View of the
In-drum
compactor |
Mission
To develop and employ technologies to manage safely the
radioactive wastes generated at IPEN and at our customer's facilities all over the country, in order to protect the health and the environment of today's and
future generations.
The Radioactive Waste Management Laboratory (LRR) was formally created in 2003 as new research center of the Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research (IPEN), to promote research and development, teaching and servicing activities in the field of radioactive waste. The LRR staff is composed of 11 employees, comprising six researchers and five technicians, besides five graduate and undergraduate students.
The Laboratory is responsible for the treatment and temporary storage of the radioactive waste generated at IPEN, as well as those generated at many other radioactive facilities all over the country.
The main features of the Laboratory includes basically units for: waste reception and segregation; decontamination of small pieces; liquid waste imobilization and conditioning; in-drum compactation of compressible solids; spent sealed sources and lightning rods disassembling; primary and final waste characterization; storage of untreated and treated wastes.
Approximately 500 sealed sources, 1000 lightning rods, 2000 smoke detectors, 50 m3 of compressible and non-compressible solid wastes and many other small volume items like animal carcasses and bottles with contaminated liquid solutions are received annually for treatment and storage.
Research projects are being developed to support these activities, as well as post-graduate and under-graduate training and teaching activities.
In the next few years, the LRR will be working toward the commissioning and operation of the radioactive waste treatment units that remain to be set up at IPEN. Also, will get involved in the endeavor of constructing the national repository for institutional radioactive wastes and in the task of establishing a radioactive waste management policy for our country.
Goro Hiromoto
Manager
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