In the decommissioning site of Korean Research Reactor 1&2 (KRR-1&2), according to Low and Intermediate-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Acceptance Criteria of the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (WAC-SIL-2022-1), characteristics of radioactive waste was conducted on approximately 550 drums of concrete and soil waste for a year starting from 2021. Among them, 50 drums of concrete waste transported and disposed to Gyeongju LILW disposal facility at the end of 2022. For the remaining approximately 500 drums of concrete and soil waste stored on-site, they were reclassified into two categories: permanent disposal grade and clearance grade. This classification was based on calculating the sum of fractions (SOF) per drum for each radionuclides. The plan is to dispose of around 200 drums in the permanent disposal grade and about 300 drums in the clearance grade by the end of 2023. Since concrete and soil decommissioning wastes are generated in large quantities over a short period with similar origins, they were grouped within five drums as suggested by the acceptance criteria. Mixed samples were collected from each group and used for radionuclide analysis. When utilizing mixed samples, three distinct samples are collected and analyzed for each group. The maximum value among these three radionuclide analysis results is then uniformly applied as the radionuclide concentration value for all drums within that group. Radioactive nuclides contained in similar types of radioactive waste with similar origins can be expected to have some statistical distribution. However, There has been no verification as to whether the maximum value among the three mixed samples exists within the statistical distribution or if it deviates from this distribution to represent a different value. In this study, we confirmed characteristics of radionuclide concentration distribution by examining and comparing radionuclide concentration distributions for radioactive wastes drum grouped for nuclear characteristic among 50 concrete wastes drum disposed in year 2022 and 500 concretes & soils drum scheduled for disposal (clearance or permanent disposal) in year 2023. In particular, when comparing tritium to other nuclides, it was observed that the standard deviation for the distribution of maximum values was approximately 318 times larger.

The decommissioning of Korea Research Reactor Units 1 and 2 (KRR 1&2), the first research reactors in South Korea, began in 1997 and the decommissioning status is currently proceeding with phase 3. It is expected that more than 5,000 tons of dismantled wastes will be generated as the contaminated building is demolished. Since these dismantled wastes must be disposed of in an efficient method considering economic feasibility, it is desirable to clearance extremely low-level wastes whose contamination is so minimal that the radiological risk is negligible. In Korea, in order to approve the clearance of radioactive waste, it must be proven that the nuclide concentration standards are met or that the dose to individuals and collectives is below the allowable dose value. At the KRR 1&2 decommissioning site, dismantled wastes have been steadily being disposed of through clearance procedure since 2021. Clearance was approved by the Korean Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) for one case of concrete waste in 2021 and two cases of metal waste in 2022. In 2023, the clearance of metal waste and asbestos waste has been approved so far, and in particular, this is the first case in Korea for asbestos waste. In this study, we compared the dose assessment methods and results of clearance wastes at the KRR 1&2 decommissioning site from 2021 to present. Dose assessment was conducted by applying the landfill scenario for concrete and asbestos and the recycling scenario for metal waste. The calculation codes used were RESRAD-onsite 7.2 and RESRAD-recycle 3.10. The dose conversion factors (DCF) for each age group (infant, 1y, 5y, 10y, 15y, adult) of the target nuclide used the values presented in ICRP-72, and in particular, geo-hydrological data of the actual landfill site was used as an input factor when evaluating landfill scenarios. As a result of the dose assessment, when landfilling concrete wastes in 2020, the personal dose and collective dose were evaluated the most at 2.80E+00 μSv/y and 4.83E-02 man·Sv/y, respectively.

연구로 1,2호기 해체과정에서 발생되는 많은 양의 철재폐기물 중 자체처분대상 철재폐기물을 대상으로 재활용하는 경우에 대해서 피폭방사선량을 평가하고, 규제해제농도기준(안)을 도출하였다. 평가도구는 RESRAD-RECYCLE ver 3.06을 이용하여 ICRP60에서 제시하고 있는 유효선량 개념에 근거한 내부피폭 선량환산인자를 수정하였고, IAEA Safety Series 111-P-1.1 및 NUREG-1640을 적용하여 예상되는 최대개인선량 및 집단선량을 평가하였다. 0.4 Bq/g의 철재폐기물에 대한 RESRAD-RECYCLE 전산코드의 평가결과 개인최대선량 및 집단선량은 23.9 Sv/y, 0.11 manSv/y이다. 최종적인 핵종별 규제해제농도기준은 일반평가방법과 세부평가결과를 종합하여 가장 보수적인 평가결과를 추출하여 결정하였다. 그 결과 , C 핵종에 대한 규제해제농도준위는 1.14 Bq/g미만이 되어야 국내 원자력법에서 정하고 있는 처분제한치(최대개인선량 : 10 Sv/y, 집단선량 : 1 manSv/y)를 만족할 수 있다.