End of Life Management of Sealed Radioactive Sources 17 July 2019, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

End of Life Management of Sealed Radioactive Sources

Kapila De Silva Deputy Director Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council Sri Lanka 17 July 2019, Vienna, Austria

Contents

1) Challenges encountered with the end of life management of sources 2) Successes in addressing the challenges 3) Impact of Guidance on the Management of the DSRS 4) Support from IAEA & other international partners

Current Status of End Life of Sealed Radioactive Sources

• No disposal facility for DSRS
• Only DSRS storage facility (Spent Source Storage Facility)
• Storage facility is adequate to manage the sources
• Control accumulation of DSRS in the Country
• All the radioactive sources imported under category 1 & 2

should be returned to the manufacturer for disposal as per conditions imposed by the SLAERC at the time of import approval is given.

Management of End Life of Sealed Radioactive Sources

• Dismantling of Devices, Conditioning & Storage of

DSRS

• Repatriation of DSRS (Return to the manufacturer)
• Collection of DSRS
• Carry out orphan source search programs
• Collection from licensees' premises

Challenges on dismantling & conditioning and

• rphan source search programs
• No skilled & experienced personnel
• No appropriate instruments available (orphan sources)

Successes for challenges

• Obtained assistance from International partners
• Trained the local personnel

Locating of Orphan Sources

• Carried out orphan source search programs with the

assistance of US DOE GMS Program

• Sources were found that were not under regulatory control
• Selected suspected sites
• Gathered information from research papers
• Conducted in 14 sites up to now and 15 radioactive sources

were found from 07 sites.

• All sources were transferred & stored in SSSF in secure

condition.

• .

Orphan Source Search Programs

Orphan Source Search programs

Radium Conditioning 2000 (IAEA)

Dismantling the Devices Devices after removal of the Sources

Removing the sources from a container

Measuring neutron radiation level using a Neutron Detector

Dismantling of devices & segregation of DSRS 2015 & 2018 (IAEA)

Capsule with sources in concrete hole Neutron Sources in concrete hole in a suitable container

Sources removed & ready to insert into the Capsules

Safe Handling of the sources

Dismantling of devices & segregation of DSRS 2015 & 2018 (IAEA)

Dismantling of devices & segregation of DSRS 2015 & 2018 (IAEA)

Cs-137 Am/Be-241 Sr-90

Dismantling of devices & segregation of DSRS 2015 & 2018 (IAEA)

Challenges encountered with repatriation

• No Local / Foreign suppliers
• Freight Forwarders / Airlines reluctant to accept the

DSRS

• Lack of documentation (Package design /special form

certificates expired or not available)

• Unavailability of authorized transport packages
• Transport packages are damaged
• Cost for transportation

• Obtained assistance from International partners
• Transferred approved transport packages
• Used one time transportation certificates
• Preparation of Transport Packages (Type A)

Success for challenges

• DSRS / devices repatriated to Los Alamos Laboratory USA for

disposal by air transportation.

• Moisture density gauges containing decayed Am-241/Be & Cs-

137 sources -07 nos.

• Brought the approved transport packages
• Assistance provided by US DOE GMS program

Repatriation of DSRS (1/4) 2018

Radionuclide /Source

• No. of Sources

Total Activity Cs-137 23 460.7 mCi Sr-90 27 305.2 mCi Am/Be-241 03 144.9 mCi

DSRS loaded in transport containers

Prepared Soil moisture density gauges IAEA stainless steel capsule with DRS inserted in transport container

Repatriation of DSRS (1/4) 2018

• 25 nos. of moisture density gauges containing Am-241/Be & Cs-137

DRS were sent to manufacturer Troxler Ltd, USA for disposal by air transportation.

• Most of the gauges found through orphan source search programs
• .

Repatriation of DSRS (2/4) 2015

• Several

Type A packages were prepared for international transportation

• As necessary certificates (e.g. special form) expired or

not available for several sources, requirement of one time transportation certificate was used.

Repatriation of DSRS (2/4) 2015

• One time Shipment / transportation certificate
• Radioactive sources for which certificates expired required “Special

Approval” for international transport

• The importing country issues special certificate /approval to the exporting

country for such sources that can be used only for one time transportation after verifying the details of sources (model nos., serial

• nos. & photos)
• As the relevant certificates were not available for 06 nos. of radioactive

sources, this one time transport certificate / approval was used for such repatriation.

Repatriation of DSRS (2/4) 2015

Impact of Guidance on the Management of the Disused Radioactive Sources

• Provide general frame work for management of DSRS
• Options for management of DSRS
• Return to supplier
• Long term storage
• Management of orphan sources
• Preparation of national registry
• Transport of DSRS
• Safety & Security of DSRS
• Licensing of SSSF

IAEA & International Partners support

• IAEA TC project RAS/9071 “Establishing the Radioactive Waste

Management Infrastructure in the Asia & Pacific Region”

• IAEA TC project RAS/9085 “Enhancing the Radioactive Waste

Management Infrastructure in the Asia & Pacific Region”

(IAEA Reginal Training Course on management options for DSRS of Category 3-5, held on Philippines, China, Iran, Malaysia, Thailand)

• Global Material Security (GMS) Program, Office of Radiological

Security, Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, United States of America

Thanks For Your Attention