Miniaturizing the large componentry of x-ray detector systems, researchers has developed a new device for convenient, precise analysis of the heavy metals within contaminated DOE facilities. The detector should speed the process of decontaminating and dismantling these facilities. But quickly identifying heavy metals without contact will be helpful in many cleanup tasks and because of that, our detector is generating lots of interest. It not only indicates which contaminants are present, but how much of a contaminant is where. Successfully demonstrated for detecting contamination in facilities being decommissioned at DOE's Oak Ridge complex in Tennesse and at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the technology offers more rapid, sensitive and accurate measurement of facility contamination than other available detection methods.
Scientists can determine the heavy metals present from that spectral analysis.
Already on the brink of making facility dismantling safer, quicker and more efficient by providing critical information, this technology holds promise for improving a host of other contaminant evaluations as well. Examples of other applications include rapid identification of soil contaminants, monitoring of new waste processing techniques and characterization of stored waste needing to be sorted for proper disposal. It also makes assessment of large facilities or areas more feasible. Excellent Spatial Resolution - This technology can show exactly where heavy metal contaminants are, mapping them out for instance in a facility, in contaminated soils, or in stored or vitrified waste when sufficient time is available for making a series of measurements. Rapidly identifying heavy metals even in large volumes of a wide variety of materials, Ames Lab's portable K-edge detector promises to improve a multitude of cleanup tasks, initially making the dismantling of contaminated facilities easier, safer and more efficient.