Transport Of Radioactive Materials Research Articles

Radiological impact associated with the transport by road of radioactive material in Spain

Questions relating to the transport of radioactive materials are very much an issue of current interest due to the increasing mobility of the materials involved in the nuclear fuel cycle, commitment to the environment, the safety and protection of persons and the corresponding regulatory legal framework. The radiological impact associated with this type of transport was assessed by means of a new data-processing tool that may be of use and serve as complementary documentation to that included in transport regulations. Thus, by determining the level of radiation at a distance of one metre from the transport vehicle and by selecting a route, the associated impacts will be obtained, such as the affected populations, the dose received by the most highly exposed individual, the overall radiological impact, the doses received by the population along the route and the possible detriment to their health. The most important conclusion is that the emissions of ionising radiation from the transport of radioactive material by road in Spain are not significant as regards the generation of adverse effects on human health, and that their radiological impact may be considered negligible.

Integrity Evaluation and Dynamic Behavior of Radioactive Material Transport Cask under Drop Impact

Radioactive waste is shipped in casks designed to prevent the release of the radioactive material into the environment in normal accidental conditions. So, the cask must maintain its integrity such as shielding characteristics and leak tightness after the 9m free drop. In this paper, we consider several types of radioactive material transport casks. The drop scenarios for the integrity evaluation are 6 drop cases. The dynamic analysis is performed by applying the various free drop angle of cask for research the dynamic impact behavior and integrity evaluation of a radioactive material transport cask. As a results of impact drop analysis on radioactive material transport cask, the container maintain structural integrity evaluation in 9 meter free drop conditions.

English

Wyoming is the largest producer of uranium in the United States. An increase in exploration and extraction comes with renewed interest in nuclear power. Associated is a need to be prepared for handling radionuclide- contaminated soils from leaks and surface spills during in-situ recovery (ISR) of uranium. Uranium mining is controversial in the United States. Consideration of methods for remediating contaminated soils is warranted for economic, environmental, and public health reasons. While uranium is removed in the mining process, radium contamination is of concern when leaks or spills occur. Research exists on treatment strategies for radium in soils, including physical, biological and chemical methods. Commonly, contaminated soils are removed and transported off-site for disposal at Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-approved facilities. This can be quite expensive and involves the added risk of transport of radioactive material along public highways. Having plans in place for otherwise dealing with soils in the event of contamination would be beneficial to industry from economic, regulatory and public relations standpoints. A two-phase study has been designed in which an extensive literature review is conducted of methods used to mitigate radionuclide contamination of soils, particularly that of 226 radium ( 226 Ra), and then lab results are used from radium- contaminated soils specific to a Wyoming mine site to determine a remediation strategy for implementation. Feasibility of strategies are analyzed in relation to soil and vegetation characteristics typical of Wyoming uranium mine lands, so that operators will have access to this information when deciding the best course of action for handling radionuclide-contaminated soils. Preliminary results of the first stage of this project show a dearth of studies on radium in soils, but that some physical, biological and chemical methods have been used and may warrant further consideration.

Modern detectors for radiation monitors

The possibilities of using modern photon and neutron detectors for developing radiation monitors, specifically, LaBr3, Bi4Ge3O12, CdWO4, LiI, ZnO, Lu2SiO5(Ce), CdTe, and HgI2, microtubes from organic scintillators, nanomaterials, and detectors based on gaseous and solid-state electronic multipliers are examined. A comparison is made of conventional detectors based on NaI(Tl) and CsI(Tl), plastic scintillators, and 3He counters. The advantages of the new detectors are better energy resolution, high detection efficiency, low supply voltage, processing convenience, and cost. These detectors will increase the sensitivity of radiation monitors in monitoring unauthorized transport of nuclear and other radioactive materials, identify in real time the materials being monitored, and simplify the detecting apparatus and the development of monitors.

Looking to the future – an unanticipated event with potential new implications for packaging, transport and storage of radioactive material

PATRAM 2010 was convened in October 2010, with the theme ‘Looking to the future’. At that time, the emphasis on all of the papers was upon the then current situation worldwide in the peaceful application of radioactive materials. It included, as have previous PATRAM symposia, discussion of the development and application of regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material to and from ‘normal’ applications. Little if any focus was on the transport of materials arising from major accidents involving facilities using nuclear and other radioactive materials. In the past, the nuclear facilities devoted to the generation of electricity have experienced two significant events: unit 2 of Three Mile Island (TMI-2) in the USA and Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union. The TMI-2 accident resulted in significant clean-up of radioactive materials at the site, which involved processing of the contaminated and activated materials into forms that could be safely packaged, transported and stored or disposed. The Chernobyl accident resulted in much greater damage, and most of the contaminated and activated materials remain entombed on site. Since PATRAM 2010 occurred, the world has experienced the massive earthquake and tsunami, which significantly damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP).

