Conducting an evaluation of CBRN canister protection capabilities against emerging chemical and radiological hazards

In the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) hazard release, emergency responders rely on respiratory protection to prevent inhalation of these hazards. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) CBRN Statement of Standard calls for CBRN respirator canisters to be challenged with 11 different chemical test representative agents (TRAs) during certification testing, which represent hazards from 7 distinct Chemical Families; these 11 TRAs were identified during the original 2001 CBRN hazard assessment. CBRN hazards are constantly evolving in type, intent of use, and ways of dissemination. Thus, new and emerging hazards must be identified to ensure CBRN canisters continue to provide protection to emergency responders against all hazards that would most likely be used in an intentional or unintentional event. The objectives are to: (1) update the CBRN list of hazards to ensure NIOSH-approved CBRN canisters continue to provide adequate protection capabilities from newly emerging chemical and radiological hazards and (2) identify the need to update NIOSH TRAs to ensure testing conditions represent relevant hazards. These objectives were accomplished by reviewing recent hazard assessments to identify a list of chemical and radiological respiratory hazards, evaluate chemical/physical properties and filtration behavior for these hazards, group the hazards based on NIOSH's current Chemical Families, and finally compare the hazards to the current TRAs based on anticipated filtration behavior, among other criteria. Upon completion of the evaluation process, 237 hazards were identified and compared to NIOSH's current CBRN TRAs. Of these 237 hazards, 203 were able to be categorized into one of NIOSH's current seven Chemical Families. Five were identified for further evaluation. Based on reviewing key chemical/physical properties of each hazard, NIOSH's current 11 TRAs remain representative of the identified respiratory CBRN hazards to emergency responders and should continue to be used during NIOSH certification testing. Thus, NIOSH's CBRN Statement of Standard remains unchanged. The process developed standardizes a methodology for future hazard evaluations.

Radon and its progenies variation in the urban polluted atmosphere of the Mediterranean city of Thessaloniki, Greece

Radon and Rn progenies' concentrations were determined in the urban polluted atmosphere of Thessaloniki's city center using two experimental procedures: (i) filter with 0.8-μm porosity measured using α-counting technique determining the radon equilibrium equivalent concentration (C_EER), which varies from 2.6 to 8.9 Bq m^-3, and (ii) filter with 0.3-μm porosity measured in the laboratory using γ-spectrometry determining ²¹⁴Pb activity concentration 1.3-7.5 Bq m^-3 and ²¹⁴Bi activity 3.1-11.5 Bq m^-3. Strong daily correlation with the relative humidity is presented, in association to an inverse correlation with the temperature gradient. Radon and its daughter's concentration correlate well smoke particles' content because radon is trapped inside them due to their high effective porosity, and so the Rn daughter collection in the filter increases. Gas pollutants have similar daily distribution with the radon activity, while SO₂ levels are correlated the best with ²¹⁴Pb and ²¹⁴Bi concentrations, as Pb is more chemically associated to sulfuric complex ions than nitric formation in presence of vapors. The lower ²¹⁴Pb/ ²¹⁴Bi activity ratio appeared during the highest temperature gradient and amount of vapors, smoke, and gases giving rise to high formation of ultrafine aerosol particles. The ultrafine aerosol creation boosts ²¹⁴Pb recoil effect taken place during ²¹⁸Po α-decay, so ²¹⁴Pb nuclei become free starting the clustering process yet again having ingrowth coefficient ~ 0.1 nm² s^-1 regarding accumulation mode aerosols.

Processing and uses of fly ash addressing radioactivity (critical review)

Fly ash is the residue of coal combustion collected by electrostatic or cyclone separator. It is one of the largest quantities of waste disposed in the world. Fly ash represents mostly less than 100 micron in size spherical particles with pozzolanic and hydraulic properties depending on its composition. Utilization of fly ash depends on its chemical, mineralogical composition and morphology. Because of coal nature, fly ash represents a significant drawback with presence of radionuclides such as ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K. The fly ash can be used for various applications. The main amount of the fly ash is used for building materials production as cement additive and concrete production. Therefore, the determination of radiological properties both in the fly ash and final products are important parameters to consider. Radioactive isotopes cause release of alpha, beta, particles gamma rays and radon exhalation. However, fly ash addition doesn't increase the gamma dose substantially. Moreover, radioactive elements are generally immobilized within glass phase and therefore, radon emanation is not high. In this review the latest development of utilization of the various fly ashes with a different level of radioactive elements content for value added application are presented and a possible new direction of applications are discussed.

