Pu Wound Monitor- at Hanford

["Carbaugh, Eugene H" <gene.carbaugh@PNL.GOV>]

Hanford uses a planar germanium detector and a 10-minute count for quantitative

wound monitoring.  As a quick-and-dirty tool for monitoring during wound

decon/debridement we have an old Eberline ESP-1 with a Bicron B1G-LE thin NaI

probe, which may be used in either a count rate or scalar mode, depending on the

levels.  Our principal concern has been weapons grade Pu which now has quite a

bit of Am-241 ingrown.  This combination of instruments works well, but

fortunately we haven't needed to use them much in recent years.  The combination

should work well for reactor grade Pu, with its much higher Pu-238 and Am-241

content, particularly if the material has aged.



Contact me or Tim Lynch (the Hanford In Vivo Monitoring Program Manager) if you

would like more info.



  

Gene Carbaugh, CHP

Staff Scientist and Technical Lead

Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

 

Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 18:19:36 +0100

From: "julian ginniver" <julian.ginniver@lineone.net

<mailto:julian.ginniver@lineone.net> >

Subject: Pu in wound hand held monitoring instruments







I would be grateful for any information that you might have on =

monitoring

for plutonium in wounds.  We currently use an Oakfield Pu in wound =

monitor.

But a recent review by our dosimetry service has identified that this

instrument is not very reliable and the lower limits of detection are

higher than they would wish.



Any plutonium present in wounds would be reactor grade, as the site was

used for the development of fast reactor technology.



Many thanks in advance for your help with this.



Regards

     Julian Ginniver













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