International Atomic Energy Agency IX.4.6. Management of disused sealed sources Technical options and safety aspects

International Atomic Energy Agency Scope Introduction Integrated source management strategy Categorization of disused sources Conditioning and packaging of disused sources Storage of disused sources Disposal of disused sources Conclusions

International Atomic Energy Agency Introduction Disused sealed radiation source A source permanently sealed in a capsule, or closely bonded and in a solid form, emitting ionizing radiation and that is no longer in use or intended to be used In use since 1901; until 1940 limited to radium used in medicine thus resulting in widespread storage of radium needles Today, widely used in medicine, industry, agricultural, research and consumer products Physically small, but contain high concentrations of radionuclides Require heavily shielded containers for safe use, transport and storage Give rise to serious safety problems if not managed properly

International Atomic Energy Agency Introduction Poor management practices resulted in disused sources being stored in unsatisfactory conditions or no longer under regulatory control. Deliberate and malicious acts involving disused sources Cs-137 container placed in Moscow park (1995) by terrorists Lithuania - persons arrested with Cs-137 in their possession (Vilnius, 2002) Accidents involving abandoned, lost or stolen gamma- radiation sources Cobalt-60 in Juarez, Mexico, 1983 Cesium-137 in Goiania, Brazil, 1987 Others include accidents Morocco (eight fatalilities) Shanxi Province in China (54 injured, 4 fatalities)

International Atomic Energy Agency Activity ranges of radiation sources Miscellaneous waste containing DSRS

International Atomic Energy Agency Sr-90 radioactive source recovered in the Rep. of Georgia Sources used in mobile caesium irradiators in the former Soviet Union Miscellaneous waste containing DSRS

International Atomic Energy Agency The Message Clearly, an integrated strategy for lifecycle management of disused sealed radiation sources is needed.

International Atomic Energy Agency DS-160, Integrated Source Management Strategy Establish a national inventory Locate and transport disused sources to storage facilities TECDOC-804 Characterize the sources and categorize them for storage TECDOC-1344 Conditioning and packaging of sources for storage and/or disposal TECDOC-886 Disposal of conditioned disused sources Draft TECDOC Security of Sources, TECDOC-1355 Code of Conduct

International Atomic Energy Agency Categorization of disused sources (1) IAEA TECDOC 1344 (Categorization of radioactive sources) To provide a simple, logical system for ranking radioactive sources Their potential to cause harm to human health Group practices in which sources are used into discrete categories To provide a fundamental and internationally harmonized basis for risk-informed decision making Used as an input to activities relating to the safety and security of radioactive sources Develop or refine (inter)national safety standards Develop or refine national regulatory infrastructures to meet the State’s requirements Optimize decisions about priorities for regulation within resource constraints Optimize security measures for radioactive sources, including potential malicious use Emergency planning and response Develop national strategies for improving control over radioactive sources Each category contains a mixture of radionuclides, half-lives

International Atomic Energy Agency Storage of disused sources (1) Issues to consider For many countries, it is the only option available Storage conditions not always satisfactory Most sources remain in storage pending the availability of a suitable disposal option Adequate final management option for sources containing short-lived radionuclides Centralized storage facility for a country/region Various options can be used as storage facilities Shipping container Corrugated iron shed Below surface (basements) Boreholes Record keeping and radiation protection principles essential

International Atomic Energy Agency Storage of disused sources (2)

International Atomic Energy Agency Storage of disused sources (3)

International Atomic Energy Agency Storage of disused sources (4)

International Atomic Energy Agency Storage of disused sources (5)

International Atomic Energy Agency Storage of disused sources (6)

International Atomic Energy Agency Storage of disused sources (7)

International Atomic Energy Agency Disposal of disused sources (1) Issues to consider Specific activity of many disused sources exceed the waste acceptance criteria for near-surface disposal facilities for low- and intermediate level waste Constitute high, localized concentrations (hot spots), resulting in unacceptable risk during human intrusion conditions Reasonable assurance of compliance with safety requirements not always adequately demonstrated in cases where it has been implemented Assumed institutional control not always the answer Disposal facilities providing higher levels of isolation is required Geological disposal is a possibility, but may not be available to many Countries lack an infrastructure for long-term waste management Borehole disposal of disused sealed radioactive sources

International Atomic Energy Agency Disposal of disused sources (3)

International Atomic Energy Agency Disposal of disused sources (4)

International Atomic Energy Agency Disposal of disused sources (5)