Progress and Challenges of Radioactive Waste Management in Thailand
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 26, Issue 2
Abstract
In 2016, the Thai government established a new Act, the Nuclear Energy for Peace Act. As a result, various regulations, requirements, and guidelines regarding radioactive waste (RW) management were established under the Act. The waste management activities conducted by the waste operator were carefully reviewed and demonstrated regulatory compliance. The operator can deal with the waste that currently exists. However, to maintain continuity for the safe and sustainable management of the waste, it is necessary to overcome various challenges, such as the decommissioning of the disused facilities that will be released from regulatory control. The contaminated metals require special attention, because they are increasing rapidly. The use of melting treatment technology and the monitoring of the radioactive contamination in materials might be a solution to reduce the quantities of these metals. The presence of cesium-137 (Cs-137) contaminated dust from steel production factories is a concern due to the large volume. No decision on the management of the dust has been made. However, researchers are now carrying out experiments to determine methods to deal with it. In addition, the operator should consider important issues, such as the development of an additional storage facility to support the decommissioning of waste and the dust waste, and the reuse and recycling of disused sealed radioactive sources (DSRS). This paper will discuss the aspects of waste disposal, the strategic plans that deal with the challenges, and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs).
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the RW Management Technology Development section, RWMC, and TINT for providing the RW inventory information and the images for DSRS management.
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Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 26 • Issue 2 • April 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Aug 29, 2021
Accepted: Dec 13, 2021
Published online: Feb 10, 2022
Published in print: Apr 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Jul 10, 2022
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