Packaging and Conditioning of Radioactive Oil Wastes From Cernavoda NPP Operation

Abstract

Radioactive oil wastes produced at Cernavoda NPP consist of lubricating oils from primary heat transport pumps, hydraulic fluids from fuelling machines and turbine oils. These are normally LLW containing only relatively small quantities of beta/gamma-emitting radionuclides. The main contamination pathway is the contact with the reactor primary coolant. The waste contains varying amounts of tritium with activity below 108Bq/1. The objective of solidification is to convert radioactive waste into a stable monolithic form, which minimizes the probability to release tritium in the environment during interim storage, transportation and final disposal. The solidified waste that leaves the Waste Management facility from INR Pitesti should be of such chemical, mechanical, thermal and radiolytic stability as to assure its integrity over the time required for the decay of the contained radionuclides to an acceptable level. Laboratory studies concerning the cementation of radioactive oil waste have been undertaken at the Institute for Nuclear Research Pitesti. A quality assurance program should accompany the production of waste forms. The goal of all tests should be to obtain a license for a certain process from a competent authority. Criteria that might be applied in the selection of treatment process and of waste storage and/or disposal are the complexity of volume reduction, the complexity of the technology and equipment, the level of process development, and the regulatory requirements.