TREATING RADIOACTIVE, TOXIC OR OTHER HAZARDOUS WASTE

摘要

Radioactive, toxic or hazardous waste, in particular intermediate level sludge waste containing metal items and containers, some of which include pyrophoric material, is treated by drying the waste in containers in at least one waste dryer (34) and reducing the volume of the containers in a compacter (32), the dryer and compacter both being operated in a protective sealed environnement (14-16) which confines to the sealed environment the radiation or contamination resulting from the waste. Remote controlled manipulators and the like (e.g. gantry manipulator (37)) are used for handling the waste and containers within the sealed environnement (14-16). Prior to drying, oversize pyrophoric material, identified by screen separation of the waste into oversize and undersize and subsequent inspection of the oversize, is introduced into containers with undersize (consisting mostly of sludge), ready for drying. This avoids any risk of spontaneous ignition of the pyrophoric material.