Radioactivity in the scrap recycling process: Radiation protection aspects and experimental monitoring problems

The steel scrap recycling by steel mill is increasing moved by profits and by purpose of protection of environmental resources. Besides the use of radioactive sources in several fields (medical, industrial and in scientific researches) on one hand, and the disposal of made radioactive materials from nuclear reactors on the other one, makes the likelihood no more negligible that some radionuclides could be found, accidental y or fraudulently, in steel recycling scrap. Radiation protection problems for surveillance both employees in the production cycle and of people and environment in general arose. First of all, we characterize different type of radioactive materials that can found in scraps, pointing out the potential hazards from exposure of workers and people and from environmental contamination, related to physical and chemical specifications of the involved radionuclides. Some suitable monitoring equipment for scrap recycling facilities are discussed, related to the different step of production cycle (transport, storage, manipulation and melting). At last experimental data, taken in some periods of the monitoring campaign made at the Italian border on imported scraps, are presented. (author)