source up to power to a desired level, change of power level, calibration of a control rod with different methods, and approach to critical condition by interpolation of the answer in function of reactivity. The second code named LICEN has been developed in order to help the studies of all the topics included in examination programs for obtaining licenses for research reactor operators and radioprotection officials. Using the PC mouse, with an adequate graphic interface, the student can gradually learn the topics related with general and special licenses. -
小型飛翔体/海外 [Format 2] Technical Catalog Category
小型飛翔体/海外 [Format 2] Technical Catalog Category Airborne contamination sensor Title Depth Evaluation of Entrained Products (DEEP) Proposed by Create Technologies Ltd & Costain Group PLC 1.DEEP is a sensor analysis software for analysing contamination. DEEP can distinguish between surface contamination and internal / absorbed contamination. The software measures contamination depth by analysing distortions in the gamma spectrum. The method can be applied to data gathered using any spectrometer. Because DEEP provides a means of discriminating surface contamination from other radiation sources, DEEP can be used to provide an estimate of surface contamination without physical sampling. DEEP is a real-time method which enables the user to generate a large number of rapid contamination assessments- this data is complementary to physical samples, providing a sound basis for extrapolation from point samples. It also helps identify anomalies enabling targeted sampling startegies. DEEP is compatible with small airborne spectrometer/ processor combinations, such as that proposed by the ARM-U project – please refer to the ARM-U proposal for more details of the air vehicle. Figure 1: DEEP system core components are small, light, low power and can be integrated via USB, serial or Ethernet interfaces. 小型飛翔体/海外 Figure 2: DEEP prototype software 2.Past experience (plants in Japan, overseas plant, applications in other industries, etc) Create technologies is a specialist R&D firm with a focus on imaging and sensing in the nuclear industry. Createc has developed and delivered several novel nuclear technologies, including the N-Visage gamma camera system. Costainis a leading UK construction and civil engineering firm with almost 150 years of history. -
The Development of the Periodic Table and Its Consequences Citation: J
Firenze University Press www.fupress.com/substantia The Development of the Periodic Table and its Consequences Citation: J. Emsley (2019) The Devel- opment of the Periodic Table and its Consequences. Substantia 3(2) Suppl. 5: 15-27. doi: 10.13128/Substantia-297 John Emsley Copyright: © 2019 J. Emsley. This is Alameda Lodge, 23a Alameda Road, Ampthill, MK45 2LA, UK an open access, peer-reviewed article E-mail: [email protected] published by Firenze University Press (http://www.fupress.com/substantia) and distributed under the terms of the Abstract. Chemistry is fortunate among the sciences in having an icon that is instant- Creative Commons Attribution License, ly recognisable around the world: the periodic table. The United Nations has deemed which permits unrestricted use, distri- 2019 to be the International Year of the Periodic Table, in commemoration of the 150th bution, and reproduction in any medi- anniversary of the first paper in which it appeared. That had been written by a Russian um, provided the original author and chemist, Dmitri Mendeleev, and was published in May 1869. Since then, there have source are credited. been many versions of the table, but one format has come to be the most widely used Data Availability Statement: All rel- and is to be seen everywhere. The route to this preferred form of the table makes an evant data are within the paper and its interesting story. Supporting Information files. Keywords. Periodic table, Mendeleev, Newlands, Deming, Seaborg. Competing Interests: The Author(s) declare(s) no conflict of interest. INTRODUCTION There are hundreds of periodic tables but the one that is widely repro- duced has the approval of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and is shown in Fig.1. -
PART I GENERAL PROVISIONS R12 64E-5.101 Definitions
64E-5 Florida Administrative Code Index PART I GENERAL PROVISIONS R12 64E-5.101 Definitions ................................................................................................. I-1 64E-5.102 Exemptions ............................................................................................. I-23 64E-5.103 Records ................................................................................................... I-24 64E-5.104 Tests ... ................................................................................................... I-24 64E-5.105 Prohibited Use ........................................................................................ I-24 64E-5.106 Units of Exposure and Dose ................................................................... I-25 64E-5 Florida Administrative Code Index 64E-5 Florida Administrative Code Index PART II LICENSING OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS R2 64E-5.201 ...... Licensing of Radioactive Material .............................................................. II-1 64E-5.202 ...... Source Material - Exemptions .................................................................... II-2 R12 64E-5.203 ...... Radioactive Material Other than Source Material - Exemptions ................. II-4 SUBPART A LICENSE TYPES AND FEES R12 64E-5.204 ..... Types of Licenses ..................................................................................... II-13 SUBPART B GENERAL LICENSES 64E-5.205 ..... General Licenses - Source Material ......................................................... -
Toxicological Profile for Plutonium
