Research Article Impact of Strontium and Krypton Release from Ghana’s MNSR following a Conjectural Accident Scenario S. A. Birikorang , 1,2 R. G. Abrefah, 1,2 H. K. Obeng, 1,3 and K. Gyamfi 1,3 1 University of Ghana, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, P. O. Box AE1, Atomic Energy, Accra, Ghana 2 Nuclear Regulatory Authority, P. O. Box AE50, Atomic Energy, Accra, Ghana 3 Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box LG80, Legon, Accra, Ghana Correspondence should be addressed to S. A. Birikorang; sa.birikorang@gmail.com Received 23 July 2019; Revised 24 October 2019; Accepted 5 November 2019; Published 1 December 2019 Academic Editor: Michael I. Ojovan Copyright © 2019 S. A. Birikorang et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Accidental release of gaseous or liquid effluents is a critical issue and of a greater concern to the nuclear industry when it comes to the protection of the public and the environment. e emphasis becomes paramount when the release involves particulate of radiation particles. is paper provides a comprehensive insight report on an account of a research investigation carried out in addressing a radiological safety issue of Ghana’s Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) during its core conversion project. e amounts of Strontium-90 (Sr-90) and Krypton-85 (Kr-85) effluents presumably released from the reactor hall to the surroundings and the consequential emission radiation to the working area within a 200 m radius were analyzed for a six-month working period. e objective was to estimate specifically the approximate total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) of Sr-90 and Kr- 85 by considering a conjectural accident scenario using a well-recognized and user-friendly known atmospheric dispersion model before the preparatory period. e maximum TEDE value recorded at a ground deposition value of 4.6E − 01 kBq/m 2 was approximately 1.80E − 02 mSv and 4.90E − 4 mSv for Sr-90 and Kr-85, respectively, at a maximum distance of 0.1 km from the source. e estimated dose values recorded were found to be within the recommended regulatory safety limits of 50 mSv for onsite workers and 1 mSv for the general public. No adverse effect was experienced with respect to human health and the environment. 1.Introduction In Ghana, the only nuclear research reactor currently in operation is the Ghana Research Reactor-1 (notably termed as “GHARR-1”). e reactor is a miniature neutron source reactor of a Chinese origin. It is a very compact kind of research reactor fueled with High Enriched Uranium (HEU) [1]. Most research and test reactors use uranium aluminum alloyed fuel which has been preferred in the past. e reason is that HEU (∼90% U-235) allows for denser reactor core design. e design helps to attain a high value of core excess reactivity which gives room for varieties of experiments. It has also been found to keep the core life cycle length considerably large. Aside from its various benefits, HEU presents a very distinctive challenge from the nuclear se- curity perspective. Because of its nuclear unique properties, HEU can be relatively used easily in a much simple way for nuclear explosive device [2]. It has therefore become sig- nificantly dangerous with regard to potential use by state and nonstate actors with limited nuclear weapon expertise. In addition, due to the fact that HEU has a 20 percent or higher concentration of Uranium-235 or is a fissile material of 80 percent or more Uranium-235, it has been considered as weapons-grade [3]. e major issue associated with civilian research facilities is usually the lack of sufficient protection from the security point of view. Appreciating the intrinsic security risks as- sociated with the lasting or continues use of HEU and the nuclear proliferation risks associated with these activities is very important. is thought boggling has initiated a wake- up call for most international bodies. e United States Congress, as well as foreign policy makers, has formally Hindawi Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations Volume 2019, Article ID 3026046, 9 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/3026046