REGULATORY CONTROL OF MILLING OF

MINERALS CONTAINING NATURALLY

OCCURRING RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(NORM) IN MALAYSIA

TENG IYU LIN

ATOMIC ENERGY LICENSING BOARD
MALAYSIA
yulin@aelb.gov.my

Ensuring Safety, Security & Safeguarding Peaceful Nuclear Activities

INTRODUCTION
 In Malaysia, Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring
Radioactive Materials (TENORM) are mainly found in scales and
sludges from the oil and gas industries, thorium hydroxide from
the processing of xenotime and monazite, and iron oxide and red
gypsum from the processing of ilmenite. Other TENORM are tin
slag produced from the smelting of tin, and ilmenite, zircon, and
monazite produced from the processing of tin tailing (generically
termed amang).
 These unwanted materials containing TENORM have
subsequently been called TENORM wastes. These activities are
regulated and controlled by the Atomic Energy Licensing Act,
1984 (Act 304).
 The licensing authority of the Act 304 is the Atomic Energy
Licensing Board (AELB).

http://www.aelb.gov.my
 EXAMPLE OF WASTE CONTAINING NATURALLY
OCCURING RADIONUCLIDES IN MALAYSIA
GYPSUM: IRON OXIDE:
226Ra:77, 228Ra:121Bq/kg 226Ra:4970, 228Ra:1500Bq/kg

OIL SLUDGE:
226Ra: 286, 228Ra:278 Bq/kg

TIN TAILING (AMANG):

238U: 219, 232Th: 1410Bq/kg TIN SLAG:
238U:1122, 232Th:834 Bq/kg
http://www.aelb.gov.my
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
 The Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984 (Act 304) is the main Act
to provide for the regulation and control of atomic energy, for the
establishment of standards on liability for nuclear damage and for
matters connected therewith or related thereto.
 The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) was than established
under Section 3 of the Act 304 on 1 February 1985 to enforce the
Act.
 AELB has adopted and enforced several Regulations and Order
under the Act 304, viz.:

• Radiation Protection (Licensing) Regulations 1986

• Radiation Protection (Transport) Regulations 1989
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Basic Safety Radiation Protection) Regulations 2010
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Radioactive Waste Management) Regulations 2011
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Exemption) (Smoke Detectors) Order 1989
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Exemption) (Lightning Arrester) Order 1990
• Exclusive Economic Zone (Application of Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984) Order 1990
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Exemption) (Leasing and Hire-Purchase) Order 1990
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Appeal) Regulations 1990
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Exemption) (Scanning Electron Microscope) Order 1998
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Exemption) (Irradiating Apparatus Below 5 Kilo Electron Volt) Order 2002
• Atomic Energy Licensing (Exemption) (Low Activity Radioactive Material) Order 2002

http://www.aelb.gov.my
MINING INDUSTRIES
 The main issues occur from mining activities is the waste
management. The wastes generated from mining industries and
mineral processing plants were in a large amount and normally
contain low level of naturally occurring radionuclides.
 Malaysia implemented 1 Bq g-1 as the clearance limit for naturally
occurring radionuclides from series of uranium and thorium, as
stipulated in the Atomic Energy Licensing (Radioactive Waste
Management) Regulations 2011.
 Processing of mineral disposal of waste containing naturally
occurring radionuclides below the activity concentration of 1 Bq g-1
were exempted from regulatory control.

http://www.aelb.gov.my
MILLING OF MINERALS CONTAINING NORM
 Dealing with milling of minerals containing NORM, required the class A
license. Prior to obtain for the license, there are documents need to be
approved by the AELB, among others are the Radiological Impact
Assessment (RIA), Radiation Protection Program and the monitoring
programme.
 In the first stage of operation (which is called pre-operational), the licensees
are required to carry out the environmental monitoring for 12 months
calendar (baseline data).
 Then during operational, for the first 2 years of operation, the licensee will be
granted the Temporary Operating License and they are required to carry out
the environmental monitoring according to the program approved by the
AELB.
 If the results of monitoring did not exceed the limit imposed by the law,
renewal of license can be given for the period of 1-3 years based on the
performance of the licensee in compliance the atomic energy legislations to
ensure safety, security and safeguard of the radioactive materials. This is
called full license operation for milling of mineral radioactive.

