Decontamination applications in primary circuit equipment of nuclear power plants

Abstract

Due to the reactions taking place in the reactor, radioactive contamination occurs on and/or near the surfaces of the equipment used in nuclear power plants. Contamination is a radioactive pollution in the solid phase, which may exist in solution or be carried as a gas/vapor. It can be caused by a very small amount of radioactive material, and since every known element has at least one radioactive isotope, there are more than a hundred elements that can cause contamination. Removing of this contamination by physical and chemical methods is defined as decontamination. The main purpose of decontamination is reducing the activity level of contaminated equipment which may occur during operation or after decommissioning of nuclear power plants. By decontamination process, the radioactive contamination formed on the surfaces or in the depths close to the surface of the equipment is removed by chemical and physical methods. Within the scope of this study, decontamination applications in the literature were explained; regulatory perspective and legislative infrastructure issues for Turkey were discussed. Within the scope of this study, the decontamination applications in the literature were explained, the regulations of the Regulatory Bodies in other countries for decontamination were examined, and in this direction, the regulatory perspective for Turkey and the suggestions for the legislative infrastructure were discussed.