Transport of radioactive sources

The safety record for transport of radioactive materials including spent fuel and wastes is excellent. Information about transportation of radioactive materials including waste is managed by DOE. Codes such as RADTRAN that can calculate pubHc radiation dose owing to the passage of shipments have been developed. The maximum dosage from such shipments is a very small fraction of the typical annual radiation dose from all other sources. 

The primary source of competent authority identifications is the list of National Competent Authorities Responsible for Approvals and Authorizations in Respect of the Transport of Radioactive Material, which is published annually by the IAEA and is available on request. Each country should ensure that the listed information is current and accurate. The IAEA requests verification of this information annually, and prompt responses by Member States will ensure the continued value of this list. 

Evaluation of the package temperature for transport of radioactive material may be done by analysis or test. Tests, if used, should be performed on full scale models. If the radiation source is not sunlight, differences between solar wavelength and the source wavelength should be taken into account. The test should continue until thermal equilibrium is achieved (either constant steady state or steady periodic state, depending on the source). Corrections should be made for ambient temperatures and internal heat, where necessary. 

ASTON, D., BODIMEADE, A.H., HALL, E.G., TAYLOR, C.B.G., The Specification and Testing of Radioactive Sources Designated as Special Form Under the IAEA Transport Regulations, CEC Study Contract XVII/322/80.6, Rep. EUR 8053, CEC,... 

Towards the preparation of radioactive source for the actmty transport and deposition studies, method of preparation of electrodeposited source for 2 was standardised. A scale model of an experimental setup for wetbed submerged gravel bed SCTubber has been made for assessment ofits performance and mrploring the fearibility ofuse of similar system in fast breeder reactor containment venting jq plications. 

Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS)3, the Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material and other IAEA Safety Standards. IAEA Safety Guides and Practices as well as publications of other international organizations provide guidance and information on how to implement the requirements. 

With a view to ensuring the protection of people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation, the IAEA safety standards establish fundamental safety principles, requirements and measures to control the radiation exposure of people and the release of radioactive material to the environment, to restrict the likehhood of events that might lead to a loss of control over a nuclear reactor core, nuclear chain reaction, radioactive source or any other source of radiation, and to mitigate the consequences of such events if they were to occur. The standards apply to facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks, including nuclear installations, the use of radiation and radioactive sources, the transport of radioactive material and the management of radioactive waste. 

This result points out two concerns. First, typically, only one local meteorological tower is in the site vicinity. The initial transport of radioactive material from a site after it is released to the atmosphere will be dominated by local conditions (e.g., hills, valleys, lakes, and precipitation). This single source of weather and wind information cannot give a definitive indication of winds away from the plant. Nuclear power plants are typically located in very complex areas (e.g., in river valleys or on the coast) where wind direction and flows can vary considerably within a short distance of the plant. As an example, a 180 difference in wind direction could result from sea breeze effects at a coastal site. This is the basis for taking protective actions in all directions near (within 2 or 3 miles of the plant). The events that occurred early in the TMI-2 incident, as discussed in Section 5.2.6, further illustrate the problems inherent in taking protective actions only in the downwind direction. 

The manufacturer should establish and maintain procedures to ensure that the sealed source is correctly contained or packaged and that its transport conforms to requirements governing the transport of radioactive material. This... 

If the excess of lanthanide is sufficiently great, overloading of the transport system occurs and colloidal aggregates of large size are formed by hydrolysis. The interstitial or intracavitary formation of immobilized lanthanide colloids labeled with relatively short-lived radioisotopes was the basis for the attempted use of radioactive lanthanides as internal sources of therapeutic radiation (Kyker, 1962a, 1962b). 

Pacific cyclones represent the major source of precipitation over the western United States. Therefore, they also represent a major source of deposition of contaminant aerosols in the waters of these states. The examination of radioactive aerosols in precipitation resulting from Pacific cyclones is thus of interest in understanding the transport of atmospheric aerosols to the ground by precipitation. 

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