Development of a Tamper Resistant/Indicating Aerosol Collection System for Environmental Sampling at Bulk Handling Facilities

摘要

Environmental sampling has become a key component of International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA) safeguards approaches since its approval for use in 1996.Environmental sampling supports the IAEA’s mission of drawing conclusionsconcerning the absence of undeclared nuclear material or nuclear activities in a NationState. Swipe sampling is the most commonly used method for the collection ofenvironmental samples from bulk handling facilities. However, augmenting swipesamples with an air monitoring system, which could continuously draw samples from theenvironment of bulk handling facilities, could improve the possibility of the detection ofundeclared activities. Continuous sampling offers the opportunity to collect airbornematerials before they settle onto surfaces which can be decontaminated, taken intoexisting duct work, filtered by plant ventilation, or escape via alternate pathways (i.e.drains, doors).Researchers at the Savannah River National Laboratory and Oak Ridge NationalLaboratory have been working to further develop an aerosol collection technology thatcould be installed at IAEA safeguarded bulk handling facilities. The addition of thistechnology may reduce the number of IAEA inspector visits required to effectivelycollect samples. The principal sample collection device is a patented AerosolContaminant Extractor (ACE) which utilizes electrostatic precipitation principles todeposit particulates onto selected substrates. Recent work has focused on comparingtraditional swipe sampling to samples collected via an ACE system, and incorporatingtamper resistant and tamper indicating (TRI) technologies into the ACE system.Development of a TRI-ACE system would allow collection of samples aturanium/plutonium bulk handling facilities in a manner that ensures sample integrity andcould be an important addition to the international nuclear safeguards inspector’s toolkit.This work was supported by the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI), Office ofNonproliferation and International Security (NIS), National Nuclear SecurityAdministration (NNSA).