The activation of trace silver impurities in CuCrZr alloys has been investigated in relation to their radiological relevance for ITER. While silver is not an intentional alloying element, its presence in raw copper or introduced during processing can lead to the formation of long-lived radionuclides. Gamma spectrometry measurements confirmed the production of Ag-110m in irradiated CuCrZr samples, while the potential contribution of Ag-108m was assessed through activation modelling. FISPACT-II calculations were used to quantify their activity and shutdown dose rates (SDR) under ITER-relevant neutron spectra. The results show that Ag-110m can generate initial contact dose rates of approximately 400 µSv h⁻¹ per kg, remaining above 100 µSv h⁻¹ for about one year post-irradiation, before decreasing to ∼20 µSv h⁻¹ after 3 years and ∼0.016 µSv h⁻¹ after 10 years. In contrast, Ag-108m contributes consistently low dose rates (∼0.5 µSv h⁻¹), but owing to its 438-year half-life it remains a persistent part of the radiological inventory. While silver isotopes do not dominate the total SDR compared to major contributors such as Cu-64 and Co-60, minor impurities may have an impact on the radiological behaviour of structural alloys that is larger than expected from their concentration. These findings highlight the importance of reliable impurity characterisation for structural alloys used in fusion devices, particularly when relying on commercial feedstocks or uncertified batches.
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