Low level on-line alpha monitoring system for aqueous streams

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6807784

Salaymeh, S R

An improved On-Line Alpha Monitor (OLAM-100S) was developed for monitoring alpha activity in aqueous streams which may contain traces of radioactivity. This new system uses an improved alpha particle detector NE-810 plastic scintillator. Laboratory testing of the instrument has established its sensitivity, accuracy, precision and linearity at low levels of alpha activity. It has shown to be three times as sensitive as the IRT OLAM-100 which uses a cerium-activated Vycor glass scintillator as a detector. Concentrations of 238-plutonium as low as 5 /times/ 10/sup /minus/8/g/l were detected. In order to evaluate its performance the instrument was subjected to a field testing and evaluation program on a stream which contains extremely low levels of activity. Results of this testing program indicate that the system is very stable, reliable, and can measure low alpha activity in streams containing fission products. 6 refs., 3 figs.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 6807784
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-88-122; CONF-8810112-1; ON: DE88015683
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
440101* -- Radiation Instrumentation-- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ALPHA DETECTION
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
DETECTION
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PERFORMANCE
PLASTIC SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION MONITORS
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SENSITIVITY
SOLID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS