FEASIBILITY OF DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WAST INTO THE SEABED VOLUME 6 mx-'-SEA BIOLOGY, BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES ANDRADIOBIOLOGY IT RJ. HNTBUIH, II HABGWI, E&J.BOE,M.SDVn NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT ORDER FORM SPECIAL 30 % DISCOUNT Use this order form to receive a 30 % discount when you purchase the entire set of the 8 volume series "Feasibility of Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste into the Seabed", published by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. Please enter my order for ....set(s) at the special 30 % discounted price of FF994 £116.00 US$219 DM427 The volumes may also be purchased individually copy(ies) Volume 1 - OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH AND CONCLUSIONS (66 88 09 1) ISBN 92-64-13164-7 FF90 U^.OO £11.00 DM39 .... copy(ies) Volume 2 - RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT (66 88 10 1) ISBN 92-64-13165-5 FF220 US; ' >.50 £26 00 DM95 .... copy(ies) Volume 3 - GEOSCIENCE CHARACTERIZATION STUDIES (66 88 11 1) ISBN 92-64-13166-3 FF220 US$48.50 £26.00 DM95 copy(ies) Volume 4 - ENGINEERING (66 88 12 1) ISBN 92-64-13167-1 FF170 US$37.50 £20.00 DM74 copy(ies) Volume 5 - DISPERSAL OF RADIONUCLIDES IN THE OCEANS: MODELS, DATA SETS AND REGIONAL DESCRIPTIONS (66 88 13 1) ISBN 92-64-13168-X k FF280 US$62.00 £33.00 DM121 .... copy(ies) Volume 6 - DEEP-SEA BIOLOGY, RADIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND RADIOBIOLOGY (66 88 14 1) ISBN 92-64-13169-8 FF150 US$33.00 £18.00 DM65 .... copy(ies) Volume 7 - REVIEW OF LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS OF RADIONUCLIDES MIGRATION THROUGH DEEP-SEA SEDIMENTS (66 88 15 1) ISBN 92-64-13170-1 FF190 US$42.00 £22.50 DM82 .... copy(ies) Volume 8 - REVIEW OF PROCESSES NEAR A BURIED WASTE CANISTER (66 88 16 1) ISBN 92-64-13171-X FF100 US$22.00 £12.00 DM43 Total amount of purchase: FF £ US$ DM • Individuals must enclose payment with their order. Libraries must attach a purchase order to this form. • cheque • or money order D enclosed « send invoice; our purchase order is attached • charge my VISA card (Note: You will be charged the French franc price). Number of card Expiration date Signature Send publications to: (Pteaseptmt) Send this order form to : OECD Publication* Sanrlca, 2 m« Andre-Pascal, 75775 Pari* CEDEX 16, Franca. You may also order through one of the OECD Publications distributors listed on the inside back cover of this book, in which case you will be billed in local currency in keeping with usual practices. Pursuant to article I of the Convention signed in Paris on 14th December, 1960, and which came into force on 30th September, 1961, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shall promote policies designed: - to achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in Member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the development of the world economy; - to contribute to sound economic expansion in Member as well as non-member countries in the process of economic development; and - to contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis in accordance with international obligations. The original Member countries of the OECD are Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, :he United Kingdom and the United States. The following countries became Members subsequently through accession at the dates indicated hereafter: Japan (28th April, 1964), Finland (28th January, 1969), Australia (7th June, 1971) and New Zealand (29th May, 1973). The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia takes part in some of the work of the OECD (agreement of 28th October, 1961). The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) was established in 1957 under the name of the OEEC European Nuclear Energy Agency. It received its present designation on 20th April, 1972, when Japan became its first non- European full Member. NEA membership today consists of all European Member countries of OECD as well as Australia, Canw a, Japan and the United States. The commission of the European Communities takes part in the v.nrk q the Agency. The primary objective of NEA is to promote co-operation between the governments of iv participating countries in furthering the development of nuclear power as a safe, environmen­ tally acceptable and economic energy source. This is achieved by: - encouraging harmonisation of national, regulatory policies and practices, with particular reference to the safety of nuclear installations, protection of man against ionising radiation and preservation of the environment, radioactive waste management, and nuclear third party liability and insurance; - assessing the contribution of nuclear power to the overall energy supply by keeping under review the technical and economic aspects of nuclear power growth and forecasting demand and supply for the different phases of the nuclear fuel cycle; - developing exchanges of scientific and technical information particularly through