Treatment and Conditioning of Tenorm in Austria

Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM) originating from different industrial processes have been and are being treated and conditioned at ARCS. The intention of this task is to improve the status of safety e.i. after treatment and conditioning, to store this material at the interim storage facility for radioactive waste at ARCS under controlled conditions. More then 3 tons of Thorium nitrate in glass bottles were discovered in a forgotten cellar several years ago. The bottles with their contents were recovered, transported to ARCS for treatment, conditioning and storage at the relevant facilities there. Small quantities of other materials were analysed, treatment processes have been developed and tested, but the large quantities of there different TENORMs are pending to be processed. Treatment processes applied are dependent an the composition of the material and are therefore different according to chemical process requirements. The level of alpha activity concentration in the conditioned material was determined to be more the 100 Bq/g. The conditioning method applied at ARCS is cementing using 200 litre steel drums.