Radioactive waste management involves the proper handling, treatment, storage and disposal of radioactive waste. There are various principles that must be followed, including protecting human health and the environment, minimizing waste generation, and avoiding undue burdens on future generations. Radioactive waste is classified based on its physical form, activity level and half-life. Key aspects of management include waste minimization, conditioning, storage, and disposal methods like shallow land burial and deep geological disposal. Proper record keeping is also important. The overall goal is to ensure the safety of workers, the public and the environment.

1. Radioactive Waste
Management
Dr. Munir Ahmad

2. Contents
 Definition
 Objective and Concept of Waste Management
 Principles of Radioactive Waste Management
 Safety of Facilities
 Classification of Radioactive Waste
 Solid Waste
 Liquid Waste
 Gaseous Waste
 Waste Minimization
 Storage
 Disposal

3. Introduction
 All practices that use nuclear and radioactive materials will produce radioactive wastes.
 The nature of radioactive wastes vary from one radioactive waste to another radioactive
waste in terms of volumes, chemical and physical compositions and concentration of
radioactivity.
 The radioactivity contained in the wastes is hazardous to living organisms.
 The hazardous nature of radioactive wastes to living organisms requires proper radioactive
waste management as prescribed by AELB.
 The purpose of proper management of radioactive wastes is to ensure safety and well being
of the present and future generations of the general public and the environment.

4. Definition, Objective and Concept of
Waste Management
 Radioactive waste are generated from
applications of radionuclide in various fields
e.g. medical, research, industry, power
generation and processes.
 These activities lead to enhancement of
naturally occurring radioactive materials
(NORM).

5. Definition, Objective and Concept of
Waste Management
 Under the Atomic Energy Licensing Act (1984), radioactive
waste is defined as any waste, which contains all or part of:
 Substance or item which if it is not waste is considered
radioactive material; or
 Substance or item which was contaminated during
production, storage or use of radioactive or nuclear
materials or prescribed substance; or
 Substance or item which was contaminated by means of
contact or by being in the vicinity of any other radioactive
waste.

6. Definition, Objective and Concept of
Waste Management
 3 groups of radioactive waste:
• liquid;
• solid; and
• contaminated materials.
 The main objectives of radioactive waste management are:
• to protect human and environment from any
undesirable effects of radiation; and
• to avoid imposing any undesirable effect or burdens of
radiation to the future generations.

7. Principals of Radioactive Waste
Management
 Basic principle of radioactive waste management:
 Protection of human health - as per recommendations of ICRP, IAEA and AELB.
 Protection of the environment through the following means:
 The release or disposal of radioactive materials should be minimized and within the authorized limit.
 Assessment should be done on the impact of waste disposal on human and other species.
 Assessment should be done on the impact of waste disposal on future availability and utilization of
natural resources.
 Protection Beyond National Borders.
 Dispose of such waste in a manner consistent with international safety standards.

8. Principals of Radioactive Waste
Management
 Protection of Future Generation Burden on Future Generation -
the radioactive waste should be managed in such a way that it
will not impose undue burdens on future generations.
 This principle is put forward based on ethical consideration that
the generations that receive the benefit of a practice should bear
the responsibility to manage the resulting waste, and developing
the technology constructing and operating facilities, providing a
funding system, sufficient control and plans for the management
of the waste.

9. Principals of Radioactive Waste
Management
 The management of the radioactive waste should, to the extent
possible, not rely on long term institutional control management or
actions as a necessary safety feature.
 The future generations may however decide to utilize such
arrangement, for example to monitor waste repositories or retrieve the
waste after closure.

10. Principals of Radioactive Waste
Management
 National Legal Framework - the radioactive waste shall be
managed within an appropriate legal framework including
clear allocation of responsibilities and provision for
independent regulatory functions.
• Separation of regulatory functions from the operating
function is required:
• to ensure safe operation of licensed facilities;
• to permit independent review; and
• to oversee waste management activities.

11. Principals of Radioactive Waste
Management
 Control Radioactive Waste Generation
 Generation of radioactive waste should be kept to the
minimum practicable.
 Such minimum practicable can be achieved by:
 appropriate design measures;
 proper planning and implementation of practices such as
decommissioning, selection and control of materials;
 recycle and reuse of materials; and
 appropriate operating procedures.

12. Key Principals of Radioactive Waste
Management
 Interdependencies between waste generator and
waste management.
 There are relationships on recycled or reused
radioactive waste or materials between waste
management and waste generators.
 A balanced overall, safety and effectiveness of
radioactive waste management.

13. Safety of Facilities
 The safety of facilities for radioactive waste management shall be
appropriately assured during their lifetime.
 The following factors to be considered:
• Sitting
• Design
• Construction
• Commissioning
• Operation
• Decommissioning of a facility or closure of repository.
 The main priority should be safety related matters, where throughout this
process, public issues are typically taken into account.

14. Classification of Radioactive Waste
 Radioactive waste is classified according to:
• its physical form (solid, liquid and gaseous);
• its activity (low, medium and high);
• its half-life (short half-life, medium half-life and long
half-life); and
• beta-gamma emitters and alpha emitters.
 The classification of radioactive waste is important to allow
for easy handling and transportation and enhancement of
safety while going through the process of waste
management.

15. Solid Waste
 Solid waste can be divided into beta and gamma emitters
and alpha emitters.
 Beta and gamma emitters can be further divided into 4
categories based on its specific activity or the surface
dose rate if the specific activity is unknown.
 Those with known specific activity is categorized
according to the activity levels.
 Radioactive waste containing alpha emitters is
categorized according to the activity levels.

