Policy and procedures used in the United States for decontaminating hot cells

In the United States, hot cells and equipment for handling radioactive solids or liquids are successfully decontaminated as required. The frequency varies from about three times a year to only once in three years for the larger pilot plant units. The normal time required to decontaminate a facility is about two to six weeks. Decontamination is usually done remotely, through appropriate design, precontamination application of protective coatings, expendable equipment, the proper choice of cleaning reagents (detergents, organic solvents, acids, alkalies, chelating agents ) and physical methods (grinding, ultrasonic cleaning, blasting, and abrading). Methods have been developed and are presented in this paper for decontaminating hot-cells and adjacent areas subjected to the uncontrolled release of radioactivity.