[en] High-level waste from spent commercial PWR fuel was vitrified during the Nuclear Waste Vitrification Project (NWVP), conducted at Pacific Northwest Laboratory in 1978 and 1979. The solidification equipment employed sintered metal filters and a conventional wet off-gas cleanup system to decontaminate the gases generated during waste processing. This report is a summary of a study completed under contract with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine the fate of volatile fission products in the filters and off-gas system. The study objectives were to determine (1) the extent of volatile fission product deposition within the sintered metal filters, (2) the distribution of fission products in the off-gas system, and (3) the factors that control the distribution. Such information is needed for the design and operation of future waste immobilization systems. The scope of the study included identification, preparation, and microprobe analyses of suitable filter samples and radiochemical analyses of off-gas system samples. The report describes the methods of sample selection and gathering, the analytical methods and results, and the interpretations of the results. Relationships to vitrification system operations are defined and operating conditions to minimize problems recommended. 37 figures, 14 tables