Test plan for rapid transuranic monitoring of soil and air dusts by direct large-area alpha spectrometry and L-shell x-ray spectrometry

Technical Report · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5062752

Sill, C W; Gehrke, R J

This test plan defines experimental parameters for evaluating rapid techniques for monitoring transuranic (TRU) nuclides in soils, smears, and air dusts in a field application setting. The monitoring techniques include direct alpha spectrometry using a large-area detector and direct measurement of x-rays to determine quantitatively the activity present. The direct alpha spectrometry employs a circular ionization chamber 35 cm in diameter which accommodates a sample holder 25 cm in diameter. Experimental conditions necessary to obtain sufficient spectral resolution to permit identification of the alpha emitters present are described. The x-ray method involves the counting of L x-rays emitted in the alpha decay of plutonium radionuclides with a thin-window, high-resolution Ge spectrometer. By optimization of the spectrometer, including detector dimensions and resolution of the sample container diameter and thickness and of the methods of analysis, measurements of activities as small as 30 pCi/g for soil and 3 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} pCi/L for air dusts collected for 1 hour at 20 cfm might be achieved in a 1-hour count. These test plans define objectives, instrumental and experimental procedures, and requirements for data quality and safety. 12 refs., 1 fig.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 5062752
• Report Number(s): EGG-WTD-9735; ON: DE91018829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440101 -- Radiation Instrumentation-- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540230* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALPHA SPECTROSCOPY
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
CALIBRATION
CONTROL
DATA ANALYSIS
DESIGN
DETECTION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
EXPERIMENT PLANNING
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FIELD TESTS
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
OPTIMIZATION
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PLANNING
QUALITY CONTROL
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SAFETY
SENSITIVITY
SOILS
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
TESTING
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTES
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY