رسائل ماجيستير
English
2007
Evaluation of Radioactive Waste Management Practices in Sudan Case Study: National Center for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (NCRNM)
سلمى محمدين, مهد المنتصر
كلية الهندسة-جامعة الخرطوم · السودان
This study was conducted at National Center for Radiotherapy and NuclearMedicine, Khartoum; and interim storage of radioactive waste at Suba, to evaluate theradioactive waste management practices in sudan represented in these two sites,because the interim storage is the only one storage in the country, and National Centerfor Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine NCRNM is the largest hospital (till now)administrating a significant amount of radioactive waste (RW) routinely, in order todetermine the exposure of ionizing radiation to the public, workers and environment .The study includes hazards of ionizing radiations, classification, radioactive wastemanagement (pretreatment, treatment, conditioning storage, transportation anddisposal) and radioisotopes used in NCRNM and exist in the interim storage.During the study, the practice of disposal of radioactive waste was observed duringgeneration and before disposal, the procedures utilized at both sites were interviews,site visits, hard practical work (measurements) and photography.The objectives of the study is the assessment of current treatment disposal andtemporary storage of radioactive waste advising on the appropriate way of managementof radioactive waste in the country (Sudan) and to evaluate the radioactive wastemanagement system and its compliance with national and international regulations.In present work doses were measured at different locations in the department of nuclearmedicine at (NCRNM) and around interim storage at Suba. At NCRNM the locationswere selected around the radioactive liquid and solid waste disposal positions. It wasfound that the dose equivalent value per year from radioactive wastes obtained throughthis work using the survey meter RDS – 120 at these locations are:In the hot laboratories, equivalent dose per year for the workers was found to be(6.0mSv/year), in the hot lab of Technetium-99m, and (6.27 mSv/year) in the hot lab ofiodine waste, which is not exceeding the nationally and internationally set action level(20 mSv/year).This clearly indicates that, currently, the disposal and handling practicesare appropriate, however, in the hot lab of iodine the waste is not regularly collectedand disposed of.In other locations in (NCRNM), effective doses were below recommended dose limitsfor the public which is (1mSv/year) .According to the results mentioned above; we can7say that the management of low level radioactive waste in (NCRNM) so far is good andgoing on improving.At the interim storage, the values of the effective doses measured, around the storagewere around natural background radiation so, if it is supported with a well fence, thiswill be safer and indicate good management of the radioactive waste exist there.The last step of low-intermediate level radioactive waste management in sudan isstorage, either for decay or return back to the supplier, for short lived waste, release tothe sanitary system after storage for decay (for liquid waste), and exemption afterstorage for decay for solid waste.Finally the study conducted with various recommendations to find a proper solution forradioactive waste management.
