Bacteria In RCS Water

[RON LAVERA <lavera.r@nypa.gov>]

I work at a power plant.  It is not uncommon for bacteria to make their
presence felt during refueling operations.  They form in the water pool
that is above the fuel in the reactor vessel.  Through good old distance
and shielding, the dose rates in the pool are very low.  The temperature
is about 120F and even though there is 2000+ PPM boric acid in the
water, we periodically need to add H2O2 to kill the little bugs, so as to
maintain water clarity so the people moving the fuel out of the reactor
vessel can see what they are doing through the 40 ft of water between
them and the fuel.

I've noted the conversations regarding bacterial survival at the
temperatures and pressures found in the reactor coolant system and I
guess if they can survive and flourish at the bottom of the ocean around
volcanic vents, then they could survive in the RCS.  But we have one
thing the ocean doesn't...a reactor.  At 100% power neutron flux in the
5E10 n/cm2 region and the curie content of the fission product gases
alone is in the 1E10 Ci range.   That doesn't count the tremendous amount
of N16 produced or the gammas from the fission process.  As a
colleague stated ,"just think 2 words... Food Irradiation".

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Ron LaVera
LAVERA.R@NYPA.GOV