Precision Environmental Analysis for Enhanced Nuclear Nonproliferation Vigilance and Emergency Response
Environmental monitoring has been an effective tool for verification of nuclear processes and uncovering hidden activities. Modern technologies allow for detection of trace amounts of materials of interest, yet there is potential for enhancement in both response times and processing capacity. For example, isotopes of uranium and plutonium can be measured and identified in the range of nanograms, aided by sophisticated filtration system and often with immobile lab equipment. While much of these processes is well-understood and routine, the great challenge of environmental monitoring is in the processing of samples and the analysis time. To enable more efficient monitoring and verification of nuclear activities, Thrust Area 2 will focus on the development of (1) new methods and tools to expedite and improve the characterization of gaseous radionuclide, mainly tritium, for its fate and transport, and with (2) measurement and rapid analysis of uranium and plutonium swipe samples at environmental levels to (3) enhance our capacity for swift responses to nuclear incidents or emergencies.
Thrust Area Lead: Raymond Cao, The Ohio State University
Universities: MIT, TAMU, Georgia Tech, OSU, VCU, ACU, CSM
National Laboratories: SRNL, PNNL, BNL, INL, PPPL, LANL, ORNL, ANL
Projects:
- Project 1 – Quantification and speciation of tritium
- Project 2 – Environmental analysis and transport
- Project 3 – Enhancing Nuclear Incidence Response