Radioactive mixed waste (RMW) is containing radioactive materials and hazardous materials. Radioactive wastes containing asbestos are include in RMW. These wastes thus must be treated considering both radioactive and hazardous aspects. In this study, a high temperature melt oxidation system consisting of an electric arc furnace and a molten salt oxidation furnace has been developed for the treatment of of radioactive waste containing asbestos. A surrogate waste of the radioactive waste containing asbestos (content of asbestos: 13wt%) was treated in this system. It was melted and fabricated into a glass waste form in the system. Asbestos was not detected in this glass waste form. This means that the asbestos was converted to a glass component in the glass waste form. The waste form was homogeneous glass, and it had a high value of compressive strength (475.13 MPa). It was also confirmed through a leaching test (ANS 16.1) that the waste form had a high chemical durability (Leaching Index > 6). Based on these results, it is considered that the high temperature melt oxidation system will be utilized for the treatment of a significant amount of radioactive waste containing asbestos generated from decommissioning a nuclear power plant.

140 buildings of Korean major cities were investigated for the presence of asbestos and man made mineral fibers (MMMF) in their construction materials. 73 (52%) and 84 (60%) buildings contained asbestos and MMMF in their construction materials, respectively, and 17 (12%) buildings contained both asbestos and MMMF. 75% of the asbestos containing buildings were mostly constructed during 1970's. 100% of underground shopping arcades, 90% of manufacturing workplaces, 84% of train and bus terminals had the asbestos containing construction materials. The manufacturing workplaces of Daejeon (89%) and Daegu (89%), which mostly had been built in the past, used asbestos containing building materials, while the building in Seoul, Busan and Jinju, which were constructed recently, used relatively lower asbestos containing building materials with 46%, 28%, and 33%, respectively. 9 building materials that have been widely used in Korea were analyzed using a transmission electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (TEM-EDX) for their mineral contents. All asbestos fibers showed typical characteristics of chrysotile fibers with hollow tube structure. The average diameter ranged from 0.03㎛ to 0.05㎛, and the average length were ranged from 7.5㎛ to 12.0㎛. Atomic percentages of asbestos fibers were 51.9∼55.9% of Mg, 41.3∼44.3% for Si, and 2.7∼4.8% for Fe.