Management of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes

0,55

MB

with regard to their chemical toxicity

77

stron

4735

ID

International Atomic Energy Agency

2002

rok

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1. Background 1

1.2. Objective 1

1.3. Scope 1

1.4. Structure. 2

2. ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CHEMICALLY TOXIC LILW 3

2.1. Waste from nuclear fuel fabrication 3

2.2. Waste from operation of nuclear power plants 4

2.3. Waste from spent fuel reprocessing. 6

2.4. Waste from decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities . 7

2.5. Waste from institutional and industrial facilities. 8

3. REGULATORY APPROACHES FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT 10

3.1. The hierarchy and scope of regulations . 10

3.2. Radioactive and non-radioactive waste regulations. 11

3.3. Application of the regulations 12

4. PRE-DISPOSAL MANAGEMENT OF LILW CONTAINING CHEMICALLY TOXIC COMPONENTS.

14

4.1. Waste minimisation . 14

4.2. Waste characterisation . 15

4.2.1. Process knowledge 16

4.2.2. Radio-assay results 16

4.2.3. Intrusive sampling and analysis. 16

4.2.4. Radiographic examination. 17

4.3. Waste processing . 17

4.3.1. Aqueous liquid wastes inorganic and organic toxic contaminants 18

4.3.2. Organic liquid wastes 18

4.3.3. Inorganic and organic sludges . 21

4.3.4. Rubble . 21

4.3.5. Inherently hazardous, miscellaneous, and special wastes . 21

5. WASTE DISPOSAL 23

5.1. Design objectives . 23

5.2. Design features. 23

5.3. Safety functions . 24

5.3.1. Physical confinement. 24

5.3.2. Retarded release. 24

5.3.3. Dilution and dispersion . 24

5.3.4. Limited accessibility 25

5.4. Disposal facilities. 25

5.4.1. Geological disposal . 26

5.4.2. Near surface disposal. 26

6. SAFETY ASSESSMENT 28

6.1. Safety assessment approach applied to chemically toxic substances. 28

6.1.1. Source term definition . 28

6.1.2. Definition of the possible transfer pathways and evaluation of the resulting end-points . 29

6.1.3. Analyses of the overall acceptability and safety 30

6.2. Examples of safety assessment 31

7. CONCLUDING REMARKS . 33

REFERENCES 35

APPENDIX A: REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR CHEMICALLY TOXIC LOW LEVEL WASTE IN

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 37

APPENDIX B: PRE-DISPOSAL PROCESSING OPTIONS FOR LILW CONTAINING CHEMICALLY

TOXIC COMPONENTS. 42

APPENDIX C: EXAMPLE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR LILW CONTAINING CHEMICALLY

TOXIC COMPONENTS. 51

APPENDIX D: SAFETY ASSESSMENT CASE STUDIES FOR GERMANY, BELGIUM, FRANCE

AND SWEDEN. 66

CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW 71