http://www.aelb.gov.my
6
REGULATORY CONTROL
 On site routine inspection was carried out by the regulatory body to
ensure the compliance with all the regulatory body requirements and
the safety of the TENORM activities in term of radiation protection.
 In some cases, the AELB will also randomly collect the
environmental samples such as soil, water and TENORM wastes to
check and compare the result from licensee’s monitoring.
 In ensuring that no TENORM activities can contaminate the
environment, enforcement on the monitoring program result by the
licensees was done by comparing the data with the approved/
permissible limit by the regulator as specified in the Atomic Energy
Licensing Act, 1984 and the legislative made thereunder. In some
cases, world reference, such as UNSCEAR reports, ICRP and IAEA
recommendations are also taken into account.
 If the results of monitoring exceed the approved/ permissible limit,
the licensee are required to take mitigation/control measures to
ensure that no approved/ permissible limit to be exceed in the future.
http://www.aelb.gov.my
7
REGULATORY CONTROL
 As stated by the Basic Safety Radiation Protection, annual dos limit for
members of public is 1 mSv yr-1.
 The approved limit for effluent and other water samples before can be
discharged to the environment is 1 Bq L-1 for Ra-226.
 The limit for radon and thoron gas and their progenies are 0.4 WL and 1.2
WL respectively.
 In oil and gas industries, AELB’s guideline, LEM/TEK/30 1996 for surface
contamination is the surface will considered to be contaminated if for alpha
emitters it exceeds 0.04 Bq cm-2 and for beta and gamma emitters is 0.4 Bq
cm-2. For airborne contamination monitoring, the activity concentration shall
not exceed 0.01 Bq m3 for uranium and 0.001 Bq m3 for thorium dust.
 The Total Activity Concentration (TAC) for oil sludge is 3 Bq g-1, as in the
Code of Practice on Radiation Protection Relating to TENORM in oil and gas
facilities (2009).
 Other limit that can be used as guidance to the licensees is the average of
radionuclides in normal soil of Malaysia reported by UNSCEAR (2000). The
AELB also implemented the policy of if not applicable in the Act 304, IAEA
recommendation is applicable.
http://www.aelb.gov.my
8
CONTROL OF PROCESSING AND DISPOSAL OF
MATERIALS CONTAINING NORM
 The IAEA Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources:
International Basic Safety Standards, GSR Part 3 (2011) taking
into account the need to control over the NORM activities. The
Table I-3 Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources:
International Basic Safety Standards, GSR Part 3 (2011) had
shown the control limit recommended to the raw material and
waste containing NORM.
 This control limit is the same value with the clearance level
imposed by the AELB, in the Atomic Energy Licensing
(Radioactive Waste Management) Regulations 2011 (Second
schedule). The activity and activity concentration of the
radionuclides below the clearance level are release from
regulatory control.
 For the processing and disposal of material containing NORM
above the stated limit, is subjected to the regulatory control,
licensed and approved by the Board.
http://www.aelb.gov.my
9
CONTROL OF PROCESSING AND DISPOSAL OF
MATERIALS CONTAINING NORM
Control limit (licensing) for the activity concentration of raw material
and waste containing NORM

Radionuclide Activity Concentration (Bq g-1)

40K 10

Each radionuclide in the chain 1

of Uranium and Thorium decay

Ref:
• IAEA Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International
Basic Safety Standards, GSR Part 3 (2011)
• Malaysia, The Atomic Energy Licensing (Radioactive Waste
Management) Regulations 2011

http://www.aelb.gov.my
10
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE REGULATORY CONTROL
i. Activity concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides in the raw
material and waste (Bq g-1)
Control limit (licensing) for NORM activities is based on the activity
concentration of naturally occuring radionuclides in the raw material and
waste generated. The Atomic Energy Licensing (Radioactive Waste
Management) Regulations 2011, as well as, the IAEA Radiation Protection
and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards,
GSR Part 3 (2011) imposed the control limit for 40K and other naturally
occuring radionuclides from 238U and 232Th decay series for 10 Bq g-1 and 1
Bq g-1 respectively.

ii. Total Dose Rate (mSv yr-1)

Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic
Safety Standards, GSR Part 3 (2011) also imposed the dose to the
individual from the activity concentration of radionuclides below the control
limit are unlikely to exceed 1 mSv yr-1.

iii. Dose limit used in the national and international standards

Act 304 and the ICRP 60 (1991) stated the annual dose limit to the
members of the public is 1 mSv yr-1. http://www.aelb.gov.my
11
IMPLEMENTATION OF REGULATORY CONTROL
FOR THE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO NORM

Regulatory control of the activities related to milling and disposal of material

containing NORM is shown below:

i. Raw material and waste < 1 Bq g-1 – exemption from regulatory control is
given to the raw material used in the milling activities containing the activity
concentration of 238U and 232Th below 1 Bq g-1 with conditions:

a. Verified by the authority of exporting country that no regulatory control

of the raw material; and
b. Letter of undertaking from the authority of country of origin to receive
the waste back

i. Raw material and waste > 1 Bq g-1 – licensing of the milling and disposal of
material containing NORM through the approval by the Board.

http://www.aelb.gov.my
12
Flow chart of the implementation of regulatory control for
milling and disposal of material containing NORM in Malaysia

http://www.aelb.gov.my
13
CONCLUSION
 Generally, control limit for NORM is based on the activity
concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides in the material.
 In Malaysia, potential radiological risk NORM waste is determined in
activity concentration of radionuclides individually and also the
radiation dose exposure. Malaysia implemented 1 Bq g-1 as the
clearance limit for naturally occurring radionuclides from series of
uranium and thorium.
 Processing of mineral and disposal of waste containing naturally
occurring radionuclides below the activity concentration of 1 Bq g-1
were exempted from regulatory control.
 IAEA also had recommended control limit criteria for exemption of
NORM waste based on the radionuclides occur individually in the
232Th and 238U decay series and also 40K.

 Control limit usually used by most of the countries is Annual Dose

Limit of 1 mSv yr-1 for members of public.

http://www.aelb.gov.my
14
 Thank you

Ensuring Safety, Security & Safeguarding Peaceful Nuclear Activities

http://www.aelb.gov.my