Development of an enhanced online tritium monitoring system using plastic scintillation fiber array

Tritium, a radioactive nuclide discharged by nuclear power plants, poses challenges for removal. Continuous online monitoring of tritium in water is crucial for real-time radiation data, given its predominant existence in the environment as water. This paper presents the design, simulation, and development of a tritium monitoring device utilizing a plastic scintillation fiber (PSF) array. Experimental validation confirmed the device’s detection efficiency and minimum detectable activity. The recorded detection efficiency of the device is \(1.6\times 10^{-3}\) $1.6\times {10}^{-3}$ , which exceeds the theoretically simulated value of \(4\times 10^{-4}\) $4\times {10}^{-4}$ by four times. Without shielding, the device can achieve a minimum detectable activity of \(3165\,\hbox {Bq}\,\hbox {L}^{-1}\) $3165\text{Bq}{\text{L}}^{-1}$ over a 1600-second measurement duration. According to simulation and experimental results, enhancing detection efficiency is possible by increasing the number and length of PSFs and implementing rigorous shielding measures. Additionally, reducing the diameter of PSFs can also improve detection efficiency. The minimum detectable activity of the device can be further reduced using the aforementioned methods.