Packaging and Transportation

DOE-HDBK-1129-99

7.0 PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION

7.1 General Administrative Packaging and Transport Requirements

Transport of tritium in concentrations greater than 70 Bq/g (0.002 Ci/g) meets the definition of a

Class 7 (Radioactive) Material under DOT regulations. As a hazardous material, tritium is subject

to the DOT hazardous materials regulations (HMR) in 49 CFR Parts 106 through 180. These

regulations specify the shipping paper, marking, labeling, placarding, and packaging requirements

for hazardous material. The safety requirements for packaging are dependent on the type, form,

and quantity of tritium, per DOE O 460.1A, "Packaging and Transportation Safety". Additional

packaging and transportation regulations for radioactive material, established by the U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission (NRC), are found in 10 CFR 71.

Tritium may also meet the definition of other hazard classes in 49 CFR 173; e.g., tritium gas, in

certain conditions, may meet the definition of a flammable gas. Tritium-contaminated hazardous

waste will be subject to the requirements for hazardous waste shipments.

Organizational responsibility for the packaging and transport of hazardous materials such as tritium

need to be clearly defined. Written procedures must be developed for the operations that package

and ship tritium. DOT hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR 172.704) require initial and

recurrent general awareness/familiarization, safety-related and function-specific training for

hazardous materials workers.

There are also pre-transport requirements applicable to hazardous/mixed wastes that address

packaging, labeling, marking, placarding, and accumulation time provisions which can be found in

40 CFR 262.30 34.

The guidance provided in this Handbook assumes that tritium is the only radioactive material in the

packages. If another radionuclide is present, additional requirements may apply to the packaging

and transport of the combination of radioactive materials.

7.2 Selection of Proper Packaging

The package types for radioactive material are limited quantity excepted package, low specific

activity (LSA), surface contaminated object (SCO), Type A and Type B. The definitions of the

package types are listed in order of increasing allowable radioactivity material limits.

Limited Quantity Excepted Package: The requirements for a limited quantity package of tritium

are as follows:

-- The radiation level at any point on the external surface of the package does not exceed

0.005 milliSievert (mSv)/hr (0.5 mrem/hr).

-- The amount of radioactive material is less than the limit in 49 CFR 173.425 (see Table 7-1).

-- The package meets the general design requirements for radioactive materials packaging

from 49 CFR 173.410 (see Section 7.2.3).

-- The nonfixed (removable) contamination on the external surface of the package does not

exceed the limits in 49 CFR 173.443 (0.41 Bq/cm2 or 22 dpm/cm2 for tritium).

-- The outside of the inner or outer packaging is marked "Radioactive."