Treatment of Airborne Radioactive Wastes

The power reactor programme is growing at an unforeseen rate and the liquid-metal-cooled fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) will eventually play a significant part. Plants for processing and reprocessing nuclear fuels, laboratories for research and development to improve materials and techniques and the many related activities involved in the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes are being built to keep pace. Radioactive gases, vapours and aerosols can be emitted from any facilities of the nuclear energy programme and proper measures must be instituted to prevent contamination of the environment to hazardous levels. Where certain air-cleaning techniques were adequate in the past and in most cases are in the present, better systems must be developed owing to the increase in scope of the problem and the appearance of new difficulties such as those arising under accident conditions in liquid-metal fast breeder reactors.