Steam generator group project progress report. Task 3, health physics

The gamma radiation fields in and around the retired Surry steam generator were measured extensively with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD's) and other standard radiation instruments. The techniques of measurement and the results are described for locations outside the shell, inside the channel head, and inside the secondary side of the steam generator. The gamma fields ranged from more than 10 R/hr in the middle of the tube bundle on the secondary side to less than 5 mR/hr at the bottom of the outside of the shell below the channel head. Co-60 was the only detected gamma emitter. The results of the measurements were used in an analytical model which predicted the Co-60 inventory to be between 70 and 87 curies

Health physics and industrial hygiene aspects of decontamination as a precursor to decontamination

The Pacific Northwest Laboratory is conducting a comprehensive study of the impacts, benefits and effects of decontamination as a precursor to decommissioning for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The program deals primarily with chemical cleaning of light-water reactor (LWR) systems that will not be returned to operation. A major section of this study defines the health physics and industrial hygiene and safety concerns during decontamination operations. The primary health physics concerns include providing adequate protection for workers from radiation sources which are transported by the decontamination processes, estimating and limiting radioactive effluents to the environment and maintaining operations in accordance with the ALARA philosophy. Locating and identifying the areas of contamination and measuring the radiation exposure rates throughout the reactor primary system are fundamental to implementing these health physics goals. The principal industrial hygiene and safety concerns stem from the fact that a nuclear power plant is being converted for a time to a chemical plant which will contain large volumes of chemical solutions

85Kr management trade-offs: a perspective to total radiation dose commitment

Radiological consequences arising from the trade-offs for /sup 85/Kr waste management from possible nuclear fuel resource recovery activities have been investigated. The reference management technique is to release all the waste gas to the atmosphere where it is diluted and dispersed. A potential alternative is to collect, concentrate, package and submit the gas to long-term storage. This study compares the radiation dose commitment to the public and to the occupationally exposed work force from these alternatives. The results indicate that it makes little difference to the magnitude of the world population dose whether /sup 85/Kr is captured and stored or chronically released to the environment. Further, comparisons of radiation exposures (for the purpose of estimating health effects) at very low dose rates to very large populations with exposures to a small number of occupationally exposed workers who each receive much higher dose rates may be misleading. Finally, cost studies (EPA 1976 and DOE 1979a) show that inordinate amounts of money will be required to lower this already extremely small 80-year cumulative world population dose of 0.05 mrem/person (<0.001% of natural background radiation for the same time period)

Radiological health aspects of commercial uranium conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication

Detailed information concerning occupational exposures, health physics practices, and regulatory procedures at commercial conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication facilities is given. Sites visits were the primary source of information, which is divided into four sections. The first section discusses health physics practices that are common to the conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication phases of the commercial uranium industry. The next three sections review process descriptions, radiological health practices, and regulatory procedures for the three phases. Nonradiological exposures are considered only as they influence the interpretation of the health effects of radiological exposures. The review of regulatory procedures indicates the types of exposure evaluation records being kept on uranium workers and the responsibility for maintaining the records

Criteria for the evaluation of a dilute decontamination demonstration

This document provides the prerequisite technical information required to evaluate and/or develop a project to demonstrate the dilute chemical decontamination of the primary coolant system of light water reactors. The document focuses on five key areas: the basis for establishing programmatic prerequisites and the key decision points that are required for proposal evaluation and/or RFP (Request for Proposal) issuance; a technical review of the state-of-the-art to identify the potential impacts of a reactor's primary-system decontamination on typical BWR and PWR plants; a discussion of the licensing, recertification, fuel warranty, and institutional considerations and processes; a preliminary identification and development of the selection criteria for the reactor and the decontamination process; and a preliminary identification of further research and development that might be required