Preliminary discussion about interim storage option of spent sealed radioactive sources

It is impossible to dispose disused long lived sealed radioactive sources (SRS) and spent high activity radioactive sources in geological or borehole disposal facility in the short term in China. Interim storage is a suitable option for the sources that have been conditioned. Taking account of the storage experience, spent SRS should be conditioned before being stored and the radioactive waste minimization, safety during the sources storage and recovery after its storage be considered, which means that the sources are conditioned in the storage container and put into underground storage tube. It is suggested that the transport casks and long term storage containers should be standardized. (authors)