At present, the industry uses many different methods to characterize hardware in terms of its radionuclide content at the time of disposal. All of these methods involve some form of component radiation profiling to obtain Co 60 estimates coupled with scaling of 10C1:E Part 61 long lived nuelides found in hardware. Underwater radiation profiles are obtained under different conditions, with different instruments. Thus, there arc no standards, or criteria, for characterization, which leads to relatively large uncertainties in estimating the major nuclides which effect classification under Part 61. Phase I of the propose project would identify current practices and methods, the data used to support shipment classification 1, and the uncertainties associated with these practices, and bound them. Phase 11 would result in the development and field testing of methods which would add consistency to characterization practices and significantly reduce classification uncertainties.
Anticipated Results:Phase I will culminate in the identification of method uncertainties and areas where uncertainties can be substantially reduced. This will benefit commercial hardware generators, government regulators at the State and Federal level, and the DOE which will be both a generator and a recipient of irradiated hardware for disposal. Phase II would demonstrate the standards and improvements to current pr6ctices through field testing. The results of these files demonstrations could lead to a revision to the current regulatory criteria applicable to irradiated hardware.
