Disposal is the final stage for sealed radioactive sources removed from service at the end of their useful life when they are declared “radioactive waste”. The task is nevertheless complex, because the choice of the type of disposal facility depends on several factors: type and quantity of radioactive waste, current and future environmental, geological, seismic and climatic conditions, available funds, etc. For countries with low quantities of radioactive waste, disposal could theoretically consist of placing it in deep wells in a safe, secure and permanent manner.
IAEA Provides Technology and Engineering Assistance for the Construction and Commissioning of Pit Storage Facilities for Radioactive Waste, a First in a Canadian-Funded Pilot Project and implemented in Ghana and Malaysia.
“The pit disposal system is a permanent storage solution that goes beyond storage,” says Heather Looney, chief of the Nuclear Materials and Facilities Security Section of the Nuclear Security Division of the United States. IAEA. “One of the main benefits expected from this project is the overall improvement of nuclear and radiation safety at national and regional levels, as well as globally. The IAEA systematically helps countries identify and implement optimal solutions for the safe and secure use, storage and maintenance of disposal of their radioactive sources. We hope that the results obtained in Malaysia will encourage other countries to take advantage of best practices in the storage of radioactive sources in pits. »
The sealing and removal from service of radioactive sources are important steps for several nuclear applications that use them in industry, medicine, agriculture and research. Such sources are used, among other things, for the treatment of cancer, the extension of the shelf life of food, the sterilization of medical supplies, the irradiation of seeds to improve food production, oil and gas exploration, the measurement soil density in the construction industry as well as in conventional smoke detectors. End-to-end management of radioactive sources involves employing safety and security measures at the end of their useful life, thereby enhancing safety and security.
“Storage in pits is a suitable and cost-effective solution, as it is specifically developed for the final storage of sealed radioactive sources withdrawn from service, and it is economically affordable compared to other storage options, such as geological storage”, explains Nora Zakaria, Chief of the IAEA’s Waste Technology Section.