Dust transport: Wind blown and mechanical resuspension, July 1983 to December 1984

Technical Report · Sat Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:7036744

Langer, G

This study defines the processes that resuspend plutonium (Pu) particles from Pu-contaminated soil at Rocky Flats. Such knowledge can predict the transport of Pu particles from the site and the population dose. A vertical dust flux tower profiled the plume of Pu particles from the site. The data show a 70% reduction between 1 and 10 m in the concentration of coarse and inhalable Pu particles. The respirable particle concentration remained steady at both heights, slightly above background levels. High winds visually resuspend large amounts of dust for short periods, but we suspected that present sampling devices do not function properly above 50 km/h. During a windstorm reaching 80 km/h, the size-selective sampler used seriously underestimated the dust(Pu) concentration. Wind tunnel studies measured resuspension versus wind speed from our prairie grass covered, arid soil. We failed to find a good correlation between resuspension and wind speed. This led to a search for alternative mechanisms of resuspension besides wind erosion. Resuspension of dust(Pu) from grass proved to be important, as well as resuspension from rain splash.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Golden, CO (USA). Rocky Flats Plant
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP03533
• OSTI ID: 7036744
• Report Number(s): RFP-3914; ON: DE87005794
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DUSTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GRASS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
PARTICLE RESUSPENSION
PLUTONIUM 239
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SOILS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVITY
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
500300* - Environment
Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
500500 - Environment
Atmospheric- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)