Denial of shipment of radioactive material

AbstractRadioactive sources are used globally in a wide range of beneficial applications in the health care industry, in industrial exploration and development, as well as in basic scientific research and discovery. In fact, some 45% of the world’s medical disposable products are gamma sterilised using cobalt-60 in processing plants located around the world. Other vital applications such as cancer treatment, nuclear medicine, oil exploration and industrial radiography routinely and extensively use radioactive sources. In addition, radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals are used tens of millions of times every year in the diagnosis and treatment of disease in patients globally. The ability to use such radioactive materials in these sectors is dependent on their safe and secure transport both within and between countries, to ensure that both developing and developed countries have access to this technology in a timely and cost effective manner. However, delay and/or denial of shipment of radioactive materia...

Present and future studies on environmental radioactivity in Japan

In this paper, recent studies on environmental radioactivity are briefly reviewed. Considering the growing dependency on nuclear energy in Asia, emphasis has been given to (14)C cycle at the ground surface including rice paddy fields and to long-range atmospheric transport of natural and anthropogenic radioactive materials. Studies on the dynamic behaviour of (14)C are being carried out and some important experimental results are becoming available for models of (14)C migration in rice paddy. Long-range atmospheric transport models have been improved substantially by using sophisticated physical models and simulation techniques to improve emergency preparedness. Although our knowledge on radon flux distribution in Asia has been improved and radon has become a more reliable atmospheric tracer, we still need more intensive measurements of exhalation flux and atmospheric concentration of radon and radium content in soil.

MIMO fuzzy sliding mode controlled dual arm robot in load transportation

The control problem of the cooperative motion of a two-link dual arm robot during handling and transportation of an object was studied in this paper. Since these types of robots are frequently preferred for hazardous applications such as transportation of radioactive materials and disposal of explosives, a robust non-chattering sliding mode controller (SMC) improved by a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) fuzzy logic unit was applied to the robot to track the desired trajectory with high accuracy and transport the load safely. In order to assess the performance of the proposed MIMO fuzzy sliding mode controller (MIMO-FSMC) in presence of parameter variations and external disturbances, a sudden load variation and noise were introduced to the robot system. If compared with classical SMC, tracking errors with smaller magnitudes and faster convergence to zero were obtained by using the proposed MIMO-FSMC. Numerical results suggest that this type of control method may safely be used for cooperative motion control of dual arm robots in load handling and transport applications in hazardous environments with high accuracy.

Survey into radiological impact of normal transport of radioactive material by sea

A study was carried out to determine the radiological consequences from the transport of radioactive material by sea to and from the UK. Radiological surveys were made at ports, onboard ships and at the premises of consignors and consignees. Measurements of dose rates taken during these surveys were used, with data collected on shipment volumes for the years 2006–2008, to estimate the radiological impact on workers and, where appropriate, members of the public. It was estimated that ∼1000 consignments are made annually, involving some 30 000 packages containing radioactive material. The radiological consequences were estimated to be very low. The majority of crew members of ships transporting radioactive material and dock workers receive annual doses on the order of a few microsieverts or less. The highest individual annual dose to a worker was estimated to be ∼0·2 mSv. The annual collective dose from all these shipments was estimated to be ∼2×10−3 man Sv.

Aoki Awards – PATRAM 2010

The comprehensive history of awards that have been presented during the international symposia on ‘Packaging and transport of radioactive materials (PATRAM)’ was provided in Vol. 18 No. 4 (2007) of the Journal. The following documents the awards that were awarded during PATRAM 2010 which was convened in London, UK during October 2010.

Extending intervals for periodic leakage rate testing of radioactive material transportation packagings

This paper describes methodologies that may be used to extend the intervals applied to the periodic leakage rate testing of certified type B transportation packagings that are loaded but not immediately shipped. In some cases, the packagings may be held in interim storage for more than 1 year, and the immediate goal is to extend the leakage rate testing interval from 1 up to as many as 5 years. The extended intervals are predicated on the basis of acceptable results of long term O ring performance tests and continuous monitoring of environmental conditions of the packagings provided by the ARG-US radio frequency identification (RFID) system. Preliminary results obtained from field testing and applications of the ARG-US RFID system to date indicated that the system is reliable and that the packaging ambient temperature can be monitored and recorded by the RFID tag sensors even when the packagings were away and outside the range of the RFID reader. Extending the intervals between the periodic leakage rate testing of the packagings enhances safety by reducing handling and radiation exposure to workers and cuts annual operating costs during the storage phase of such packagings by US$2500–3000 per

Test of Type FCo70-YQ Transport Container for Medical Radioactive Source in CIRP

*Radioactive material transport is an important part of radioactive material management. In this paper, regulations on radioactive material transport in China are introduced, test facilities and data acquiring instruments for radioactive material packages in CIRP are presented, which are used in drop test and thermal test. According to the requirements of Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material( GB 11806--2004) of China and IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material(TS-R-1), certification tests of type FCo70-YQ container (type B) used for medical 60 Co and 137 Cs sealed sources transport have been conducted in CIRP, and the results are discussed.

