Gamma-pulse-height evaluation of a USA Savannah River Site Burial Ground special configuration waste item

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 283; no. 1; pp. 163 - 169
• Main Authors: Dewberry, R. A., Sigg, R. A., Salaymeh, S. R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-01-2010; Springer
• Subjects: Analysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; CONTAINERS; Density; Diagnostic Radiology; Dosage; GAMMA DETECTION; Gamma rays; GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY; Grounds; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Inorganic Chemistry; MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Physics; Nuclear radiation; Physical Chemistry; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; Rivers; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; Solid waste management; SOLID WASTES; Streams; ISOTOPIC; Microshield; Solid waste stream; TRU waste; γ-PHA assay
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-009-0135-2

The Savannah River Site (SRS) Burial Ground had a container labeled as
Box 33
for which they had no reliable solid waste stream designation. The container consisted of an outer box of dimensions 48″ × 46″×66″ and an inner box that contained high density and high radiation dose material. From the outer box Radiation Control measured an extremity dose rate of 22 mrem/h. With the lid removed from the outer box, the maximum dose rate measured from the inner box was 100 mrem/h extremity and 80 mrem/h whole body. From the outer box the material was sufficiently high in density that the Solid Waste Management operators were unable to obtain a Co-60 radiograph of the contents. Solid Waste Management requested that the Analytical Development Section of Savannah River National Laboratory perform a γ-ray assay of the item to evaluate the radioactive content and possibly to designate a solid waste stream. This paper contains the results of three models used to analyze the measured γ-ray data acquired in an unusual configuration.