08 Jan DD's specific waste is intermediate-level radioactive

Danish Decommissioning is in the process of decommissioning the retired research reactors and other nuclear facilities at Risø. Part of our task is to manage radioactive waste, and a small portion of the total volume is 'special waste'.

TThis specific waste consists of 233 kg of intermediate-level and long-lived material, which is predominantly irradiated fuel from the materials research conducted at Risø Research Centre.

We are regulated by the Danish National Institute of Radiation Protection, which in November 2013 provided the following comment to us: “Based on this qualitative assessment, the nuclear regulatory authorities find that the special waste, as described in the memorandum, cannot be classified as high-level waste”.

The IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, recommends limit values for distinguishing between high-level and intermediate-level waste. The unit of measurement for radioactivity is becquerel (Bq) – and terabecquerel (TBq) if the activity is high (1 TBq = 1012 Bq)).

Intermediate-Level Waste
The 233 kg of special waste contains less than 104 TBq per m3 and generates only limited amounts of heat. According to IAEA criteria, this special waste is therefore intermediate-level. In comparison, high-level waste typically contains 104 – 106 TBq/m3 and generates considerable heat.

Long-Lived
The difference between short-lived and long-lived waste is the half-life. If a significant quantity of the radioactive isotopes has a half-life exceeding 30 years, the waste is classified as long-lived. We classify all 233 kg as long-lived.