Information Notice 1987-32, Deficiencies in the Testing of Nuclear-Grade Activated Charcoal
SSINS No.:
6835 IN 87-32
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
July 10, 1987
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 87-32: DEFICIENCIES IN THE TESTING OF NUCLEAR-
GRADE ACTIVATED CHARCOAL
Addressees
All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license or a con- struction permit.
Purpose
This information notice is provided to call attention to deficiencies found in
the testing of nuclear-grade activated charcoal used for accident mitigation in
nuclear facilities. It is expected that recipients will review the information
for applicability to their facilities and consider action, if appropriate, to
preclude a similar problem at their facilities. However, suggestions contained
in this information notice do not constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no
specific action or written response is required.
Background
The ASME Committee on Nuclear Air and Gas Treatment (CONAGT) first identified
a problem with testing nuclear-grade activated charcoal when the committee
conducted an interlaboratory comparison and found that seven U.S. and eight
foreign testing companies obtained vastly differing results from testing
samples of the same charcoal. After efforts to resolve the differences failed, the NRC contracted with the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (EG&G) to
investigate the problem. The contractor has conducted independent laboratory
studies and has worked with the testing companies to identify the principal
problems. Serious problems were found with the capabilities of the testing
companies and with the testing standard (ASTM Standard D-3803-1979, "Standard
Methods for Radioiodine Testing of Nuclear-Grade Gas-Phase Adsorbents"".
Specific suggestions were made to improve the capabilities of the testing
companies; a new testing protocol was developed to correct shortcomings ound
in the standard; and a final interlaboratory comparison was conducted.
The results, which were received in November 1986, indicate a substantial
improvement over the original CONAGT results, but some companies still did
not report acceptably accurate results. The contractor's technical evaluation
report, EGG-CS-7653, "Final Technical Evaluation Report for the NRC/INEL
Activated Carbon Testing Program," has been published and has been placed in
the NRC Public Document Room.
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IN 87-3?
July 10, 1987 Discussion
Engineered safety features, Including charcoal, are provided at nuclear power
plants to protect employees and the public from accidentally released radio- active materials. It has been recognized that only certain charcoals would
meet the special needs of nuclear plants (see NUREG/CR-3990, "Charcoal Perform- ance Under Accident Conditions'). ASTM Standard D-3803-1979 was developed to
specify the requirements for testing charcoal and was accepted by the NRC
(Regulatory Guide 1.52, 1979). The NRC investigation, which followed the
CONAGT interlaboratory comparison, identified serious shortcomings in the
standard and found that it had never been verified. The standard is currently
being revised. However, until it is available the protocol developed by EG&G
is one possibility for consideration by-testing companies.
Although shortcomings in testing capabilities were identified by EG&G, defi- ciencies can be corrected only by the individual companies. The failure to
upgrade equipment so the test parameters can be adequately controlled is the
principal reason for the unacceptable results in the recent tests.
Additional information on test accuracies and changes made to improve the
accuracy of test results may be sought by direct contact with the individual
testing companies.
No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the Regional
Administrator of the appropriate regional office or this office.
harles E. Rossi, Director
Division of Operational Events Assessment
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contacts: Charles A. Willis, NRR
(301) 492-8340
Charles R. Nichols, NRR
(301) 492-9416 Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
Attachment 1
July 10, 19S7
LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
INFORMATION NOTICES 1987
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
87-31
87-30
87-29
87-28
87-27
Blocking, Bracing, and
Securing of Radioactive
Materials Packages in
Transportation.
Cracking of Surge Ring
Brackets in Large General
Electric Company Electric
Motors
Recent Safety-Related
Incidents at Large
Irradiators.
Air Systems Problems at
U.S. Light Water Reactors
Iranian Official Implies
Vague Threat to U.S.
Resources
Cracks In Stiffening Rings
on 48-Inch Diameter UF6 Cylinders.
Potentially Significant
Problems Resulting from
Human Error Involving
Wrong Unit, Wrong Train, or Wrong Component Events.
Operational Experience
Involving Losses of
Electrical Inverters.
7/10/87
7/2/87
6/26/87
6/22/87
6/10/87
6/11/87
6/11/87
6/4/87 All NRC licensees.
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
All NRC licensees
authorized to possess
and use sealed sources
in large irradiators.
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
research and nonpower
reactor facilities, and fuel fabrication
and processing
facilities using or
possessing formula
quantities of special
nuclear material.
All uranium Ouel
fabrication and
conversion facilities.
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
87-26
87-25
87-24 OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
July 10, 1987 Discussion
Engineered safety features, including charcoal, are provided at nuclear power
plants to protect employees and the public from accidentally released radio- active materials. It has been recognized that only certain charcoals would
meet the special needs of nuclear plants (see NUREG/CR-3990, "Charcoal Perform- ance Under Accident Conditions"). ASTM Standard D-3803-1979 was developed to
specify the requirements for testing charcoal and was accepted by the NRC
(Regulatory Guide 1.52, 1979). The NRC investigation, which followed the
CONAGT interlaboratory comparison, identified serious shortcomings in the
standard and found that it had never been verified. The standard is currently
being revised.
