Simcha Stroes-Gascoyne - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Simcha Stroes-Gascoyne, Ph.D., Independent Consultant

Expertise

Geological disposal of radioactive waste; Subsurface Microbiology; Microbiology of Clay-Based Sealing Systems; Spent Fuel and UO2 Dissolution; Aquatic Geochemistry

Experience Summary

Diverse background in applied environmental sciences and engineering with emphasis on geological disposal of radioactive waste, including:

• Thirty-five years combined experience in (1) the effects of microbial activity on all aspects of geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste; and (2) the dissolution behaviour of spent nuclear fuel and UO2 under disposal conditions.
• Participant in the underground research laboratory (URL) characterization and experimental program at AECL and in several large-scale international underground research laboratory experiments.
• Participant in spent fuel examination and dry storage projects;
• Author/co-author of 130 published papers and reports, 80 restricted/proprietary reports.
• Associate Editor for Applied Geochemistry.

Specific Experience Related to Subsurface Microbiology

Initiation and development of many technical projects at AECL to examine the potential effects of microbial activity on geological disposal of radioactive waste, including:

• Survival rate of microbes in clay-based buffer materials under relevant conditions.
• Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of copper disposal containers.
• Transport of microbes through compacted clay-based sealing materials.
• Microbial gas production in clay-based materials.
• Microbial characterization of groundwater.
• Aseptic drilling of boreholes.
• Characterization of in situ grown biofilms.
• Effects of in situ grown biofilms on radionuclide migration.
• Microbial degradation of additives in cement used for grouting and for constructing bulkheads, seals, etc.
• Introduction of nutrients as a result of repository excavation and construction.

Specific Experience Related to Spent Fuel Dissolution, Fuel Characterization, Dry Storage and Corrosion

Involvement in many projects on spent fuel and UO2 dissolution, dry storage of spent fuel, source term development and container corrosion, including:

• Electrochemical studies with Pu-doped UO2 electrodes to determine the effect of alpha-radiolysis on the dissolution of UO2.
• Spent fuel dissolution studies under a wide range of geo-chemical conditions.
• Gap and grain-boundary inventory measurements of fission products for source term development.
• Dry storage of spent fuel; assessment of fuel conditions over time.
• Concept development for specific dry storage requirements.
• Post-irradiation examinations of Darlington fuel bundles to identify and remedy fuel wear start-up problems.
• Assessment of long-term corrosion behaviour of C-steel and its impact on redox conditions inside used fuel disposal containers.

Employment and Education

• 2014-current: Independent consultant on the effects of microbial activity on all aspects of geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste; Clients include NWMO, Canada; Nagra, Switzerland; Posiva, Finland.
• 1982-2014: Research scientist and senior research scientist at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) (now Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL))
• 1977-1983: Ph.D. Civil Engineering. McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
• 1970-1977: Bachelors and Master’s Degrees in Environmental Engineering, Agricultural University of Wageningen (now Wageningen University), the Netherlands.

Awards

• International Association of GeoChemistry (IAGC) Certificate of Recognition (2010).
• Co-recipient of the CNS/CAN Canadian Nuclear Achievement J.S. Hewitt Team Achievement Award presented to AECL’s Tunnel Sealing Experiment Team for successfully demonstrating the performance of a full-scale tunnel seal in a simulated nuclear fuel geological repository (2005).

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