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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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No impact from Savannah River radioactive wasps
The news is abuzz with recent news stories about four radioactive wasp nests found at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The site has been undergoing cleanup operations since the 1990s related to the production of plutonium and tritium for defense purposes during the Cold War. Cleanup activities are expected to continue into the 2060s.
Robert E. Einziger, Steven C. Marschman, H. Craig Buchanan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 94 | Number 3 | June 1991 | Pages 383-393
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A15816
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Multiple samples of moderate-burnup pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) spent fuel are oxidized in controlled atmosphere dry baths at 175, 130, and 110° C. The atmosphere consists of air humidified to a dew point of either—55 or +80°C. These tests are run for up to 18.8 kh. The weight gain data from these tests are analyzed using a mathematical model incorporating the assumption that oxidation occurs by rapid grain-boundary oxygen diffusion, followed by oxidation of the individual fuel grains. The BWR fuel appears to oxidize slightly faster than PWR fuel, and the data suggest a possible increase in oxidation rate in moist air. Reasonable agreement is observed between the oxidation rate constants obtained in these long-term tests and prior short-term thermogravimetric analysis oxidation tests.