High sensitivity gamma spectrometry of air samples near SRS during 1985-1995
High sensitivity gamma analysis of off-site air samples near the Savannah River Site (SRS) is achieved by collecting large volume air samples for analysis by ultra-low-level gamma spectrometry. A review of the 1985-1995 measurements has highlighted local and distant releases of man-made radionuclides, along with cosmogenic radionuclides which correlate with both solar and seasonal phenomena. Measurements typically involve 2-day air collection of a 70,000 m{sup 3} sample on a 51 cm x 51 cm cellulose filter using a high-capacity pump. Short-lived radon background activity is allowed to decay a few days, and then the filter is configured into a smaller calibrated volume and counted 1-3 days on a 30 percent-efficient HPGe in the Ultra-Low-Level Counting Facility. Representative detection limits for this method are shown in Table 1, and even lower limits are achievable by counting on the low-background 160 percent-efficient HPGe of the Underground Counting Facility.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-96SR18500
- OSTI ID:
- 554201
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-MS-97-0449; CONF-971125-3; ON: DE97060198; TRN: 98:000005
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1997 American Nuclear Society (ANS) winter meeting, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 16-20 Nov 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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