Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T14:04:28.551Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Advances in a Bioprocess for the Treatment of Nuclear Waste: Spent Ionic Exchange Resins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2012

León Mosquera Rodríguez  and
Ramón A. Pizarro
León Mosquera Rodríguez
Affiliation:
Programa Nacional de Gestión de Residuos Radiactivos, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. del Libertador 8250 (C1429BNP), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. División Radiomicrobiología, Unidad de Actividad Radiobiología, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Gral. Paz 1499 (B1650KNA), San Martín, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ramón A. Pizarro
Affiliation:
División Radiomicrobiología, Unidad de Actividad Radiobiología, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Gral. Paz 1499 (B1650KNA), San Martín, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Get access

Abstract

Development of a bioprocess intended to achieve a volume reduction of spent resins (either from research and power reactors) is the main purpose of this research project. Search is constrained to microorganisms that exhibit radioresistance, and which can be cultured in a heavy metal environment with additives of nuclear reactor waters such as boron, lithium and gadolinium compounds.

Bacteria adapted to a radioactive environment were obtained by treating a RA-3 Reactor spent ionic exchange resin sample (kept at Área de Gestión Ezeiza: AGE) with sterile water; microorganisms suspended were isolated, subject to purity controls and characterized.

Experiments performed with these strains include:

-Culture in a mineral-broth having polystyrene as source of both carbon and energy. The strain RMB 1200 gave the highest number of viable cells, then being tested with some aromatic compounds, and with some additives of nuclear reactor waters and other elements found in spent resins.

-An anionic exchange resin sample was heated, yielding a chemical environment resembling to that of radiolysed resins, and then RMB 1200 strain was cultured with this solid.

-A technique to stain polymers was developed in order to find morphological changes caused by microbiological activity. Microscopic examination of cultured polymer samples has been performed.

Results obtained with RMB 1200 include metabolic capabilities to use aromatic carbon sources (benzoate, polyphenols), its growth with polystyrene and resin, and short-term tolerance to several xenobiotics assayed at higher concentration levels than the ones of spent resins.

Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1475: Symposium NW – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXXV , 2012 , imrc11-1475-nw35-p65
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Shanggeng, L., Chin. J. Nucl. Sci. Eng., 23 (2), 165–172 (2003).Google Scholar
2. Garcia Martinez, H., Emeterio H, M.. and Canizal C, S.., in Inmovilizacion de resinas de intercambio ionico radiactivas del reactor nuclear Triga Mark III (ININ-SUTIN Technical and Scientific Congress, Salazar, Estado de Mexico (Mexico), 2–3 Dec. 1999).Google Scholar
3. Yadav, M. B., Jain, S., Kumar, S. and Bodke, S. B. in Chemical durability of radioactive polymer resin waste products (Proceedings of DAE-BRNS symposium on nuclear and radiochemistry Mumbai, India, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, 2007) pp. 365–366. Nuclear and Radiochemistry Symposium (NUCAR 2007), Vadodara (India) 14-17 Feb. 2007.Google Scholar
4. Kouznetsov, A. and Kniazev, O. in Microbial treatment of ion exchange resins (French Speaking Congress of Processes Engineering, Nancy, France, 7–19 Oct. 2001). INIS Reference Number: 33048075.Google Scholar
5. Fernández Prini, R. and Schulman, P., Degradación térmica de resinas de intercambio iónico de uso en sistemas de limpieza, CNEA, 1984, pp. 155–159.Google Scholar
6. Hall, G. R. and Streat, M; J. Chem. Soc. B 1963, 5205–5211.Google Scholar
7. Smith, L. L. and Groh, H. J., USAEC Report DP-594, Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken S.C. (1961).Google Scholar
8. Nott, B. R. and Dodd, D. J. R. in Ontario Hydro Research Division’s Program for treatment of spent ion-exchange resins, (Second IAEA Research Coordination Meeting on the “Treatment of Spent Ion-Exchange Resins”, Toronto, Canada, September 21–25, 1981). INIS Reference Number: 13696934.Google Scholar
9. U.S. Department of Energy, Selected radionuclides important to low-level radioactive waste management , 1996.Google Scholar
10. Magnusson, Å., and Stenström, K., 14C produced in Swedish nuclear power reactors-measurements on spent ion exchange resins, various process water system and ejector off-gas (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm, Sweden, 2005).Google Scholar
11.Ontario Power Generation in Reference Low and Intermediate Level Waste Inventory for the Deep Geologic Repository (Preliminary) (Ontario Power Generation, August 2008).Google Scholar