Activities of the IAEA in the fields of radioactive wastes handling

One of the main problems in the development of nuclear power production is desactivation of radioactive wastes, especially those of high activity and alpha-emitting. The IAEA programm on the radioactive wastes management is dealing with wastes from nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel cycle installations. This programm includes: wastes processing and disposal; nuclear power production and its influence in environment; shut down and desactivation of nuclear installations; technical and economic aspects of the radioactive wastes processing and disposal. IAEA is running research programms in the fields: of management of radioactive wastes from the processes of mining and processing of uranium ores, especially on migration of radium in environment; on management of wastes from the processes of uranium purification, enrichment and reactor fuel fabrication; on the alpha-emitting and high activity wastes from reactor fuel reprocessing; on radioactive wastes disposal in ground, geological formations and sea; on radioactivity leakage in environment; on the radionuclides behaviour in environment; on radioactive wastes management in regional fuel cycle centers; on desactivation of nuclear installations. In future international cooperation can be gained in the fields of safety of radioactive wastes bureal sites; wastes solidification methods; evaluation of the environment contamination by liguid and gaseous radioactive wastes; trapping of krypton-85, iodine and aerosols from gaseous wastes. (I.T.)