The experimental study on the emanation power of a flow-through thoron source made from incandescent gas mantles

To improve the quality of the calibration of thoron concentration activity measurement, an experimental study on the emanation power of a flow-through thoron source based on incandescent gas mantles was carried out in this paper. The thoron activity concentrations of the outflowed air from the flow-through source were measured using RAD7, and the quantitative relationship between thoron concentrations and flowrates was studied through theoretical analysis, and the thoron emanation powers were obtained from the fitting of the relationship above. Results show that the thoron concentration decreased with the increasing flowrate in the gas path, and the thoron emanation powers of three batches of gas mantles obtained by fitting were 1.33% ± 0.17%, 0.77% ± 0.10% and 0.57% ± 0.07% respectively in low humidity condition. Those results were checked using the gamma spectroscopy method, and were consistent within the error range.

KDEP: A Resource for Calculating Particle Deposition in the Respiratory Tract

This paper presents KDEP, an open-source implementation of the ICRP lung deposition model developed by the authors. KDEP, which is freely available to the public, can be used to calculate lung deposition values under a variety of different conditions using the ICRP methodology. The paper describes how KDEP implements this model and discusses some key points of the implementation. The published lung deposition values for intakes by workers were reproduced, and new deposition values were calculated for intakes by members of the public. KDEP can be obtained for free at github.com or by emailing the authors directly.

Radon Release and Its Simulated Effect on Radiation Doses

One of the main factors that affect the uncertainty in calculating the gamma-radiation absorbed dose rate inside a room is the variation in the degree of secular equilibrium of the considered radioactive series. A component of this factor, considered in this paper, is the release of radon (Rn) from building materials to the living space of the room. This release takes place through different steps. These steps are represented and mathematically formulated. The diffusion of radon inside the material is described by Fick's second law. Some of the factors affecting the radon release rate (e.g. covering walls, moisture, structure of the building materials, etc.) are discussed. This scheme is used to study the impact of radon release on the gamma-radiation absorbed dose rate inside a room. The investigation is carried out by exploiting the MCNP simulation software. Different building materials are considered with different radon release rates. Special care is given to Rn due to its relatively higher half-life and higher indoor concentration than the other radon isotopes. The results of the presented model show that the radon release is of a significant impact in some building materials.

Pb-210 and Po-210 atmospheric releases via fly ash from oil shale-fired power plants

During high temperature processes in the furnace volatile and semi-volatile elements and radionuclides are partially emitted to the environment, depending on their chemical form in the original fuel, the technological set-up of the combustion system, and the prevailing combustion conditions. Two of the world's largest oil shale-fired power plants (PPs) have been operational in Estonia from the 1960s, during which time creation of significant environmental emissions and waste containing naturally occurring radionuclides has occurred. Pb-210 and ²¹⁰Po are considered natural radionuclides with the highest emission rates from PPs and possess elevated potential radiation exposure risks to humans and the environment. These radionuclides have the highest activity concentration values in fine ash fractions, especially in fractions remaining below 2.5 μm. To determine the activity concentrations of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po in the PPs' outlet, sampling was conducted from boilers operating on pulverized fuel (PF) technology with novel integrated desulphurization (NID) system and bag filters as well as with electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). The ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po activity concentrations remained around 300 Bq kg^-1 for the NID system compared to 60-80 Bq kg^-1 in the ESP system. The dominant ash fraction in both systems was PM2.5, constituting over 50% of the fly ash mass collected from the outlet. The authors estimate that the total atmospherically emitted activity for the modernized PPs remains dominantly below 1% of the activity that is inserted via fuel. The implementation of higher efficiency purifications systems has significantly reduced the negative effect of these PPs. Based on annually emitted fly ash and boilers' working hours, the ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po activity released relative to energy production were up to 68.3 kBq GWh_el^-1 for ²¹⁰Pb and 64.6 kBq GWh_el^-1 for ²¹⁰Po. These values are 1 to 2 orders of magnitude lower compared to the situation in the 1980s. These findings represent the first publicly available quantitative results estimating the ²¹⁰Po emissions from large oil shale-fired PPs.

