Radioactive Waste Characterization

Identifying the physical, chemical, and radiological properties of waste so that we can use our experience to advise you on cost-effective treatment, storage, and disposal options.

Our Global Team

Canada

Mina Shinouda Senior Director, Tech. & Strategic Ventures

Our Global Team

United States

Luke Bockewitz Director, Business Development, Nuclear and Advanced Technologies

Our Global Team

International

Shahrokh Zangeneh Chief Commercial Officer

Radioactive Waste Characterization Overview

Photograph of a workstation setup in a Kinectrics laboratory

Nuclear facilities produce wastes in a variety of forms including radioactive solids, radioactive liquids, and combinations of the two. All these waste forms must be appropriately managed to achieve cost-effective and safe storage or disposal.

Establishing exactly what the waste materials are is the essential first stage of determining the optimum waste management approach. Waste characterization does this by establishing what chemical and radiological hazards are present and in what physical form.

We have a fully licensed facility capable of handling radioactive, hazardous, and mixed wastes enabling us to provide detailed, quality-assured, characterizations using alpha spectrometry, proportional flow beta counting, and proprietary methods for other isotopes.

Why Our Radioactive Waste Characterization Services?

Extensive Experience

We have been performing characterization work since the 1980s, successfully completing projects for a wide range of clients including research reactors, CANDU stations, and several international nuclear facilities.
Customized Characterization Programs

Specific programs are designed to meet your individual needs by reviewing methodologies, conducting gap assessments, identifying characterization priorities, and utilizing scaling factors, before undertaking the analysis.
Comprehensive Services

Our team can confidently advise on treatment, management, transport, and disposal options for radioactive waste. In addition, we can support difficult-to-measure (DTM) radionuclide detection and scaling factor development.
State-Of-The-Art Facilities

We have one of the very few privately-owned regulator-licensed laboratories that is equipped with the instruments necessary for both radiological and non-radiological analysis and characterization.
Developing Proprietary Techniques

Having already developed techniques for measuring Be-10, Cl-36, Zr-93, Tc-99, and I-129 in waste our radiochemists stand ready to develop techniques for other isotopes.
Difficult-to-Measure Radionuclide Detection

Specialist equipment allows us to analyze many difficult-to-measure isotopes and where we can't analyze we use scaling factors to establish quantities by measuring associated markers.

Our Radioactive Waste Characterization Technical Abilities

Difficult-to-Measure Radionuclide Detection

Our difficult-to-measure (DTM) radionuclide detection service includes:

Scaling Factor Development
Alpha Spectrometry: Am-241, Cm-242, Cm-244, Pu-238, Pu-239+240
H-3, C-14, Fe-55, Ni-63, Sr-90 by LSC & proportional flow beta counting
Special Methods Developed for Be-10, Cl-36, Zr-93, Tc-99, I-129 in Specific Waste Streams

Photograph of a large container being monitored

Photograph of worker surveying an outdoor location

Infographic explaining a radioactive waste characterization program

Our Proven Experience

Quality Assurance & Technical Standards

10CFR50 Appendix B (2021): Quality Assurance Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants and Fuel Reprocessing Plants
CSA N292.8 (2021): Characterization of Radioactive Waste and Irradiated Fuel
ISO 17025: Testing & Calibration Laboratories
ISO 9001:2015 (2015): Quality management systems
WNSL-W2-3850.01/2028: Waste Nuclear Substance Licence