Industries giving rise to NORM discharges in the European Union - A review

The focus of this paper is the identification of industries giving rise to discharges or residues of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) that are potentially significant in terms of public exposure and therefore may require regulatory control as set out in Title VII of the European Union Council Directive 96/29/Euratom. The industries have been identified and assessed as part of a study commissioned by the European Commission with a view to assisting Member States in implementing the aforementioned Directive in this area. Information was gathered largely on the basis of data supplied by regulatory authorities in Member States, by means of a questionnaire as well as through published reports and direct contacts with organizations such as trade associations. It is evident that available information on wastes and discharges both in terms of volume and content are limited. Furthermore, there are few reliable monitoring data for NORM radioactive substances probably as a consequence of the absence of previous regulatory control. The industries considered in this paper include fossil fuel power stations, oil and gas extraction, metal processing, phosphate processing and production, titanium oxide pigment production, rare earth processes, and cement production. A brief description of the processes involved in each is presented including the waste production pathways, activity concentrations, typical emissions and annual throughput, where available. It is noted that the characteristics of discharges and residues, even from the same type of industry and production process, have been found to differ widely because of variations in raw materials and processing methods. This is particularly pertinent in respect of differences in treatment of liquid wastes and off-gases prior to discharge. It is possible that for some of the NORM industries studied, controls already in place to prevent non-radioactive pollution may have the additional benefit of controlling the radioactive discharges. However it must also be highlighted that restricting discharges may increase the amount of radioactivity retained in residues such as sludge and dust. (author)