Repatriation program of radium-226 sources

The management of radioactive wastes considers many stages. The first one is the segregation of them in the place where they are produced and the last stage is their final disposal. However, the technical options for radioisotopes are different due to the very different characteristics that they have. One of the biggest problems in the case of the disposal of radium-226 is its half-life equivalent to 1600 years. The disposal of this kind of radioisotope produces technical, environmental and economic problems. In general, countries where are being considered radium-226 as radioactive wastes has considered their conditioning in an adequate way and then their respective storage. The final disposal has not been defined. Based on an agreement between Peru and the United States of America it has been possible the repatriation of a number of sources of radium-226 which were stored in the Nuclear Research Center of RACSO. In the present work is described all the technical aspects in relation to the repatriation of this kind of radioactive wastes. (orig.)