participation in common services; - setting up international research and development programmes and joint under­ takings. In these and related tasks, NEA works in close collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, with which it has concluded a Co-operation Agreement, as well as with other international organisations in the nuclear field. © OECD, 1988 Application for permission to reproduce or translate all or part of this publication should be made to: Head of Publications Service, OECD 2, rue Andre-Pascal, 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France. Spant fuel or high-level radioactive wast - is nov pro*'v ed Jr» i.iiry countri*>j *s a result of the generation of electi city by nuci< ir reactors. The loag ,; riods of time over which this type of *«-'te remain:, potentially hazardo .<? require a disposal method based on its inability to pre 'i">e long-t( -I? isolation. Burial beneath the ocean fl' T in geoloj, i ally stable stdime- \. formations has been studied because of i potential f..r lo.ig-tcrm isolation S\nce 1977, countries conducting research c. ocean-floor bin .-I of high-levsl waste, often called sub-seabed or seabe disposal, hav. coJ:^T-zed and exchanged information in the framework of the . c,abed Working <.-cour> estab­ lished v.r.der the Radioactive Waste Management Com.aKree of the CBCD Ni-lear Energy Agency. Members of the Group are: Belgium, ' iidda, France, -':> federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Unit* . Kingdom, United States, and the Commission of the European Communities (CEC). Tlie objective of the Seabed Working Group i? o provide scienti c and technical information to enable international and national authorities o assess the safety and engineering feasibility of seabei' disposal. As r: le of the participating countries intend to use seabed dispxil in the forest. ible future, the work of the Seabed Working Group should ei.~e.icially be seen t this rta^e as a scientitic contribution to the identification and asses; ant of potential methods for radioactive waste disposal. An Executive Committee guided the overall direction and policy of • e Seabed Working Group in this research. Its members represented their respective national programmes, mad2 financial coramitnv.it:, and coordinated national positions in order to permit the Seabed Work'ng Group to pursue !• overall objectives. A large number of scientists have, contributed to the research which comprises the present body of knowledge reiatinp to seabed disposal of radioactive waste. This volume is one of a series of eight volumes &- ;ssing seabed dis posal based on research carried out by the Seabei. Work ng -roup over the !--.. ten yecrc. Volume 1 provides an overview of the researJi end a summary of fh results. Volumes 2 to 8 consist of technical supplement viich provide a nor detailed description of radiological assessment, geosciei a characterization, engineering studies and the scientific basis upon which \e radiological as­ sessment is built. Although legal, political, and institu'ional aspects a,e essential to possible future use of seabed disposal, they re not being con­ sidered in this series. This report represents the views of the authors. Ii commits neither the Organisation nor the Governments of Member Countries. - 3 - SERIES TITLES GENERAL TITLE FOR THE SERIES Feasibility of Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste into the Seabed SUMHARY REPORT Volume 1: Overviev of Research and Conclusions TECHNICAL REPORTS Volume 2: Radiological Assessment Volume 3: Geoscience Characterisation Studies Volume 4: Engineering Volume 5: Dispersal of Radionuclides in the Oceans: Models, Data Sets, and Regional Descriptions Volume 6: Deep-Sea Biology, Biological Processes, and Radiobiolo Volume 7: Review of Laboratory Investigations of Radionuclide Migration through Deep-Sea Sediments Volume 8: Review of Processes near a Buried Waste Canister The summary report, which provides an overview of the research and a summary of the results, is also available in French. The technical reports contain detailed descriptions of the studied areas and are published in English only. D.R. Anderson (United States) and C.N. Murray (Commissici of the European Communities) played major roles in the Seabed Working Group. Their work as a team to provide overall managerial direction and coordination is acknowledged. Also acknowledged is K.R. Hinga, the Series Editor, for his excellen contribution to the organisation and presentation of the reports. 4 AUTHOR'S PREFACE This volume contains the summary of discussions and work carried out by the Biological Task Group during the past twelve years. Throughout this period, as the programme as a whole has developed, the ideas and objectives have tended to change. This has been because of the varying demands of rela­ ted task groups - primarily those of physical oceanography and radiological assessment - together with the skills and influence of the different partici­ pants who have attended each meeting.