Reclamation of greater than Class C sealed sources at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Page: 3 of 8
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RECLAMATION OF GREATER THAN CLASS C SEALED SOURCES AT
THE LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Robert G. Behrens and Sherry W. Jones
Los Alamos National Laboratory
ABSTRACT
One of the important overriding themes of the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a world-class
scientific institution is to utilize its expertise in enhancing the long-term welfare of society by
minimizing negative side effects of nuclear technology over the past five decades. The Los
Alamos National Laboratory is therefore committed to the use of its technical competencies and
nuclear facilities, developed through programs in the areas of defense and civilian nuclear
research, to support activities which will benefit the United States as a whole. As such, this
paper discusses the organizational details and requirements of the Neutron Source Reclamation
Program at Los Alamos. This program has as its mission the retrieval, interim storage, and
chemical reprocessing of 238PuBe, 239PuBe and 241AmBe neutron sources residing in the hands
of private companies and industries, academic institutions, and various state and Federal
government agencies.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
"The Los Alamos National Laboratory is dedicated to supporting United States Department of
Energy's (DOE's) goals through the application of world-class science and technology to the
maintenance of the nation's security and well-being. Los Alamos will continue its special role in
defense, particularly in nuclear weapons technology, and will increasingly use its
multidisciplinary capabilities to solve important civilian problems."(1) This quote is the opening
paragraph for the Los Alamos National Laboratory's mission statement. One of the important
overriding themes of the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a world-class institution is to utilize
its expertise in enhancing the long-term welfare of society by minimizing negative side effects of
nuclear technology over the past decades. The Los Alamos National Laboratory is therefore
committed to the use of its technical competencies and nuclear facilities, developed through
programs in the areas of defense and civilian research, to support activities which will benefit the
nation as a whole.
Sealed sources are the most widely available type of nuclear material to the public in the United
States (The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) estimates that there are nearly
27,000 sealed sources of all types that could eventually become Greater Than Class C Low Level
Waste (GTCC LLW). About 40% of all sealed sources available for GTCC LLW status involve
the radio nuclides plutonium and americium.). These sealed sources are small, encapsulated,
relatively high radioactive materials with activities ranging between lmCi to greater than 1,000
Ci. These materials have widespread applications in the areas of medicine, construction,
manufacturing, and research. Examples of sealed source containing devices include calibration
sources used for the calibration of radiation measuring and monitoring instruments; medical
sources for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases using x-ray imaging, brachytherapy, and
teletherapy; well logging devices for use in geophysical surveys; portable moisture and density
gauges used at construction sites and on farms; and irradiation devices used in research, food
processing, medical applications for irradiating blood, biological samples, etc.; fixed gauges
used for monitoring of manufacturing production processes; and general neutron application
devices used in a variety of industrial applications such as explosives detection and neutron
activation analysis.(2)
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Behrens, R. G. & Jones, S. W. Reclamation of greater than Class C sealed sources at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, article, February 1, 1995; New Mexico. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc719438/m1/3/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.