Waste Technology Section
Predisposal Management of Radioactive Waste
Planned Activities
The Predisposal Management Unit encompases a wide range of activities, from generation to treatment and conditioning, and through to disposal. Therefore, planned activities of the Unit are divided into the following major topical areas:
Technical Guidance Documents
As the result of self assessment of IAEA publications in predisposal (TECDOCs and TRSs) and Coordinated Research Projects as well as support by WATEC (WTS advisory technical committee), it was found that the following eight technical publications would provide adequate guidance for pre-disposal activities in waste management:
- Pre-treatment of low and intermediate level waste
- Treatment of low and intermediate level liquid waste
- Treatment of low and intermediate level solid waste
- Treatment of gaseous waste
- Conditioning of low and intermediate level liquid, solidified and solid waste
- Processing of high level waste and spent nuclear fuel declared as waste
- Characterization and monitoring of radioactive waste, waste forms and waste packages, and
- Storage of radioactive waste and conditioned waste packages.
The objective of these documents is to provide state of the art guidance to MSs, to align technical information with safety assessment needs, to provide operating experience and lessons learned and to have adequate basis for development of training material required for technology transfer to less developed Member States. The existing technical publications in Predisposal will be consolidated, updated and organized as NE Series documents.
Each document will integrate safety and technical information on technologies into one consistent handbook on the subject matter for designers, operators and regulators. Publications 2-8 are planned to be implemented in the IAEA next budget cycle (2010-11). The illustration below indicates proposed hierarchy in predisposal guidance documents. It is organized in the following three levels:
a) The higher level document such as RWM Policy and Strategy is supported by appropriate guidance that is outside of the framework of pure technical guidance;
b) The generic technical guidance in Predisposal will be provided by eight technical guidance NE Series Reports;
c) The topical issues will be addressed either by separate specialized publications or by publishing results of Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs) or by establishment of the designated networks.
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Treatment of Low and Intermediate Level Liquid Waste
This NE Series document will integrate safety and technical information on technologies for treatment of low and intermediate level liquid waste using Filtration, Evaporation, Chemical Treatment, Ion Exchange, Membranes, etc and supersede 26 current IAEA technical documents, namely TECDOC-1579, TECDOC-1504, TRS-431, TRS- 427, TRS-421, TECDOC-1371, TECDOC-1336, TECDOC-1325, TRS-408, TRS-402, TECDOC-1183, TECDOC-1051, TECDOC-947, TECDOC-929, TECDOC-911, TRS-370, TECDOC 689, TECDOC 675, TECDOC 656, TECDOC 654, and TRS-337, published in period from 1992 to 2007 into one consistent handbook on the subject matter for designers, operators and regulators. The objective of this document is to provide state of the art guidance to MS, to align technical information with safety assessment needs, to provide operating experience and lessons learned and to have adequate basis for development of training material required for technology transfer to less developed Member States.
The new publication should be prepared in period from 2010-12 and implemented to Member States as training material for technology transfer in 2013/14. Responsible officer is Mr. Susanta Kumar Samanta (S.K.Samanta@iaea.org).
Treatment of Low and Intermediate Level Solid Waste
This NE Series document will integrate safety and technical information on technologies for treatment of low and intermediate level solid waste by volume reduction by compaction, super-compaction, incineration/pyrolysis, advanced oxidation, melting, etc, and supersedes 7 current IAEA technical documents, namely TECDOC-1527; TECDOC-1521; TRS-441; TECDOC-1371; TECDOC-1183; TRS-360; and TECDOC 655 published in period from 1992 to 2007 into one consistent handbook on the subject matter for designers, operators and regulators. The objective of this document is to provide state of the art guidance to MS, to align technical information with safety assessment needs, to provide operating experience and lessons learned and to have adequate basis for development of training material required for technology transfer to less developed Member States.
The new publication should be prepared in period from 2010-12 and implemented to Member States as training material for technology transfer in 2013/14. Responsible officer is Mr. Zoran Drace ( Z.Drace@iaea.org).
