Changing Methodology for Measuring Airborne Radioactive Discharges from Nuclear Facilities

Book excerpt: The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requires that measurements of airborne radioactive discharges from nuclear facilities be performed following outdated methods contained in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N13.1-1969 Guide to Sampling Airborne Radioactive Materials in Nuclear Facilities. Improved methods are being introduced via two paths. First, the ANSI standard is being revised, and second, EPA's equivalency granting process is being used to implement new technology on a case-by-case or broad basis. The ANSI standard is being revised by a working group under the auspices of the Health Physics Society Standards Committee. The revised standard includes updated methods based on current technology and a performance-based approach to design. The performance-based standard will present new challenges, especially in the area of performance validation. Progress in revising the standard is discussed. The US Department of Energy recently received approval from the USEPA for an alternate approach to complying with air-sampling regulations. The alternate approach is similar to the revised ANSI standard. New design tools include new types of sample extraction probes and a model for estimating line-losses for particles and radioiodine. Wind tunnel tests are being performed on various sample extraction probes for use at small stacks. The data show that single-point sampling probes are superior to ANSI-Nl3.1-1969 style multiple-point sample extraction probes.