Radiological characterisation for the clearance of burnable waste produced at CERN

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Waste Management
• Radiological Characterization

Background:

• Burnable waste at CERN can be contaminated with radioactive nuclides from activated accelerator components.
• Upgrading, maintenance, and dismantling activities generate significant volumes of such waste.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a methodology for the radiological characterization of burnable waste at CERN.
• To enable efficient clearance of non-radioactive waste, reducing disposal costs and environmental impact.

Main Methods:

• A methodology was developed considering diverse activation conditions (beam energy, material, location, irradiation, waiting time).
• Waste packages were measured using a total gamma counter.
• The fingerprint method was employed to estimate the sum of clearance limit fractions.
• Gamma spectroscopy was used for quality control, despite long counting times.

Main Results:

• A pilot campaign successfully cleared 13 m³ of burnable waste.
• The developed methodology proved effective in classifying waste for clearance.
• Gamma spectroscopy was deemed unsuitable for primary classification due to time constraints.

Conclusions:

• The presented methodology enables accurate radiological characterization of burnable waste.
• Efficient waste clearance is achievable, classifying it as conventional non-radioactive waste.
• This approach optimizes waste management processes at particle accelerator facilities.