Treatment of Gaseous Waste
This NE Series document will integrate safety and technical information on technologies for treatment of gaseous waste with either delay-decay, filtration, adsorption, absorption, etc and it will include: a) Off-gas from high-temp processes, e.g., vitrification, incineration/pyrolysis, etc and b) Gaseous waste from reactors and fuel cycle facilities. The new publication will supersede 15 IAEA technical documents, namely TRS-358, TRS-302,TECDOC-521,TRS-292,TRS-291,TRS-276,TRS-274,TECDOC-355,TRS-43,TRS-220,TRS-203,TRS-201,TRS-199,TRS-148 andTRS-122 published in period from 1980 to 2007 into one consistent handbook on the subject matter for designers, operators and regulators. The objective of this document is to provide state of the art guidance to MS, to align technical information with safety assessment needs, to provide operating experience and lessons learned and to have adequate basis for development of training material required for technology transfer to less developed Member States.
The new publication should be prepared in period from 2010-12 and implemented to Member States as training material for technology transfer in 2013/14. Responsible officer is Mr. Susanta Kumar Samanta (S.K.Samanta@iaea.org).
Conditioning of Low and Intermediate Level Liquid, Solidified and Solid Waste
This NE Series document will integrate safety and technical information on technologies for conditioning of low and intermediate level liquid, solidified and solid waste and it will include Immobilization in cement, bitumen,, polymer, glass, etc as well as packaging . The new publication will supersede 15 IAEA technical documents, namely TECDOC-1579, TRS-456, TRS- 427, TRS-421, TECDOC-1371, TRS-408, TECDOC-1183, TECDOC-1051, TECDOC-972, TECDOC 689, TRS-355, TRS-352, TRS-350, TECDOC 656, and TECDOC 655 published in period from 1992 to 2007 into one consistent handbook on the subject matter for designers, operators and regulators. The objective of this document is to provide state of the art guidance to MS, to align technical information with safety assessment needs, to provide operating experience and lessons learned and to have adequate basis for development of training material required for technology transfer to less developed Member States.
The new publication should be prepared in period from 2010-12 and implemented to Member States as training material for technology transfer in 2013/14. Responsible officer is Mr. Antonio Morales Leon ( A.Morales-Leon@iaea.org).
Processing of High Level Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel declared as Waste
This NE Series document will integrate safety and technical information on technologies for processing of high level waste and spent nuclear fuel declared as waste to include vitrification, packaging and spent fuel encapsulation. The new publication will supersede 12 IAEA technical documents, namely TRS-435, TRS-345, TRS-339, TRS-326, TECDOC-582, TRS-321, TRS-320, TRS-258, TRS-257, TRS-214, TECDOC-239, TRS-187, and TRS-176 published in period from 1977 to 2004 into one consistent handbook on the subject matter for designers, operators and regulators. The objective of this document is to provide state of the art guidance to MS, to align technical information with safety assessment needs, to provide operating experience and lessons learned and to have adequate basis for development of training material required for technology transfer to less developed Member States.
The new publication should be prepared in period from 2010-12 and implemented to Member States as training material for technology transfer in 2012/13. The responsible officers are Mr. Zoran Drace ( Z.Drace@iaea.org) and Mr. Susanta Kumar Samanta(S.K.Samanta@iaea.org).
Characterization and Monitoring of Radioactive Waste, Waste Forms and Waste Packages
This NE Series document will integrate safety and technical information on technologies for characterization and monitoring of radioactive waste, waste forms and waste packages. The document will take into account distinct methodologies for characterization that is required for every pre-disposal waste management step, starting with raw waste, treated waste and conditioned waste. The new publication will supersede 8 IAEA technical documents, namely TECDOC-1537, TECDOC-1515, TRS-434, TECDOC-959, TRS-383, TRS-864, TRS-376 and TECDOC 680 published in period from 1992 to 2006 into one consistent handbook on the subject matter for designers, operators and regulators. The objective of this document is to provide state of the art guidance to MS, to align technical information with safety assessment needs, to provide operating experience and lessons learned and to have adequate basis for development of training material required for technology transfer to less developed Member States.
