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Evaluation of the suitability of clay rock sites for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in the Tamusu area, Inner Mongolia, China

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Abstract

The geology of Tamusu site candidate for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Inner Mongolia in China was characterized by large size, moderate burial, good integrity, strong nuclide adsorption, very low permeability, high stress strength, and a relatively stable regional tectonic environment. An evaluation system of QCHLW for the suitability of clay rock strata for HLW geological disposal was proposed and applied to Tamusu site candidate. The result shows that the geological factors meet the requirements of China for a clay rock site for an HLW geological repository.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express sincere thanks to Dr. Shuiwei Zhao from China Institute for Radiation Protection for his helpful discussion on criterion analysis. Prof. Miles Silbeman from University of Texas at El Paso is highly acknowledged for his help on grammar correction and professional comments that helps improving this paper to a higher level. This work was funded by the National Defense science, Technology and Industry Bureau project (NO. [2014]1587), Independent Fund Projects from the State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment (No. Z1904), and Special funds for local science and technology development guided by the central government (No. 2018ZDB40001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, Jiangxi, China

    Hongxia Gao, Zheng Rao, Guangrong Li, Xiaodong Liu, Pinghui Liu, Shuai Liu, Zhijun Gong, Chao Guo & Fengjuan Ni

  2. China Institute for Radiation Protection, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, China

    Honghui Li

  3. Mineral Exploration Institute of Jiangxi Geological Survey and Exploration Institute, Nanchang, 330038, Jiangxi, China

    Zheng Rao

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  1. Hongxia Gao
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Correspondence to Guangrong Li.

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Gao, H., Rao, Z., Li, G. et al. Evaluation of the suitability of clay rock sites for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in the Tamusu area, Inner Mongolia, China. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 47–61 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08654-x

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