The Characterization of Radioactive Waste Drums Using Nondestructive Scanning Gamma Ray System

Abstract

A non-destructive assay (NDA) for radioactive waste drum has been studied
using a local manufacturing gamma scanning system. The gamma system has been
designed and implemented using scanning system contains a high efficiency
portable HPGe detector for characterization and surveying the radioactive waste
drums at Al-Tuwaitha site- Baghdad. To achieve identification with nonhomogenous
radioactive waste drum, six parallel plastic pipes (2cm in diameter)
were inserted inside the cement type Portland contain radioactive sources and
located at different distances from the outer diameter of the drum. The efficiency
calibration is measured by conventional technique, using five miscellaneous radio
nuclides with drum. The efficiency trend effected strongly with distance between
detector and hot spot (location of radionuclide inside drum) due to attenuation factor
and geometry effects. The NDA procedure becomes more acceptable in
radioprotection demands dealing with the management and inspection of radiowaste
drums.