Treatment of stored radioactive liquid organic waste at NECSA prior to disposal

Liquid radioactive waste containing small quantities of organic compounds are stored in high density polyethylene (HDPE) drums at the South Africa Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa). These wastes were not encapsulated into cement like other waste streams due to the possibility that the organic compounds in the waste can act as plasticizer that will retard and prevent the curing of a cement matrix. Results from this study indicated that combined treatment technologies such as polymeric resin absorption, ozone purging and UV radiation are necessary in order to successfully encapsulate this type of waste into a specialised matrix that will fulfil the waste disposal requirements of the Vaalputs waste disposal site. The use of a polymeric absorbent utilised as a filter has the possibility of reducing the absorbent costs significantly