16. Radioactive Waste with Beta and
Gamma

17. Liquid Radioactive Waste
 Liquid radioactive waste (aqueous and organic) is
categorized based on its specific activity.
 Liquid radioactive waste containing alpha, beta and
gamma emitters levels is categorized according to
specific radioactivity levels.

18. Solid Waste – Beta and Gamma
Emitters

19. Solid Waste with Alpha Emitters

20. Liquid Waste – Beta and Gamma
Emitters

21. Liquid Waste – Alpha Emitters

22. Gaseous Waste

23. Waste Minimization
 Waste minimization is strongly encouraged to minimize the
problem of waste management, in particular, waste disposal.
 The generation of waste can be minimized via the following
3R steps:
 Reduce the amount or volume of the radioactive material
being used.
 Reuse the use of materials or sources or do
decontamination process.
 Recycle the usage of sources in the same or different fields.

24. Procedure of Radioactive Waste
Management
 Waste management covers the whole
process of;
o waste handling:
o waste collection;
o waste segregation and transfer;
o waste treatment;
o waste conditioning;
o waste storage; and
o waste disposal.

25. Waste Collection, Segregation and
Transfer
 Waste is collected in suitable containers
(with adequate shielding) and labeled.
 It is then segregated at source
according to its classes/categories to
facilitate the treatment process.
 All information on the waste is recorded
and a waste inventory is established.
 A written approval to carry out the
waste management process should be
sought from AELB.

26. Spent Sealed Source Sealed sources
are considered as waste
 no longer useful to users;
 taken out of service; and
 no future use.
 Spent sealed sources with long half-life
may be reused or recycled to minimize
their quantity or volume.
 The spent sealed sources are encouraged
to be returned to their suppliers or
manufacturers.

27. Principle and Method of Waste
Treatment
 The principle of waste treatment is to improve safety
aspect and to minimize the cost of waste management.
o The basic treatment for small volume of waste
includes:
o volume reduction, e.g. solid waste can be compacted
or incinerated.
o extraction of radio nuclide - decontamination for
surface contamination, ion exchanging for liquid
waste.
o transformation - liquid waste into solid by
precipitation or filtration.
 The process of radioactive waste treatment may produce

28. Conditioning of Treated Waste
 The purpose of conditioning is to convert the
treated radioactive waste into a more stable form
than can:
o provide easier handling, transportation, storage
and disposal; and
o ensure minimum leakage of radio nuclides into
the environment over a long period of time
after disposal.
 Conditioning is usually done by mixing the waste
with more stable matrix materials, such as, cement,
bitumen and glass.

29. Storage
 Storage means storing or keeping conditioned radioactive waste in a
proper safe place or facility with intention to retrieve it back at some
time in the future.
 The store should be located to minimize radiation risk.
 The location should be selected with due consideration given on the
following conditions:
 isolated area;
 low risk of flood and fire;
 it must be stable in order to secure waste from leakage or dispersion
of radio nuclides to the environment over a period of time; and
 free from earthquake threat.

30. Storage - The store should be
designed
 To limit the radiation risk and radioactive
dispersion.
 With adequate shielding and ventilation.
 With adequate safety and security features
e.g.:
• security locks;
• label and radiation warning signs; and
• a system of heat removal for high activity
waste.
 Transportation of radioactive waste to the
disposal site should comply with requirements
of Radiation Protection (Transport) Regulations

31. Disposal
 Final part of radioactive waste management process.
 Considered only when there is no intention to recycle or
reuse the radioactive material (waste).
 Three basic principles of radioactive waste disposal are:
 Delay and decay
 Dilute and disperse
 Concentrate and contain
 Radioactive waste disposal site should be properly selected
to ensure its suitability and safety to members of the public.

32. Disposal Site Assessment
 Geological and hydro geological suitability
 Demography and future use of land
Accessibility
 Flora and fauna Mineral and deposit
 Meteorology and seismic
 Options for radioactive waste disposal

33. Disposal Site Assessment
 Conditions to dispose at Municipal
Disposal Site:
 Radioactive wastes which contain radio
nuclides with activities below the
exemption levels given by the AELB.
 The radioactivity involved is of
extremely low level and the risk of
radiation hazard posed by such
disposal to individual member of the
public or to the whole population is
technically negligible or insignificant.

34. Disposal Methods Shallow Land Burial
(Near Surface)
 Disposal Methods
 Shallow Land Burial (Near Surface)
 For wastes containing short to medium half-lived radio
nuclides.
 Waste to be conditioned first.
 If waste is of long half-lived radio nuclides, the option can be
considered only for disposal of small quantity.
 Deep Geological Burial
 The best option for radioactive waste disposal.
 Suitable for waste containing medium to long half lived radio
nuclides.
 An example of suitable site for such disposal is salt dome or

35. Disposal Method – Deep Sea - Ocean
 Disposal Methods Deep Ocean / Sea Bed Disposal:
 Selected due to its high degree of dilution and isolation from human population.
 It had been practiced by several nations.
 Not permitted for high activity radioactive waste.
 No longer being practiced and was banned after the London Convention (1972).
 A quality assurance programme for radioactive disposal site is necessary:
 To confirm compliance with regulations and legislations.
 To ensure provision of acceptable and continued protection of human and environment.

36. Record Keeping
 Is part of the quality assurance program established for the waste management
system.
 The records that have to be provided and maintained include:
 Radioactive waste inventory (activity, exposure rate, source, location, chemical and
physical properties).
 Disposal/ waste discharges.
 Records of environmental monitoring and assessments.
 Records of effluent monitoring.
 Records of packaging and transport of conditioned radioactive waste.
 Any record required by waste regulations or requested by the AELB.

37. THANKS