In-situ Monitoring of the Radioactive Contaminant Tc-99 in Groundwater Using a Reagentless Equilibrium-based Sensor

The long-term monitoring of groundwater contamination plumes to determine the fate of contaminants in the environment is expensive and labor intensive. Current baseline methods have resulted in monitoring programs that collect less data than is required to fully understand the fate and transport mechanisms of the contaminants. In this project, an automated field-deployable monitoring system, which uses a reversible mini-column sensor, will be used to monitor technetium-99 concentrations. The system will be capable of being deployed and operated in the field for several months while measuring technetium-99 concentrations below the regulatory limits. The system will provide more frequent data with less reporting delay at a lower cost than the baseline methods. In Phase I, a prototype analytical system was developed and tested. The system successfully detected technetium-99 below the regulatory limit and appeared to have the necessary attributes for deployment in the field. In Phase II, two systems will be field-deployed to allow for near real-time monitoring at the 200-UP-1 and 200-ZP-1 areas of Hanford Site, Washington. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The monitoring system should have application at DOE sites with radiological contaminants. The system would decrease monitoring costs, enhance the understanding of the fate of the radiologicals in the environment, and ultimately decrease the cost of groundwater remediation activities.