Fractal Theory and Field Cover Experiments: Implications for the Fractal Characteristics and Radon Diffusion Behavior of Soils and Rocks

Radon diffusion and transport through different media is a complex process affected by many factors. In this study, the fractal theories and field covering experiments were used to study the fractal characteristics of particle size distribution (PSD) of six kinds of geotechnical materials (e.g., waste rock, sand, laterite, kaolin, mixture of sand and laterite, and mixture of waste rock and laterite) and their effects on radon diffusion. In addition, the radon diffusion coefficient and diffusion length were calculated. Moreover, new formulas for estimating diffusion coefficient and diffusion length functional of fractal dimension d of PSD were proposed. These results demonstrate the following points: (1) the fractal dimension d of the PSD can be used to characterize the property of soils and rocks in the studies of radon diffusion behavior; (2) the diffusion coefficient and diffusion length decrease with increasing fractal dimension of PSD; and (3) the effectiveness of final covers in reducing radon exhalation of uranium tailings impoundments can be evaluated on the basis of the fractal dimension of PSD of materials.

Thoron Mitigation from Building Materials with Surface Barriers

Thoron (Rn) exhalation from building materials has become increasingly recognized as a potential source for radiation exposure in dwellings. However, few studies have focused on mitigation strategies to reduce exposure from thoron and its progeny. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to (1) determine the reduction in thoron exhalation from building materials applied with regularly available surface barriers and (2) investigate the effects from surface roughness of the base material, barrier thickness, and surface cover on the thoron-retaining action of the surface barrier. The findings from this study demonstrate that regular surface barriers provide a potentially significant reduction in thoron exhalation, which can reach more than 90%. Despite this reduction, there are also materials that provide no reduction at all. Based on this work, no commonly available product property could be identified that provides good guidance on the barriers' performance to reduce thoron exhalation.

Dynamic Radioactive Source for Evaluating and Demonstrating Time-dependent Performance of Continuous Air Monitors

Evaluation of continuous air monitors in the presence of a plutonium aerosol is time intensive, expensive, and requires a specialized facility. The Radiation Protection Services Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory has designed a Dynamic Radioactive Source, intended to replace plutonium aerosol challenge testing. The Dynamic Radioactive Source is small enough to be inserted into the sampler filter chamber of a typical continuous air monitor. Time-dependent radioactivity is introduced from electroplated sources for real-time testing of a continuous air monitor where a mechanical wristwatch motor rotates a mask above an alpha-emitting electroplated disk source. The mask is attached to the watch's minute hand, and as it rotates, more of the underlying source is revealed. The measured alpha activity increases with time, simulating the arrival of airborne radioactive particulates at the air sampler inlet. The Dynamic Radioactive Source allows the temporal behavior of puff and chronic release conditions to be mimicked without the need for radioactive aerosols. The new system is configurable to different continuous air monitor designs and provides an in-house testing capability (benchtop compatible). It is a repeatable and reusable system and does not contaminate the tested air monitor. Test benefits include direct user control, realistic (plutonium) aerosol spectra, and iterative development of continuous air monitor alarm algorithms. Data obtained using the Dynamic Radioactive Source has been used to elucidate alarm algorithms and to compare the response time of two commercial continuous air monitors.

Open charcoal chamber method for mass measurements of radon exhalation rate from soil surface

Radon exhalation rate from the soil surface can serve as an important criterion in the evaluation of radon hazard of the land. Recently published international standard ISO 11665-7 (2012) is based on the accumulation of radon gas in a closed container. At the same time since 1998 in Russia, as a part of engineering and environmental studies for the construction, radon flux measurements are made using an open charcoal chamber for a sampling duration of 3-5 h. This method has a well-defined metrological justification and was tested in both favorable and unfavorable conditions. The article describes the characteristics of the method, as well as the means of sampling and measurement of the activity of radon absorbed. The results of the metrological study suggest that regardless of the sampling conditions (weather, the mechanism and rate of radon transport in the soil, soil properties and conditions), uncertainty of method does not exceed 20%, while the combined standard uncertainty of radon exhalation rate measured from the soil surface does not exceed 30%. The results of the daily measurements of radon exhalation rate from the soil surface at the experimental site during one year are reported.

Optimizing laboratory-based radon flux measurements for sediments

Radon flux via diffusion from sediments and other materials may be determined in the laboratory by circulating air through the sample and a radon detector in a closed loop. However, this approach is complicated by the necessity of having to determine the total air volume in the system and accounting for any small air leaks that can arise if using extended measurement periods. We designed a simple open-loop configuration that includes a measured mass of wet sediment and water inside a gas-tight reaction flask connected to a drying system and a radon-in-air analyzer. Ambient air flows through two charcoal columns before entering the reaction vessel to eliminate incoming radon. After traveling through the reaction flask, the air passes the drier and the radon analyzer and is then vented. After some time, the radon activity will reach a steady state depending upon the airflow rate. With this approach, the radon flux via diffusion is simply the product of the steady-state radon activity (Bq/m(3)) multiplied by the airflow rate (mL/min). We demonstrated that this setup could produce good results for materials that produce relatively high radon fluxes. We also show that a modified closed system approach, including radon removal of the incoming air by charcoal filtration in a bypass, can produce very good results including samples with very low emission rates.

