Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-vmclg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-20T14:33:03.351Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Progress in the Geomicrobiology of Radioactive Waste Disposal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

J. M. West  and
I. G. McKinley
J. M. West
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK
I. G. McKinley
Affiliation:
NAGRA, Hardstrasse 73, CH-5430 Wettingen, Switzerland
Get access

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, radioactive waste microbiology has included a variety of analyses of disposal options for High Level (HLW) and Low/Intermediate Level (L/ILW) waste. Projects have covered a wide range of areas including: fundamental microbiology of geological formations; microbial tolerance to extreme conditions; biodegradation of repository materials and the interaction of radionuclides with microbes and their by-products. The work has included field sampling, laboratory studies, natural analogue investigations and development of mathematical models. Progress in the topic is considered by evaluating each part of the repository system in terms of microbial presence, possible microbial influence on the performance of the engineered and natural barriers, and how such influences can be quantified. From this perspective, priorities for future work in this area are identified.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 663: Symposium – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste management XXIV , 2000 , 827
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. West, J. M., McKinley, I. G. & Chapman, N. A., Radioact. Waste Managmt. Nucl. Fuel Cyc. 3, 1–15 (1982).Google Scholar
2. Christofi, N. & Philp, J. C., Experentia 47, 524–527 (1991).Google Scholar
3. Colasanti, R., Coutts, D., Pugh, S. & Rosevear, A., Experientia 47, 560–572 (1991).Google Scholar
4. Stroes-Gascoyne, S. & West, J. M., Can. J. Microbiol. 42, 349–366 (1996).Google Scholar
5. Pedersen, K., Eng. Geol. 52, 163–176 (1999).Google Scholar
6. West, J. M., Grogan, H. A. & McKinley, I. G., in Diversity of Environmental Biogeochemistry, edited by Berthelin, J. (Elsevier, New York 1991).Google Scholar
7. West, J. M., Radioactive Waste Managmt, Env. Restor. 19, 263–283 (1995).Google Scholar
8. Philp, J. C., Taylor, K. J. & Christofi, N., Experientia 47, 553–559 (1991).Google Scholar
9. West, J. M., Cave, M., Coombs, P., Milodowski, A. E. & Rochelle, C. A., in Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management, edited by McKinley, I. G. & McCombie, C., (Mater. Res. Soc. Proc 506, Pittsburgh PA 1998) pp. 503–510.Google Scholar
10. West, J. M., Coombs, P., Gardner, S. J. & Rochelle, C. A., in Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management, edited by Murakami, T. & Ewing, R. C., (Mater. Res. Soc. Proc 353, Pittsburgh PA, 1995) pp. 181–188.Google Scholar
11. Birch, L. & Bachofen, R., Experientia 46, 827–833 (1990).Google Scholar
12. Fortin, D., Ferris, F. G. & Beveridge, T. J., Rev. Mineral, 35, 161–180.Google Scholar
13. Miller, W., Alexander, R., Chapman, N., McKinley, I. & Smellie, J., Natural analogue studies in the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. NAGRA Report 93-03, Baden Switzerland (1994).Google Scholar
14. Stroes-Gascoyne, S. & West, J. M., FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 20, 573–590 (1997)Google Scholar
15. West, J. M., Haigh, D. G., Hooker, P. J. & Rowe, E., Experientia 47, 549–552 (1991).Google Scholar
16. Brown, D. A., Kamineni, D. C., Sawicki, J. A. & Beveridge, T. J., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60 (9) 3182–3191 (1994)Google Scholar
17. Hersman, L. E., in Microbiology of the Terrestrial Subsurface, edited by Amy, P. and Haldeman, D. L. (CRS Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1997) p299–323.Google Scholar
18. McKinley, I. G., Hagenlocher, I., Alexander, W. & Schwyn, B., FEMS Micro. Rev. 20, 545–556 Google Scholar
19. Hoffman, B. A., Geochemistry of natural redox fronts - a review. NAGRA Report 99-05, Baden, Switzerland (1999).Google Scholar
20. McKinley, I. G., West, J. M. & Grogan, H. A., An analytical overview of the consequences of microbial activity in a Swiss HLW repository. NAGRA Report 85-43, Baden, Switzerland (1985).Google Scholar
21. McKinley, I. G. & Hagenlocher, I., Experientia 47, 573–577 (1991).Google Scholar
22. Stroes-Gascoyne, S., The potential for microbial life in a Canadian high level fuel waste disposal vault: a nutrient and energy source analysis. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd AECL-9574 (1989)Google Scholar
23. Baker, S. J., West, J. M., Metcalfe, R., Noy, D. J., Yoshida, H. & Aoki, K., J. Contam. Hydrol. 35, 331–340 (1998)Google Scholar
24. Humphreys, P., McGarry, R., Trivedi, D. P., Johnstone, T., Binks, P. & Howarth, D. C., FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 20, 557 (1997)Google Scholar
25. Askarieh, M. M., Chambers, A. V., Daniel, F. B. D., Fitzgerald, P. L., Holtom, G. J., Pilkington, N. J. & Rees, J. H., Waste Managemt. 20, 93–106 (2000)Google Scholar
26. Milodowski, A. E., West, J. M., Pearce, J. M., Hyslop, E. K., Basham, I. R. & Hooker, P. J., Nature, 347, 465–467 (1990).Google Scholar
27. West, J. M., McKinley, I. G. & Vialta, A., J. Geochem. Explor. 45, 439–449 (1992).Google Scholar