A pure beta emitter in a nuclear plant system

Journal Article · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Radiation Protection Management; (United States)

OSTI ID:5349868

VanderMey, T J

This paper reports that during a plant shutdown following start-up testing (5-10% power) at a boiling water reactor, a technician took a smear sample form the inside surfaces of a valve in the offgas system. The data suggest the presence of Sr-89. The presence of this pure beta emitter in a nuclear plant system, besides being of interest as an unusual phenomenon, could pose an airborne control issue: if work is proceeding in an area where Sr-89 contamination may be present, the usual gamma spectroscopic analysis to identify specific airborne radionuclides will not be sufficient. The technician could be alerted to the potential presence of this isotope by previous identification of Sr-89 or Rb-89 in the area being sampled or by a discrepancy between the gross activity detected on an air sample (as indicted by a frisker or a beta counter) and that detected by gamma spectroscopy. Sr-89, it should be noted, has a fairly restrictive maximum permissible concentration (occupational) in air of 3 {times} 10{sup {minus}8} {mu}Ci/ml.

• OSTI ID: 5349868
• Journal Information: Radiation Protection Management; (United States), Vol. 4:3; ISSN 0740-0640
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
RADIATION MONITORING
BWR TYPE REACTORS
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
PLANNING
RADIATION PROTECTION
REACTOR SHUTDOWN
RUBIDIUM 89
STRONTIUM 89
VALVES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CONTROL
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EQUIPMENT
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FLOW REGULATORS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
POLLUTION CONTROL
POWER REACTORS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
RUBIDIUM ISOTOPES
SHUTDOWN
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
THERMAL REACTORS
WASTES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220502* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Environmental Aspects- Radioactive Effluents
210100 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
540130 - Environment
Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
220900 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety