The influence of salt aerosol on alpha radiation detection by WIPP continuous air monitors

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:567187

Bartlett, W T; Walker, B A ^[1]

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1. Environmental Evaluation Group, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) alpha continuous air monitor (CAM) performance was evaluated to determine if CAMs could detect accidental releases of transuranic radioactivity from the underground repository. Anomalous alpha spectra and poor background subtraction were observed and attributed to salt deposits on the CAM sampling filters. Microscopic examination of salt laden sampling filters revealed that aerosol particles were forming dendritic structures on the surface of the sampling filters. Alpha CAM detection efficiency decreased exponentially as salt deposits increased on the sampling filters, suggesting that sampling-filter salt was performing like a fibrous filter rather than a membrane filter. Aerosol particles appeared to penetrate the sampling-filter salt deposits and alpha particle energy was reduced. These findings indicate that alpha CAMs may not be able to detect acute releases of radioactivity, and consequently CAMs are not used as part of the WIPP dynamic confinement system. 12 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Harvard Univ., Boston, MA (United States). Harvard Air Cleaning Lab.; USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Environmental Guidance; Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research; International Society of Nuclear Air Treatment Technologies, Inc., Batavia, OH (United States)
• OSTI ID: 567187
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CP--0153; CONF-960715--; ON: TI97008959
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
AIR FILTERS
ALPHA DETECTION
FOULING
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RADIATION MONITORS
SALTS
WIPP