FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF
RADON AND TRITIUM
MONITORING
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant
James T. (Tom) Voss, NRRPT, CHP
Fellow of the Health Physics Society
PO Box 1362
Los Alamos, NM 87544
jtvoss@newmexico.com
505-920-1470
WWW.VOSS-ASSOCIATES.COM
What are the Current Applications
for Radon and Tritium Monitoring
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Current Nuclear Power Reactors
Current Research and Test Reactors
New Nuclear Power Reactors
Small Transportable Nuclear Reactors
What are the Current Applications
for Radon and Tritium Monitoring
• International Thermonuclear Experimental
Reactor (ITER)
• DOE Operations
• Medical
• Resurgence in Uranium Mining
What are the Current Applications
for Radon and Tritium Monitoring
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Uranium Fuel Fabrication
Thorium as a Reactor Fuel
Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
Need for Remote Real-time Monitoring of
Nuclear Facilities
Current Nuclear Power Reactors
Current Research and Test Reactors
New Nuclear Power Reactors
Applications for License Renewal
Calvert Cliffs, Units 1 and 2
Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2 and 3
Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1
Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, Units 3 and 4
North Anna, Units 1 and 2, and Surry, Units 1 and 2
Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3
St. Lucie, Units 1 and 2
Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1
McGuire, Units 1 and 2, and Catawba, Units 1 and 2
H.B. Robinson Nuclear Plant, Unit 2
Applications for License Renewal
R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1
V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 1
Dresden, Units 2 and 3, and Quad Cities, Units 1 & 2
Farley, Units 1 and 2
Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2
D.C. Cook, Units 1 and 2
Millstone, Units 2 and 3
Point Beach, Units 1 and 2
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3
Brunswick, Units 1 and 2
Nine Mile Point, Units 1 and 2
Applications for License Renewal
Monticello
Palisades
James A. FitzPatrick
Wolf Creek, Unit 1
Harris, Unit 1
Oyster Creek
Vogtle, Units 1 and 2
Three Mile Island, Unit 1
Beaver Valley, Units 1 and 2
Susquehanna, Units 1 and 2
59 APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSE RENEWAL HAVE
BEEN ACCEPTED
Applications Currently Under Review
Pilgrim 1, Unit 1
Vermont Yankee
Indian Point, Units 2 and 3
Prairie Island, Units 1 and 2
Kewaunee Power Station
Cooper Nuclear Station
Duane Arnold Energy Center
Applications Currently Under Review
Palo Verde, Units 1, 2, and 3
Crystal River, Unit 3
Hope Creek
Salem, Units 1 and 2
Diablo Canyon, Units 1 and 2
Columbia Generating Station
19 APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSE RENEWAL ARE
UNDER REVIEW
Radon and Tritium Monitoring in
Nuclear Reactor Facilities
Radon monitoring is performed to;
• alert personnel to the potential for personal
contamination due to radon
• alert personnel to the potential for degradation in
the performance of alpha CAMs
• alert personnel to unacceptably high levels of
radon in the facility
Radon and Tritium Monitoring in
Nuclear Reactor Facilities
Tritium monitoring is performed to;
• alert personnel to the potential for inhalation of
tritium
• alert personnel to the potential malfunction of plant
liquid process equipment
Radon and Tritium Monitoring
Outside Nuclear Reactor Facilities
Radon monitoring is performed to establish
environmental background levels of alpha and beta
emitters in the ambient air.
Radon and Tritium Monitoring
Outside Nuclear Reactor Facilities
Tritium monitoring is performed to;
• establish a baseline level of tritium in the ambient
air and water outside the facility boundary
• alert personnel to the potential malfunction of plant
liquid process equipment
Special Applications for Tritium Monitors
Inside Nuclear Reactor Facilities
Simultaneous and separate monitoring of elemental
tritium and tritium oxide can be used to identify the
presence of leaks in the hydrogen recombiner in the
facility. Elemental tritium will only exist for a short
period of time before it either combines with an
oxygen atom or it replaces a hydrogen atom on a
water molecule.