Variation of atmospheric tritium concentration in three chemical forms at Toki, Japan: 2004-12

Atmospheric tritium concentrations of HTO, HT and CH3T have been measured at Toki, Japan, for the environmental impact assessment of tritium for a fusion test facility. According to the data from 2004 to 2012, the concentrations of HT and HTO in water vapour tend to increase in spring. The seasonal variation in HT concentration at Toki was compared with the H2 concentration between 1990 and 2005 at Tae-ahn Peninsula, Republic of Korea, which is at approximately the same latitude as Toki. The monthly average of HT-specific activity varied from 1.24 × 10(5) to 1.76 × 10(5) TU. The peak of the monthly average H2 concentration did not match that of HT. This indicates that the mechanism of the production or the source of HT might be different from the production mechanism of H2.

Estimation of radon emanation coefficient for representative soils in Okinawa, Japan

Radon ((222)Rn) emanation coefficients for the representative soils distributed in Okinawa Island, Japan, have been estimated empirically. Arithmetic means of the emanation coefficients for dry and moist conditions were calculated to be 0.19 and 0.29, respectively. In Okinawa, the soils are traditionally classified into three types, namely the dark red soils, the residual regosols and the red and yellow soils. The dark red soils have relatively high coefficients. The residual regosols and the red and yellow soils have relatively low coefficients. To investigate the variable factor of the emanation coefficients, analyses of radioactive elements and physical properties have also been performed on the soils. For the dark red soils, the contents of the fine particle and the (226)Ra are relatively higher than those for the other soils. Based on these results, it is suggested that the variation in the radon emanation coefficient is mainly regulated by the (226)Ra concentration, the particle sizes and the water contents of the soils.

Soil features and indoor radon concentration prediction: radon in soil gas, pedology, permeability and 226Ra content

This work aims at relating some physicochemical features of soils and their use as a tool for prediction of indoor radon concentrations of the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (RMBH), Minas Gerais, Brazil. The measurements of soil gas radon concentrations were performed by using an AlphaGUARD monitor. The (226)Ra content analysis was performed by gamma spectrometry (high pure germanium) and permeabilities were performed by using the RADON-JOK permeameter. The GEORP indicator and soil radon index (RI) were also calculated. Approximately 53 % of the Perferric Red Latosols measurement site could be classified as 'high risk' (Swedish criteria). The Litholic Neosols presented the lowest radon concentration mean in soil gas. The Perferric Red Latosols presented significantly high radon concentration mean in soil gas (60.6 ± 8.7 kBq m(-3)), high indoor radon concentration, high RI, (226)Ra content and GEORP. The preliminary results may indicate an influence of iron formations present very close to the Perferric Red Latosols in the retention of uranium minerals.

Quantitative evaluation of 218Po behaviour in air in an artificial environment

Experiments were carried out in a small enclosed booth for the purpose of understanding and modelling (218)Po behaviour. The experiment was conducted under two kinds of conditions without and with injection of incense smoke. A working model of (218)Po behaviour was applied to analyse the measured data. Under the condition without incense smoke, temporal changes in aerosol-attached and unattached (218)Po concentrations were successfully reproduced by the model. The deposition rate of unattached fraction and the rate of attachment were determined by the working model. Under the condition with incense smoke, temporal changes in (218)Po concentration were poorly simulated by the model. This can be attributed to the significantly increased aerosol concentration in small size ranges which is not properly considered in the attachment rate calculation in the model.

An experimental method for quantitatively evaluating the elemental processes of indoor radioactive aerosol behavior

An experimental method for quantitatively evaluating the elemental processes governing the indoor behaviour of naturally occurring radioactive aerosols was proposed. This method utilises transient response of aerosol concentrations to an artificial change in aerosol removal rate by turning on and off an air purifier. It was shown that the indoor-outdoor exchange rate and the indoor deposition rate could be estimated by a continuous measurement of outdoor and indoor aerosol number concentration measurements and by the method proposed in this study. Although the scatter of the estimated parameters is relatively large, both the methods gave consistent results. It was also found that the size distribution of radioactive aerosol particles and hence activity median aerodynamic diameter remained not largely affected by the operation of the air purifier, implying the predominance of the exchange and deposition processes over other processes causing change in the size distribution such as the size growth by coagulation and the size dependence of deposition.

