WRAITH - A Computer Code for Calculating Internal and External Doses Resulting From An Atmospheric Release of Radioactive Material

WRAITH is a FORTRAN computer code which calculates the doses received by a standard man exposed to an accidental release of radioactive material. The movement of the released material through the atmosphere is calculated using a bivariate straight-line Gaussian distribution model, with Pasquill values for standard deviations. The quantity of material in the released cloud is modified during its transit time to account for radioactive decay and daughter production. External doses due to exposure to the cloud can be calculated using a semi-infinite cloud approximation. In situations where the semi-infinite cloud approximation is not a good one, the external dose can be calculated by a "finite plume" three-dimensional point-kernel numerical integration technique. Internal doses due to acute inhalation are cal.culated using the ICRP Task Group Lung Model and a four-segmented gastro-intestinal tract model. Translocation of the material between body compartments and retention in the body compartments are calculated using multiple exponential retention functions. Internal doses to each organ are calculated as sums of cross-organ doses, with each target organ irradiated by radioactive material in a number of source organs. All doses are calculated in rads, with separate values determined for high-LET and low-LET radiation

The measurement of uranium concentrations by the delayed neutron counting technique

The counting of delayed neutrons emitted by fission is presented as a valuable technique for the measurement of uranium concentrations in a variety of matrices. The concentrations successfully analyzed can vary from well under one part per million to the high concentrations found in uranium ores. In a sample analysis, fission is induced in the uranium in the sample by irradiation in a thermal neutron flux, then the sample is rapidly transferred to a counting assembly capable of detecting delayed neutrons. In the system described, irradiation is performed in a TRIGA reactor, and counting is done in a paraffin-moderated assembly of BF₃ gas-filled detectors. All equipment needed for the analysis and the necessary procedures are discussed. The delayed fission neutron (DFN) counting technique is compared to other methods of analysis for uranium, and the experiences of other researchers using the DFN technique are summarized. When compared to many other methods, DFN counting is relatively free of interferences. The interferences which may occur, such as high energy gammas, unknown neutron-emitting nuclides or strong neutron absorbers in the sample, are discussed. Any uncertainties associated with a DFN measurement are also analyzed. DFN counting has been used in many applications, such as the measurement of uranium in geological samples, phosphate products and seawater adsorbers. It can also be used for the measurement of thorium in many samples. These applications are presented, and the results of many different analyses are listed. Experience gained at Oregon State University is examined in detail, and several improvements are suggested

WRAITH - A Computer Code for Calculating Internal and External Doses Resulting From An Atmospheric Release of Radioactive Material

WRAITH is a FORTRAN computer code which calculates the doses received by a standard man exposed to an accidental release of radioactive material. The movement of the released material through the atmosphere is calculated using a bivariate straight-line Gaussian distribution model, with Pasquill values for standard deviations. The quantity of material in the released cloud is modified during its transit time to account for radioactive decay and daughter production. External doses due to exposure to the cloud can be calculated using a semi-infinite cloud approximation. In situations where the semi-infinite cloud approximation is not a good one, the external dose can be calculated by a "finite plume" three-dimensional point-kernel numerical integration technique. Internal doses due to acute inhalation are cal.culated using the ICRP Task Group Lung Model and a four-segmented gastro-intestinal tract model. Translocation of the material between body compartments and retention in the body compartments are calculated using multiple exponential retention functions. Internal doses to each organ are calculated as sums of cross-organ doses, with each target organ irradiated by radioactive material in a number of source organs. All doses are calculated in rads, with separate values determined for high-LET and low-LET radiation

Radioactive effluent measurements at the Army Pulse Radiation Facility

Staff from the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) performed measurements of the radioactive effluents emitted by the Army Pulse Radiation Facility (APRF). These measurements were performed by collecting the cooling air that passed by the APRF reactor as it operated, passing the air through filters to collect the particulates and iodines, and collecting samples of the air to be analyzed for noble gases. The reactor operated for four test runs, including two pulses and two steady state runs. After each reactor run, the filters were counted using gamma spectrometry to identify the nuclides and to determine the activity of nuclides deposited on the filters. The study provided radionuclide release fraction data that can be used to estimate the airborne emissions resulting from APRF operations. The release fraction for particulate fission products and radioiodines, as derived from these measurements, was found to be 8.9 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} for reactor pulses and 4.3 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} for steady state operation. These values compare to a theoretical value of 1.5 {times} 10{sup {minus}5}

