Tritium detector for continuous underground monitoring

[Marlin]

Tritium detector for continuous underground monitoring

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-10-06/article-8466/tritium-detector-for-continuous-underground-monitoring/

[Core Content]

The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility recently signed a formal cooperative research and development agreement with startup Canary Instruments to commercialize a specialized monitoring device. The technology is designed to track radioactive isotopes in groundwater near nuclear fission and fusion facilities.

Traditional radioisotope testing relies on periodic manual water sampling, which provides only limited snapshots of environmental conditions. The new device uses unclad scintillating fibers and silicon photomultipliers placed directly in boreholes to capture continuous data. This technology offers improved sensitivity for detecting low-level episodic leaks at energy sites.

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility announced yesterday that it has entered a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with Canary Instruments to commercialize a tritium detector it developed for monitoring groundwater near nuclear facilities.

"We have an excited and eager partner who wants to dig in and do the hard work of identifying markets and building a business around our intellectual property," said Marla Schuchman, Jefferson Lab's chief innovation officer and leader of the Research and Technology Partnerships Office. "Ultimately, the goal of our innovation efforts is to make sure impactful technologies find their way out of the lab so they can improve society and provide economic benefit to the United States."

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-10-06/article-8466/tritium-detector-for-continuous-underground-monitoring/