Re: Tritium Contamination

["Warren Church" <churchw@woods.uml.edu>]

The trick is to gind up the concrete and then let it soak in a sightly
acid(i believe) solution for an extended period.  The tritium diffuses into
the water which can then be counted by liquid scintillation. You can get
more information on this technique by contacting dave McCurdy at Yankee
Environmental Laboratories. mcurdy@yankee.com
Warren Church 
churchw@woods.uml.edu
> From: schoenho <schoenho@via.at>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject: Re: Tritium Contamination
> Date: Friday, August 15, 1997 6:09 AM
> 
> 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