RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Safe disposal of radioactive waste – an ongoing challenge
Radioactive waste from nuclear plants, industry, research and medicine must be appropriately conditioned for safe interim and permanent storage and comply with specific, well-established acceptance criteria.
TÜV NORD Nuclear inspects and evaluates the properties and inventories of radioactive waste on behalf of the responsible authority. The radioactive nuclide inventory, the chemical and physical properties of the raw waste and the designated radioactive waste packaging are all taken into consideration in this task. The measures to be taken for ensuring the necessary technical safety, including radiation protection, are also evaluated during the above activities.
Furthermore, the TÜV NORD Nuclear experts assess the waste treatment methods, determine their suitability for processing the existing and future raw waste and evaluate the inspection measures during processing, either as planned or as performed. Waste processing is outlined in so-called workflow sheets, which are subject to the TÜV NORD Nuclear review before the waste treatment itself starts. According to the respective entries in the workflow sheet, TÜV NORD Nuclear experts perform on-site inspections during processing the waste.
Finally, TÜV NORD Nuclear experts review the documentation for the generated waste packages, which have to meet the acceptance criteria for safe interim and final waste storage.
The results of the TÜV NORD Nuclear activities form the basis for the decisions to be made by the responsible authorities.
The range of the TÜV NORD Nuclear services in the field of radioactive waste conditioning includes the following issues:
