This course is designed for the senior undergraduate and the graduate students of nuclear science, nuclear engineering, environmental science and engineering, biology, geology, and chemistry to provide an overview of fundamentals of radioactive waste management. This course includes nuclear fuel cycle (front – and back-end), radioactive wastes generation and types, radiation source/measurement/effects/nuclear waste incineration, actinide chemistry, mechanisms of microbiological effects on radionuclide immobilization in the environment, treatment technology of radioactive wastes, waste form development and testing methods, geological storage and disposal of wastes, modeling of radionuclide transport, decontamination/decommissioning methods, and risk assessment/safe analysis of repository. The primary goal of this course is to provide the students for understanding of radioactive wastes, immobilization of different waste forms and its management practices so that student will be able to work effectively with nuclear and environmental engineers in industry or academic institutions.

None

Homeworks : 50 %
Exam : 50 %

No textbook is required for this course.
Suggested Readings and References:

- Choppin, G. R., J.O. Liljenzin and J. Rydberg, 2002, Radiochemistry and Nuclear Chemistry, 3rd Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Saling J. H. and A.W. Fentiman, 2001, Radioactive Waste Management, 2ne ed., Taylor & Francis, New York.
- Fetter. C.E., 1994, Applied Hydrogeology, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall.
- Pusch, R., R.Yong, and M. Nakano, 2011, High-level radioactive waste disposal, John WIT press.
- Pusch, R., 2008, Geological storage of radioactive waste, Springer
- Poinssot, C. and H. Geckeis. 2012. Radionuclide behavior in the natural environment: Science, impacts and lessons for the nuclear industry. Woodhead Publishing Ltd, UK [in press].
- G. F. Knoll. Radiation Detection and Measurements. Any edition.
- J. C. Lee, Nuclear Reactor Physics and Engineering, Chapter 10, Lecture Note (2012). The first eight chapters of the lecture note were used as the primary reference material in NUCE 501 this past spring semester.
- W. S. Yang, Y. Kim, R. N. Hill, T. A. Taiwo, and H. S. Khalil, "Long-Lived Fission Product Transmutation Studies," Nucl. Sci. Eng., 146, 291 (2004).

1st-2nd week (Sept. 5 -Sept. 16): Nuclear fuel cycles and type of radioactive wastes (Dr. Wooyong Um)
(Sept. 12: No class, but studying materials will be provided for independent study).
2nd-4th week (Sept. 19 - Sept. 30): Nuclear chemistry and actinide wastes (Dr. Wooyong Um)
5th week (Oct. 3 -Oct. 7): Waste form development (Dr. Wooyong Um)
(Oct. 3 : No class, but studying materials will be provided for independent study).
6th - 7th week (Oct. I 0 -Oct. 21) : Radiation source and measurements (Dr. Hee-Seock Lee)
(Oct. 10 : No class, Instead we have a class on Oct. 11 (Tuesday) according to the POSTECH rule)
Mid-term Exam: Oct.24th (Close book test in class)
8th-9th week (Oct. 24 -Nov. 4): Waste form testings (Dr. Wooyong Um)
10th-12th week (Nov. 7 -Nov.25): Geological storage of radioactive wastes, engineering barriers, transport of radionuclides, basic contaminant transport model (Dr. Wooyong Um)
13th-14th week (Nov. 28 - Dec. 9): decontamination and decommissioning (Dr. Wooyong Um)
15th-16th week (Dec. 12 - Dec. 16): Risk assessment and safety analysis (Drs. Wooyong Um and JeongHyun Yoon)
17th week (Dec.19- Dec.23) : Final Exam (Dec.19)

Topics to be covered in this course include :
•Introduction of radioactive waste management. Fuel cycle and radioactive waste generation (4 lectures led by Dr. Wooyong Um)
1) Source and classification of radioactive wastes (front- and back -end of fuel cycle)
2) Spent fuel/high-level/intermediate- and low-level wastes

•Radiation source, measurement, and health effects (3 lectures led by Dr. Hee-Seock Lee)
1) Fundamentals of radiation (radiation types /radioactive decay/radiation measurements/ protection)
2) Radioactive waste transmutation at ADS and fast reactors

•Immobilization technology of radioactive wastes (4-6 lectures led by Dr. Wooyong Um)
I ) Vitrification theory and fundamentals
2) Vitrification technology
3) Waste form performance assessment

•Actinide Chemistry (4 lectures led by Dr. Wooyong Um)
I ) Actinide chemistry/ Transuranic wastes
2) Microbiological effects on immobilization of actinides and fission products
3) Bioremediation concepts (decontamination of contaminated wastes)

•Storage/transportation/decontamination/decommissioning of wastes (9 lectures led by Dr. Wooyong Um)
1) Geological storage of radioactive wastes/engineering barriers
2) Radionuclide transport and releases/basic model for radionuclide transport
3) Transportation package and regulation
4) Decontamination/decommissioning methods
5) Low-temperature solidification methods and tests

•Risk assessment and safety analysis (4-5 lectures led by Wooyong Um or Jeonghyun Yoon)
1) Safety analysis in nuclear engineering
2) Risk assessment of repository/ EnvironmentaI restoration