In Situ Measurements of Tritium

Because tritium (H3) moves at the same rate as water, detection of it can be a “sentinel” indicator of transport of other radionuclide contaminants in groundwater at nuclear test sites and power plants where it is produced or released. To reduce the cost of sampling groundwater wells for tritium and speed the analysis of it, DRI researchers lead by Dr. Dave Decker have developed prototypes for measuring it in situ in wells where the tritium is converted to a gas and its concentration measured by a proportional counter. In addition, in 2011 for the DOE Office of Legacy Management, DRI is examining means of in situ measuring tritium migrating in the unsaturated zone as a gas.

Much of the test and development work has been done in a high bay or “tower lab” (see photo, looking down) at DRI’s campus in Reno where the instrument can be deployed as it would be in a well, but with more room to work since the instrument was designed for wells as small as two inches in diameter.