CHP Radioactive Materials Handling & Waste Management Flashcards
6 cards from real CHP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CHP Radioactive Materials Handling & Waste Management flashcards as text
According to 10 CFR 61, into which categories is Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLW) classified?
Answer: Class A, B, C, and Greater-than-Class-C (GTCC)
10 CFR 61 classifies LLW as Class A, B, C, and Greater-than-Class-C based on radionuclide concentrations and half-lives, with progressively stricter disposal requirements.
What defines 'mixed waste' in the context of US radioactive waste management regulations?
Answer: Waste that is simultaneously radioactive and hazardous under RCRA
Mixed waste is subject to both NRC (or Agreement State) radioactive waste regulations and EPA's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for hazardous waste.
Which radioactive waste disposal method is most cost-effective for short-lived isotopes like H-3, C-14, and P-32 in a research laboratory?
Answer: Decay-in-storage until activity falls below release thresholds, then dispose as regular trash
Decay-in-storage (DIS) allows short-lived isotopes to decay to background levels, eliminating the cost of licensed radioactive waste disposal.
What primary characteristic defines Transuranic (TRU) waste and distinguishes it from other low-level radioactive waste?
Answer: TRU waste contains alpha-emitting radionuclides with atomic numbers greater than uranium at >100 nCi/g
TRU waste contains alpha-emitting transuranic radionuclides (atomic number > 92) at concentrations exceeding 100 nCi/g, primarily generated during nuclear weapons production.
Under 10 CFR 20.2003, what conditions must be met before radioactive materials may be disposed of via release to a sanitary sewer system?
Answer: Concentrations must not exceed limits in Appendix B Table 3, and annual totals must not exceed specified limits
10 CFR 20.2003 permits sewer disposal only when concentrations do not exceed Appendix B Table 3 limits and total annual quantities remain within specified thresholds.
What is the correct classification for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) generated by commercial nuclear power plants?
Answer: Spent nuclear fuel and reprocessing waste requiring deep geological disposal
Commercial spent nuclear fuel and reprocessing liquids are classified as HLW, requiring permanent disposal in a deep geological repository such as the proposed Yucca Mountain facility.