This publication provides an overview of thermal technologies used for processing various solid, liquid, organic and inorganic radioactive waste streams. It discusses the advantages, limitations and operating experiences of these technologies, as well as addressing the applicability of each technology to national or regional nuclear programmes of specific relative size (major advanced programmes, small to medium programmes, and emerging programmes with other nuclear applications).

In the late 1980s, the National Cancer Institute initiated an investigation of cancer risks in populations near 52 commercial nuclear power plants and 10 Department of Energy nuclear facilities (including research and nuclear weapons production facilities and one reprocessing plant) in the United States. The results of the NCI investigation were used a primary resource for communicating with the public about the cancer risks near the nuclear facilities. However, this study is now over 20 years old. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission requested that the National Academy of Sciences provide an updated assessment of cancer risks in populations near USNRC-licensed nuclear facilities that utilize or process uranium for the production of electricity. Analysis of Cancer Risks in Populations near Nuclear Facilities: Phase 1 focuses on identifying scientifically sound approaches for carrying out an assessment of cancer risks associated with living near a nuclear facility, judgments about the strengths and weaknesses of various statistical power, ability to assess potential confounding factors, possible biases, and required effort. The results from this Phase 1 study will be used to inform the design of cancer risk assessment, which will be carried out in Phase 2. This report is beneficial for the general public, communities near nuclear facilities, stakeholders, healthcare providers, policy makers, state and local officials, community leaders, and the media.

Reviews the political and social context for nuclear power generation, the nuclear fuel cycles and their implications for the environment.

Naturally occurring radionuclides are found throughout the earth's crust, and they form part of the natural background of radiation to which all humans are exposed. Many human activities-such as mining and milling of ores, extraction of petroleum products, use of groundwater for domestic purposes, and living in houses-alter the natural background of radiation either by moving naturally occurring radionuclides from inaccessible locations to locations where humans are present or by concentrating the radionuclides in the exposure environment. Such alterations of the natural environment can increase, sometimes substantially, radiation exposures of the public. Exposures of the public to naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) that result from human activities that alter the natural environment can be subjected to regulatory control, at least to some degree. The regulation of public exposures to such technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulatory and advisory organizations is the subject of this study by the National Research Council's Committee on the Evaluation of EPA Guidelines for Exposures to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials.

Over the past decade significant progress has been achieved in the development of waste characterization and control procedures and equipment as a direct response to ever-increasing requirements for quality and reliability of information on waste characteristics. Failure in control procedures at any step can have important, adverse consequences and may result in producing waste packages which are not compliant with the waste acceptance criteria for disposal, thereby adversely impacting the repository. The information and guidance included in this publication corresponds to recent achievements and reflects the optimum approaches, thereby reducing the potential for error and enhancing the quality of the end product. -- Publisher's description.

An engaging introduction to marine chemistry and the ocean's geochemical interactions with the solid earth and atmosphere, for students of oceanography.

Natural Water Remediation: Chemistry and Technology considers topics such as metal ion solubility controls, pH, carbonate equilibria, adsorption reactions, redox reactions and the kinetics of oxygenation reactions that occur in natural water environments. The book begins with the fundamentals of acid-base and redox chemistry to provide a better understanding of the natural system. Other sections cover the relationships among environmental factors and natural water (including biochemical factors, hydrologic cycles and sources of solutes in the atmosphere). Chemical thermodynamic models, as applied to natural water, are then discussed in detail. Final sections cover self-contained applications concerning composition, quality measurement and analyses for river, lake, reservoir and groundwater sampling. - Covers the fundamentals of acid-base and redox chemistry for environmental engineers - Focuses on the practical uses of water, soil mineral and bedrock chemistry and how they impact surface and groundwater - Includes applications concerning composition, quality measurement and analyses for river, lake, reservoir and groundwater sampling