
Waste Assay and Characterisation
The challenge
Accurate assessment of the radionuclide content of radioactive waste plays a key role in effective waste management. Assurance that the specification of waste packages complies with disposal and transport requirements underpins safe and efficient waste management operations.
UKAEA offer extensive experience in determining cost effective assay and characterisation methods and assessing at what stage in the process they can most effectively be deployed.

Related Services
- Radiation transport modelling
- Safeguards Support
- Criticality Safety Services
- Waste Minimisation
- Waste Disposal “Letter of Compliance” (LoC) support
- Environmental assurance
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Our capabilities
- Advice on waste assay techniques including passive and active neutron monitoring systems, gamma spectroscopy systems and X-ray inspection
- Radiometric technical support to engineering design teams
- Specialist support to HAZOP / HAZAN and BEPO studies
- Assay technique selection for new facilities or existing facilities with new requirements
- Waste categorisation assessments
- Technical advice on the maintenance and calibration of assay and characterisation systems
- Concept studies for new requirements
- Option studies support
- Radiation transport modeling in support of assay technique optimisation
How you benefit
UKAEA offers a broad range of experience, gained from operating in a range of facilities, working hand-in-hand with plant design engineers, plant operators and safety case writers. An informed choice of assay equipment for your application can support your quality systems ensuring cost effective use of waste disposal routes and identifying process irregularities.
- Ensure procurement of fit for purpose equipment for both radiological protection and assay requirements
- Access impartial advice on assay equipment selection or justification for omission
- Demonstrate compliance with national and international standards and industry best practice
- Effective instrument operation, relevant training and access to expert advice on anomalous measurements
- Efficient process monitoring and waste streaming



