Real-time aqueous tritium monitor using liquid scintillation counting
An ability to continuously monitor low-level tritium releases in aqueous effluents is of particular interest to heavy water facilities such as those at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and Canadian CANDU reactors. SRS developed a real-time monitoring system based on flow-through liquid scintillation (LS) counting. Sensitivities of 16 pCi/mL and 1 pCi/mL result from five minute and daily averages of counting data respectively. This sensitivity is about 200 times better than similar methods using solid scintillants. The LS system features uncomplicated sample pretreatment, precise of the cocktail and sample water, system features uncomplicated sample pretreatment, precise proportioning of the cocktail and sample water, on-line quench corrections, cocktail consumption as low as 0.15 mL/min, and response to changes in environmental tritium is less than 30 minutes. Field tests demonstrate that conditions necessary for stable analytical results are achieved.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 10165417
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-MS--94-065(P); CONF-940524--11; ON: DE94014647
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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