As a part of the International Technical Assistance provided by the IAEA, the Chornobyl NPP has received a measuring equipment that is necessary for radioactive waste (RAW) and radioactive materials (RM) management.

According to Oleksii Miasnykov, Head of the Integrated Radioactive Material Management Department, the α-β radiometer and spectrum photometer provided by the IAEA allow wider opportunities for measuring and characterizing RAW and RM:

- In particular, the spectrum photometer is a rather modern device that will allow us to determine the chemical composition of RAW, including radioactively contaminated water, with great accuracy. It is essential, that the utilization of this device will shorten the process of sample preparation, and thus reduce the time of operations and the time for obtaining results. It will be in use at our Water Radiochemical Monitoring Laboratory (WRML).

The α-β-radiometer will also be used in the work at the WRML of the Integrated Radioactive Material Management Department (IRMMD) to characterize drinking water indicators (radionuclide content) at the site, as well as to determine the total amount of radionuclides in Chornobyl NPP`s RAW. Another task for this device is to verify the tightness of sealed ionizing radiation sources that are used during certain technological operations at the plant. As a part of the license to use such sources, we have to perform the appropriate control.

So, this device will be very helpful to us. Before, the staff of the WRML of the IRMMD performed characterization studies using a rather complicated and time-consuming technology. But now, due to the new equipment, it will be done faster, easier and more accurately.

The IAEA constantly provides material and technical assistance to the Chornobyl NPP, which is of particular importance after the actual looting of the plant's machinery park during the occupation by russian troops. In the near future, the ChNPP will receive climatic chambers from the IAEA to control cemented samples of liquid RAW, that will also improve the process of RAW and RM management.