Evaluation and application of commercial environmental measurement techniques for the monitoring and detection of nuclear fuel cycle activities
- Radian Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Recent nuclear safeguards inspections by IAEA personnel have led to the conclusion that there is a need for proven environmental sampling and monitoring techniques that complement traditional IAEA safeguards inspection tools. These techniques and technologies can aid in verifying operations as declared and in monitoring for undeclared nuclear fuel cycle/nuclear weapons-related operations. Environmental monitoring is a relatively new mission of the IAEA. It carries broad United Nations support following the discovery in Iraq of undeclared nuclear weapons design and materials production activities. Many of the environmental monitoring techniques and technologies that have been developed in the US and internationally within the last decade could possibly be adapted for use in international safeguards inspections. Techniques designed to measure or monitor unique organic/inorganic signatures from nuclear materials production or weapons manufacturing effluents in air, water, and soil have not yet been evaluated for use as complementary safeguards tools. These techniques are used by industry to locate and detect environmental contamination and the source of such contamination. These same commercially available techniques and methods, if properly adapted to the task of inspecting, monitoring, and searching for nuclear fuel cycle/weapons production activities, can greatly increase the likelihood of success in concluding that operations are as declared and that clandestine operations do not exist or have not resumed. Any new techniques must allow for the detection of a ``smoking gun`` that indicates past or recent clandestine activities. This paper discusses a recent study undertaken to determine the applicability of existing techniques to international nuclear safeguards inspections. The preparation of a catalog of environmental monitoring techniques and the applications of environmental monitoring techniques to the international safeguards mission are also described.
- OSTI ID:
- 61413
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930749-; TRN: IM9526%%195
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 34. annual meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Scottsdale, AZ (United States), 18-21 Jul 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Nuclear materials management. 34th Annual meeting proceedings: Volume 22; PB: 1190 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
IAEA SAFEGUARDS
VERIFICATION
ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
MONITORING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
DETECTION
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PRODUCTION
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
AIR POLLUTION MONITORS
WATER POLLUTION MONITORS
SAMPLERS
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
INFRARED RADIATION
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
FILTRATION
LASER RADIATION
PHOTOACOUSTIC SPECTROSCOPY
LASER SPECTROSCOPY