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Prifti D, Tushe K, Bylyku E, Daci B. SAFETY IMPROVEMENT OF THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE FACILITY IN ALBANIA. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2023; 199:363-365. [PMID: 36617515 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncac292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The Albanian National Radioactive Waste Storage Facility (NRWSF) constructed in 1999 consists of an interim waste storage facility for very low level waste, low level waste, intermediate level waste and disused sealed radioactive sources (DSRS) coming from research institutions, agriculture and industrial activities and from applications in nuclear medicine in Albania. The safety assessment of this facility is performed considering its impact to workers, public and environment. In 2018, Albania started a new National project Alb 9010 titled 'Upgrading the Radioactive Waste Storage Building According to International Standards'. The two fundamental objectives are to ensure the protection of the public, workers and the environment and to ensure retrievability of waste packages for final disposal. The project focuses on ensuring the safety of the treatment, conditioning and storage of radioactive waste and DSRS. Under this project has been done the improvement of the safety of the RWSF and upgrading of the existing building infrastructure. In the end of the project the objective is to improve the safety of the personnel in the RWSF, protection of public and environment, Upgrade the Equipment's used in the RW Management Activities, Upgrade the existing Infrastructure of the RWSF Building and also ensure retrievability of waste packages for final disposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dritan Prifti
- Department of Radiation Protection and Monitoring Network, Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, Street " Thoma Filipeu" Qesarakë, PO Box 85, Tirana, Albania
| | - Kozeta Tushe
- Department of Radiometry and Radiochemistry, Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, Street " Thoma Filipeu" Qesarakë, PO Box 85, Tirana, Albania
| | - Elida Bylyku
- Department of Radiometry and Radiochemistry, Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, Street " Thoma Filipeu" Qesarakë, PO Box 85, Tirana, Albania
| | - Brunilda Daci
- Department of Radiometry and Radiochemistry, Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, Street " Thoma Filipeu" Qesarakë, PO Box 85, Tirana, Albania
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Tushe KB, Bylyku E, Xhixha G, Dhoqina P, Daci B, Cfarku F, Xhixha MK, Strati V. FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF INDOOR RADON IN DWELLINGS IN ALBANIA. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2016; 172:488-495. [PMID: 26656073 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncv494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The realisation of the geographical distribution of the indoor radon concentrations in dwellings represents a valuable tool necessary for assessing the public exposure. In this work are reported the results of the indoor radon obtained in the first stage of the survey involving 247 measurements. From the preliminary information on ∼10 % of the territory, covering the biggest cities in Albania results on indoor radon concentrations ranging from 14 to 1238 Bq m-3 with an arithmetic mean of 120±67 Bq m-3 The population-weighted average indoor radon concentration was calculated to be 101 Bq m-3 The adopted survey strategy highlighted the necessity for the future stages to spread the measurements in order to cover the entire territory of Albania, instead of remaining focused only on the demographic criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Bode Tushe
- Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, University of Tirana, Rr. Thoma Filipeu, PO Box 85, Qesarakë (Tirana), Albania
| | - E Bylyku
- Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, University of Tirana, Rr. Thoma Filipeu, PO Box 85, Qesarakë (Tirana), Albania
| | - G Xhixha
- Legnaro National Laboratory, National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Via dell'Università 2, Legnaro (Padova) 35020, Italy
| | - P Dhoqina
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Blvd. 'Zogu i Parë', Tirana, Albania
| | - B Daci
- Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, University of Tirana, Rr. Thoma Filipeu, PO Box 85, Qesarakë (Tirana), Albania
| | - F Cfarku
- Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, University of Tirana, Rr. Thoma Filipeu, PO Box 85, Qesarakë (Tirana), Albania
| | - M Kaçeli Xhixha
- Department of Engineering Sciences, Faculty of Professional Studies, University 'Aleksandër Moisiu' Durrës, Str. Currila 1, Durrës, Albania
| | - V Strati
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat, 1, Ferrara (FE) 44122, Italy
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Xhixha G, Alberi M, Baldoncini M, Bode K, Bylyku E, Cfarku F, Callegari I, Hasani F, Landsberger S, Mantovani F, Rodriguez E, Shala F, Strati V, Kaçeli MX. Calibration of HPGe detectors using certified reference materials of natural origin. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4360-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Bode KT, Bylyku E, Xhixha G, Daci B, Fishka K. Determination of activity concentration of 210Po in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Butrinti Lagoon, Albanian Ionian coast. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4005-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Hasani F, Shala F, Xhixha G, Xhixha MK, Hodolli G, Kadiri S, Bylyku E, Cfarku F. Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) generated from lignite-fired power plants in Kosovo. J Environ Radioact 2014; 138:156-161. [PMID: 25233215 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The energy production in Kosovo depends primarily on lignite-fired power plants. During coal combustion, huge amounts of fly ash and bottom ash are generated, which may result in enriched natural radionuclides; therefore, these radionuclides need to be investigated to identify the possible processes that may lead to the radiological exposure of workers and the local population. Lignite samples and NORMs of fly ash and bottom ash generated in lignite-fired power plants in Kosovo are analyzed using a gamma-ray spectrometry method for the activity concentration of natural radionuclides. The average activity concentrations of (40)K, (226)Ra and (232)Th in lignite are found to be 36 ± 8 Bq kg(-1), 9 ± 1 Bq kg(-1) and 9 ± 3 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Indications on the occurrence and geochemical behavior of uranium in the lignite matrix are suggested. The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in fly ash and bottom ash samples are found to be concentrated from 3 to 5 times that of the feeding lignite. The external gamma-ray absorbed dose rate and the activity concentration index are calculated to assess the radiological hazard arising from ash disposal and recycling in the cement industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Hasani
- Kosovo Agency for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (KARPNS), Office of the Prime Minister, Ish-Gërmia, 10000 Pristina, Kosovo
| | - F Shala
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Pristina "Hasan Prishtina", Bregu i Diellit, 10000 Pristina, Kosovo
| | - G Xhixha
- Legnaro National Laboratory, National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Via dell'Università, 2, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
| | - M K Xhixha
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat, 1, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - G Hodolli
- Radiation Protection Service, Institute of Occupational Health, Pristina-Obiliq 7th km, 15000 Obiliq, Pristina, Kosovo
| | - S Kadiri
- Radiation Protection Service, Institute of Occupational Health, Pristina-Obiliq 7th km, 15000 Obiliq, Pristina, Kosovo
| | - E Bylyku
- Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, Qesarakë, P.O.Box 85 Tirana, Albania
| | - F Cfarku
- Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, Qesarakë, P.O.Box 85 Tirana, Albania
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Cfarku F, Xhixha G, Bylyku E, Zdruli P, Mantovani F, Përpunja F, Callegari I, Guastaldi E, Xhixha Kaçeli M, Thoma H. A preliminary study of gross alpha/beta activity concentrations in drinking waters from Albania. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-014-3142-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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