Optimization of radioactive clothes washing with respect to processing of laundry waters from V-1 nuclear power plant

An analysis was made of the current technology of washing and decontamination of laundry and protective clothing as well as of the operating regime of the special laundry in the V-1 nuclear power plant. The laundry is provided with two automatic washing machines PAC-91 D, the quality of washing is controlled visually, the quality of decontamination with a RUP-1 dosemeter. The processing and disposal of water from the laundry has some problems which differ from the problems of other liquid radioactive wastes. The water contains considerable amounts of surfactants and phosphates and must therefore be treated both radiochemically and chemically. In a number of experiments washing procedures were optimized for laundry with various levels of contamination. For laundry contaminated to 148 kBq/m2 only the first wash is used at 60 degC with gradual heating to 90 degC and the amount of detergent is increased, thereby reducing the volume of waste water by more than 8%. In order to reduce the amount of surfactants on the washed laundry a special preparation based on a weak organic acid is added to the demineralized water used for the last rinse. Increased decontamination efficiency is expected with the introduction of a new special detergent for washing radioactive laundry in Czechoslovak nuclear power plants, whose development based on domestic raw materials has been started. (Z.M.)