Continuous aqueous tritium monitor applying membrane technology

Conference · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:7224489

Sigg, R A ^[1]

---

1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)

Efforts to develop continuous, real-time tritium monitors are focusing on liquid scintillation (LS) counting because its sensitivity for tritium can be below Environmental Protection Agency guidelines (20 pCi/ml). A flow-through LS counter should have a counting efficiency = 0.48, instrumental backgrounds = 5 count/min counting cell volume = 5 ml, and sample water loading capacities = 15 wt%. The system would offer minimum quantifiable activities at the {plus minus}10% level of <18 pCi/ml in a 10-min count or <1 pCi/ml if data are averaged for 1 day. The latter value is below the tritium background of surface waters worldwide. However, good time response in a flow-through LS monitor requires flow rates of at least several milliliters per minute. Such a single-pass system would consume large volumes of expensive LS cocktail, and it would generate notable amounts of mixed organic waste.

• OSTI ID: 7224489
• Report Number(s): CONF-920606--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Vol. 65; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440101 -- Radiation Instrumentation-- General Detectors or Monitors &amp; Radiometric Instruments
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540330* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring &amp; Transport-- (1990-)
DESIGN
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EFFICIENCY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
POLLUTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
WATER POLLUTION