Polycarboxylic ether-based high-range water reducer (PCE) has been proposed to use due to the operational advantages of reduced water content and increased fluidity of cementitious mixtures. But the concern about using PCE can increase the mobility of radionuclides as well. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) showed that the PCE formulations increased radionuclide solubility in free solution. Solubility of U(VI), 239Pu, 241Am with the cementitious materials tested with 3:1 pulverized fuel Ash/Ordinary Portland Cement (PFA:OPC) and 9:1 Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag/OPC (GGBS:OPC) with PCE that increased at least one and, in some cases, more than three orders of magnitude (between 10-9 and 10-4 mol dm-3) for these radionuclides in the cement-equilibrated solution. It is possible that the relatively low molecular weight substances present in the PCE cement mixture increase the solubility of radionuclides. In addition, the organic substances that are easily miscible with water can contribute to increase the solubility. In this study, several radionuclides (Nb, Ni, Pd, Zr, and Sn) that may be present in intermediate and low-level waste (LIW) repositories were selected based on the half-life and the estimated dose accordingly, and the solubility tests were conducted with and without PCE in solution. To simulate the field condition of the underground repository, synthetic groundwater was prepared based on the recipe by the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) DB-3 GW and used as a solvent. The solubility limiting solid phase (SLSP) of each radionuclide was determined using Geochemist’s WorkBench (GWB) model. The selected solid phases are Ni(OH)2, ZrSiO4, Nb2O5, Pd(metal), and SnO2, respectively, and the solubility experiments were conducted with 1.0wt% of PCE per total weight and 0.5 g / 250 ml of selected radionuclide’s SLSP for 90 days at room temperature (25°C). Compared with and without PCE presence in solution, the selected radionuclides also showed an increased solubility with the presence of water reducing agent like PCE. This results can be used to correctly estimate the mobility of target radionuclides with the presence of PCE in repository environments.

Technetium (Tc) is a long-lived radioactive isotope, which exists as TcO4 - with high solubility under oxidative condition. The solubility of Tc is fundamental to assess the safety of radioactive waste repository in the case of a leakage of radioactive wastes. Cellulosic materials (paper, wood, cotton, etc.) contaminated by radionuclides are disposed of in low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste repositories. Cellulose can be decomposed under anaerobic and alkaline conditions when cement pore water is saturated, and then isosaccharinic acid (ISA) is generated as a degradation product of cellulose. ISA forms complexations with radionuclides in solution and affects the solubilities of radionuclides. Therefore, the effect of ISA should be accurately evaluated to predict and assess the mobility of radionuclides in repository environments. In this study, batch tests were conducted to confirm the effect of ISA on the solubility of Rhenium(IV) Oxide. Herein, rhenium was used as a non-radioactive analog of Tc due to their similar chemical properties. Deionized water (DIW) and 0.1 M NaOH solution in pH 12.5 were used as background solutions, and ISA concentration was varied to 1~20 mM using Ca(ISA)2 and NaISA, respectively. The batch tests were conducted under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The whole batch tests under anaerobic conditions were performed in the glove box using oxygen purged DIW with a high purity nitrogen gas (99.9%) and low oxygen concentration (< 0.5 ppm). As a result, the rhenium concentration decreases as more ISA is dissolved in the solution, which shows the contrary effect of ISA on the solubility of other metals and radionuclides (e.g., Co, Th, Fe, Ni, etc.). It is assumed that the reducing capacity of ISA decreases the rhenium dissolution in the solution. Additional characterization of the oxidation state of rhenium oxide and the mechanism will be tested and presented.

