Summary

NPL has expanded its radiochemistry capability by purchasing a NorthStar Automated Radiochemistry System (ARSIIe). This piece of equipment is the first of its kind in use outside of the USA, and NPL will be using it to enable safer, quicker, in situ radioactivity measurements that are essential to ensure safety at nuclear sites.

Background

The ARSIIe is a portable radiochemistry unit capable of separating, purifying, and isolating a range of radioactive chemicals from a single sample.

Part of NPL's role as the UK's National Measurement Institute is to support the nuclear industry in their decommissioning of the UK's 'nuclear legacy' sites. The maintenance of these sites in 2009 alone was approximately £1.57 billion. A huge amount of time and money could be saved if these complex sites were surveyed quickly and accurately for the presence of radioactive chemicals. NPL is working with NorthStar to achieve this, by refining ARSIIe so that it can test dissolved solid samples (such as soil, or concrete) as well as the aqueous samples it is currently capable of.

NPL will be testing the performance of the ARSIIe, performing field trials, and will also work with NorthStar to help refine the equipment so that it is capable of performing radiometric measurements as part of a mobile radiochemistry laboratory – whereby the laboratory is taken to the sample, rather than the other way around. In the case of nuclear sites this is particularly beneficial.

Impact

The benefits of a mobile radiochemistry laboratory cannot be overstated:

• It saves time (results in ~30 mins rather than several days)
• It saves money (transporting samples off a nuclear site can be very costly due to the safety implications)
• It is safer, and better for the environment - the ARSIIe doesn't use any corrosive or carcinogenic chemicals, or concentrated acids in its separation protocols and generates smaller waste volumes compared to typical fixed based laboratory procedures

This work is a great example of how NPL can refine existing techniques and technologies in an innovative way, as well as protecting the environment and ensuring the safety of the people who work in the nuclear industry.

For further information, please contact Simon Jerome

Find out more about NP's work in the Nuclear sector.