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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Deep Space: The new frontier of radiation controls
In commercial nuclear power, there has always been a deliberate tension between the regulator and the utility owner. The regulator fundamentally exists to protect the worker, and the utility, to make a profit. It is a win-win balance.
From the U.S. nuclear industry has emerged a brilliantly successful occupational nuclear safety record—largely the result of an ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) process that has driven exposure rates down to what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. In the U.S. nuclear industry, the system has accomplished an excellent, nearly seamless process that succeeds to the benefit of both employee and utility owner.
Antti Räty, Tommi Kekki, Merja Tanhua-Tyrkkö, Tiina Lavonen, Emmi Myllykylä
Nuclear Technology | Volume 203 | Number 2 | August 2018 | Pages 205-220
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2018.1445402
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The objective of the study has been to verify the calculated residual activity in the decommissioning waste of the TRIGA Mark II–type research reactor FiR 1 in Finland. Knowledge of the radioactive inventory of irradiated materials is important in the planning of decommissioning activities and is essential for predicting the radiological impact to personnel and the environment. Measurements are performed for low active material samples from outer parts of the reactor. Methods include gamma spectrometric measurements, composition measurements with mass spectrometry, oxidation measurements of especially 14C in graphite, and full combustion measurements of lithium-enriched shielding materials. Results are compared to estimates calculated with a combined Monte Carlo model of the reactor and a point-depletion code modeling the irradiation history. Decommissioning waste consists mainly of ordinary concrete, aluminum, steel, and graphite parts. Only preliminary measurements of low active samples are reported so far, but the same methods will be used later for characterizing and classifying dismantling waste. Some discussion of characterization requirements and future sampling is also included.