NORM stands for Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material. As the name implies, these are substances that occur in the environment without the interference of people, although their presence can be intensified by human actions. Most of the time, these materials do not exist in concentrations that warrant intervention (i.e., hazardous to human health), but there are some instances in which mediation and NORM decontamination are necessary.

TENORM

Although NORM can consist of any kind of radioactive material, we talk mostly about the unstable isotopes of radium and lead in the context of human activity. NORM may be referred to as TENORM  in these instances, which stands for Technically Enhanced NORM. These are commonly found in the petroleum industry and in others that refine natural resources, such as the fertilizer and coal industries.

NORM and people

In industries that are known to enhance the presence of NORM, special precautions are necessary to keep both the environment and the workers safe. If something is  NORM contaminated, it means that it has reached levels that are too high for public exposure, though they are not yet defined as radioactive.

Regulations

Although NORM is radioactive waste, it is not regulated under the Atomic Energy Act. Because it falls under one of the Acts exclusions, NORM waste materials are regulated mostly by individual states. For this reason, it is advantageous to contract with a waste management company that has a local presence and is aware of all relevant state laws on hazardous and radioactive waste.

Storing and moving NORM

There are strict federal requirements for storing and moving NORM waste to prevent its contamination by other substances. Packing requirements will change depending on the activity, type, and form of the waste. The  Department of Energy offers more information on the types of packaging and the testing they undergo before use.

If your company needs assistance in NORM decontamination, our waste management professionals can inspect your facility and handle all NORM-contaminated substances.  Contact Clean Management for a free quote.

NORM DECONTAMINATION SERVICES

NORM scaling is a concentrate of naturally occurring radioactive material that comes from sedimentary rock and precipitates out and accumulates during production and contains higher than background levels of radiation.

The Earth's crust is radioactive. As a result, many naturally occurring materials contain radioactive elements (radionuclides).

While the level of individual exposure is usually negligible, some circumstances arise wherein the concentration of primordial radionuclides reaches a level that demands regulation and control.

Radioactive materials which occur naturally and expose people to radiation are known as NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material). Exposure to NORM is often increased by human activities (e.g., burning coal, making fertilizers, and oil and gas production operations). One of the main industries with an aqueous TENORM (technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material) problem is the petroleum industry.

The radionuclides identified in oil and gas streams belong to the decay chains of Uranium 238 and Thorium 232. These elements are not mobilized from the reservoir rock that contains the oil, gas, and formation water. When the produced water is brought to the surface it contains Radium, together with an abundance of other cations, mainly alkaline earth compounds. The highly toxic nature of Radium renders the effective separation of these radiotoxic substances from non-toxic compounds highly desirable.

NORM-Clear is a water-soluble product and can be applied as an additive at the termination of standard equipment decontamination procedures. It can be dosed into steam vapor, allowing the condensate to coat the affected equipment surfaces, or applied through an aqueous circulation. Concentrations of 0.51.0% in vapor phase condensation or 1.0 2.0% in aqueous circulation are recommended. Higher levels of radiotoxic scaling will require additional products to address the descaling process. In circulation processes, application temperatures of 120 150 F (49 66C) are recommended.

NORM-Precip functions by co-precipitation and enhanced coagulation of radiotoxic Radium and other radioactive salts as separated water-insoluble salts. The water-insoluble salts can then be removed by gravity differential or other means of filtration. The radioactive-free water produced from NORM-Precip application can be recycled back to the process or disposed of through normal wastewater treatment facilities, thereby drastically reducing wastewater costs.

As a water-soluble product, NORM-Precip is applied directly to water streams containing dissolved radioactive materials. It is recommended that NORM-Precip be added to the affected water prior to the dewatering process.

Collection of the remaining radioactive solids removed from the water must be properly handled according to local statutory regulations. 

NORM DECONTAMINATION SERVICES
NORM-contaminated equipment requires cleaning to either reduce or remove the NORM residue to a minimum level (ALARP).  CO2Blast Ltd. will remove scale build-ups/deposits from downhole and topside process equipment.

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) consist of materials, usually industrial wastes or by-products enriched with radioactive elements found in the environment, such as uranium, thorium, and potassium and any of their decay products, such as radium and radon.

Natural radioactive elements are present in very low concentrations in Earth's crust and are brought to the surface through human activities such as oil and gas exploration or mining, and through natural processes like leakage of radon gas to the atmosphere or through dissolution in groundwater. Another example of TENORM is coal ash produced from coal burning in power plants. If radioactivity is much higher than the background level, handling TENORM may cause problems in many industries and transportation.

While the level of individual exposure is usually negligible, some circumstances arise wherein the concentration of primordial radionuclides reaches a level that demands regulation and control.