ASTM E1760-09
Standard Guide for Unrestricted Disposition of Bulk Materials Containing Residual Amounts of Radioactivity

Standard No.

ASTM E1760-09

Release Date

2009

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Status

Be replaced

Replace By

ASTM E1760-16

Latest

ASTM E1760-16

Scope

Materials encountered during D&D may contain residual radioactivity varying in amounts from that in irradiated fuel to barely detectable quantities in or on building materials. It is clear that highly radioactive materials have to be disposed as radioactive waste pursuant to 10 CFR 60 and 10 CFR 61. Conversely, it is not reasonable to expend a disproportionate amount of resources to isolate materials that contain minute quantities of radioactive materials that will not cause even statistically measurable health effects.

This guide provides a rationale and methodology for distinguishing between materials that contain sufficient radioactivity to warrant isolation of some type (storage awaiting decay, near-surface disposal, disposal with intruder protection, or placement in a deep repository) from materials with insignificant radioactive content. Materials with insignificant radioactive content can be recycled in the economy or disposed of in conventional (landfill) facilities without adverse health effects. Materials that meet the criteria identified in this guide are not simply excluded from regulation because they do not fall precisely in the regulatory scope. They are sufficiently free of radioactive material so that no further efforts at control are justified for radiation protection purposes. Therefore, the release of materials for unrestricted use in accordance with this guide meets the criteria for being an “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) activity.

For the purpose of this guide, the return of materials containing residual radioactivity to society without regulatory restrictions is referred to as “unrestricted release based on the absence of the credible potential for adverse health effects.” This guide asserts that materials recycled this way will have no statistically measurable health effects regardless of use. It does not guarantee that the materials are suitable for use in every possible application, for example, trace amounts of radionuclides in materials may not be acceptable for certain photographic and electronic applications.

This guide also asserts that the owner of the materials is responsible for ensuring that society''s criteria for “no measurable health effects” is met before release, and that the responsibility for providing materials with the purity required for a special application rests not with the owner, but with the developer of that application.

1.1 This guide covers the techniques for obtaining approval for release of materials encountered in decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) from restricted use. This would be addressed in the decommissioning plan (E 1281). It applies to materials that do not meet any of the requirements for regulatory control because of radioactivity content. Fig. 1 shows the logic diagram for determining the materials that could be considered for release. Materials that negotiate this logic tree are referred to as “candidate for release based on dose.”

1.2 The objective of this guide is to provide a methodology for distinguishing between material that must be carefully isolated to prevent human contact from that that can be recycled or otherwise disposed of. It applies to material in which the radioactivity is dispersed more or less uniformly throughout the volume of the material (termed residual in bulk form) as opposed to surface contaminated objects.

1.3 Surface contaminated objects are materials externally contaminated with radioactive material. Provisio......

ASTM E1760-09 Referenced Document

• ASTM E1281 Standard Guide for Nuclear Facility Decommissioning Plans
• ASTM E1892 Standard Guide for Preparing Characterization Plans for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities
• ASTM E2216 Standard Guide for Evaluating Disposal Options for Concrete from Nuclear Facility Decommissioning

ASTM E1760-09 history

• 2016 ASTM E1760-16 Standard Guide for Unrestricted Disposition of Bulk Materials Containing Residual Amounts of Radioactivity
• 2009 ASTM E1760-09 Standard Guide for Unrestricted Disposition of Bulk Materials Containing Residual Amounts of Radioactivity
• 1996 ASTM E1760-96(2003)e1 Standard Guide for Unrestricted Disposition of Bulk Materials Containing Residual Amounts of Radioactivity
• 1996 ASTM E1760-96(2003) Standard Guide for Unrestricted Disposition of Bulk Materials Containing Residual Amounts of Radioactivity
• 1996 ASTM E1760-96 Standard Guide for Unrestricted Disposition of Bulk Materials Containing Residual Amounts of Radioactivity