Abstract:
The study paper examined that the application of radiological and nuclear
technologies has not been wide-ranging in Ethiopia. Ethiopia lacks the requisite
technology, skilled personnel, financial strength and the necessary infrastructures to
manage radioactive waste generated from different applications. By prioritizing most
recent studies and results, challenges and benefits of radiological and nuclear technology
were investigated. Ethiopia is using a total of 1,694 radiation generators and 451 sources
for different applications. Of which 88.6% of the generators and 1.8% of the sources are
used for medical application. Presently 11.3% generating machines and 89.8% radiation
sources are in use in the industry sector. The dose rate and activity of each disused sealed
radioactive source was calculated and found as category 4 and category5. Nuclide
identifier and an HPGe detector integrated with Gini 2000 software were used to
characterize the disused sealed radioactive sources. A total of 63mg (2.36GBq) Ra-226
was conditioned in one concrete package and 0.74GBq Cs-137, 0.11GBq Co-60 and
0.74GBq Sr-90 were conditioned in the second concrete package. Based on their half-life
and activity concentration conditioned disused sealed radioactive sources are categorized
as very low level, low level and intermediate level waste. Due to the potential benefit
from a waste safety and economic point of view; borehole radioactive waste disposal
system have a number of potentially favorable characteristics and it is appropriate to
dispose the existing disused sealed radioactive sources in Ethiopia. Solid, liquid and high
level radioactive waste management options through disposition in nuclear power plants
was proposed. Ethiopia needs to establish the required regulatory infrastructures, strategy
and infrastructures for cradle-to-grave radioactive waste management and proper legal
frame-work that would be aligned with the internationally agreed systems. The key
focuses of the study was on qualitative and quantitative information available on
radioactive waste management options; disused sealed radioactive sources, spent fuel,
nuclear power, nuclear technology benefits, institutional and legal frame-works to deploy
radiological and nuclear technology.