Dumping of low-level radioactive waste in the deep ocean

Two international agreements relate to the dumping of packaged radioactive waste into the oceans - the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter of 1972 (London Convention) and the Multilateral Consultation and Surveillance Mechanism for Sea Dumping of Radioactive Waste of 1977 under the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The International Atomic Energy Agency was given the responsibility to define high-level radioactive wastes which are unsuitable for dumping in the oceans and to make recommendations for the dumping of other radioactive wastes. A revised Definition and Recommendations was submitted and accepted by the London Convention. The technical basis for the Definition is reviewed here and a description is given of how it has been applied to the radiological assessment of the only operational dumping site in the North East Atlantic. (author)