Assay of long-lived radionuclides in low-level wastes from power reactors

The 10 CFR Part 61 waste classification system includes several nuclides which are difficult to assay without expensive radiochemical methods. In order for waste generators to classify wastes practically, NRC Staff has recommended the use of correlation factors to scale the difficult-to-measure nuclides with nuclides which can be measured more easily (i.e., gamma emitters such as /sup 60/Co or /sup 137/Cs). In this study, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) performed complete radiochemical assays for all the 10 CFR Part 61 waste classification nuclides on over 100 samples. These data, along with almost 800 other samples in the SAIC data base, were used to assess the validity of correlation factors suggested for use in nuclear power plant wastes. Specific generic correlation factors are recommended with other approaches to correlate nuclides for which generic scaling factors are not defensible. The primary nuclide correlations studied were /sup 14/C, /sup 55/Fe, /sup 59/Ni, /sup 63/Ni, and /sup 94/Nb, with /sup 60/Co; /sup 90/Sr, /sup 99/Tc, /sup 129/I, /sup 135/Cs, and /sup 239, 240/Pu with /sup 137/Cs; /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239, 240/Pu, /sup 241/Pu, /sup 241/Am, /sup 242/Cm, and /sup 243, 244/Cm with /sup 144/Ce; and /sup 238/Pu, /sup 241/Pu, /sup 241/Am, /sup 242/Cm andmore » /sup 243, 244/Cm with /sup 239, 240/Pu.« less