The Radiation Legacy of the Soviet Nuclear Complex

by Egorov, Nikolai N.; Novikov, V. M.; Parker, Frank L.; Popov, Victor K.

• ISBN13: 9781853836589
• ISBN10: 1853836583
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-06-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The legacy of nuclear contamination in the former Soviet Union presents an extremely grave challenge, not just for Russia and the other successor republics, but for the rest of the world too. This volume presents the first authoritative and detailed information available in the West. It gives the location and characteristics of the accumulated radioactive material and wastes by each sector, from ore and mining to use and disposal. This includes the volume and activity, nuclide composition, state and concentration, and discharges to the environment. It describes type of storage, capacity and utilization, age and location. It gives information on the territories and locations contaminated, by normal operations and by accidents, from which strategic plans for remediation can be formulated. This volume provides a unique resource for policy makers, analysts and professionals in the relevant industries, addressing the legacy of the Soviet nuclear complex and its implications. Published in association with the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	ix
List of Tables	xi
List of Contributors	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Preface	xix
Introduction	xxv
Mining, Processing, and Enrichment of Uranium Ores	1	(26)
Introduction	1	(5)
Description of Enterprises	6	(15)
Conclusions	21	(6)
The Industrial Complex for Uranium Enrichment	27	(10)
Introduction	27	(3)
Characteristics of Accumulated Radioactive Materials and Radioactive Wastes in the Industrial Complex as a Whole and at Separate Enterprises	30	(7)
Nuclear Fuel Production	37	(14)
Introduction	37	(1)
Characteristics of Radioactive Wastes	38	(1)
Evaluation of the Completeness of Information	39	(12)
Nuclear Power Plants	51	(34)
Introduction	51	(3)
Characteristics of Radioactive Materials and Wastes Produced in Nuclear Power Plants	54	(23)
Handling Radioactive Material and Radioactive Waste at Nuclear Power Plants	77	(4)
Completeness and Reliability of Data on Radioactive Materials and Radioactive Wastes at Nuclear Power Plants	81	(4)
Naval Application of Nuclear Power	85	(22)
Introduction	85	(3)
Characteristics of Accumulated Radioactive Materials and Radioactive Wastes	88	(14)
Characteristics of Available Data	102	(5)
Nuclear Research Reactors and Nuclear Research Centers	107	(36)
Introduction	107	(1)
Characteristics of Accumulated Radioactive Materials and Radioactive Wastes	107	(20)
Completeness and Availability of Data	127	(1)
Problems of Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management at the Research Reactors and in the Research Institutes	127	(1)
Conclusion	128	(15)
Plutonium Production and Radiochemical Reprocessing of Spent Nuclear Fuel	143	(34)
Introduction	143	(1)
Characteristics of Accumulated Radioactive Wastes	143	(30)
Characteristics of Available Data	173	(4)
Nuclear Weapons Production	177	(4)
Nuclear Explosions	181	(28)
Introduction	181	(2)
Data on Nuclear Weapon Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions, Conducted from 1949 to 1990	183	(1)
Characteristics of Accumulated Radionuclides Due to Nuclear Explosions on the Territory of the Former Soviet Union as of 1 January 1996	183	(21)
Existing Databases	204	(5)
Storage and Reprocessing of Nonreactor Radioactive Wastes and Spent Ionizing Radiation Sources	209	(14)
Introduction	209	(2)
Characteristics of Accumulated Radioactive Wastes	211	(3)
Geoinformation System of Radioactive Waste Burial at the Special Enterprises of Russia	214	(9)
Conclusion	223	(4)
Appendix A: List of Abbreviations and Acronyms	227	(4)
Appendix B: Units of Measurement	231	(2)
Index	233