However, until it is available the protocol developed by EG&G
is one possibility for consideration by testing companies.
Although shortcomings in testing capabilities were identified by EG&G, defi- ciencies can be corrected only by the individual companies. The failure to
upgrade equipment so the test parameters can be adequately controlled is the
principal reason for the unacceptable results in the recent tests.
Additional information on test accuracies and changes made to improve the
accuracy of test results may be sought by direct contact with the Individual
testing companies.
No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the Regional
Administrator of the appropriate regional office or this office.
Charles E. Rossi, Director
Division of Operational Events Assessment
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contacts: Charles A. Willis, NRR
(301) 492-8340
Charles R. Nichols, NRR
(301) 492-9416 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
E
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES
- C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR *PPMB:ARM
- SAD:DEST:NRR*AC/SPLB:DEST:NRR
CHBerlinger
TechEd
AThadani
JWCraig
07/1/87
06/26/87
06/30/87
06/26/87
- OGCB:DOEA:NRR *PRPB:DREP:NRR *C/PPRB:DREP:NRR*D/DREP:NRR *SPLB:DEST:NRR
RJKiessel
CAWillis
LJCunningham
FCongel
CRNichols
06/25/87
06/26/87
06/26/87
06/26/87
06/26/87
IN 87-XX
June, 1987 Discussion
Engineered safety features, including charcoal, are provided at nuclear power
plants to protect employees and the public from accidentally released radioac- tive materials. It has been recognized that only certain charcoals would meet
the special needs of nuclear plants (see NUREG/CR-3990, "Charcoal Performance
Under Accident Conditions"). ASTM Standard D-3803-1979, was developed to
specify the requirements for testing charcoal, which was published and accepted
by the NRC (Regulatory Guide 1.52, 1979). The NRC investigation, which fol- lowed the CONAGT interlaboratory comparison, identified serious shortcomings in
the standard and found that it had never been verified. The standard is
currently being revised. However, until it is available the protocol developed
by EG&G is one possibility for consideration by testing companies.
Although shortcomings in testing capabilities were identified by EG&G, equip- ment deficiencies can be corrected only by the individual companies.
The
failure to upgrade equipment so the test parameters can be adequately con- trolled is the principal reason for the unacceptable results in the recent
tests.
Additional information on test accuracies and changes made to improve the
accuracy of test results may be sought by direct contact with the individual
testing companies.
No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the Regional
Administrator of the appropriate regional office or this office.
Charles E. Rossi, Director
Division of Operational Events Assessment
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contacts:
Charles A. Willis, NRR
(301) 492-8340
Charles R. Nichols, NRR
(301) 492-9416 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
- SEE PREVIOUS CONC EES
D/DOEA:NRR
C/0G
EA:NRR *PPMB:ARM
- SAD:DEST:NRR*AC/SPLB:DEST:NRR
CERossi
CHberlinger
TechEd
AThadani
JWCraig
06/ /87 O/l /87
06/26/87
06/30/87
06/26/87
- OGCB:DOEA:NRR *PRPB:DREP:NRR *C/PPRB:DREP:NRR*D/DREP:NRR *SPLB:DEST:NRR
RJKiessel
CAWillis
LJCunningham
FCongel
CRNichols
06/25/87
06/26/87
06/26/87
06/26/87
06/26/87
IN 87-XX
June, 1987 Discussion
Engineered safety features, including charcoal, are a part of the licensing
bases (Final Safety Analysis Report and Technical Specifications) for nuclear
power plants.
It has also been recognized that only certain charcoals would
meet the special needs of nuclear plants (for example, see NUREG/CR-3990,
"Charcoal Performance Under Accident Conditions"). ASTM Standard D-3803-1979, was developed to specify the requirements for testing charcoal. The standard
was developed, published and accepted by the NRC (Regulatory Guide 1.52, in
1979). The NRC investigation which followed the CONAGT interlaboratory com- parison identified serious shortcomings in the standard, found that it had
never been verified and showed that it was not being rigorously followed. The
standard is currently being revised.
However, until it is available the
protocol developed by EG&G could be used by testing companies.
Shortcomings in testing capabilities were identified by EG&G but equipment
deficiencies can be corrected only by the individual companies. One company
that made the improvements reported the cost to be more than $70,000. The cost
could be higher for some other companies.
It is believed that the failure to
upgrade equipment so the test parameters could be adequately controlled is the
principal reason for the unacceptable results in the recent tests.
Additional information on test accuracies
accuracy of test results may be sought by
testing companies.
and changes made to improve the
direct contact with the individual
Licensees are responsible for maintenance of their filtration systems and
should review the above information to ensure that the quality of accident
mitigating systems are maintained.
No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the Regional
Administrator of the appropriate regional office or this office.
Charles E. Rossi, Director
Division of Operational Events Assessment
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contact:
Charles A. Willis, NRR
(301) 492-8340
Charles R. Nichols, NRR
(301) 492-9416 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
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