According to the article 18 of NSSC notice “Regulations on the delivery of low-and intermediatelevel radioactive wastes”, the consignor shall establish and implement the quality assurance program about waste management to ensure conformity with the criteria set forth in the regulations and detailed criteria proposed by the disposal facility operator, including matters related to characterization of the waste concerned. To meet the above requirement, commercially available laboratory information management system, STARLIMS from Abbott Informatics was introduced in the late of 2019 and was customized to our standardized test method in 2020. In that time, Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), which is an electronic system to create, store, retrieve, and share fully electronic records, was tailored to replace paper lab notebook. Scientific Data Management System (SDMS), which is computer system used to capture, centrally store, catalog, and manage data, was installed. Due to the parsing ability of SDMS, human error like mistake while data entry was reduced by extracting data from measurement sheet and exporting measurement data to designated area of ELN and this feature made work efficiency improved. Afterward, validation of STARLIMS was conducted following the procedure of user acceptance testing including Operational Qualification and Performance Qualification. As a result of these activities, STARLIMS has been officially operated and applied to means to manage test results since 2021. In 2021, for user-friendly environment, updating STARLIMS was also conducted by applying SDMS to import data from other radiometric measurements including gas proportional counter (GPC), liquid scintillation counter (LSC), and low-energy Ge detector (LEGe) besides HPGe detector for gamma measurement. From implementation to operation, it is confirmed that STARLIMS has been providing reliable and stable platforms to manage laboratory information regarding measurement records and playing a significant role in tool to meet the quality assurance required.

본 연구는 부산광역시 지정 기념물 제 46호인 동백섬에 대해 문화경관림으로서의 식생관리방안을 제시하고자 하였다. 연구대상지는 동백섬 내 자연휴식년제 지역인 정상부 주변 20,000㎡이었다. 지형, 식생, 식생관리현황을 기준으로 식생구조 유형을 분류하였으며 유형별 식물군집구조 분석을 통해 관리방안을 도출하였다. 식생구조 유형은 관리되고 있는 동백나무림, 관리되지 않은 사스레피나무림, 험준지의 미관리된 사스레피나무림 등 3개로 구분되었으며, 식물군집 구조 분석결과, 교목층에서는 곰솔이 우점하였고 아교목층에서는 동백나무(유형Ⅰ), 사스레피나무(유형Ⅱ, Ⅲ)가 우점하였다. 특히, 관목층을 중심으로 난대림의 극상수종인 후박나무가 일부 분포하였다. 흉고직경급별 분석결과, 유형Ⅰ, Ⅱ에서 중경목의 팽나무와 후박나무가 일부 분포하였고 모든 유형의 관목층에서 후박나무가 4~44주 생육하였다. 교목층의 평균 수령은 66년, 아교목층은 22.9년이었으며 종다양도는 0.5472~0.8646로 분석되었다. 동백섬의 식생관리 방향으로서 기존 관리된 동백나무림은 주기적인 관리를 유지하며 관리되지 않은 사스레피나무림은 사스레피나무를 제거하고 동백나무를 식재하는 관리를 제안하였다. 관리되지 않은 험준지 사스레피나무림은 동백나무경관 형성이 불가능 할 것으로 예측되어 상록활엽수림으로의 천이유도 방안을 제시하였다.

본 연구는 순천만 연안의 환경생태현황 및 세계자연유산 등재기준 적용 가능성을 분석하였다. 순천만 연안의 갯벌형성과정은 세계자연유산 등재기준 Ⅷ에 해당하는 지형발전상의 지질학적 주요과정의 항목에 적용될 수 있다고 판단되었다. 순천만 연안의 경관유형은 갯벌, 논경작지, 밭경작지, 침엽수 자연림, 활엽수 자연림 등 5개의 비오톱 유형을 기반으로 다양한 경관유형이 도출되었다. 순천만 연안의 경관은 산과 강, 들판, 갯벌이 조화롭게 구성되는 경관 특성을 보였다. 순천만 연안의 독특한 경관은 세계자연유산 등재기준 Ⅶ 항목 자연미와 미학적 중요성 기준을 적용할 수 있을 것으로 판단되었다. 또한 국제적으로 이동하는 흑두루미와 멸종위기조류 서식지인 순천만은 세계자연유산 등재기준 Ⅹ의 ‘멸종위기에 처한 종의 자연서식지’로서 기준 적용이 가능할 것으로 분석되었다. 그러나 순천만연안의 세계자연유산 등재를 목표로 한다면 국립공원이나 생물권보전지역 등 보호지역 지정이 선행 되어야 할 것으로 판단되었다. 특히 순천만뿐만 아니라 우리나라 서남해안 갯벌을 포함하는 통합적인 보전 및 관리가 선행되어야만 등재기준 충족여부를 평가할 수 있는 것으로 보였다.