BNL Building 650 lead decontamination and treatment feasibility study. Final report
- and others
Lead has been used extensively at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) for radiation shielding in numerous reactor, accelerator and other research programs. A large inventory of excess lead (estimated at 410,000 kg) in many shapes and sizes is currently being stored. Due to it`s toxicity, lead and soluble lead compounds are considered hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency. Through use at BNL, some of the lead has become radioactive, either by contamination of the surface or through activation by neutrons or deuterons. This study was conducted at BNL`s Environmental and Waste Technology Center for the BNL Safety and Environmental Protection Division to evaluate feasibility of various treatment options for excess lead currently being stored. The objectives of this effort included investigating potential treatment methods by conducting a review of the literature, developing a means of screening lead waste to determine the radioactive characteristics, examining the feasibility of chemical and physical decontamination technologies, and demonstrating BNL polyethylene macro-encapsulation as a means of treating hazardous or mixed waste lead for disposal. A review and evaluation of the literature indicated that a number of physical and chemical methods are available for decontamination of lead. Many of these techniques have been applied for this purpose with varying degrees of success. Methods that apply mechanical techniques are more appropriate for lead bricks and sheet which contain large smooth surfaces amenable to physical abrasion. Lead wool, turnings, and small irregularly shaped pieces would be treated more effectively by chemical decontamination techniques. Either dry abrasion or wet chemical methods result in production of a secondary mixed waste stream that requires treatment prior to disposal.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 489699
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-64383; ON: DE97006822; TRN: 97:012504
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Oct 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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