Characterization of stack effluents from certain nuclear facilities. Final report, April 1, 1972--June 30, 1973

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1973

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4299728· OSTI ID:4299728

Matuszek, J. M.; Paperielio, C. J.; Kunz, C. O.

BS>Nuclear power reactors produce copious quantities of several species of permanent gas radioactivity, some directly by fission and others by neutron activation of reactor materials and coolants. The gaseous effluents from a boiling-water reactor (BWR), two pressurized light-water reactors (PWR), a high- temperature gascooled reactor (HTGR) and a pressurized heavy-water research reactor (PHWR) have been analyzed for radioactive and stable constituents. In the case of the BWR, direct stack sampling has insured representative sampling. The PWRs, HTGR, and PHWR do not provide for direct stack sampling, so analyses of hold-up tank gas, pressure-vessel gas, cover gas, primary-coolant strip-gas, and containment air were required to derive characteristic patterns of gas releases from these reactors. Gamma-emitting gaseous species Were measured spectrometrically using a Ge(Li) detector. Chromatographic separation of various gas fractions on a series of molecular sieve columns permitted the use of internal gas-proportional counting tubes for spectrometric resolution of beta- emitting gas species. In addition to measurement of gammaemitting noble gases, / sup 3/H (as a hydrogen gas and methane), /sup 14/C (as methane and carbon dioxide), /sup 37/Ar and /sup 36/Ar have been quantitatively identified. Higher hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and methyl iodide fractions in the gaseous effluents contained only very low quantities of radioactivity. Estimases are provided of total annual release of the several species. relative release rates as compared to control requirements, and estimates of long-range transport of / sup 37/Ar as compared to atmospheric measurements performed by other laboratories. (auth)

• Research Organization: Health Research, Inc., Albany, N.Y. (USA); New York State Dept. of Health, Albany (USA)
• NSA Number: NSA-29-029318
• OSTI ID: 4299728
• Report Number(s): COO--2222-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*ARGON 37-- RADIATION MONITORING
*ARGON 39-- RADIATION MONITORING
*BWR TYPE REACTORS-- RADIOACTIVE WASTES
*CARBON 14-- RADIATION MONITORING
*EARTH ATMOSPHERE-- CONTAMINATION
*FLUE GAS-- RADIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
*GAMMA SOURCES-- RADIATION MONITORING
*HTGR TYPE REACTORS-- RADIOACTIVE WASTES
*PHWR TYPE REACTORS-- RADIOACTIVE WASTES
*PWR TYPE REACTORS-- RADIOACTIVE WASTES
*TRITIUM-- RADIATION MONITORING
GASEOUS WASTES
MASS SPECTROMETERS
N44310* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radioactivity Monitoring & Transport--Atmosphere
N77900 --Reactors--Reactor Safety & Environmental Aspects
STACK DISPOSAL FLUE GAS