PLUTONIUM 1 1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT This public health statement tells you about plutonium and the effects of exposure to it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in the nation. These sites are then placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) and are targeted for long-term federal clean-up activities. Plutonium has been found in at least 16 of the 1,689 current or former NPL sites. Although the total number of NPL sites evaluated for this substance is not known, strict regulations make it unlikely that the number of sites at which plutonium is found would increase in the future as more sites are evaluated. This information is important because these sites may be sources of exposure and exposure to this substance may be harmful. When a substance is released from a large area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This release does not always lead to exposure. You are normally exposed to a substance only when you come in contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, eating, or drinking the substance, or by skin contact. However, since plutonium is radioactive, you can also be exposed to its radiation if you are near it. External exposure to radiation may occur from natural or man-made sources. Naturally occurring sources of radiation are cosmic radiation from space or radioactive materials in soil or building materials. Man- made sources of radioactive materials are found in consumer products, industrial equipment, atom bomb fallout, and to a smaller extent from hospital waste and nuclear reactors. -
Reference Values for Nuclear Criticality Safety
Nuclear Science ISBN 92-64-02333-X Reference Values for Nuclear Criticality Safety Homogeneous and Uniform UO2, “UNH”, PuO2 and “PuNH”, Moderated and Reflected by H2O A demonstration study by an Expert Group of the Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety for the OECD/NEA Nuclear Science Committee Final evaluation and report prepared by D. Mennerdahl (EMS, Sweden) Leading participants during the study W. Weber (GRS, Germany), Y. Naito (NAIS, Japan) and J. Anno (IRSN, France) Major organisations contributing with new calculation results EMS (Sweden), IPPE (Russia), IRSN (France), ORNL (US), Serco Ass. (UK) Reviewers of the final draft report include J.B. Briggs (INL), V. Rouyer (IRSN), S. Mitake (Japan), H. Okuno (Japan), Y. Rugama (OECD/NEA), R.M. Westfall (ORNL) © OECD 2006 NEA No. 5433 NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT The OECD is a unique forum where the governments of 30 democracies work together to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The OECD is also at the forefront of efforts to understand and to help governments respond to new developments and concerns, such as corporate governance, the information economy and the challenges of an ageing population. The Organisation provides a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and work to co-ordinate domestic and international policies. The OECD member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. -
Sources, Effects and Risks of Ionizing Radiation
SOURCES, EFFECTS AND RISKS OF IONIZING RADIATION United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation UNSCEAR 2016 Report to the General Assembly, with Scientific Annexes UNITED NATIONS New York, 2017 NOTE The report of the Committee without its annexes appears as Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 46 and corrigendum (A/71/46 and Corr.1). The report reproduced here includes the corrections of the corrigendum. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The country names used in this document are, in most cases, those that were in use at the time the data were collected or the text prepared. In other cases, however, the names have been updated, where this was possible and appropriate, to reflect political changes. UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. E.17.IX.1 ISBN: 978-92-1-142316-7 eISBN: 978-92-1-060002-6 © United Nations, January 2017. All rights reserved, worldwide. This publication has not been formally edited. Information on uniform resource locators and links to Internet sites contained in the present publication are provided for the convenience of the reader and are correct at the time of issue. The United Nations takes no responsibility for the continued accuracy of that information or for the content of any external website. -
Uranium Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet Adopted: December 2018 Health Physics Society Specialists in Radiation Safety 1 Uranium What is uranium? Uranium is a naturally occurring metallic element that has been present in the Earth’s crust since formation of the planet. Like many other minerals, uranium was deposited on land by volcanic action, dissolved by rainfall, and in some places, carried into underground formations. In some cases, geochemical conditions resulted in its concentration into “ore bodies.” Uranium is a common element in Earth’s crust (soil, rock) and in seawater and groundwater. Uranium has 92 protons in its nucleus. The isotope2 238U has 146 neutrons, for a total atomic weight of approximately 238, making it the highest atomic weight of any naturally occurring element. It is not the most dense of elements, but its density is almost twice that of lead. Uranium is radioactive and in nature has three primary isotopes with different numbers of neutrons. Natural uranium, 238U, constitutes over 99% of the total mass or weight, with 0.72% 235U, and a very small amount of 234U. An unstable nucleus that emits some form of radiation is defined as radioactive. The emitted radiation is called radioactivity, which in this case is ionizing radiation—meaning it can interact with other atoms to create charged atoms known as ions. Uranium emits alpha particles, which are ejected from the nucleus of the unstable uranium atom. When an atom emits radiation such as alpha or beta particles or photons such as x rays or gamma rays, the material is said to be undergoing radioactive decay (also called radioactive transformation).