Assessment study for multi-barrier system used in radioactive borate waste isolation based on Monte Carlo simulations

Radioactive waste generated from the nuclear applications should be properly isolated by a suitable containment system such as, multi-barrier container. The present study aims to evaluate the isolation capacity of a new multi-barrier container made from cement and clay and including borate waste materials. These wastes were spiked by (137)Cs and (60)Co radionuclides to simulate that waste generated from the primary cooling circuit of pressurized water reactors. Leaching of both radionuclides in ground water was followed and calculated during ten years. Monte Carlo (MCNP5) simulations computed the photon flux distribution of the multi-barrier container, including radioactive borate waste of specific activity 11.22 KBq/g and 4.18 KBq/g for (137)Cs and (60)Co, respectively, at different periods of 0, 15.1, 30.2 and 302 years. The average total flux for 100 cm radius of spherical cell was 0.192 photon/cm(2) at initial time and 2.73 x 10(-4) photon/cm(2) after 302 years. Maximum waste activity keeping the surface radiation dose within the permissible level was calculated and found to be 56 KBq/g with attenuation factors of 0.73 cm(-1) and 0.6 cm(-1) for cement and clay, respectively. The average total flux was 1.37 x 10(-3) photon/cm(2) after 302 years. Monte Carlo simulations revealed that the proposed multi-barrier container is safe enough during transportation, evacuation or rearrangement in the disposal site for more than 300 years. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.