Radioactive waste basics

The course corresponds to a “beginner’s level” of a target audience who have little very general knowledge of radioactivity, radioactive waste and its corresponding management methods. Taking French nuclear industry as an example, it treats the following aspects:

• Nuclear structure basics and radioactivity
• What is radioactive waste (origin, contents)
• How to characterize the radiological contents of the waste
• Radiation protection and health issues linked to radioactive waste
• Radiological decay of waste
• Waste classification, as suggested by IAEA (see below, from “AIEA Safety Standards Series, Classification of Radioactive Waste, DS390”), as seen in different countries
• Different ways of treating and packaging waste according to its classification (based on the High, Intermediate, Low and Very Low categories)
• Establishing the national inventory of waste, and establishing the corresponding waste management plan. European waste directive (COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2011/70/EURATOM. of 19 July 2011. establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste)
• Waste management routes (treatment, storage short or long term, disposal)
• The specificities of the management of Disused Sealed Spent Sources
• Waste management environment (examples in different countries) and waste management structures (international examples)