Some recent changes in tritium handling and control at Mound Laboratory

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7230370

Rhinehammer, T. B.

Significant reductions in tritium effluents and personnel exposures at Mound Laboratory have been made during the past 5 yr. Yearly effluents are less than 3 percent of former levels and personnel exposures have been reduced by a factor of 300. Several recent changes which have contributed to these reductions include lowered tritium levels in gloveboxes, and the efficiency and capacity of Mound's new effluent removal system. Personnel exposures have been reduced dramatically by changing to precious metal catalytic converters or oxidizers for use with the glovebox gas purification system. Unlike some former systems using hot copper or proprietary reactants for oxygen removal, a catalyst provides very effective removal of both oxygen and tritium. Both oxygen and tritium can be monitored and, if necessary, increments of hydrogen in argon can be added until the oxygen level is brought down to the desired value.

• Research Organization: Mound Lab., Miamisburg, OH (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0053
• OSTI ID: 7230370
• Report Number(s): MLM-2347(OP); CONF-7606114-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560161* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CONTROL
DOSES
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATERIALS HANDLING
MONITORING
MOUND LABORATORY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PERSONNEL
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
REMOVAL
TRITIUM
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES