Radiation exposures from the beneficial use of alumina production residue.

Estimates of radiation exposure are developed over the life cycle of beneficial use in cement of an alumina production residue (APR) waste pile. The life cycle includes radiation exposures that might be experienced by industrial workers involved in excavation and transport of the residue to cement plants, industrial workers at the cement plants, construction workers making use of the cement, members of the public who might be in the proximity of the cement products, and disposal of the cement at the end of its useful life. The results indicate that it is not reasonably likely for exposures related to beneficial use of APR waste in cement to exceed the acceptance criteria delineated in current radiation protection standards for workers and members of the general public. Radiation exposure estimates developed over the life cycle of beneficial use in cement of an alumina production residue (APR) waste pile indicate that it is not reasonably likely for exposures to exceed the acceptance criteria delineated in current radiation protection standards for workers and the public. Assumed APR waste characteristics, storage, transport, cement production, uses in concrete, and ultimate disposal are generalizable to many APR situations. The findings demonstrate that beneficial use of APR waste as a cement ingredient can be accomplished safely, with potentially significant benefits to management of the large volume of APR being stored around the world.