Frequently Asked Questions
What is radioactive waste?
Radioactive waste contains radioactive elements that send out higher levels of radiation than natural background radiation. Radioactive waste can be classified into three main categories: low, intermediate and high. Please refer to ANSTO's waste management page for a definition of the three categories.
What sort of waste is produced by ANSTO?
ANSTO stores low level waste and a small amount of intermediate level waste.
Used fuel from the OPAL Reactor is not categorized as waste in Australia. It is stored at ANSTO until it is ready for shipment overseas for permanent storage, or for reprocessing to remove the valuable uranium and plutonium.
Does the transportation of LLW put the community at risk of radiation exposure?
No. When transporting Low Level Waste (LLW) the risks to the community of exposure to radiation are negligible.
It is important to recognize that Low Level Waste (LLW) contains significantly less radioactivity than the many other radioactive materials regularly transported on Australian roads.
Industry sectors such as the medical profession, agriculture, mining and the aeronautic industry have licensed radioactive sources which are mobile throughout Australia. An individual industrial radiography source that is transported in a truck or utility van will contain more radioactivity than an entire truckload of Low Level Waste (LLW).
The transportation of radioactive and hazardous materials by ANSTO and industry must comply with the stringent standards set by the Australian safety regulator – the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) - and must comply with the Commonwealth Government Code of Practice for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (2008).
ANSTO places the highest priority on the safe management, transport, processing and storage of radioactive waste and used fuel.
Does ANSTO transport liquid waste?
No. All liquid waste is solidified at the ANSTO site.
What if there was a fire on the truck, or a terrorist launched a missile attack while in transit?
In the event of a fire, terrorist attack or accident, the risk of exposure from Low Levels of radiation would be minimal.
Low level waste emits radiation at levels which generally require minimal shielding during handling, transport and storage. Ninety-two percent of the radioactive waste produced by ANSTO is low level waste, made up of paper, plastic, gloves, cloths and filters which contain small amounts of radioactivity.
If such an event occurred, the levels of radiation dispersed would not pose a significant health risk to the general community.
Can dirty bombs be made from Low Level Waste (LLW)?
No - The level of radiation from Low Level Waste (LLW) is minimal and would not be anywhere near enough to construct any form of hazardous device.
The majority of waste is paper, plastic, gloves, cloths and filters, which contain only minimal amounts of radioactivity and would not be useful when making a dirty bombs.
Are the spent fuel rods stored at ANSTO high level waste?
No - International and Australian regulators do not consider spent fuel as waste unless and until it is designated for direct disposal.
What is happening at the moment with decisions on storing radioactive waste?
ANSTO supports the Federal Government’s efforts to site a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility, consisting of a low level waste repository and an intermediate level waste store.
At this time, legislation to facilitate the storage of radioactive waste has not been passed by Parliament.
Current planning envisages that the National Radioactive Waste Repository will be a near-surface disposal facility for low level wastes.
The wastes will be specially packaged and placed into a designed facility for a long period of time (up to 300 years).
The Intermediate level waste store will be an above-ground structure for the storage and monitoring of intermediate level wastes until a decision on the disposal of intermediate level waste is made.
Before construction of either element can commence, the proposed design will be subject to rigorous appraisals by ARPANSA and the Federal Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
How much waste is already stored at ANSTO?
ANSTO retains approximately 1 700m3 of Low Level Waste (LLW) and short-lived Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) inclusive of items such as laboratory equipment, lightly contaminated clothing, paper and glassware.
ANSTO also retains approximately 260m3 of long-lived intermediate level waste (ILW) including target cans, alumina columns, used control arms, aluminium end pieces, and solidified liquid waste primarily from and associated with the reactor operation and research and radiopharmaceutical production.
Additionally, ANSTO retains approximately 165 m3 of historic thorium residues, primarily from the mineral sands processing and uranium oxide residues.
Each year, ANSTO produces in the order of 150 drums (200L capacity) of solid low level waste (LLSW), 3.5 cubic meters of solid intermediate level waste (ILSW) and 1,500 litres of intermediate level liquid waste (ILLW) and 2,500 litres of low level liquid waste.
As noted above, these liquid wastes will be solidified before any shipment to a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility.
How is liquid waste managed?
ANSTO generates liquid waste from the normal operations on site. This liquid waste comes from the sewer, labs, workshops, cooling towers and radioisotope production areas.
The liquid waste is split into three streams: sewer, non-radioactive liquid and potentially radioactive liquid wastes. Approximately 100,000 m3 of waste water, of which approximately 4,000 m3 is potentially radioactive (contains very low levels of radioactivity), are generated each year.
This waste water is collected in tanks, analysed and treated when necessary to remove contaminants.
The waste water is discharged through the sewer to Cronulla Sewage Treatment Plant after meeting the discharge limits set by Sydney Water.
Apart from the normal Sydney Water requirements, the waste water must also meet World Health Organisation drinking water standards for radioactivity.
How is air monitored?
Charcoal traps, high efficiency filters and scrubbers are used to remove fine particles or gaseous nuclides from any airborne discharges. These devices are managed as solid waste.
Monitoring of airborne releases is on a continuous basis, and ANSTO has four sampling stations at its site boundary. Independent checks are carried out by ARPANSA. Away from the ANSTO site, the levels of radioactivity in the air are too low to be measured.
A computer model using wind information gathered over the years to calculate radiation doses at various off-site locations shows the annual doses to the community are less than 0.01 mSv per year; that is, less than one per cent of the allowable 1mSv per year dose limit for the general community.
The procedures used to process and monitor radioactive waste are strictly controlled. ANSTO is subject to stringent regulation by its independent statutory regulator, ARPANSA. ANSTO also continually carries out environmental monitoring, and publishes a comprehensive environmental and effluent monitoring public report each year.
What is used or spent fuel?
Used fuel or spent fuel is a term used to describe fuel that has been used (irradiated) in a nuclear reactor and it is not intended for further use.
What sort of waste is stored at ANSTO?
ANSTO stores low level waste and a small amount of intermediate level waste. Used fuel from the OPAL Reactor is not categorized as waste in Australia. It is stored at ANSTO until it is ready for shipment overseas for permanent storage, or for reprocessing to remove the valuable uranium and plutonium for re-use.
Does ANSTO manage all the radioactive waste in Australia?
No - ANSTO only stores waste it has generated itself. Waste resulting from nuclear medical treatments and industrial operations must be managed by State Governments in which the waste was produced.
Other questions you might have asked
Radiation; radioactivity; uranium and fission
About OPAL and research reactors
Storage and transport of radioactive waste
Nuclear medicines and radioisotopes
Neutron scattering and other research