Special Applications For Tritium
Monitors For The ITER Project
ITER will require a lot of tritium to start. This leads to
the need for tritium monitors inside the facility,
around its perimeter, and at those locations
producing tritium for ITER. Tritium monitors with high
working ranges will be needed for ITER in addition to
conventional tritium monitors
ITER is scheduled to start producing power in 2018.
Special Applications For Tritium
Monitors For DOE
DOE is continuing with refurbishing the US nuclear
arsenal. The tritium in those devices must be
replaced about every 15 years. The gamma
radiation from the device drives the need for tritium
monitors with active gamma compensation.
Special Applications For Tritium
Monitors For DOE
DOE produces and maintains a supply of elemental
tritium for our weapons program. Since the
elemental tritium combines with oxygen readily there
is a need to simultaneously monitor for elemental
tritium and tritium oxide. The presence of elemental
tritium outside its containment indicates that tritium is
leaking from its containment.
Small Transportable
Nuclear Power Reactors
Small Transportable
Nuclear Power Reactors
What is in the future for these power reactors ?
It seem unlikely the NRC will grant operating
licenses for these types of nuclear power
reactors.
It seems unlikely the final cost for these types of
nuclear power reactors could equal that of the
new commercial nuclear power reactors.
Resurgence in Uranium Mining
Resurgence in Uranium Mining
The EPA estimates there will be 10,000 to 15,000
more uranium miners in the US by 2015.
The EPA is considering lowering the allowable
radon exposures for uranium miners.
World Uranium Production
Tons of Uranium
2007
2008
Canada
9476
9000
Kazakhstan
6637
8521
Australia
8611
8430
Namibia
2879
4366
Russia
3413
3521
Niger
3153
3032
Uzbekistan
2320
2338
USA
1654
1430
World total
41,282
43,853
United States Uranium Production
Tons of Uranium
USA
2007
1654
2008
1430
World total
41,282
43,853
US Uranium Current Production is Primarily
From 4 Mines.
90% of US Uranium Mining is In-Situ.
Uranium Mines in Canada
Uranium Mines in Australia
Worker, Public, and Environmental
Protection for Uranium Mining
• Controlled Ventilation
• Radon and Airborne Uranium Monitoring
• Portable and Personal Continuous Air Monitors
• In-Situ Mining
• Open Pit Mining
Worker Protection for Uranium Mining
Radon and Airborne Uranium Monitoring
• Routine area radon and uranium monitoring with
sophisticated instruments
• Radon monitoring before opening a new area to
workers
• Personal radon and uranium monitors for
workers
Public and Environmental Protection
for Uranium Mining
There is a need for a CAM for Continuously
Monitoring for Airborne Alpha and Beta Activity
at High Volumetric Sampling Rates.
Public and Environmental Protection
for Uranium Mining
In-Situ Mining
In-Situ mining leaches the uranium ore from the
underground deposit and greatly reduces the
volume of above ground waste.
Public and Environmental Protection
for Uranium Mining
Open Pit Mining
• Reduces the risk to the workers by providing
better ventilation and reduces other risks in
underground mining
• Exposes more rock dust and uranium ore that
could increase the spread of those into the
environment
• Australia’s Olympic Dam mine is converting to
an open pit operation
Public and Environmental Protection
for Uranium Mining
Closing and covering an open pit mine at the
end of its useful life could provide the best
permanent solution for protecting the public and
the environment.
In-Situ mining could also minimize the mine’s
affect on the public and the environment.
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
Uranium Hexafluoride Production
Honeywell International, Inc.
