Radiological evaluation approach for oversized radioactive waste resulted from VVR-S Nuclear Reactor decommissioning

Abstract

The management of radioactive waste is a costly process that involves several activities, including radiological characterization, treatment, conditioning, intermediate storage, and final storage. It is crucial to optimize these activities to reduce costs. Proper radiological characterization is essential to ensure correct classification of the waste and rational use of storage and final storage facilities. Overestimating the waste's activity reduces storage capacity, while underestimating it creates nuclear security issues. This paper describes the methodology used in the predisposal stage to evaluate the activity resulting from activation or contamination of a cast iron plate used to support the cast iron rings of the VVR-S nuclear research reactor block's biological protection. The reactor was decommissioned between 2010 and 2020, and the evaluation aimed to treat the piece as oversized radioactive waste within the Radioactive Waste Management Department at IFIN-HH.