Transport of NORM Contaminated Materials

1
Transport of NORM Contaminated Materials
2
Transport Regulations

• IAEA Regulations for the safe transport of
  radioactive material 1996 (As amended 2003)
• Most countries have their own regulations but
  these, for historical reasons, do not always,
  address NORM.

3
Purpose of the Regulations

• Protect persons, property and the environment
  during transportation by
• Containment of radioactivity
• Control of external radiation level

4
Packaging

• Must be suitable to contain the radioactive
  material and prevent the spread of radioactivity
  during any incident which might occur during the
  transportation.
• Type will depend on
• Activity of material
• Radionuclides present
• Form of material liquid, gas, solid

5
Types of Package

• Excepted package
• Industrial package (3 types)
• Type A container
• Type B container (U or M)
• Type C container

6
Low Specific Activity material

• Material which by its nature has limited
  specific activity or radioactive material for
  which limits of estimated average specific
  activity apply.
• LSA-I, LSA-II, LSA-III
• Applies to sludges, waxes and contaminated
  sand from spills

7
Surface Contaminated Objects

• Solid object which is not itself radioactive
  but which has radioactive material distributed on
  its surfaces
• 2 groups SCO-1 and SCO-2 depending on levels
  of fixed and unfixed contamination

8
Marking and Labelling

• Marking
• UN number
• Consignor and consignee
• Other requirements of package type
• Labelling
• Transport index
• Hazard labels (include secondary hazards)

9
Documentation

• Dangerous Goods Declaration
• Shipping certificate
• This includes information on the consignor and
  consignee, a description of the radioactive
  material, any additional safety information
  required.

10
UN numbers

• 2910 Excepted package limited quantity of
  material
• 2911 Excepted package instruments or articles
• 2912 Radioactive Material Low Specific Activity
  LSA I (LSA II 3321, LSA III 3322)
• 2913 Surface contaminated objects SCO-1 and SCO-2

11
Transport Index

• Maximum Doserate one metre from the package
  (µSv/h) divided by 10

12
Labelling Requirements

• White Label I
• Dose rate on surface must not exceed 5µSv/h
• Yellow II
• Dose rate on surface must not exceed 500 µSv/h
• Transport index must not exceed 1
• Yellow III
• Dose rate on surface must not exceed 2000 µSv/h
• Transport index must not exceed 10

13
Transport of NORM/LSA Contaminated Items

• These can be moved as
• Excepted Packages
• SCO 1,2 Packages
• (Surface Contaminated Objects)
• 3. LSA II

14
SCO I

• A solid object on which-
• The non-fixed contamination on the accessible
  surface averaged over 300cm2 does not exceed
  4Bq/cm2 for beta gamma emitters and low toxicity
  alpha emitters, or 0.4 Bq/cm2 for all other
  alphas.
• The fixed contamination on the accessible
  surface, averaged over 300 cm2 does not exceed
  4x104 Bq/cm2 for beta gamma emitters or

15
LSA II

• Material in which the activity is distributed
  throughout and the estimated average specific
  activity does not exceed 10-4 A2/g for solids
• Ra-226 3 x 105 Bq/g
• Ra-228 2 x 106 Bq/g

16
Excepted Packages

• Doserate on surface to be less than 5 µSv/h
• Must not contain more than 3 MBq of Ra-226 or 4.5
  MBq Ra-228
• UN Number 2910
• Transport documentation describes package as
• Radioactive Material Excepted Package Limited
  Quantity of Material and gives Name and Address
  of Consignor and Consignee.
• Double Package
• No labels on outside of package except the UN
  number
• Dangerous Goods Certificate completed.

17
SCO 1 Packages

• Labelled with White I or Yellow II labels
• Proper transport documentation
• UN Number 2913
• Vehicle with placards on either side and rear
• Adequately packaged or contained to ensure no
  loss of radionuclide during transit
• Description of content written as SCOI
• Radionuclide content is not required but estimate
  of activity is required

18
Questions

• How is a full picture of movements maintained?
• Who is responsible for filling in the paperwork
  and collecting it?