skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Environmental behavior of tritium released to the atmosphere in winter

Abstract

An accidental release of HTO to the atmosphere from a reactor at the Chalk River Laboratories was assessed in a timely and efficient manner using a combination of predictive modelling and environmental sampling. A simple Gaussian plume model performed well in predicting the concentration of HTO in air. Doses to workers and to members of the public were well below acceptable levels at all times during the incident. This paper reports that the release was turned to advantage to study tritium behavior in the winter environment. HT concentrations were measured in aid, falling snow, vegetation and the snowpack at many locations during and after the release. The rate of HTO deposition to snow is greatly enhanced when snow is falling. The rate of new snow accumulation exceeded the rate of HTO diffusion in snow, so that the snowpack retained essentially all of the tritium deposited to it until spring melt occurred. Snow core data were therefore used as a surrogate for air concentrations to study the dispersion of the airborne plume, which was strongly affected by the topography of the Ottawa River Valley.

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, ON (Canada). Chalk River Nuclear Labs.
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5141726
Report Number(s):
CONF-910920-
Journal ID: ISSN 0748-1896; CODEN: FUSTE
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
Fusion Technology; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 21:2; Conference: 4. topical meeting on tritium technology in fission, fusion, and isotopic applications, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 29 Sep - 4 Oct 1991; Journal ID: ISSN 0748-1896
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE; CHALK RIVER NUCLEAR LABS; RISK ASSESSMENT; EARTH ATMOSPHERE; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; TRITIUM COMPOUNDS; RELEASE LIMITS; CANADA; GAUSS FUNCTION; MEASURING METHODS; PERSONNEL; PLUMES; PUBLIC HEALTH; REACTOR ACCIDENTS; SAMPLING; SNOW; ACCIDENTS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; ATOMIC ENERGY OF CANADA LTD; CANADIAN ORGANIZATIONS; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FUNCTIONS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; 220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety; 540130 - Environment, Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-); 560101 - Biomedical Sciences, Applied Studies- Radiation Effects- Dosimetry & Monitoring- (1992-); 990200 - Mathematics & Computers

Citation Formats

Davis, P A, Cornett, R J, Killey, R W.D., Wood, M J, and Workman, W J.G. Environmental behavior of tritium released to the atmosphere in winter. United States: N. p., 1992. Web.
Davis, P A, Cornett, R J, Killey, R W.D., Wood, M J, & Workman, W J.G. Environmental behavior of tritium released to the atmosphere in winter. United States.
Davis, P A, Cornett, R J, Killey, R W.D., Wood, M J, and Workman, W J.G. 1992. "Environmental behavior of tritium released to the atmosphere in winter". United States.
@article{osti_5141726,
title = {Environmental behavior of tritium released to the atmosphere in winter},
author = {Davis, P A and Cornett, R J and Killey, R W.D. and Wood, M J and Workman, W J.G.},
abstractNote = {An accidental release of HTO to the atmosphere from a reactor at the Chalk River Laboratories was assessed in a timely and efficient manner using a combination of predictive modelling and environmental sampling. A simple Gaussian plume model performed well in predicting the concentration of HTO in air. Doses to workers and to members of the public were well below acceptable levels at all times during the incident. This paper reports that the release was turned to advantage to study tritium behavior in the winter environment. HT concentrations were measured in aid, falling snow, vegetation and the snowpack at many locations during and after the release. The rate of HTO deposition to snow is greatly enhanced when snow is falling. The rate of new snow accumulation exceeded the rate of HTO diffusion in snow, so that the snowpack retained essentially all of the tritium deposited to it until spring melt occurred. Snow core data were therefore used as a surrogate for air concentrations to study the dispersion of the airborne plume, which was strongly affected by the topography of the Ottawa River Valley.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5141726}, journal = {Fusion Technology; (United States)},
issn = {0748-1896},
number = ,
volume = 21:2,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}

Conference:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that hold this conference proceeding.

Save / Share: