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Title: Counting system and resultant data from field determinations of radium-226 at twelve uranium mill tailings sites

Abstract

A nuclear counting system has been developed and placed in service to determine the Radium-226 content of soils within and beneath uranium mill tailing piles. Minimum detectable activity is approximately 3 pCi Ra-226/g of soil in a 0.5 mr/hr background with a 3-min count. The counting system consists of a lead shield for holding core barrel samplers, a NaI crystal coupled to a photomultiplier (PM) tube, a preamplifier and amplifier, two single channel analyzers (SCAs), a programmable calculator, and a 500 W portable generator. The counting system, installed in a delivery van, was used to count 2773 samples during 10 months under extreme field conditions. Approximate cost of the system excluding vehicle is $8000 US. Vertical profile holes of the tailing piles exhibited Ra-226 activities from over 2000 pCi/g to 15 pCi/g. Ra-226 contamination levels in the soil beneath the tailings varied from 1000 pCi/g to background.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
5214431
Report Number(s):
SAND-81-2645C; CONF-820552-3; IAEA-SM-262/45
ON: DE82014506; TRN: 82-013934
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-76DP00789
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: International symposium on management of waste from uranium mining and milling, Albuquerque, NM, USA, 10 May 1982; Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; FEED MATERIALS PLANTS; ABANDONED SITES; MILL TAILINGS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIUM 226; MEASURING METHODS; COST; DESIGN; EQUIPMENT; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; SAMPLING; SOILS; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; DATA; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; HEAVY NUCLEI; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; MONITORING; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIUM ISOTOPES; SOLID WASTES; TAILINGS; WASTES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 510301* - Environment, Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Soil- (-1987); 052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects

Citation Formats

Rarrick, H L, Minnema, D M, and Brewer, L W. Counting system and resultant data from field determinations of radium-226 at twelve uranium mill tailings sites. United States: N. p., 1982. Web.
Rarrick, H L, Minnema, D M, & Brewer, L W. Counting system and resultant data from field determinations of radium-226 at twelve uranium mill tailings sites. United States.
Rarrick, H L, Minnema, D M, and Brewer, L W. 1982. "Counting system and resultant data from field determinations of radium-226 at twelve uranium mill tailings sites". United States.
@article{osti_5214431,
title = {Counting system and resultant data from field determinations of radium-226 at twelve uranium mill tailings sites},
author = {Rarrick, H L and Minnema, D M and Brewer, L W},
abstractNote = {A nuclear counting system has been developed and placed in service to determine the Radium-226 content of soils within and beneath uranium mill tailing piles. Minimum detectable activity is approximately 3 pCi Ra-226/g of soil in a 0.5 mr/hr background with a 3-min count. The counting system consists of a lead shield for holding core barrel samplers, a NaI crystal coupled to a photomultiplier (PM) tube, a preamplifier and amplifier, two single channel analyzers (SCAs), a programmable calculator, and a 500 W portable generator. The counting system, installed in a delivery van, was used to count 2773 samples during 10 months under extreme field conditions. Approximate cost of the system excluding vehicle is $8000 US. Vertical profile holes of the tailing piles exhibited Ra-226 activities from over 2000 pCi/g to 15 pCi/g. Ra-226 contamination levels in the soil beneath the tailings varied from 1000 pCi/g to background.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5214431}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982}
}

Conference:
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