Speaker
Description
The release of radionuclides during a nuclear incident can lead to widespread environmental contamination, with these radionuclides eventually finding their way into plants, animals, and food products. In the post-accident phase, the primary risk to the population comes from exposure through the consumption of food contaminated with radioactive deposits. This risk assessment is based on the Maximum Permitted Levels (MPL) outlined by the European standard (Euratom 2016/52).
To detect contaminated food products, a gamma spectrometer coupled with a new analysis tool named Tri-Latac has been developed. The detector chosen for Tri-Latac is a co-doped LaBr$_3$ 1.5’’ x 1.5’’ due to its high detection efficiency, allowing for the rapid determination of Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA) below the MPL. However, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of this detector is higher than that of HPGe detectors, making standard deconvolution methods unsuitable for distinguishing between radionuclides with close energy emissions.
Tri-Latac addresses this challenge by utilizing an automated analysis tool based on spectral unmixing [1]. This tool simplifies the analysis process for users by assuming that the acquired spectrum is a linear combination of the spectra from each radionuclide present. Unlike conventional gamma spectrometry, spectral unmixing uses the full spectrum to determine the activity of the radionuclides.
The poster will describe the approach used to define Tri-Latac's application range, including sample matrices, counting time, and performance characteristics. Initial studies of different sample matrices have helped define the MDA for three key radionuclides: $^{134}$Cs, $^{137}$Cs, and $^{131}$I. Spectra were simulated using MCNP modeling software and data from the Chernobyl incident to assess Tri-Latac’s effectiveness in scenarios involving radionuclides from accidental releases. Lastly, we will compare Tri-Latac's performance with that of a commercial instrument in terms of acquisition time and radionuclide identification.