Calculated and measured depth dose profiles in a phantom exposed to neutron radiation fields

An accurate evaluation of doses caused by external sources of neutron radiation depends on knowledge of the transport of radiation inside the human body. Health physicists use two primary methods for studying this radiation transport: computer calculations and measurements. Both computer calculations and measurements were performed under well controlled, nearly identical conditions to determine the extent of their agreement. A comparison of the dose profiles predicted by both measurements and calculations was thus possible. The measurements were performed in a cylindrical phantom made of tissue equivalent plastic. The phantom size, 61 cm high and 30 cm in diameter, was chosen to approximate the human torso and to match the dimensions of cylindrical phantoms used by previous calculations. Holes were drilled down through the phantom to accommodate small tissue equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs) at various depths in the phantom. These counters were used to measure the neutron dose inside the phantom when it was exposed to various sources of neutrons. The holes in the phantom could also accommodate miniature Geiger-Mueller detectors to measure the gamma component of the dose. Neutron and gamma dose profiles were measured for two different sources of neutrons: an unmoderated /sup 252/Cf source and a 733-keV neutron beam generated by a Van de Graaff accelerator. 14 refs., 13 figs., 11 tabs

Mesorad dose assessment model. Volume 1. Technical basis

MESORAD is a dose assessment model for emergency response applications. Using release data for as many as 50 radionuclides, the model calculates: (1) external doses resulting from exposure to radiation emitted by radionuclides contained in elevated or deposited material; (2) internal dose commitment resulting from inhalation; and (3) total whole-body doses. External doses from airborne material are calculated using semi-infinite and finite cloud approximations. At each stage in model execution, the appropriate approximation is selected after considering the cloud dimensions. Atmospheric processes are represented in MESORAD by a combination of Lagrangian puff and Gaussian plume dispersion models, a source depletion (deposition velocity) dry deposition model, and a wet deposition model using washout coefficients based on precipitation rates

Beta particle measurement and dosimetry Requirements at NRC-licensed facilities

Researchers from Pacific Northwest Laboratroy (PNL) have conducted beta radiation measurements under laboratory and field conditions to assess the degree of the measurement problem and offer suggestions for possible remedies. The primary measurement systems selected for use in this study were the silicon (Si) surface barrier spectrometer system and the multielement beta dosimeter. Three boiling water reactors (BWRs), two pressurized water reactors (PWRs), and one fuel fabrication facility were visited during the course of the study. Although beta fields from cobalt-60 were the most common type found at commercial reactor facilities, higher energy beta fields were found at locations associated with spent fuel handling, liquid radioactive waste, and BWR turbine components. Commercially-available dosimeters and survey instruments were used to measure the same laboratory and licensee facility beta fields characterized with PNL's active and passive spectrometers. A prototype spectrometer was also used in the laboratory measurements. The commercial instruments and dosimeters used in this study typically responded low to the beta fields measured, especially where maximum beta energies were less than approximately 500 keV

Personnel neutron dose assessment upgrade: Volume 2, Field neutron spectrometer for health physics applications

Both the (ICRP) and the (NCPR) have recommended an increase in neutron quality factors and the adoption of effective dose equivalent methods. The series of reports entitled Personnel Neutron Dose Assessment Upgrade (PNL-6620) addresses these changes. Volume 1 in this series of reports (Personnel Neutron Dosimetry Assessment) provided guidance on the characteristics, use, and calibration of personnel neutron dosimeters in order to meet the new recommendations. This report, Volume 2: Field Neutron Spectrometer for Health Physics Applications describes the development of a portable field spectrometer which can be set up for use in a few minutes by a single person. The field spectrometer described herein represents a significant advance in improving the accuracy of neutron dose assessment. It permits an immediate analysis of the energy spectral distribution associated with the radiation from which neutron quality factor can be determined. It is now possible to depart from the use of maximum Q by determining and realistically applying a lower Q based on spectral data. The field spectrometer is made up of two modules: a detector module with built-in electronics and an analysis module with a IBM PC/reg sign/-compatible computer to control the data acquisition and analysis of data in the field. The unit is simple enough to allow the operator to perform spectral measurements with minimal training. The instrument is intended for use in steady-state radiation fields with neutrons energies covering the fission spectrum range. The prototype field spectrometer has been field tested in plutonium processing facilities, and has been proven to operate satisfactorily. The prototype field spectrometer uses a /sup 3/He proportional counter to measure the neutron energy spectrum between 50 keV and 5 MeV and a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) to measure absorbed neutron dose