Plutonium waste management - Operational experience in monitoring, segregating, sorting and treating plutonium contaminated solid waste

An exercise was carried out at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment to characterise stored plutonium contaminated waste in terms of materials, levels and distribution of contamination and potential for plutonium recovery. The results of this exercise enabled a rational approach to waste management to be devised and initiated to minimize quantities of waste and contamination levels. Research programmes into various decontamination and recovery processes were carried out including the incineration of paper and rags and the washing of plastics. Improvements in waste management were demonstrated for a typical plutonium handling facility