Occupational radiation protection experience in radioactive waste management at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, India

Waste Management Facilities, Trombay (WMFT) comprises Radioactive Solid waste Management Site (RSMS), an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and a Decontamination Centre (DC). Radioactive wastes from the plants and laboratories in Mumbai are handled here. The wastes are categorized and classified as per International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) guidelines. RSMS is a near surface disposal facility, where assorted beta gamma solid waste is disposed off in appropriate disposal facilities. ETP is a centralized low level liquid waste treatment facility, where liquid effluent is chemically treated to remove the radionuclides present in it, monitored for radioactivity, and discharged into the Mumbai Harbour Bay. In DC, plant and laboratory used clothings and personnel protective wears are decontaminated, monitored and sent for reuse. A comprehensive radiation monitoring programme is in place in these facilities from the beginning of radioactive waste management operations at BARC. The per capita radiation dose of the occupational workers and individual maximum dose has been low. Radioactivity release through liquid effluent from ETP has been kept well below Authorized Limits (AL). There has been no safety related unusual occurrences during the facility operation, that had any significant radiological impact. (author)