Decontamination of 60Co, 137Cs and 241Am from sensitive equipment-related materials using commercially available products

This paper reports the efficacy of seven commercially available decontamination products for decontamination of sensitive equipment-related materials contaminated with ⁶⁰Co, ¹³⁷Cs and ²⁴¹Am. Several of the products tested were developed for decontamination of chemical warfare agents and biological contaminants rather than radiological nuclear contaminants. They were included in the tests to determine their suitability for materials contaminated with radiological/nuclear materials. Flat coupons made of stainless steel, aluminum and glass, and samples with complex geometries composed of mixed materials (plastic, painted and unpainted metals), personal computer boards, terminal connectors, and solderable half-sized breadboards were used for testing. A functioning alarm clock was also tested; the alarm clock is still functional two and half-years after radionuclide contamination and subsequent decontamination using two of the commercial products. The test results show that many of the products tested are effective for decontamination of the substrates tested. Substrate material and radionuclide chemistry affected removal efficacy, with removal of ²⁴¹Am being more difficult than removal of either ⁶⁰Co or ¹³⁷Cs. The substrate geometry had a significant effect on process effectiveness, the removal efficacy for all radionuclides decreased as the substrate geometry became more complex.