|
|
 |
|
|
| Types
of nuclear waste generated from nuclear power station |
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
The nuclear wastes produced from GNPS and LNPS
are classified into three categories (i.e. gas, liquid and
solid wastes). The disposal of nuclear wastes is based on
the principle of recycling and minimize the release quantities
as far as possible. The management of the nuclear wastes
must comply with the requirements of the national safety
regulations. The release of the nuclear waste is strictly
monitored and controlled by the national authority and the
actual release is far below the prescribed permissible quantities.
|
|
|
Each nuclear power station has its own waste
processing facilities to properly treat the gas and liquid
wastes generated during daily operation of the plant. The
waste treatment process includes filtering, clean-up, storage,
decay and dilution depending on the characteristics of the
wastes and its radioactivity. When the radioactivity of the
waste has diminished to a very low level, it would be released
to the environment on condition that it would not exceed the
permissible limit. The gaseous waste is released to the environment
after treatment via the stack. The liquid waste is mixed and
diluted with the effluent from the plant after treatment before
discharging to the sea.
|
|
|
Solid nuclear wastes produced by the nuclear power station will not be released to the environment. There are three types of solid nuclear wastes
classified in terms of its radioactivity (i.e. low, intermediate
and high-level wastes). Low-level waste (LLW) consists of
daily refuse such as paper, gloves, plastic containers, disposable
overalls and overshoes with low radioactive contamination.
LLW is compressed into steel drums, sealed and stored temporarily
at the nuclear power station and eventually be transported
to the repository for disposal. Intermediate-level waste (ILW)
consists of radioactive resin and chemical sludge, spent filter
cartridges etc. collected from waste treatment process and
maintenance work. ILW is solidified by mixing it with sand/cement
and then poured into concrete drums. The ILW would be transported
to the repository for burial eventually after temporary storage
at the nuclear power station.
|
|
|
The used fuel assemblies taken out from the
reactor (spent fuel) during the refuelling
outage are regarded as High-level waste (HLW). The HLW
contains highly-radioactive fission products and radionuclides
with long-lived radioactivity. The spent fuels would be stored
and cooled in the "spent fuel pool"
inside the Fuel Building for about 10 years to allow for the
radioactive decay of its nuclides and removal of the residual
heat. The spent fuels would then be transported to remote
site in the northwest region for either reprocessing or direct
deep underground burial in repository for HLW.
|
|
|
An intermediate/low level radioactive repository
has been constructed at Beilong (4 km northeast of Daya Bay)
for storage of the LLW and ILW from GNPS
and LNPS.
|
The above information
is provided by EMSD
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
