Certain radioisotopes can penetrate concrete and contaminate the concrete well below thesurface. The challenge is to determine the extent and magnitude of the contamination problem inreal-time. The concrete profiling technology, TRUPROTRUPROSM SM in conjunction with portableradiometric instrumentation produces a profile of radiological or chemical contamination throughthe material being studied. The data quality, quantity, and representativeness may be used toproduce an activity profile from the hot spot surface into the material being sampled. Thisactivity profile may then be expanded to ultimately characterize the facility and expedite wastesegregation and facility closure at a reduced cost and risk. Performing a volumetric concrete ormetal characterization safer and faster (without lab intervention) is the objective of thischaracterization technology. This way of determining contaminationcan save considerable timeand money money. Currently, concrete core bores are shipped to certified laboratories where theconcrete residue is run through a battery of tests to determine the contaminants. The existingcore boring operation volatilizes or washes out some of the contaminants (like tritium) andoftentimes cross-contaminates the area around the core bore site. The volatilization of thecontaminants can lead to airborne problems in the immediate vicinity of the core bore. Crosscontaminationcan increase the contamination area and thereby increase the amount of wastegenerated. The goal is to avoid those field activities that could cause this type of release.
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