Conditioning and long-term storage of spent radium sources in Turkey

Conditioning of radium sources is required before long-term interim storage to avoid the release of radioactive material and to limit radiation exposure. In this study, containment of the radium sources was achieved by high integrity encapsulation designed to control the radon emanation problem. The capsules were made of Type 316 austenitic stainless steel with dimensions of 22 mm diameter and 160 mm height. The gas pressures which was caused by encapsulation of different amounts of 226Ra were determined. The maximum gas pressure found 10 atm for 900 mCi of 226Ra in one capsule at 20 °C. A lead shielding device was designed to limit radiation exposure. A 200 l drum was used as a conditioned waste package for the radium sources and represents a Type A package under the IAEA transport regulations.