Radioactive Waste Management in Lebanon

Author(s):  
Muzna Assi

The disused sealed radioactive sources including orphan sources in Lebanon, along with the growing industry of sealed radioactive sources in medical, industrial and research fields have posed a serious problem for authorities as well as users due to the lack of a national store for disused radioactive sources. Assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was requested to condition and store disused radium needles and tubes present at two facilities. The mission took place on July 25, 2001 and was organized by the IAEA in cooperation with the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission (LAEC). Other disused radioactive sources were kept in the facilities till a safer and securer solution is provided; however orphan sources, found mainly during export control, were brought and stored temporarily in LAEC. The necessity of a safe and secure store became a must. Prior to October 2005, there was no clear legal basis for establishing such store for disused radioactive sources, until the ministerial decree no 15512 dated October 19, 2005 (related to the implementation of decree-law no 105/83) was issued which clearly stated that “The LAEC shall, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health, establish a practical mechanism for safe disposal of radioactive waste”. Following this, the work on inventory of disused sealed sources along with collecting orphan sources and placing them temporarily in LAEC was legally supported. Moreover, several missions were planned to repatriate category I and II sources, one of which was completed specifically in August 2009; other missions are being worked on. In 2008, a national technical cooperation project with the IAEA was launched. Under the Technical Cooperation (TC) project with reference number LEB3002, the project was entitled “Assistance in the establishment of a safe temporary national storage at the LAECfor orphan sources and radioactive waste” which cycle is 2009–2011. Under this project, a national store for radioactive sources in the third basement of LAEC is being established. The area is being reconstructed currently and will be equipped when ready under LEB3002 project. Along with this, a system for sealed disused sources management has been prepared, part of which is applied now and the rest will be applied upon the establishment of the store. This paper will cover the inventory collection process, the study for the establishment of this store, the present and prospective waste management system, and the waste acceptance criteria.

Author(s):  
Vincent De pooter ◽  
David Vanleeuw ◽  
Gunter Van Zaelen ◽  
Marnix Braeckeveldt

Radioactive sources are used for a variety of purposes, e.g. in medical treatment and diagnosis, research applications, measurement, testing, detection and calibration in industry, educational activities in colleges and universities etc. As part of its mission, ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian Radioactive Waste Management Agency, draws up an inventory of all radioactive substances and nuclear installations on the Belgian territory. In recent years this inventory has been used to launch specific campaigns for the collection of different types of radioactive sources. In addition to this, the Royal Decree of 23 May 2006 concerning the transposition into Belgian law of the Spent High Activity Sealed Sources and the Management of Orphan Sources Directive of the EU (2003/122/EURATOM) has led to an increase in the number of requests addressed to ONDRAF/NIRAS for the collection of these types of radioactive waste and to an intensified collaboration between ONDRAF/NIRAS and the Belgian Safety Authority FANC/AFCN towards an effective management of orphan sources. Specific properties of these spent sources such as their activity, external dose rate, weight, size and/or their invalid special form certificate may complicate the transport and final treatment and conditioning of this type of waste and that is why these operations require careful attention. An overview of the radioactive sources already collected as radioactive waste or still present in the nuclear installations, different cases and problems encountered are presented in this paper, as well as the waste management options adopted by ONDRAF/NIRAS to deal with this type of waste.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 302-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming He ◽  
Xiangdong Ruan ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Liang Dou ◽  
Lingbo Xie ◽  
...  

The long-lived radioisotope 59Ni is of interest in various research fields including neutron dosimetry, radioactive waste management, and astrophysics. In order to achieve the sensitivity required for such applications, the technique of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 59Ni measurement has been developed at the AMS facility at China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE). Based on the AE-Q3D detection system in the CIAE AMS facility, the interference in 59Ni counting from the isobar 59Co has been reduced by a factor of 8 × 106. A series of laboratory reference samples and a blank sample were measured to check the performance of 59Ni measurement. A detection sensitivity of about 5 × 10−13 (59Ni/Ni) has been obtained.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvira Rosa Maset

ABSTRACTSince its creation in 1950, the Argentine Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), has worked on the development of applications for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. They include, among others, research and development activities in basic and nuclear technology areas, the operation of important facilities for the production of radioisotopes and the performance of tasks in connection with the nuclear fuel cycle, mining and uranium processing activities, manufacturing of fuel elements, production of heavy water and the operation of two nuclear power plants. Also demonstrating reprocessing programs have been developed.As a result of the above mentioned activities performed in the nuclear field by private and public entities, various types of radioactive waste have been and are produced during operation and maintenance of facilities and plants, and will be produced in their future decommissioning. CNEA is also responsible for the environmental remediation of the closed uranium mining and milling facilities and for the management of disused sealed sources from medical and industrial applications.Activities concerning radioactive waste management are carried on according not only to Nuclear Regulatory Authority requirements and International Atomic Energy Agency recommendations, but also to the national legal framework.The Law Nº 25.018, "Radioactive Waste Management Regime“(1998), created the National Program for Radioactive Waste Management (PNGRR), as part of CNEA organization.


Author(s):  
Hervé Lamotte ◽  
Luc Torreblanca ◽  
Suzel Vilarel

CARAIBES is the traceability information system in radioactive solid waste management of the French Atomic Energy Commission, (CEA). Initially developed for the reprocessing facility of low and intermediate level waste of the centre of Cadarache, it has been gradually enhanced to manage very low level waste and the facilities of the centres of Saclay and Fontenay-aux-Roses. This software is directly connectable to characterization equipment as X-Ray measurement, gamma spectrometric measurement and/or neutronic measurement. After 15 years of operation, a new information system should replace it in 2014. This new CARAIBES V2 will make the functional and technical improvements resulting from the CARAIBES feedback but will also allow to manage all produced and/or treated waste in the Atomic Energy Commission and to ensure the traceability of waste and waste treatment before and after its packaging. From the analysis of the processes, waste management was described as an iterative process where, in every step, the facility in charge of a waste will apply a treatment to it (packaging, association or division) and will characterize it in order to evacuate it towards the next facility. Associated with a strongly customizable information system, this process allows the management of all kind of radioactive waste, including radioactive liquids. The final objectives are: to share a unique software and only one database for all CEA’s facilities involved in radioactive waste management, to be able to track the radioactive waste through all steps of its process, to meet the user’s needs as well as the regulatory requirements.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1665 ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael I. Ojovan ◽  
Anthony J. Wickham

ABSTRACTAn overview is given of an International Atomic Energy Agency Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on the treatment of irradiated graphite (i-graphite) to meet acceptance criteria for waste disposal. Graphite is a unique radioactive waste stream, with some quarter-million metric tons worldwide eventually needing to be disposed of. The CRP has involved 24 organizations from 10 Member States. Innovative and conventional methods for i-graphite characterization, retrieval, treatment and conditioning technologies have been explored in the course of this work, and offer a range of options for competent authorities in individual Member States to deploy according to local requirements and regulatory conditions.


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