Can the incineration of Municipal Solid Waste pose occupational and environmental radiation hazards?

Abstract

An evaluation of the incineration process of municipal solid waste is made for identifying potential radiation hazards. Sources of radiation considered are the radioactive materials wrongly eliminated into municipal waste (e.g., industrial and medical waste containing radioactive sources, such as cesium-137 and technetium-99m) and also radionuclides of natural origin (e.g., radium-226, polonium-210) contained in common materials disposed as domestic waste. Through burning, radionuclides from both origins may be released as gases and radioactive particles into the atmosphere and build up in the facility and in the environment nearby. Results from model calculations indicated that naturally-occurring radionuclides released into the atmosphere likely originate a small enhancement to the natural radiation background. However, in the case of man-made radioactive sources mixed with the municipal solid waste the radioactive emissions may attain and eventually exceed the radiation dose limit for members of the public. These results support the recommendation that for natural radionuclides present in incinerated waste a careful evaluation of the risk of exposure to ionizing radiation, actually in accord to the European Directive 2013/59/EURATOM establishing the basic safety standards for radiation protection, must be performed and model calculations validated with radioactivity measurements. Regarding the potential release of radionuclides from man-made radioactive sources it is recommended the installation of portals equipped with radiation detectors to check municipal solid waste on admission in the facilities and prevent such radiological accident.

An Evaluation of the Radioactive Content of Ashes Obtained from the Use of Fuels from Recycled Materials by Co-Processing in the Cement Industry

“…The present results did not indicate the presence of 137 Cs or 131 I, isotopes typically found in such residues [10,12]. The transformation into ash likely results in the loss of these isotopes due to their boiling points, 671 • C for 137 Cs and 184 • C for 131 I. Consequently, authors like Carvallo [5] advise controlling the calcination process of these residues to prevent high inhalation doses. The present results, obtained without calcination, suggest no hazard from 137 Cs.…”

“…On the other hand, anthropogenic radionuclides would be present due to the possible existence of sources ( 137 Cs, 60 Co, or 241 Am) or the disposal of materials containing radionuclides from nuclear medicine ( 131 I, 99m Tc, etc.). While some studies recommend radiation protection monitoring [5], others conclude that the presence of radionuclides in these wastes is at background levels [4]. Waste from residues with high organic content could concentrate 40K, as has been shown in biomass ashes in previous studies [6].…”

“…The SRF is determined from the determination of the oxides in the SRF ash obtained by analytical techniques such as XRF or ICP-OES, which allows the recycling rate to be evaluated [4]. For this purpose, the R-index is used, which is given by the following expression [5]:…”

Radiological characterisation of alkali-activated construction materials containing red mud, fly ash and ground granulated blast-furnace slag

“…The NOR content of the residues depends mainly on the NOR content of the incinerated residues. As a result of the incineration, the radionuclides mainly remain in the solid residues (Carvalho, 2017). According to a study performed in Germany (Puch et al, 2005), the measured NOR content of the HWA was lower than the world average published in RP-112 (European Commission, 1999), except for the K-40 content.…”

Radiological evaluation of industrial residues for construction purposes correlated with their chemical properties

“…Numerous studies have dealt with their reuse in the cement and concrete industry (Cyr et al, 2007;Donatello and Cheeseman, 2013;Wongsa et al, 2017;Müller and Rübner, 2006). As a result of the incineration, the radionuclides mainly remain in the solid residues (Carvalho, 2017). A study performed in Germany (Puch et al, 2005) measured the NOR contents of the HWA and compared them with the world averages published in RP-112 (European Commission, 1999).…”