Radioactive waste management: review on clearance levels and acceptance criteria legislation, requirements and standards.

In 2011 the joint research project Metrology for Radioactive Waste Management (MetroRWM)(1) of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) started with a total duration of three years. Within this project, new metrological resources for the assessment of radioactive waste, including their calibration with new reference materials traceable to national standards will be developed. This paper gives a review on national, European and international strategies as basis for science-based metrological requirements in clearance and acceptance of radioactive waste.

A preliminary investigation into a simple method for the determination of the mean ionisation energy of gas mixtures used in the NPL primary gas counting system.

The activity concentration of gaseous beta-emitting radionuclides such as (3)H, (85)Kr and, more recently, (11)C, is measured at NPL using a set of length-compensated proportional counters. The active gas is mixed with argon-methane (P-10) and passed to the counters. Adding gases to P-10 changes the mean ionisation energy, W, of the gas mixture. Estimation of the counting losses using the Monte Carlo model requires a knowledge of W. Unfortunately, only a limited amount of published data is available. This paper describes the initial experimental studies performed to enable the extension of the MC model based loss correction method to gases other than carbon dioxide in P-10. Preliminary measurements have been made to determine the W value for a gas mixture containing (85)Kr in nitrogen and P-10. The DC current through the counters is measured; the counters are also operated in the normal way with pulse amplifiers, discriminators and scalers. The value of W is derived from a knowledge of activity, counter current and mean beta energy.

Standardisation of positron-emitters in gas with the NPL primary gas counting system.

A primary standard for positron-emitters in gas has been developed. The method involves internal gas proportional counting and the use of the PENELOPE Monte Carlo code to determine corrections for counting losses. The development work was carried out using (11)C, although the method can be applied to other positron emitters. The results were compared with measurements of (11)C (in solution) carried out using a secondary standard re-entrant ionisation chamber previously calibrated with reference to absolute counting techniques.

The development of a 222Rn standard solution dispenser at NPL.

The design, operation and performance of a unit for dispensing standardised aqueous solutions of 222Rn is described. The unit consists of a sealed polyethylene capsule (containing a known weight of a 226Ra standard solution) immersed in water inside a cylindrical stainless-steel accumulation chamber. The chamber is fitted with valves at each end and has a central bellows so that the chamber can be compressed to dispense solution. The degree of compression, and thus the weight of solution dispensed, is controlled by a microprocessor-controlled motor-drive mechanism. The solution is dispensed via a needle positioned beneath the lower valve.