Re: Krypton-85

["Jerry Cohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>]

Franz,

    Thank you for the information on current Kr-85 release practices. My

curiosity was aroused recently when , while rummaging through some old

files, I found a paper on the subject that I gave at a 1973 conference on

the noble gases. This paper indicated that Kr-85 release might be the most

serious radiological consequence of the nuclear fuel cycle. I had predicted

that assuming reasonably ambitious development of nuclear power, including

fuel reprocessing, total release of Kr-85 to the atmosphere would result in

an average global dose of about 0.1 mrem/a by year 2000. Assuming a world

population of ~2 billion, the collective dose would be ~200,000 person-rem

per year. A criticism of the approach was that it was like multiplying zero

times infinity and assuming the result to be meaningful.

    Back then I was naive enough to believe that LNT might actually be a

reasonable concept. Of course, I  no longer believe in LNT, but I still

think that those who do believe in LNT ought to worry about Kr-85 releases

to the atmosphere. Apparently, they don't.              Jerry









----- Original Message -----

From: Franz Schoenhofer <franz.schoenhofer@chello.at>

To: Jerry Cohen <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>; <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2002 4:27 AM

Subject: Re: Krypton-85







-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: Jerry Cohen <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>

An: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Datum: Samstag, 23. Februar 2002 21:24

Betreff: Krypton-85





At the operating fuel reprocessing plants in Europe, are they retaining &

storing noble gases such as

Kr-85, or releasing them to the atmosphere?  Could anyone provide

information on this? Thank you.

----------------------------------------------------------------



I read your mail after I had been four weeks in Japan. Maybe you have

already received comprehensive information.



Both Sellafield and La Hague do not retain Kr-85, but discharge it. The new

reprocessing plant at Rokkasho in Japan, which I visited 10 days ago, will

not retain it either after operation will start. The small experimental

Japanese reprocessing plant in Tokai discharges it.



Germany once planned to construct a reprocessing plant in Wackersdorf,

Bavaria. This plant would most probably have been equipped with a removal

system for Kr-85 - not so much because of radiation protection

considerations, but more of political reasons to please the Austrian

government, which pleaded for one. The Nuclear Research Center in Karlsruhe

had developed two or three methods for removing it on a large scale,

together with elegant methods to immobilize it and store it safely for

decay. The Wackersdorf plant was cancelled about 15 years ago.



I have to admit, that I do not really know about reprocessing for military

purposes in France and Great Britain, but would be more than surprised if

they would separate Kr-85. During the cold war the superpowers used the

Kr-85 concentrations in air to estimate, how much plutonium the "enemy"

produced!



Hope this helps.



Franz











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