Self-absorption alpha particle factor validation in water: Interest in the monitoring of specific military sites

• Published in: Radioprotection Vol. 42; no. 1; p. 11
• Main Authors: Cazoulat, A, Lecompte, Y, Bohand, S, Gerasimo, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; French
• Published: 01.01.2007
• ISSN: 0033-8451
• DOI: 10.1051/radiopro:2006027

The population internal intake prevention by radionuclides present in water needs to monitor the radioactive level of this water. The French public health legislation introduces four radiological parameters for monitoring water, such as the gross alpha radioactivity. Regarding the alpha particle characteristics, a self-absorption factor has to be established beforehand, not to underestimate the real alpha radioactivity in water samples. The aim of this paper is to describe the procedure used by the laboratory of the French army radioprotection service to determine this f factor, which depends on the water residue mass m after evaporation. The relation is f = 0.0253 m + 1.2813. This formula can be employed for such waters used in this experiment and for masses between 0 and 100 mg. The uncertainty associated is about 11% (k = 2). Some water monitoring examples are given. It is specially the case of depleted uranium shells experiment centres, localized in Gramat and Bourges.