- Email: [email protected]
Geological Disposal of Radioactive Wastes and Natural Analogues
Book reviews / Waste Management 22 (2002) 569–572
571
6. Minimal environmental impacts from containers, wrapping, and secondary disposal concerns including sanitation and hygiene.
I highly recommend this book to waste managers interested in the treatment, processing and reuse of food waste.
Available information related to bovine spongiphorm encephalopathy (BSE — so-called ‘mad cow disease’) in Europe indicates that the disease may have spread by way of animal feed contaminated with bovine parts that were exported by the UK. Consequently, much of the material presented in this publication would also be applicable to European countries.
Luis F. Diaz CalRecovery Inc. 1850 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 1060 Concord, CA 94520 USA E-mail address: [email protected]
0956-053X/00/$ - see front matter # 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0956-053X(01)00017-4
Geological Disposal of Radioactive Wastes and Natural Analogues W. Miller, R. Alexander, N. Chapman, I. McKinley and J. Smellie, Pergamon, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2000, 316 pp., US$131.00 (hardback); US$78.50 (paperback), ISBN 0 08 043852 0 (H) 0 08 043853 9 (P). ‘‘In examining things present, we have data from which to reason with regard to what has been; and, from what has actually been, we have data for concluding with regard to that which is to happen hereafter. Therefore, upon the supposition that the operations of nature are equable and steady, we find, in natural appearances, means for concluding a certain portion of time to have necessarily elapsed, in the production of those events of which we see the effects.’’ These portentous words from James Hutton in 1788 preface this book, which together with its sub-title, Lessons from Nature and Archaeology, serve as a guide to what information from natural and anthropogenic systems can tell us about the potential future behaviour of geological disposal systems for radioactive wastes. The book is an expanded and revised version of an earlier volume entitled Natural Analogue Studies in the Geological Disposal of Radioactive Wastes, and as well as incorporating newer material, improves upon the latter by incorporating a larger page format, colour illustrations and photographs, and a more attractive page layout. The authors have carried out, or have been involved with, much of the reported studies themselves, but include summaries and key features of many other studies reported in the radioactive waste literature over the last 20 years or so. It is written in an easily comprehensible style and guides the reader through barrier
concepts and safety assessment issues before tackling analogues in detail. Many of the photographs and illustrations are quite stunning, none more so than the photograph of two-million-year old trees preserved in clay at Dunarobba, Italy, being cut with a chain-saw, thus demonstrating their preservation as wood and the potential isolation capacity of clays in which they were preserved. The text is divided into seven chapters. For the radioactive waste ingenue, there are two useful introductory chapters describing the nature and origins of radioactive wastes, possible disposal concepts, requirements for the evaluation of repository safety, and possible parallels with the disposal of toxic wastes. Chapter 3 considers ‘‘Varieties of analogue studies’’ which attempts to simplify and classify analogue studies into broad subject headings such as ‘‘hyperalkaline environments’’, ‘‘uranium orebodies’’, etc. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with analogues in more detail, and these are split in terms of those relating to ‘‘repository materials’’ or ‘‘analogues of transport and retardation’’. Chapter 6 considers the key issue of how information from analogues may be applied. Finally, there is a relatively short ‘‘summary, conclusions and recommendations’’ chapter. In addition, there is an extensive bibliography so that readers may obtain more detailed information. A particularly useful feature of the book is the display of information from key analogue case histories and repository concepts as ‘text boxes’. These are scattered throughout the text as appropriate. These concern: the proposed Swedish and Finnish spent fuel repositories; the proposed Swiss repository for vitrified HLW; the Swedish L/ILW repository at Forsmark; the Oklo natural fission reactors; the Cigar Lake uranium mine; the
572
Book reviews / Waste Management 22 (2002) 569–572
Pen˜a Blanca uranium mine; the Inchtuthil Roman nails; the Kronan cannon; the Dunarobba forest; Hadrian’s Wall; the Maqarin hyperalkaline system; the Broubster uranium mineralisation; the Needle’s Eye uranium mineralisation; Poc¸os de Caldas; the Alligator Rivers uranium orebody; the Palmottu uranium orebody; El Berrocal; and the Tono uranium orebody. Overall, this is an excellent compilation of material, bringing to a wider audience much information which might be lost in the ‘grey literature’, whilst carefully sifting key kernels of knowledge for the reader. Technical and typographical errors are few and far between, although the mislabelling of reduced and oxidised rock zones at the Osamu Utsumi mine (Fig. 5.20) was one which caught this reviewer’s eye.
Although much of the material may be de´ja` vu for the analogue specialist, this book will be a useful reference to the research scientist, consultant, regulator or waste manager. The book is at the more expensive end of the textbook market, but I envisage it being added to many personal, academic, and commercial libraries worldwide. David Savage Quintessa Limited 24 Trevor Road West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 6FS UK E-mail address: [email protected]
0956-053X/00/$ - see front matter # 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0956-053X(01)00025-3
571
6. Minimal environmental impacts from containers, wrapping, and secondary disposal concerns including sanitation and hygiene.
