Investigation into the improvement of monitoring gaseous effluents for radioactive iodine

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6759132

Langhorst, S M

The accurate monitoring of gaseous radioactive effluents from nuclear facilities is important to their safe operation. In particular, the limits of release for radioactive iodines are generally more restrictive than other isotopes due to their relatively high biological hazard. This investigation focuses upon improving the iodine monitoring capabilities at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). First, the evaluation of a CdTe detector was performed. The CdTe detector offers improved resolving capabilities over a NaI detector which could be used to provide on-line ..gamma.. ray spectroscopy of the sampled iodine. The 8 mm/sup 3/ CdTe detector evaluated was found to have too low of a counting efficiency to be used as a routine iodine monitor. Second, the air sampling equipment used to measure concentrations of radioiodines in air was analyzed. Generally, these systems capture the iodines by use of a charcoal filter. A loading apparatus and procedures were developed to load known amounts of I/sub 2/ and CH/sub 3/I, tagged with either I-128 or I-131, in vapor form onto charcoal filters. Filters loaded in this apparatus have shown that the efficiency of collection changes as the charcoal filter samples the stack air. The cause of this aging process was investigated, but no single cause, such as temperature and humidity of the air, flow rate, iodine chemical species, specific activity, residual water, or contamination from non-radioactive iodine or chlorine, could be identified.

• Research Organization: Missouri Univ., Columbia (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6759132
• 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
500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR SAMPLERS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CDTE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DETECTION
EQUIPMENT
GASEOUS WASTES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 131
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
NAI DETECTORS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PERFORMANCE
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
SAMPLERS
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
SOLID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
STACK DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES