Ion-selective treatment as a method for increasing the efficiency of liquid radioactive waste reducing in accordance with acceptance criteria for disposal

Abstract

It is postulated the necessity of treatment of all radioactive waste which are generated during a NPP operation and decommissioning and the need to adjust it in accordance with acceptability criteria for final disposal. The sources of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) formation at a NPP and the forms of main radionuclides (134,137Cs, 60Co, 54Mn) occurrence in evaporated residue are described. The efficiency of ion-selective treatment in LRW volume reduction is shown in comparison with other methods of LRW conditioning. The main stages of the LRW ion-selective treatment technological process are enumerated. Given are the basic facts on the LRW treatment complex which is under construction at Beloyarsk NPP. Presented are the main characteristics of sorbents, developed at SPE EKSORB Ltd, which allow purify LRW effectively. Described is the COREBRICK™ ion-selective treatment technology which uses special sorbents and excludes ozonization. Given are the results of experimental research of sorbent application efficiency for removing caesium and cobalt radionuclides from LRW without preliminary ozonization carried out at Kola NPP. The significance of radiation protection optimization principle is actualized for the LRW ion-selective treatment technology implementation. The importance of optimization of radiation protection materials composition for filter-containers is substantiated for the increase of efficiency of large-scale implementation of this technology. © 2021 Author(s).