Radioxenon Project - Task II/1: Preliminary Report

The reduction of noble gas emissions from large civilian radioxenon sources is a key issue in increasing the sensitivity of the IMS and would significantly enhance the CTBT verification capability. In this framework, SCK•CEN has been contracted by the CTBTO under the EU Council Decision V to design a mobile system for the reduction of radioxenon emissions from radiopharmaceutical production facilities. The project was subdivided in three phases: i) investigation and selection of xenon adsorption materials, ii) study of operational conditions and trap design and iii) construction and testing of a mobile trap. The project was successfully completed by the end of 2015 and a xenon trapping prototype was delivered to IRE. A follow-up of this project was needed to carry on the work already performed on radioxenon mitigation. In this regard, SCK•CEN and IRE were contracted in 2016 by the CTBTO under the EU CD VI to: i) analyze the scale-up and the long term behavior of the prototype at IRE, ii) perform design studies at additional facilities and iii) investigate further the stack releases and stack monitoring at IRE. This Preliminary Report concerns the first stage (i.e. request for letters of interest containing the necessary information to demonstrate that the requirements to participate in the study are met) of the second task (i.e. Perform design studies at additional facilities).