Alpha Air Sample Counting Efficiency Versus Dust Loading: Evaluation of a Large Data Set

Hogue, M. G.; Gause-Lott, S. M.; Owensby, B. N.; Slack, T. M.; Smiley, J. J.; Burkett, J. L.

doi:10.1097/HP.0000000000000800

Title: Alpha Air Sample Counting Efficiency Versus Dust Loading: Evaluation of a Large Data Set

Abstract

Dust loading on air sample filters is known to cause a loss of efficiency for direct counting of alpha activity on the filters, but the amount of dust loading and the correction factor needed to account for attenuated alpha particles is difficult to assess. In this paper, correction factors are developed by statistical analysis of a large database of air sample results for a uranium and plutonium processing facility at the Savannah River Site. As is typically the case, dust-loading data is not directly available, but sample volume is found to be a reasonable proxy measure; the amount of dust loading is inferred by a combination of the derived correction factors and a Monte Carlo model. The technique compares the distribution of activity ratios [beta/(beta + alpha)] by volume and applies a range of correction factors on the raw alpha count rate. The best-fit results with this method are compared with MCNP modeling of activity uniformly deposited in the dust and analytical laboratory results of digested filters. Finally, a linear fit is proposed to evenly-deposited alpha activity collected on filters with dust loading over a range of about 2 mg cm^-2 to 1,000 mg cm^-2.

Authors:

Hogue, M. G. ^[1]; Gause-Lott, S. M. ^[1]; Owensby, B. N. ^[1]; Slack, T. M. ^[1]; Smiley, J. J. ^[1]; Burkett, J. L. ^[1]

Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)

Publication Date:: Sat Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 2018

Research Org.:: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)

OSTI Identifier:: 1426655

Report Number(s):: SRNS-STI-2017-00661
Journal ID: ISSN 0017-9078; TRN: US1802445

Grant/Contract Number:: AC09-08SR22470

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Health Physics

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 114; Journal Issue: 5; Related Information: https://journals.lww.com/health-physics/Fulltext/2018/05000/Alpha_Air_Sample_Counting_Efficiency_Versus_Dust.1.aspx; Journal ID: ISSN 0017-9078

Publisher:: Health Physics Society

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; air sampling; aerosols; alpha particles; Monte Carlo

Citation Formats


                    Hogue, M. G., Gause-Lott, S. M., Owensby, B. N., Slack, T. M., Smiley, J. J., and Burkett, J. L. Alpha Air Sample Counting Efficiency Versus Dust Loading: Evaluation of a Large Data Set.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1097/HP.0000000000000800.

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                    Hogue, M. G., Gause-Lott, S. M., Owensby, B. N., Slack, T. M., Smiley, J. J., & Burkett, J. L. Alpha Air Sample Counting Efficiency Versus Dust Loading: Evaluation of a Large Data Set.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000000800

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                    Hogue, M. G., Gause-Lott, S. M., Owensby, B. N., Slack, T. M., Smiley, J. J., and Burkett, J. L. Sat .  
"Alpha Air Sample Counting Efficiency Versus Dust Loading: Evaluation of a Large Data Set".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000000800.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1426655.

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@article{osti_1426655,

  title        = {Alpha Air Sample Counting Efficiency Versus Dust Loading: Evaluation of a Large Data Set},

  author       = {Hogue, M. G. and Gause-Lott, S. M. and Owensby, B. N. and Slack, T. M. and Smiley, J. J. and Burkett, J. L.},

  abstractNote = {Dust loading on air sample filters is known to cause a loss of efficiency for direct counting of alpha activity on the filters, but the amount of dust loading and the correction factor needed to account for attenuated alpha particles is difficult to assess. In this paper, correction factors are developed by statistical analysis of a large database of air sample results for a uranium and plutonium processing facility at the Savannah River Site. As is typically the case, dust-loading data is not directly available, but sample volume is found to be a reasonable proxy measure; the amount of dust loading is inferred by a combination of the derived correction factors and a Monte Carlo model. The technique compares the distribution of activity ratios [beta/(beta + alpha)] by volume and applies a range of correction factors on the raw alpha count rate. The best-fit results with this method are compared with MCNP modeling of activity uniformly deposited in the dust and analytical laboratory results of digested filters. Finally, a linear fit is proposed to evenly-deposited alpha activity collected on filters with dust loading over a range of about 2 mg cm-2 to 1,000 mg cm-2.},

  doi          = {10.1097/HP.0000000000000800},

  journal      = {Health Physics},

  number       = 5,

  volume       = 114,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Sat Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 2018},

  month        = {Sat Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 2018}

}

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Figures / Tables:

Table 1: MCNP model activity depth in filter

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