Considerations on the safe and security of radioactive materials transport in Romania

The transport of radioactive materials (RAM) is a very important problem considering the potential risks and radiological consequences in carrying-out this activity. Romania as a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency has implemented national regulations for a safe transport of RAM in accordance with the Agency's recommendations as well as other international specialized organizations. Based on the IAEA's Safety Standard-TS-R-1 (ST-1), Romanian National Nuclear Regulatory Body - CNCAN adopted and implemented, by Act no. 357/December 21, 2005, the safety regulations for the transport of radioactive materials in Romania under the title: 'Regulations for the Transport of Radioactive Materials'. The paper will present the main sources of radioactive materials in Romania their transportation routes with a particular interest paid to the radioactive wastes (low level radioactive materials), isotopes and radioactive sources, uranium ore. Starting from the fact that the safety in the transport of radioactive materials is dependent on appropriate packaging for the contents being shipped, rather than operational and/or administrative actions required for the package, the paper presents, briefly the main packages used for transport and storage of such RAM in Romania. There are presented hypothetical scenarios for specific problems related to the identification and evaluation of the risks and potential radiological consequences associated with the transport of radioactive materials in Romania, for all these three situations: routine transport (without incidents), normal transport (with minor incidents) and during possible accidents. As a conclusion, it is ascertained that the evaluated annual collective dose for the population due to RAM transport is less than that received by natural radiation sources. At the same time it is concluded that Romanian made packages are safe and prevent loss of their radioactive contents into the environment. (author)