Dseign of Waste Processing Systems

DOE-STD-1136-2004

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiation Protection in Uranium Facilities

pH. The radioactivity monitor should have an alarm located in the liquid waste treatment plant or area.

Consideration should be given to retention systems.

Liquid process wastes should be collected and monitored near the source of generation before batch

transfer through appropriate pipelines or tank transfer to a liquid waste treatment plant or area. These

wastes should be individually collected at the facility in storage tanks that are equipped with stirrers,

sampling and volume-measuring devices, and transfer systems. Waste storage tanks and transfer lines

should be designed and constructed so that they are fully inspectable and that any leakage can be detected

and contained before it reaches the environment.

Sanitary wastes include the nonradioactive wastes usually found at a facility, e.g., discharges from

noncontaminated chemical laboratories, showers, and lavatories. The sanitary waste system and the

uraniu m-handling area should not be connected. Sanitary sewers should discharge into an onsite, approved

sanitary-sewage treatment system. Current Federal, state, and local codes regarding the discharge of sanitary

wastes must be met.

8.2 DESIGN OF WASTE PROCESSING SYSTEMS

Process system designs may be characterized by their design objectives and the effluents of concern.

8.2.1 Objectives

A principle design objective for process systems is to minimize production of wastes at the source.

One of the primary design objectives of any Waste Management Program is to provide facilities and

equipment to handle the wastes generated and further reduce the amounts and volume of the waste.

Volume-reduction facilities and equipment for liquid and solid wastes are required, as is air filtration to

reduce the concentration of contaminants in the air effluent.

8.2.2 Effluents

Airborne and liquid effluents released uncontrolled to the environment are of particular concern

when societal emphasis on environmental pollution control is high. Process and monitoring equipment are

critical to maintaining acceptable operations.

Effluents (both radioactive and nonradioactive) from the uranium-handling facility include air and

other gaseous exhausts and liquid wastes. The contamination in the effluents should be kept ALARA,

commensurate with best available technology at the time of design. Emphasis should be placed on reducing

total quantities of effluents (both radioactive and nonradioactive) released to the environment. Filter systems

should be designed so that the effluent concentrations of uranium should not exceed the inhaled air Derived

Air Concentration Guide (DCG) for releases, as described in DOE 5400.5, Ch.2, Radiation Protection of the

Public and Environment (DOE 1993a) for uncontrolled areas measured at the point of discharge (e.g.,

exhaust ducts and stacks) during normal operations. Consideration should be given to recirculation systems

for process ventilation where feasible. Provisions should be made for retention systems for liquid effluents.

All effluent streams should be sampled or monitored as appropriate to ensure accurate measurements of all

releases under normal and DBA conditions.

8.3 TREATMENT

The following sections provide information about treating airborne, liquid, and solid wastes.

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