Tritium in air activity outside operating island areas in M.A.P.S

Routine monitoring of areas outside the operating island for tritium in air activity is necessary to assess the effect of reactor operation on the environment. The method employed for sampling the air for tritium in air activity is Ice Sample. The principle of this method is to condense atmospheric water in the sampling area using ice and to measure the specific activity of tritium in the condensed water by liquid scintillation spectrometer. Large number of samples from varioous areas were collected and analysed. Tritium in air activity levels in Administration Building, CISF, STC, TLD Laboratory are generally in the range of BDL-322 Bq/m3. The tiffin counter area adjacent to RC shop shows activity higher than other places (672-2927 Bq/m3). This area is just behind D2O drum storage area of upgrading plant. The drum storage areas are known to have higher tritium in air activity (1653-12737 Bq/m3). Canteen is showing tritium in air activity above that in Admn. building and similar other places. The sources of this activity appears mainly from Upgrading Plant. However another source of tritium activity in air in canteen is observed. This is the workers from operating island. The tritium in the clothes/body of the workers coming from the operating island give rise to low level of air activity in canteen. Comparison of the present value of 3H in air concentration in canteen with those observed two years before, reveals a build up of activity. The radiation dose to persons in Administration building and STC areas because of tritium in air activity concentration is negligible (Maximum 0.6 Mrem/year). (author). 1 tab