General considerations about the tritium activity levels observed in France and about the sampling and measurement techniques used by IRSN in the framework of the environment monitoring of the 2M Process site at Saint-Maur-des-Fosses

A building of 2M Process company at Saint-Maur-des-Fosses (France) has been accidentally contaminated after the handling of a tritium contaminated device. The consequence has been a tritium release inside and in the close environment of the building. Since November 5, on request of the French nuclear safety authority (ASN), the French institute of radiation protection and nuclear safety (IRSN) has performed tritium measurements in water, air and plants sampled in the vicinity of the building in order to delimit the contaminated area and to follow its decay during and after the cleansing of the building. In order to give help to the interpretation of the results of this monitoring action, this note supplies some general information about tritium and its activity levels usually encountered in France (air, rainwater, surface waters, plants, drinking water, foodstuff), and about the sampling and measurement techniques used by IRSN in the framework of the periodical environment monitoring of the 2M Process site. (J.S.)