RUCAS: software for assessing radiological risk to the public in metallic radioactive waste recycling from decommissioning nuclear facilities

Abstract

Deregulation of the resultant radioactive waste from the increasing decommissioning of nuclear facilities worldwide has become crucial for accurately estimating potential radiological risks to the public. This study introduces the Recycling-Underlying Computational Dose Assessment Software (RUCAS), developed by the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in the Republic of Korea. RUCAS addresses the limitations of existing tools, such as RESRAD-RECYCLE and MicroShield® (MS), which suffer from outdated methodologies and inefficient risk assessments, respectively, while integrating their strengths. By incorporating the latest data, including dose conversion factors and nuclide data, as well as employing the point-kernel method, RUCAS offers a more accurate, robust, and versatile dose assessment framework compared to currently available tools. The advancements made with RUCAS signify substantial progress in developing safer and more feasible recycling strategies for radioactive waste.