Risk assessment for transportation of depleted uranium oxide

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Nucl. Mater. Manage. Annu. Meet. Proc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6499789

Bernhardt, D E ^[1]; Prewett, S V ^[2]

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1. Rogers and Associates Engineering Corp., Salt Lake City, UT (US)
2. Aerojet Ordnance Tennessee, Inc., Jonesboro, TN (US)

Metallic uranium manufacturing wastes are pyrophoric and must be stabilized before transportation or disposal. The wastes can be stabilized by oxidizing them in an incinerator. Uranium oxide is granular and could be dispersed in the event of an accident. The risks associated with transportation and disposal accidents for depleted uranium (DU) oxide are determined, and the radiological risks are compared to the nonradiological risks of physical injuries and deaths. The assessment of risks from transportation accidents is based on accidents that have occurred, assessments of the severity and consequences of accidents in suburban and rural areas, characteristics of the material, and release of material under accident conditions and its dispersion in the atmosphere. The highest doses for the transportation accidents are 22 mrem (0.22 mBq) for an accident in a suburban area and 18 mrem (0.18 mBq) for an accident i a rural area. The probability of an accident occurring in a suburban area times the health effects risk from the consequences of an accident gives an estimate of about 0.0035x10/sup -6/ cancers or fatal health effects per shipment for a 340 mile trip. The probability of a fatal nonradiation related injury from a truck accident is about 38x10/sup -6/ per trip. Techniques for reducing the potential radiological risk of accidents should be evaluated to ensure they do not increase the overall risk.

• OSTI ID: 6499789
• Report Number(s): CONF-880631-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Nucl. Mater. Manage. Annu. Meet. Proc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
054000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DEATH
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EVALUATION
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INCINERATORS
INJURIES
MANAGEMENT
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION INJURIES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
REMEDIAL ACTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING