ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Swiss nuclear power and the case for long-term operation
Designed for 40 years but built to last far longer, Switzerland’s nuclear power plants have all entered long-term operation. Yet age alone says little about safety or performance. Through continuous upgrades, strict regulatory oversight, and extensive aging management, the country’s reactors are being prepared for decades of continued operation, in line with international practice.
Emory D. Collins, W. Donald Box, Herschel W. Godbee, Timothy C. Scott
Nuclear Technology | Volume 87 | Number 4 | December 1989 | Pages 786-796
Technical Paper | TMI-2: Decontamination and Waste Management / Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A27672
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Samples of contaminated concrete from the basement of the reactor building at Three Mile Island Unit 2 were tested and analyzed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to determine the potential for decontamination by diffusion-controlled leaching under conditions of full submergence and by forced flow-through leaching of porous concrete block walls. Pertinent physical characteristics of the concrete were measured, and leaching tests were performed. Data were analyzed by established mass transport principles, and predictions of leaching for several years were made. A numerical algorithm was used to model removal of 137Cs and 90Sr by forced flow-through leaching. Results indicated that forced flow-through leaching would require only a few days, whereas complete decontamination by submerged, diffusion-only methods would require several years.