I highly recommend this book to waste managers interested in the treatment, processing and reuse of food waste.
Available information related to bovine spongiphorm encephalopathy (BSE — so-called ‘mad cow disease’) in Europe indicates that the disease may have spread by way of animal feed contaminated with bovine parts that were exported by the UK. Consequently, much of the material presented in this publication would also be applicable to European countries.
Luis F. Diaz CalRecovery Inc. 1850 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 1060 Concord, CA 94520 USA E-mail address: [email protected]
0956-053X/00/$ - see front matter # 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0956-053X(01)00017-4
Geological Disposal of Radioactive Wastes and Natural Analogues W. Miller, R. Alexander, N. Chapman, I. McKinley and J. Smellie, Pergamon, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2000, 316 pp., US$131.00 (hardback); US$78.50 (paperback), ISBN 0 08 043852 0 (H) 0 08 043853 9 (P). ‘‘In examining things present, we have data from which to reason with regard to what has been; and, from what has actually been, we have data for concluding with regard to that which is to happen hereafter. Therefore, upon the supposition that the operations of nature are equable and steady, we find, in natural appearances, means for concluding a certain portion of time to have necessarily elapsed, in the production of those events of which we see the effects.’’ These portentous words from James Hutton in 1788 preface this book, which together with its sub-title, Lessons from Nature and Archaeology, serve as a guide to what information from natural and anthropogenic systems can tell us about the potential future behaviour of geological disposal systems for radioactive wastes. The book is an expanded and revised version of an earlier volume entitled Natural Analogue Studies in the Geological Disposal of Radioactive Wastes, and as well as incorporating newer material, improves upon the latter by incorporating a larger page format, colour illustrations and photographs, and a more attractive page layout. The authors have carried out, or have been involved with, much of the reported studies themselves, but include summaries and key features of many other studies reported in the radioactive waste literature over the last 20 years or so. It is written in an easily comprehensible style and guides the reader through barrier
concepts and safety assessment issues before tackling analogues in detail. Many of the photographs and illustrations are quite stunning, none more so than the photograph of two-million-year old trees preserved in clay at Dunarobba, Italy, being cut with a chain-saw, thus demonstrating their preservation as wood and the potential isolation capacity of clays in which they were preserved. The text is divided into seven chapters. For the radioactive waste ingenue, there are two useful introductory chapters describing the nature and origins of radioactive wastes, possible disposal concepts, requirements for the evaluation of repository safety, and possible parallels with the disposal of toxic wastes. Chapter 3 considers ‘‘Varieties of analogue studies’’ which attempts to simplify and classify analogue studies into broad subject headings such as ‘‘hyperalkaline environments’’, ‘‘uranium orebodies’’, etc. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with analogues in more detail, and these are split in terms of those relating to ‘‘repository materials’’ or ‘‘analogues of transport and retardation’’. Chapter 6 considers the key issue of how information from analogues may be applied. Finally, there is a relatively short ‘‘summary, conclusions and recommendations’’ chapter. In addition, there is an extensive bibliography so that readers may obtain more detailed information. A particularly useful feature of the book is the display of information from key analogue case histories and repository concepts as ‘text boxes’. These are scattered throughout the text as appropriate. These concern: the proposed Swedish and Finnish spent fuel repositories; the proposed Swiss repository for vitrified HLW; the Swedish L/ILW repository at Forsmark; the Oklo natural fission reactors; the Cigar Lake uranium mine; the
572
Book reviews / Waste Management 22 (2002) 569–572
Pen˜a Blanca uranium mine; the Inchtuthil Roman nails; the Kronan cannon; the Dunarobba forest; Hadrian’s Wall; the Maqarin hyperalkaline system; the Broubster uranium mineralisation; the Needle’s Eye uranium mineralisation; Poc¸os de Caldas; the Alligator Rivers uranium orebody; the Palmottu uranium orebody; El Berrocal; and the Tono uranium orebody. Overall, this is an excellent compilation of material, bringing to a wider audience much information which might be lost in the ‘grey literature’, whilst carefully sifting key kernels of knowledge for the reader. Technical and typographical errors are few and far between, although the mislabelling of reduced and oxidised rock zones at the Osamu Utsumi mine (Fig. 5.20) was one which caught this reviewer’s eye.
Although much of the material may be de´ja` vu for the analogue specialist, this book will be a useful reference to the research scientist, consultant, regulator or waste manager. The book is at the more expensive end of the textbook market, but I envisage it being added to many personal, academic, and commercial libraries worldwide. David Savage Quintessa Limited 24 Trevor Road West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 6FS UK E-mail address: [email protected]
0956-053X/00/$ - see front matter # 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0956-053X(01)00025-3