Replacement of lead bricks with non-hazardous polymer-bismuth for low-energy gamma shielding

Lead is a hazardous substance, making it a disposal and industrial hygiene problem. The potential for creating mixed waste or mixed TRU waste exists if the lead becomes contaminated. The disposal of either waste stream is extremely difficult and costly. Bismuth is a nonhazardous material with shielding characteristics similar to lead. An HPGe was characterized using detector shielding composed of lead and polyethylene-based-bismuth to compare the shielding efficacy of both materials. Polymerbismuth bricks may be recommended as gamma spectrometer shielding for sensitive low-energy measurements. (author)