Tritium Distribution in the Low-Level and Intermediate-Level Wastes of a Korean CANDU Reactor

Abstract

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company, Ltd., has operated the Wolsong Tritium Removal Facility (WTRF) since 2007 to reduce tritium concentrations in the moderator and coolant of the Wolsong nuclear power plant. As a result of the WTRF operation, the concentration of tritium in the moderator and coolant significantly decreased from 2320 to 9.3 GBq/kg. In particular, the tritium concentrations of the radioactive waste directly affected by radioactivity in the moderator and coolant were reduced by up to 99% during the WTRF operation. For this purpose, a chemical separation and quantification method for tritium separation was developed, and its average recovery yield was 98%.

Keywords:

• Tritium concentration and distribution
• Tritium Removal Facility
• dry active waste
• CANDU
• nuclear decommissioning

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea, for the project of treating decommissioning waste.