Development and Demonstration of a Method to Evaluate Bio-Sampling Strategies Using Building Simulation and Sample Planning Software
In an effort to validate and demonstrate response and recovery sampling approaches and technologies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), along with several other agencies, have simulated a biothreat agent release within a facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on two separate occasions in the fall of 2007 [1] and the fall of 2008. Because these events constitute only two realizations of many possible scenarios, increased understanding of sampling strategies can be obtained by virtually examining a wide variety of release and dispersion scenarios using computer simulations. This research effort demonstrates the use of two software tools, CONTAM [2], developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Visual Sample Plan (VSP), developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) [3]. CONTAM is a computer program that is used to simulate building airflow and contaminant transport on a whole-building scale. VSP is a software tool that employs statistically defensible approaches in developing sampling designs and analyzing data. CONTAM and VSP were used to 1) virtually examine a wide range of biological contaminant release and dispersion scenarios at the INL facility and 2) develop a process for creating and evaluating sampling strategies for a given scenario. The CONTAM modeling software was used to virtually contaminate a model of the INL test building under various release and dissemination scenarios. Simulations were based on a range of building design and operation parameters, thereby providing information not constrained by experimental parameters as in the real-world testing. The results of these numerous CONTAM simulations were then used to investigate the relevance and performance of various sampling strategies using VSP.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1000585
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-72779; JRITEF; TRN: US201101%%390
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 115(2):113-147, Vol. 115, Issue 2; ISSN 1044-677X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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