Radiation exposures from the beneficial use of alumina production residue

ABSTRACT

Estimates of radiation exposure are developed over the life cycle of beneficial use in cement of an alumina production residue (APR) waste pile. The life cycle includes radiation exposures that might be experienced by industrial workers involved in excavation and transport of the residue to cement plants, industrial workers at the cement plants, construction workers making use of the cement, members of the public who might be in the proximity of the cement products, and disposal of the cement at the end of its useful life. The results indicate that it is not reasonably likely for exposures related to beneficial use of APR waste in cement to exceed the acceptance criteria delineated in current radiation protection standards for workers and members of the general public.

Implications: Radiation exposure estimates developed over the life cycle of beneficial use in cement of an alumina production residue (APR) waste pile indicate that it is not reasonably likely for exposures to exceed the acceptance criteria delineated in current radiation protection standards for workers and the public. Assumed APR waste characteristics, storage, transport, cement production, uses in concrete, and ultimate disposal are generalizable to many APR situations. The findings demonstrate that beneficial use of APR waste as a cement ingredient can be accomplished safely, with potentially significant benefits to management of the large volume of APR being stored around the world.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephen Marschke

Stephen Marschke is Vice President/Nuclear Engineer with SC&A. He has over 45 years of experience performing radiological analyses for both government agencies and private clients.

William Rish

William Rish is a Principal Engineer with ToxStrategies, He has more than 35 years’ experience in engineering, site assessment and remediation, risk assessment, and probabilistic uncertainty analysis. He has prepared hundreds of risk assessments and managed numerous large, complex site investigations and remediation projects, and has been active for many years in the development of federal and state rules, guidance, and policy.

John Mauro

John Mauro holds a Ph.D. in Health Physics from New York University Medical Center (1973), is certified by the American Board of Health Physics since 1976, in 2004 was appointed by the Governor of New Jersey as a Commissioner of Radiation Protection, is a member of the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, and was appointed by the National Institute and Science and Technology to the Community Resilience Panel.  Dr. Mauro’s career, which spans over 40 years, has been dedicated to the protection of workers, members of the general public, and environment from the potential harmful effects of ionizing radiation and radioactive materials in the workplace and the environment. Dr. Mauro’s primary clients have been the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Energy, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.