Abstract
The purpose of the present paper consists in finding a more efficient and less expensive decontamination method for surfaces contaminated with Tritium-labelled compounds, being able to provide information for nuclear field specialists. This paper studies the polymeric hydrogel DeconGel, presenting the methods and facilities used, as well as the obtained results from the experiments and tests. The decontamination factor of DeconGel type 1108 for the analysed surfaces (contaminated with a mixture of tritium labelled compounds) can take values in the range of 76%-93%, while in the case of DeconGel type 1102 the values of the decontamination factor for the analysed surfaces (contaminated with tritiated oil) can vary between 76% and 98%, results far greater than the ones obtained with the classical method of wet wiping. Because the results were more than satisfying, this paper concludes by recommending the implementation of this new method.
Highlights
This new study has the purpose of searching and developing better radiation protection and decontamination measures for laboratories that are working with tritium, with the intention of, eventually, implementing them
The decontamination efficiency of the DeconGel has been quantified as decontamination factor (DF), which represent the ratio between tritium activity incorporated in gels and total tritium activity deposited onto the analysed surface
The sampling factors agents were determined by controlled contamination of analysed surfaces with two contaminant agent types followed by removing of the activities by wiping using extruded polystyrene smears and determination of activities at liquid scintillator counter (LSC)
Summary
This new study has the purpose of searching and developing better radiation protection and decontamination measures for laboratories that are working with tritium, with the intention of, eventually, implementing them. From the radiation protection point of view, tritium (beta emitter) is one of the current problems of the research laboratories as well as nuclear plants, an element that migrates rapidly and leads to its spread on larger surfaces. Due to these special characteristics of tritium, the work, the handling, the measurement of the activity of the sources with tritium and the storage are imposed special conditions. This laboratory is designed for the work and research of compounds marked with tritium and is the sole in our country.
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