Description
The increasing number of disused sealed radioactive sources (DSRS), particularly from cobalt-60 (⁶⁰Co) teletherapy units, poses a significant challenge for radioactive waste management in Indonesia. In accordance with national regulations, these sources must be securely transported and stored by the authorised institution. However, the lack of cost-effective and certified transport containers has led to suboptimal interim storage practices by hospitals, such as using teletherapy machine heads as makeshift containment units.
To address this issue, a specialised transport container, referred to as the Gama Container, has been developed with integrated radiation shielding. This study assesses the shielding performance of the container through simulation using MicroShield and the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS). The shielding structure, designed in a cylindrical geometry with lead and concrete layers, was evaluated for a 6600 Ci ⁶⁰Co source. Dose rate calculations were performed across various shielding thicknesses and distances.
MicroShield simulations demonstrated that a 30 cm concrete layer reduced the external dose rate from 17.98 µSv/h to 0.01 µSv/h at 1 metre. PHITS simulation results supported these findings, indicating spatial dose distributions ranging from 0.008 to 0.012 µSv/h outside the container. These values fall well below national exposure limits for both occupational and public safety.
The study confirms that the Gama Container's design meets regulatory safety standards, ensuring secure transportation of high-activity DSRS. The integration of deterministic and Monte Carlo-based analyses provides a robust evaluation framework, supporting its practical deployment in the field. This approach contributes to enhancing the safety, reliability, and compliance of radioactive waste transport infrastructure in emerging nuclear technology environments.
| Technical Track | Safety and Severe Accidents |
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