Impact of MOX fuel on professional radiation exposure

The plutonium recycling in LWR was adopted by several European countries right from the early 70's. At that time, France elected to develop the breeders. Some years later, when the economic conditions led to postpone the building of breeders, recycling in PWR was decided in France. MOX fuel was introduced firstly in Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux 900MWe reactor (unit 1) as an industrial product. Since five reactors are dedicated to plutonium recycling; the core management scheme consists of reloads containing 16 MOX fuel (i.e. a third of the renewed assemblies). Sixteen PWR units are authorized to such a recycling and could be used by the year 1997. As far as radioprotection is concerned, the fresh MOX fuel emits neutron and gamma rays when enriched uranium fuel emission is almost negligible. In files established to obtain a generic authorization for MOX use it has been demonstrated that the collective doses corresponding to the complete fuel cycle were quite similar for MOX and for enriched uranium fuel. This fact has been confirmed by experience; MOX fuel fabrication and handling do not induce penalty in comparison with uranium mining and implementation. To reduce doses for operators in the EDF power plants, a new handling system of fresh fuel has been conceived, the controls concerning fresh fuel receipt have been modified to make shorter the operator exposition time and screens are used to decrease the level of radiations. (author)