Clearance and discharge of radioactive material

General information

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

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 control. Usually, this involves radioactive materials that are no longer required in the course of practices. This procedure is possible for material in solid form with very low levels of radioactivity. The clearance is an official act and must be approved by the radiation protection authority.

Once the clearance is approved, the materials concerned are no longer considered radioactive. From this point on, these materials and are no longer subject to the radiation protection regulation.A distinction is made between unrestricted and restricted clearance. Decisive for this distinction are the regulations in section 111 Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung (General Radiation Protection Ordinance – AllgStrSchV) and the clearance levels specified in Annex 1 of the 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 take place under certain conditions. For this purpose, the company must prove that the dose limits specified in the AllgStrSchV are complied with.

Discharge of radioactive material

The discharge of liquid and gaseous radioactive material 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 the public, for instance residents. The requirements are specified in section 77 AllgStrSchV and are fulfilled in any case if the discharge limits specified in Annex 2 to the AllgStrSchV are complied with.

Enterprises affected

• Companies that release radioactive materials resulting from practices
• Companies that discharge radioactive materials

Competent authority

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

Procedure

A clearance usually requires a 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 criteria, are met. After receipt of the note of decision granting the clearance (administrative decision), the company must comply with the relevant regulations, such as 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. In these cases, companies can apply to the authorities for direct disposal of the materials as radioactive waste. 

Specifications for discharge of radioactive material are detailed in the course of the licence for a practice.

Legal bases

Clearance:

• sections 110 to 115 of the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung
  (General Radiation Protection Ordinance – 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 – AllgStrSchV)
• section 73 of the Strahlenschutzgesetz
  (Radiation Protection Act – StrSchG)

Discharge:

• section 54 Strahlenschutzgesetz (Radiation Protection Act – StrSchG)
• section 77 of the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung
  (General Radiation Protection Ordinance – AllgStrSchV)
• Annex 2 to the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung
  (General Radiation Protection Ordinance – AllgStrSchV)