The new publication should be prepared in period from 2010-11 and implemented to Member States as training material for technology transfer in 2012/13. Responsible officer is Mr. Antonio Morales Leon ( A.Morales-Leon@iaea.org).
Storage of Radioactive Waste and Conditioned Waste Packages
This NE Series document will integrate safety and technical information on technologies for storage of radioactive waste and conditioned waste packages including high level, alpha bearing, low and intermediate level liquid waste and bulky waste that is required to be stored during implementation of pre-disposal waste management steps. It will also integrate information on storage of waste in final disposal ready form or conditioned waste packages. The new publication will supersede 8 IAEA technical documents, namely TECDOC-1518, TECDOC-1371, TECDOC-1145, TRS-390, TECDOC-806, TECDOC-776, TECDOC-653, TRS-229 and TRS-135 published in period from 1983 to 2006 into one consistent handbook on the subject matter for designers, operators and regulators. The objective of this document is to provide state of the art guidance to MS, to align technical information with safety assessment needs, to provide operating experience and lessons learned and to have adequate basis for development of training material required for technology transfer to less developed Member States.
The new publication should be prepared in period from 2010-11 and implemented to Member States as training material for technology transfer in 2012/13. Responsible officer is Mr. Zoran Drace ( Z.Drace@iaea.org).
Coordinated Research Programmes
Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterisation of waste forms
This CRP is under preparation for 2010/11 programme. The proposed CRP will address problems in the area of waste immobilization and is of interest to countries that have either adopted the closed fuel cycle or could decide to do so in future. It will contribute to the solution of existing and anticipated future problems related to processing techniques, properties of matrices, and waste-form characterisation. Potential participants include Russia, China, India, Japan, USA, France, UK, Germany, Slovakia, Brazil, Argentina and Korea.
The specific objectives are to encourage further research and development and exchange of information amongst member states on:
- Improved processing techniques to ensure more effective performance of existing plants and to address future needs, arising from innovative fuel cycles and flow-sheets.
- Formulation of vitreous and ceramic matrices for immobilization of high level waste to achieve higher solubility of problematic constituents, higher loading, better processing features, enhanced durability, and to address new waste compositions.
- Characterisation of waste forms.
Treatment of Irradiated graphite to meet WAC for Disposal
This CRP is under preparation (jointly with EC Carbowaste and in Cooperation with Rosatom, NDA and Andra) for 2010/11 programme.
There is no internationally adopted strategy for the management of irradiated graphite arising from the decommissioning of graphite moderated reactors. The major concerns for disposal of irradiated graphite are long lived radionuclides such as 14C and 36Cl, which only leaves the possibility for disposal in a deep geological repository. However, there is no stable matrix that would provide assurance for prevention of migration of long lived radionuclides. The proposed CRP will address alternatives in the area of C-14/C-12 isotope separation as an important option for a ´technological solutionˇ for graphite management that may provide for different options for disposal of irradiated graphite. No technology is currently ready on an industrial scale, but there are several promising ones that are internationally assessed through the EC CARBOWASTE program. The CRP will provide a network of interested parties for the development of isotope separation technologies. In addition, the isotope separation may provide interesting alternatives for the management of graphite waste from future innovative reactors. Potential participants include Russia, UK, France, China, Japan, USA, Germany, Ukraine, Lithuania, and South Africa.
The specific objectives are to encourage further research and development and exchange of information amongst member states on:
- Technological alternatives, such as Pressure Swing Absorption, Amine Carbamate, Carbon tetrafluoride distillation, Microbiological separation and other promising possible alternatives,
- Stability of graphite waste form after isotopic separation, and
- Characterisation of immobilized waste forms.