Clearance and discharge of radioactive material

For discharge and clearance procedures: the respective radiation protection licensing authority

The clearance, as well as discharge, enable a company to recycle, use or release into the environment radioactive materials with very low radioactivity levels without the need for further radiation protection monitoring. The prerequisite for this is the fulfilment of certain radiation protection criteria and a licensing by the radiation protection authorities.

If radioactive materials do not meet the requirements for clearance or discharge, they must be disposed of as radioactive waste.

Clearance of radioactive material

Clearance is the term used to describe the release of radioactive materials from the control of the radiation protection authority. Usually, this involves radioactive materials that are no longer required in the course of practices. This procedure is possible for material with very low levels of radioactivity. The prerequisite for this is licensing by the radiation protection authority.

Once the clearance criteria set by the competent authority are met, the materials concerned are no longer considered radioactive. From this point on, these materials do not require further radiation protection monitoring.

A distinction is made between unrestricted and restricted clearance. Decisive for this distinction are the clearance levels specified in Annex 1 to the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung (General Radiation Protection Ordinance – AllgStrSchV).

• Unrestricted clearance: any future use of the released materials is not subject to any regulatory restrictions.
• Restricted clearance: any future use of the released materials is subject to (special) regulatory restrictions (for example, type of landfill or restrictions on types of recycling).

If no clearance levels are specified or applicable, a clearance can still take place under certain conditions. For this purpose, the company must prove to the competent authority that the dose limits specified in the AllgStrSchV are complied with.

Discharge of radioactive material

The discharge of liquid and gaseous radioactive substances with the wastewater or exhaust air requires a licensing by the competent authority, which in most cases is granted within the scope of the licence to carry out the practice. This applies to both artificial and naturally occurring radionuclides.

Radioactive substances may only be discharged in the wastewater or exhaust air if this does not result in any relevant radiation exposure for affected persons, such as residents. This requirement is fulfilled in any case if the discharge limits specified in Annex 2 to the AllgStrSchV are complied with.

Clearance:

• sections 110 to 115 of the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung
  (General Radiation Protection Ordinance^{Unofficial English translation} – AllgStrSchV)
• Annex 1 to the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung, Section D, Table 1, columns 4 to 6 (artificial radionuclides) and Table 3, columns 2 to 3 (naturally occurring radioactive materials)
  (General Radiation Protection Ordinance^{Unofficial English translation} – AllgStrSchV)
• section 73 of the Strahlenschutzgesetz
  (Radiation Protection Act^{Unofficial English translation} – StrSchG)

Discharge:

• section 77 of the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung
  (General Radiation Protection Ordinance^{Unofficial English translation} – AllgStrSchV)
• Annex 2 to the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung
  (General Radiation Protection Ordinance^{Unofficial English translation} – AllgStrSchV)

A clearance usually requires separate official approval. The application must be accompanied by the relevant documents so that the authority can check whether the conditions for clearance, in particular, compliance with the limit values, are met. After receipt of the note of decision granting the clearance (administrative decision), the company must comply with the relevant regulations, such as carrying out release measurements, removing existing markings and keeping records of releases carried out.

In some companies, only very small quantities of residues (a few kilograms) of naturally occurring radionuclides accumulate per year, such as removed deposits in pipes or layers of paint. If this is the case, companies can apply to the authorities for direct disposal as radioactive waste instead of carrying out a clearance procedure.