Management of radioactive waste from application of radioactive materials and small reactors in non-nuclear industries in Canada and the implications for their new application in the future

George Sikun Xu; Nicholas Chan; George Sikun Xu; Nicholas Chan

doi:10.3934/environsci.2021039

AIMS Environmental Science

2021, Volume 8, Issue 6: 619-640. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2021039

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Research article Special Issues

Management of radioactive waste from application of radioactive materials and small reactors in non-nuclear industries in Canada and the implications for their new application in the future

George Sikun Xu ^{1
,
,},
Nicholas Chan ²

1.
Environment & Waste Technologies Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Road, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada
2.
Waste Management Function Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Road, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada

Received: 05 November 2021 Accepted: 09 December 2021 Published: 20 December 2021

A large number of artificial-origin radionuclides from irradiation in small reactors and/or nuclear reactions in accelerators are currently used in non-nuclear industries such as education, oil and gas, consumer merchandise, research, and medicine. Radioactive wastes from the use of these radionuclides in non-nuclear industries include expired sealed radioactive sources, biological materials, radionuclide-containing chemicals, contaminated equipment, and very small quantities of used nuclear fuel. Although being less challenging and complex than nuclear energy production and research waste streams, these wastes are subject to the common nuclear regulations by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and are managed following domestic and international standards and guidelines made by the Canadian Standards Association, International Atomic Energy Agency, and International Organization for Standardization. Management practices used in the nuclear industry in Canada are commonly applied to the non-nuclear industry radioactive waste streams, such as waste handling, treatment, packaging, storage, transportation, clearance and exemptions, and disposal. The half-lives of radionuclides in non‑nuclear applications range from hours to thousands of years, and their activities in non-nuclear industrial applications can be as low as their clearance level or as high as the upper limits for intermediate level radioactive waste. Waste containing only short half-life radionuclides is placed in temporary storage to allow decay, and then is cleared and disposed of through non-radioactive waste routes. Non‑clearable waste materials are treated, consolidated, and managed along with radioactive waste generated from the nuclear industries at designated radioactive waste management sites.
- radioactive waste,
- radionuclides,
- small reactors,
- non-nuclear industries,
- regulations,
- industrial standards,
- radioactive waste clearance
Citation: George Sikun Xu, Nicholas Chan. Management of radioactive waste from application of radioactive materials and small reactors in non-nuclear industries in Canada and the implications for their new application in the future[J]. AIMS Environmental Science, 2021, 8(6): 619-640. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2021039

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Abstract

A large number of artificial-origin radionuclides from irradiation in small reactors and/or nuclear reactions in accelerators are currently used in non-nuclear industries such as education, oil and gas, consumer merchandise, research, and medicine. Radioactive wastes from the use of these radionuclides in non-nuclear industries include expired sealed radioactive sources, biological materials, radionuclide-containing chemicals, contaminated equipment, and very small quantities of used nuclear fuel. Although being less challenging and complex than nuclear energy production and research waste streams, these wastes are subject to the common nuclear regulations by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and are managed following domestic and international standards and guidelines made by the Canadian Standards Association, International Atomic Energy Agency, and International Organization for Standardization. Management practices used in the nuclear industry in Canada are commonly applied to the non-nuclear industry radioactive waste streams, such as waste handling, treatment, packaging, storage, transportation, clearance and exemptions, and disposal. The half-lives of radionuclides in non‑nuclear applications range from hours to thousands of years, and their activities in non-nuclear industrial applications can be as low as their clearance level or as high as the upper limits for intermediate level radioactive waste. Waste containing only short half-life radionuclides is placed in temporary storage to allow decay, and then is cleared and disposed of through non-radioactive waste routes. Non‑clearable waste materials are treated, consolidated, and managed along with radioactive waste generated from the nuclear industries at designated radioactive waste management sites.

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