Hazards biological, from radioactive wastes

Two of the RADWASS principles refer to Protection of Human Health and to Safety of Facilities. Both recognise that management of radioactive waste must have regard to all relevant hazards. As well as those associated with ionising radiation, hazards may arise from the presence of toxic, corrosive, inflammable or biologically active materials. They may also be associated with operation of process plant and the excavation or mining of disposal frcilities. 

The laboratory operator must make a careful examination of all wastes that will be generated and, from this, work up a waste disposal system. Some wastes may be compatible and could be disposed of together. Others could react and thus cause problems. Flammables must be given special attention. Certain biological wastes may be very hazardous even in small quantities. Special rules apply to radioactive materials, even in the small amounts used for investigative purposes. 

Following biological degradation, the extract is exposed to photochemical degradation, which removes uranium from solution as polyuranate. The metals and uranium are captured in separate treatment steps, allowing for the separation of wastes into radioactive and nonradioactive waste streams. This treatment process does not create additional hazardous wastes and allows for the reuse of the contaminated soil. The technology has been the subject of bench-scale tests and is not currently commercially available. 

Present regulations assume that long-term isolation of hazardous wastes — including toxic chemical, biological, radioactive, flammable and explosive wastes — may be effected by disposal in landfills that have liners of very low hydraulic conductivity. In reality, total isolation of wastes in humid areas is not possible some migration of leachate from wastes buried in the gound will always occur. 

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