TRANSPORT OF Co-60 FROM ARGENTINA TO ABROAD

The reactor of the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant is a CANDU 600 type and one of their mechanisms of reactivity control is formed by a set of 21 rods containing Co-59 . As a result of its operation and due to the neutronic activation, Co-59 is converted into Co-60. The rods are formed by bundles of 1, 3 or 4 cobalt pencils, and this number is depending on the position in the core. The pencils are made out of \"zircaloy\" , and they may contain cobalt as pellets or slugs, depending on the future application . When only slugs are used, the whole cobalt mass may aproximately reach the 35 kg. After the term of service in the core wich may be around one year, and depending on the load factor, the rods with slugs may reach a specific activity not lower than 3,7 A 101 e Bq/g (100 Ci/g), and those containing pellets can reach, after 3 years in t he nucleus, 9,25 x 101 e Bq/g (300 Ci/g). Therefore, the removal of the rods from the core is a difficult task . Special work programs concerning personnel radioprotection were developed; and procedures for the removal of rods from the reactor, and their transfer to the pool, are applied. The personnel has been trained in a simulator that reproduces the steps of the removal operations .