In an open nuclear fuel cycle, uranium is mined, enriched, transformed into UO2 fuel, irradiated to produce power then disposed of as waste. The material exiting the reactor is approximately 95% UO2, about 1% PuO2, 3.5% fission products and less than 1% transuranium actinides other than Pu. Radioactivity of fission products dominates dose for the first several hundred years. During the subsequent period of 20 million years transuranium elements represent the greatest radiotoxicity risk. Application of a �Modified Open� fuel cycle in which Pu is recovered and recycled for a limited number of cycles, results in a reduction of the Pu contribution to radiotoxicity, but the minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm) remain a long-term concern. If the closed fuel cycle with transmutation is exercised, the transuranium element content of the eventual waste is reduced. In this presentation the potential impact of these options on the environmental radioactivity source term from used fuel will be discussed.

Potential impact of advanced nuclear fuel cycles on the source term for environmental radioactivity

244th National Meeting (2012)

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