This will minimize the electrochemical breakdown of water, which could cause a gas build-up in the cell. In addition to this safety precaution against gas build-up, the sample cell will be equipped with thin tubing from the top of the cell over to a Erlenmeyer flask in the cell box. The end of the tubing will be immersed in a solution containing a metal complexant. Any overpressure in the sample cell will escape through the tubing, into the solution, and out through the septum covering the solution. The cell design, with Kapton windows, has been pressure tested, and is leak tight to greater than 3 psi overpressure.
Unforeseen circumstances cause the sample cell to leak.
Precautions have been taken to assure that the available volume of solution is entirely contained within the cell box. In the unlikely event that a breach of the sample cell were to occur, the experiment would be immediately terminated and Health Physics personnel would be called to survey the outer containment to assure that no activity was released. Dilute solutions are not explosive. In addition, the electrolytic solution will be free of any organic matter.