Abstract |
This report discusses radioactive gas production around non-Federally owned particle accelerators, and the release of such gases to the atmosphere. The estimated 1200 non-Federally owned accelerators in the United States are categorized by type and energy, and the potential for radiogas production is discussed for various types. The results of field monitoring around two machines (a cyclotron and a Van de Graaff) are also presented. Estimates of annual radiogas releases from generic accelerator facilities are made. The isotopes of interest are: tritium (target gas) from a generic Van de Graaff; nitrogen-13, oxygen-15, and carbon-11 from a generic cyclotron; and argon-41 from a generic linac. Finally, control technologies to reduce airborne releases of these isotopes are discussed. |