Effects of Elevated Radon Levels on Kanne Tritium Monitors

Authors

W. E. Farrell, D. J. Hadlock, D. W. Roberts

Abstract

Measurements performed during this evaluation found that radon caused the Kanne monitors in the 105-L Final Storage Room to falsely indicate the presence of airborne tritium. A side-by-side comparison of a filtered and an unfiltered Kanne monitor found that a high-efficiency particulate filter reduced monitor response to near background under high radon conditions. It was recommended that a high-efficiency filter be installed on the dedicated Final Storage Room Kanne monitor and that the room be de-posted as an airborne radioactivity area (which will also eliminate the tritium bioassay requirement for room entry). It was also found that the Kanne monitors would detect a spill from a single drum of moderator within minutes and the dose rate due to tritium exposure at 20 h following this spill would be 4.56 rem/h.

Meeting

This abstract was presented at the 37th Annual Midyear Meeting, "Air Monitoring and Internal Dosimetry", Workplace Air Monitoring, Part 2 Session, 2/8/2004 - 2/11/2004, held in Augusta, GA.

 
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