Dispersion and removal of tritium released into the main cell of TSTA

Approximately 145 mCi (about 0.06 cm³) of tritium in DT form was released into the main cell of the Tritium Systems Test Assembly at Los Alamos National Laboratory. At equilibrium with the cell isolated, this amount resulted in concentrations of about 50 μCi/m ³ throughout the 2900 m³ of the cell volume. Tritium was held in the cell for 29 min before normal ventilation was restored and was released through the facility´s 30-m stack. The dispersion, confinement, removal, and decontamination times associated with the release are discussed. The broad results of the test are as follows: (1) tritium became distributed uniformly in the cell within 10 min. (2) no tritium was detected leaking from around the inner doors to the cell, (3) with ventilation, tritium was removed from the cell faster than predicted by idealized calculations assuming perfect mixing in the cell, and (4) no residual air contamination remained three days after the release, with no residual removable contamination of surfaces remaining one month after the release