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SCREENING & EVALUATION OF NORM/TENORM WASTES AT MSWLF’S
WSWRA Conference
August 26, 2015
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NORM Waste Industries
What do typical NORM wastes look like?
Should we expect to see NORM wastes in Wyoming?
How can we measure NORM (field & lab analytical)
Instrumentation types & cost
How can we minimize risk?
Presentation Overview
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Several industries have production activities that concentrate NORM,
sometimes referred to as technologically-enhanced NORM (TENORM)
and some of these are:
Oil & Gas Industry
Coal Industry
Others:
mineral sands
fertilizer (phosphate)
building
recycling
NORM Waste Industries
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Oil & Gas Industry
Isotopes precipitate from produced water with sulfate and carbonate as scale or sludge
Levels of radioactivity vary significantly by well and by region
Scale concentrations can range from 10x to 1000x the concentration in the produced water
Coal Industry
Concerns in mining are mainly with radon gas and mine workers
Largest NORM waste stream is coal ash
During combustion radionuclides are retained (fly ash and bottom ash)
Concentrations can be 10x the concentration in the natural coal
Source: www.world-nuclear.org, “Natural Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)”, July 2015
NORM Waste Industries
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What Does NORM Look Like?
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Source: USGS Fact Sheet FS-142-99, Sept. 1999
What to expect for Wyoming
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Measured by field screening surveys and/or laboratory analysis
NORM screening surveys require the use of highly sensitive
instrumentation to detect the presence of NORM accumulation.
NORM screening survey results are used to locate possible NORM hazards and
are compared to background count rates.
Comparative results indicate if further action is required.
Instruments can vary from inexpensive hand-held detectors to
stationary vehicle screening detectors.
NORM screening involves detecting radiation emissions on the outside
of equipment from NORM accumulations found inside the equipment.
As such, the best screening survey instruments are designed to detect
small numbers of gamma emissions strong enough to penetrate steel.
How Can You Measure Norm?
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Instrument Examples
• Most sensitive
• Preferred “Early Warning”
detector
• Only detector to reliably detect
low-energy Pb210
• Preferred handheld device for
most NORM screening
Scintillation Detector
Pancake Detector
Large Entry Monitor
• Utilizes scintillation
detectors
• Hands-off approach to
screening
• Configuration good for irregular
surfaces
• Can detect alpha, beta & gamma
• Personnel monitoring
• Not preferred for screening
through metal
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Instrument Costs
• Meter = ~$700
• Detector = ~$700 (scintillation, pancake, or alpha)
• Cables = ~$150
• Check Source = ~$175
• Annual Calibration = ~$250
Hand-held Setup (~$1,800)
• Pancake detector = ~$500
• May also require check
source and annual
calibration = ~$400
Budget Monitors (~$900) Large scale waste monitors =
~$10K - $100K
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A questionnaire may be a good tool to consistently ask some
important questions. Possible questions include:
Is the waste known or suspected to contain NORM?
Has the waste been screened for NORM or sampled for radiochemistry?
If yes, what were the results?
Is the waste from the O&G industry?
Does the waste contain coal ash (bottom or fly ash)?
Was the waste generated from an industry associated with uranium
mining, mineral sands, or other industry known to be associated with
NORM?
Good Questions: A Best Management Practice
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1. Be familiar with Wyoming NORM Guidelines
2. Ask good questions
3. Consider the ability screen for NORM at your
facility
Key Take-Away’s