Metropolis, IL
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
Gas Centrifuge Uranium Enrichment
Areva Enrichment Services
(under review)
Idaho Falls, ID
Louisiana Energy Services
(in construction)
Eunice, NM
U.S. Enrichment Corporation
(in construction)
Piketon, OH
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
Gaseous Diffusion Uranium Enrichment
U.S. Enrichment Corporation Paducah, KY
U.S. Enrichment Corporation Piketon, OH
(cold standby)
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
Laser Separation Uranium Enrichment
GE-Hitachi Wilmington, NC
(under review)
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
Uranium Fuel Fabrication
AREVA NP, Inc. Lynchburg, VA
AREVA NP, Inc. Richland, WA
B&W Nuclear Operations Group Lynchburg, VA
Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLC Wilmington, NC
Nuclear Fuel Services Erwin, TN
(license renewal application submitted)
Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC Columbia, SC
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication
Shaw AREVA MOX Services , LLC Aiken, SC
(in construction/under licensing review)
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
• Better Ventilation
• Radiation Monitoring
• Airborne Radioactivity Monitoring
• Criticality Monitoring
Uranium Fuel Cycle Facilities
These Facilities need Radon and Airborne
Radioactivity Monitoring.
Due to the presence of gamma radiation from the
uranium the radon monitors need active gamma
compensation.
Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
• Better Ventilation
• Radiation Monitoring
• Airborne Radioactivity Monitoring
• Criticality Monitoring
Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
The present US political position is to NOT
reprocess nuclear fuel.
A small amount of plutonium and uranium are
being used to produce MOX (mixed oxide fuel) but
the output is small compared to the need.
Thorium as a Nuclear Fuel
World Supplies in Tons
Australia
India
United States
Norway
Canada
South Africa
Brazil
Malaysia
Other Countries
World Total
340,000
300,000
300,000
180,000
100,000
39,000
18,000
4,500
100,000
1,400,000
Benefits of Thorium as a Nuclear Fuel
• Greater Abundance than Uranium
• Production of Thorium Fuel Does Not Require
Isotopic Separation
• Use of Thorium Fuel Produces Much Less
Long-Lived Transuranics Than Uranium Fuel
Thorium Fueled Nuclear Power Reactors
Thorium reactors have been used for more than 40
years.
Shippingport Atomic Power Station commenced
producing electrical power from its thorium-232,
uranium-233 powered reactor in 1957 and was
decommissioned in 1982.
Thorium Fueled Nuclear Power Reactors
These nuclear power reactors will have the same
radon and tritium monitoring needs as other
nuclear power reactors do.
Need For Remote Real-Time Radiological
Monitoring of Nuclear Facilities
• Notification of an Unplanned Release
• Identification and Quantification of Unplanned
Releases
• Tracking of Unplanned Releases to the
Environment
• Prediction of the Path of Unplanned Releases
Radon Potential Map of the US
Surface Uranium Deposits
Surface Thorium Deposits
Some Unplanned Releases
from Nuclear Facilities
Three Mile Island - 1979
Contributing Factors
• Facility Design
• Equipment Malfunction
• Operator Training
Some Unplanned Releases
from Nuclear Facilities
Chernobyl - 1986
Contributing Factors
• Facility Design
• Equipment Malfunction
• Operator Training
Some Unplanned Releases
from Nuclear Facilities
Japan, Tokaimura - 1999
Contributing Factors
• Facility Design
• Operator Training
Some Unplanned Releases
from Nuclear Facilities
Practices to Prevent and/or
Mitigate the Consequences
• Better Facility Designs
• Better Equipment Designs
• Better Operator Training
• Better Radiological Monitoring Inside and
Outside the Facilities
Summary
Portable, Stationary, High Sampling Rate, and
Energy Compensated Radon Monitors are
needed.
Portable, Stationary, Elemental vs. Oxide, and
Energy Compensated Tritium in Air Monitors are
needed.
Stationary Tritium in Water Monitors are needed.
References
American Nuclear Society
www.ans.org
Health Physics Society
www.hps.org
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
www.inpo.info
Nuclear Energy Institute
www.nei.org
US Department Of Energy
www.doe.gov
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
www.nrc.org