Development of Mobile Radiation Detection System against Nuclear Terrorism in Korea

A fixed radiation portal monitors (RPM) deployed at border, seaport, airport or key traffic checkpoints has played an important role in preventing the illicit trafficking and transport of nuclear and radioactive materials. However, the RPM usually is large and heavy and can’t easily be moved to a different location. An intelligent terrorist may also circumvent the fixed RPM to avoid being detected. These reasons motivate us to develop a mobile radiation detection system. The objective of this paper is to report our experience on developing the mobile radiation detection system for the search and detection of nuclear and radioactive materials during road transport. Measurements were performed at various speeds and distances between the radioactive isotope(RI) transporting car and the measurement car. Results of our measurements and the detection limits of the system is described in this paper. The mobile radiation detection system developed should contribute to defending public’s health and safety and the environment against nuclear and radiological terrorism by detecting nuclear or radioactive material hidden illegally in a vehicle.

Reliability Analysis on the Container of Radioactive Material Transport Based on Monte Carlo

Reliability Analysis on the Container of Radioactive Material Transport Based on Monte Carlo

Application of a pedestrian portal monitor at Madrid International Airport in Spain

Abstract Three pedestrian portal monitor systems, designed to detect illicit trafficking or inadvertent movement of radioactive materials carried by passengers at airports, have been evaluated. The systems were supplied by three manufacturers: Bicron, Exploranium and Thermo-Eberline. In an initial evaluation, conducted at the Laboratory of Nuclear Engineering of the School of Civil Engineering, it was observed that the FHT-1372 system manufactured by Thermo-Eberline gave a more sensitive response and allowed the measurement of total photon dose rate and artificial photon dose rate. Therefore, this system was installed at Barajas International Airport in Madrid in 2002 for a period of 108 days in order to select an appropriate investigation level (defined as the radiation level that is selected as the trigger for further investigation). During this period 1,339,931 passengers were screened and a total of 39 alarms were triggered, 5 of which with a value 10 times the mean value of the natural background from photon radiation (which was 85 nSv/h), and no alarms exceeded 100 μSv/h at 1 m distance, which is the level of response for legal transport of radioactive materials set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). An investigation level of approximately 1.3 times the natural background was finally selected. This value coincides with the results obtained in the ITRAP (Illicit Trafficking Radiation Detection Assessment Program) carried out by the IAEA.

Globalisation of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Maritime Carriage of Radioactive Materials: Review of the Legal Regime

AbstractThe international community and important nuclear stakeholders are making efforts to promote the further globalisation of the nuclear fuel cycle. Consequently, marine shipments of radioactive materials are ever increasing. The history of maritime carriage of these substances has been characterised by disagreements between the various stakeholders with regard to, i.e., concepts such as innocent passage as included in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and implementation and interpretation of the precautionary principle. The international framework governing these shipments is flawed due to its inconsistency and fragmentation, thereby passively allowing coastal nations to take unilateral action, such as blocking the shipments from their Exclusive Economic Zones and territorial waters. On the European level, modern environmental law principles are being put forward more progressively, but are not incorporated into a consistent and clear legal regime in this particular context. Overall, there are many feasible improvements, both in the short- and the long term.

放射性物質輸送に係るリスク評価手法の整備 (3)陸上輸送での車両事故発生頻度のマクロ評価

放射性物質輸送に係るリスク評価手法の整備 (3)陸上輸送での車両事故発生頻度のマクロ評価

Radioactive and nuclear material transport security: awareness and application of new recommendations

Abstract Transport of radioactive and nuclear material is highly regulated and transport safety regulations have been in effect for decades. International nuclear material transport security has been governed for many years on the basis of a binding international convention, the 'Convention for the physical protection of nuclear material', and its supporting document 'The physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities' INFCIRC/225, revision 4 (corrected). On the other hand, transport security guidance for the radioactive material was published in 2008 by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as an implementing guide, 'Security in the transport of radioactive material', nuclear security series no. 9, and is just now being implemented in many countries. Experience in implementing the radioactive material transport security guidance is being gained by countries as they make decisions on which specific security provisions to require, provide training to their regulatory staff and licen...

Transport of radioactive material: benefits of effective regulation

Transport of radioactive material is a subject that – despite its long history of excellent technical performance, strong interactions with regulatory bodies at the international and national levels and wide application of well developed safety standards – continues to be the focus of the attention of society, and hence, that of regulators and the industry worldwide.

Transport of radioactive material in South Africa

AbstractThis paper aims to present an overview of the activities related to the transport of radioactive material in South Africa. In particular, the applicable legislation, the scope of authority and regulatory functions of the competent authority (CA) is discussed. The categories of radioactive materials transported and the packaging requirements for the safe transport of these radioactive materials are also described.