Airborne radioactivity concentration measurement in Compact Reprocessing of Advanced Fuels in Lead Cells reprocessing facility during off ventilation condition

Periodic maintenance of stack aviation lamps was taken up in the Compact Reprocessing of Advanced Fuels in Lead Cells reprocessing plant in Kalpakkam. The entire ventilation system of the plant had to be shut down during this maintenance work. When the ventilation system is switched off, natural radioactivity will build up in the working environment. The increased magnitude of the natural radioactivity concentration was estimated by counting the air samples (AS) at predetermined intervals to ensure no long-lived radionuclide (LLR) was present in the AS. The extent of the natural radioactivity rose to a factor of 100, and no LLR was present in the collected AS. In addition, the collected AS and data analysis of the same revealed that there was no breach of containment during the work.