Characteristics of dioxins and metals emission from radwaste plasma arc melter system.
This study investigated the emission characteristics of PCDD/Fs and the partitioning of three heavy metals (Cd, Hg and Pb) and two radioactive metal surrogates (Co and Cs) in a radwaste plasma arc melter system. Typical mixtures of low-level radioactive wastes were simulated as the trial burn surrogate wastes. The emission of PCDD/Fs and the partitioning of the metals were strongly influenced by the feed waste stream and melter operating temperature, respectively. The emissions of PCDD/Fs, cadmium and lead were greatly enhanced when the polyvinyl chloride was included in the feed waste stream. Most of the nonvolatile cobalt partitioned into the glass. A significant quantity of cesium, cadmium and lead was vaporized during the highest melter temperature test. A lower melter temperature resulted in more cesium, cadmium and lead species remaining in the glass. The results of this study suggest that wet scrubbing as well as a low-temperature two-step fine filtration, or both of them together could not effectively capture the gas-phase or fine particle phase PCDD/Fs and mercury species. In order to effectively treat low-level radioactive waste streams, the tested high-temperature melter should include an adsorption system, which could collect the gas-phase PCDD/Fs and mercury species.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle R&D Group, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 150 Dukjin-dong,Yuseong-gu, Daejon 305-353, Korea. nhcyang@kaeri.re.kr
Hee-Chul
HC
Yang
Joon-Hyung
JH
Kim
D000327:Adsorption; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D017745:Incineration; D007723:Korea; D008669:Metallurgy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D004147:Dioxins; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011850:Radioactive Waste