Direct-immersion and water-extraction methods for measuring tritium contamination of concrete.

In the process of decommissioning a tritium-handling laboratory, direct-immersion and water-extraction methods for measuring tritium contamination in concrete were compared to a heating-cooling method. For this evaluation, concrete pieces chipped from contaminated concrete walls and floors were used. The direct-immersion method was about 2.5 times less sensitive at determining the level of contamination compared to the heating-cooling method. The water-extraction method was comparable with the heating-cooling method if the water extraction time was adequate.