Planning and concept of borehole disposal technology for disposal of disused sealed radiation sources from using in health and industry

Abstract Disused sealed radiation sources (DSRS) that have been stored in the Interim Storage 1 and 2 (IS-1 and IS-2), and High Activity Waste Storage (PSLAT) mainly consist of Co-60, Cs-137and Ra-226. The DSRS is the most suitable to be disposed of in borehole disposal after conditioned and stored. The difficulties faced on storage and disposal are reasoned by long half-life, high gamma-photon radiation, not established disposal system, expensiveness of disposal facility, difficulties on the option to re-export of the DSRS and the activity exceed for near-surface disposal. For that reason, the disposal system for DSRS must be developed with the small scale national facility having some advances as well as costly cheaper, fulfill the safety standard, and could avoid the possibility of human intrusion. The answer to this problem is the borehole disposal concept. By using this concept can be hoped that the problems of DSRS disposal can be handled well, based on DSRS capsule packaged design, site characterization, borehole technology, repository facility, and safety assessment. The selection of borehole disposal technology for DSRS has been made. The selection was made descriptively, involve technological concept and site. One concept of the borehole has been obtained and recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA,) applicable and suitable with the waste and site condition. The concept is Borehole Disposal with unsaturated, very low permeability and high sorption (e.g. clay) host-rock or environments.