Re: Tritium Contamination

["schoenho" <schoenho@via.at>]

Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 Wien
AUSTRIA
Tel./Fax: +43-1-4955308
Mobiltel.: +43-664-3380333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

----------
> Von: Keith McCartney <MCCAKA@doe-md.gov>
> An: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Betreff: Tritium Contamination
> Datum: Donnerstag, 14. August 1997 22:41
> 
> Does anyone know of a way to analyze chips of concrete suspected of
> containing tritium contamination? We would like the ability to determine
the
> total activity contained within a sample. Assessing a sample for
potential
> activity seems fairly straight forward - one could grind up a sample and
> count it by liquid scintillation. The trick is trying to determine the
activity
> contained within the particles. Is there a way of chemically dissolving
the
> concrete while retaining the tritium in solution?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Keith McCartney
> EG&G Mound
> (937) 865-4068
> MCCAKA@DOE-MD.GOV
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately I do not know, how strong HTO is bound in concrete. I suppose
that the only way tritium occurs in concrete would be HTO. If there is the
question of easily exchangeable tritium you could keep the concrete for a
while with a much larger amount of water to effect an almost complete
exchange and then count tritium in the water. Secondly you might heat the
concrete in a special apparatus to release the HTO - also the stronger
bound, collect the water in a trap and measure it. 

Good luck!

Franz