Mapping of tritium emissions using absorption vapour samplers

J Environ Radioact. 2009 Feb;100(2):120-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.09.012. Epub 2008 Nov 21.

Abstract

Püspökszilágy Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility (RWTDF) is a typical near-surface engineered repository designated to store low- and intermediate-level wastes from various institutes, research facilities and hospitals in Hungary. Two automatic combined (14)C-tritium sampling units installed at the facility sample the air 2 m above surface. The one installed near the vaults detects tritium (T) activities two orders of magnitude higher than the far reference sampling unit. To localize the T emissions, 19 small absorption vapour samplers filled with silica gel were settled onto the ground surface. After the saturation of the silica gel, the water was recovered and its T concentration was measured with a low-background liquid scintillation counter. The absorption vapour samplers are cheap, simple and easy-to-use. We present the samplers and the T distribution map constructed from the data, which helps to localize the T emission.

MeSH terms

  • Absorption
  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*
  • Environmental Monitoring / instrumentation
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods
  • Hungary
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Silica Gel
  • Silicon Dioxide / chemistry
  • Tritium / analysis*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive
  • Tritium
  • Silica Gel
  • Silicon Dioxide