A Gamma Dose Rate Estimation Model For Radioactive Waste Containers

With the foreseen future development of the nuclear power, the spent fuel and radioactive waste which is produced by the normal operation and by the decommissioning of nuclear power plants will be rapidly rising. Spent fuel is High-level radioactive waste and should be disposed safely. Moreover, decommissioning of nuclear sites will have to deal with a relevant quantity of medium-low level waste, going from spent exchange resins to activated structures and contaminated materials stored usually in waste drums. Radioactive waste handling activities are hazardous as concern both contamination and external exposure. Therefore strict regulations are applied for radiation protection in this field. Dose rate in the vicinity of the waste container has to be kept below certain constraints throughout entire treatment and conditioning process. During transportation and for the final storage of waste, the dose rate should meet acceptance criteria stated by the safety regulations. On the other hand, the waste management activities are very costly and thus the final product, which is the waste form, should incorporate as much activity as possible to reduce these costs at the lowest possible reachable amount.