TRANSURANIC WASTES FROM LWR CYCLE 95 



TABLE 2 Classification of Primary Transuranic Wastes 

 from the Postfission LWR Fuel Cycle 



Waste category 



General description 



Gaseous 



Compactible trash and 

 combustible wastes 



Concentrated liquids, wet 

 wastes, and particulate 

 solids 



Failed equipment and non- 

 com pactible, noncombustible 

 wastes 



Spent UO2 fuel 



High-level Uquid waste 



Hulls and assembly hardware 



Mainly two types: (1) large volumes of ventilation air, potentially 

 containing particulate activity, and (2) smaller volumes of vessel 

 vent and process off gas, potentially containing volatile radio- 

 isotopes in addition to particulate activity. 



Miscellaneous wastes, including paper, cloth, plastic, rubber, 

 and filters. Wide range of activity levels dependent 

 on source of waste. 



Miscellaneous wastes, including evaporator bottoms, filter sludges, 

 resins, etc. Wide range of activity levels dependent 

 on source of waste. 



Miscellaneous metal or glass wastes, including massive process 

 vessels. Wide range of activity levels dependent on 

 source of waste. 



Irradiated PWR and BWR fuel assemblies containing fission products 

 and actinides in ceramic UOj pellets sealed in Zircaloy 

 tubes. 



Concentrated solution containing over 99% of the fission products 

 and actinides, except uranium and plutonium, in the 

 spent fuel. Contains about 0.5% of the uranium and 

 plutonium in the spent fuel. 



Residue remaining after UO^ has been dissolved out of spent fuel. 

 Includes short segment of Zircaloy tubing (hulls) and 

 stainless-steel assembly hardware. Activity levels are 

 next highest to high-level liquid wastes. 



A large plant can have many sources of wastes belonging to the same category. Thus 

 the generation rate (waste volume/time) and radioactive content of the wastes from each 

 source must be analyzed and summed to obtain the overall description of wastes in each 

 category. This has been done for the main generic plant components of the postfission 

 LWR fuel cycle in Tables 3 to 7. The waste volumes and activities are given per GW(e)-yr; 

 1 GW(e)-yr corresponds to the annual electric power needs of about 500,000 people in 

 the United States. For the generic LWR fuel cycle, on which this chapter is based, 

 38 metric tons of UO2 fuel must pass through the cycle to generate 1 GW(e)-yr. The 

 radioactivity contributions of important isotopes present in the wastes are given 

 individually in the tables along with total radioactivities. 



Besides the wastes generated from operation of the main plant components of the 

 postfission LWR fuel cycle, wastes will be generated from the decommissioning of these 

 facilities (see Table 8), and miscellaneous secondary wastes will be generated in the 

 ancillary activities of the postfission LWR fuel cycle, such as transportation and geologic 

 isolation. The volume of these secondary wastes is minor, and their radioactivity content 

 is insignificant compared with that of the primary wastes. These ancillary secondary 

 wastes will be treated at the main plant waste-treatment facilities where possible. Special 

 waste-treatment facilities, which are scaled-down versions of the large-plant waste- 

 treatment facilities, will be installed where required, e.g., at geologic repository receiving 

 stations. 



