Radionuclide monitoring in environmental water body using an in situ gamma probe

A HPGe gamma probe designed to monitor radioactive nuclides in environmental water in situ is described. The probe is equipped with a 15% HPGe detector and an associated spectrum analyzer. Laboratory tests were performed to evaluate its operating depth, detecting sensitivity, detecting volume, and the detection limits of radionuclides. A field operation was conducted to measure in situ radionuclide concentrations in a nuclear reactor pool, and the feasibility as well as the disadvantages of this rapid survey are discussed. Other possible applications to monitoring radioactive effluent and/or water masses around nuclear facilities as an in situ or on-line radionuclide analyzer are proposed