- As 
Problemsof Handling Reactor Wastes 
The problems of cooling hot wastes and coping with corrosion have been 
mentioned. Another problem of considerable economic significance is that 
of transporting the wastes from production site to disposal site. 
Health Tolerance Levels: The handling and disposal of fission products 
is regulated by biological exposure limits or human tolerances to the fission 
products. These specifications depend upon: a) the chemical and radiochemical 
nature of the fission products; b) the site in which they are deposited; c) 
the length of time that they are retained by the body; and d) the method by 
which they are adsorbed, i.e., whether as dissolved ions, particulates, or 
gases. General tolerance levels for unknown mixtures of fission products : , 
are roughly as follows as taken from, "Maximum Permissible Amounts of Radioisotopes 
in the Human Body and Maximum Concentrations in Air and Water", ‘Handbook 52, 
U. S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards: 
Kind of Uptake Type Maximum Weekly Dose 
1. Total body irradiation Bay 0.3 r/week 
2. Ingestion in water, food, Bs 7 3 x 107! yw c/ee water, based 
etc. on Sr 
3. Inhalation of particulates B, 7 2) 2:6 Tea uw c/ee air, based 
on Sr 
4. Inhalation of fission gases B, 7 3,x,10° yw c/ee, based on 
aE 
, 
Waste Shipping Problems: As is evident from Table 7, Which shows the lead 
shielding required, transport entails moving very much shield with relatively 
small quantities of wastes. With liquid wastes the problem of handling is very 
difficult. Leakage or spillage of a very few drops of the wastes will produce 
enough contamination to prevent shipping, and in many cases prevent getting © 
near shipping containers. Handling the waste as a solid is also very difficult 
because the dust particles which might escape are very dangerous. 
DECLASSIFIED 