Surface charge accumulation of particles containing radionuclides in open air

Radioactivity can induce charge accumulation on radioactive particles. However, electrostatic interactions caused by radioactivity are typically neglected in transport modeling of radioactive plumes because it is assumed that ionizing radiation leads to charge neutralization. The assumption that electrostatic interactions caused by radioactivity are negligible is evaluated here by examining charge accumulation and neutralization on particles containing radionuclides in open air. A charge-balance model is employed to predict charge accumulation on radioactive particles. It is shown that particles containing short-lived radionuclides can be charged with multiple elementary charges through radioactive decay. The presence of radioactive particles can significantly modify the particle charge distribution in open air and yield an asymmetric bimodal charge distribution, suggesting that strong electrostatic particle interactions may occur during short- and long-range transport of radioactive particles. Possible effects of transported radioactive particles on electrical properties of the local atmosphere are reported. The study offers insight into transport characteristics of airborne radionuclides. Results are useful in atmospheric transport modeling of radioactive plumes.

Behavior of ambient concentrations of natural radionuclides (7)Be, (210)Pb, (40)K in the Mediterranean coastal city of Málaga (Spain)

During a 4-year period (January 2009-December 2012), the (7)Be, (210)Pb, and (40)K activity concentrations in airborne particulate matter were weekly determined at the Málaga (Spain) located in the southern Iberian Peninsula. Totally 209 polypropylene filters were analyzed in the mentioned period. In 100% of the filters, (7)Be and (40)K activity concentrations were detected while (210)Pb activity concentration was detected in 96% of the filters. The results from individual measurements of (7)Be, (210)Pb, and (40)K concentrations were analyzed to derive the statistical estimates characterizing the distributions. Principal components analysis (PCA) was applied to the datasets and the results of the study reveal that aerosol behavior is represented by two principal components which explain 73.2% of total variance. Components PC1 and PC2 respectively explain 46.0 and 27.2% of total variance. PC1 was related positively to dust content, (7)Be and (40)K concentrations and negatively to sunspot numbers. In contrast, PC2 was related positively to temperature and (210)Pb activity and negatively to precipitation and relative humidity. The (7)Be levels showed a significant correlation with sunspot numbers due to the cosmogenic origin. (40)K activities showed a good correlation with dust deposition in filters mainly because it was transported to the air as resuspended particle from the soil. An inverse relationship was observed between the (210)Pb concentrations and monthly rainfall, indicating washout of atmospheric aerosols carrying these radionuclides and a pronounced positive correlation with the average monthly temperature of air.

Evaluation of radon adsorption characteristics of a coconut shell-based activated charcoal system for radon and thoron removal applications

Radon ((222)Rn), thoron ((220)Rn), and their decay products contribute a major fraction (more than 50%) of doses received from ionisation radiation in public domain indoor environments and occupation environments such as uranium mines, thorium plants, and underground facilities, and are recognised as important radiological hazardous materials, which need to be controlled. This paper presents studies on the removal of (222)Rn and (220)Rn from air using coconut shell-based granular activated charcoal cylindrical adsorber beds. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the (222)Rn and (220)Rn adsorption characteristics, and the mitigation efficiency of coconut-based activated charcoal available in India. The performance parameters evaluated include breakthrough time (τ) and adsorption coefficient (K), and degassing characteristics of the charcoal bed of varying dimensions at different flow rates. While the breakthrough for (222)Rn occurred depending on the dimension of the adsorber bed and flow rates, for (220)Rn, the breakthrough did not occur. The breakthrough curve exhibited a stretched S-shape response, instead of the theoretically predicted sharp step function. The experiments confirm that the breakthrough time individually satisfies the quadratic relationship with respect to the diameter of the bed, and the linear relationship with respect to the length, as predicted in the theory. The K value varied in the range of 2.3-4.12 m(3) kg(-1) with a mean value of 2.99 m(3) kg(-1). The K value was found to increase with the increase in flow rate. Heating the charcoal to ∼ 100 °C resulted in degassing of the adsorbed (222)Rn, and the K of the degassed charcoal and virgin charcoal were found to be similar with no deterioration in performance indicating the re-usability of the charcoal.

The accuracy of radon and thoron progeny concentrations measured through air filtration

The accuracy and the optimization of determining radon and thoron progeny concentrations in air using air filtration followed by alpha activity measurements were investigated in details. The effects of radon and thoron concentrations, filtering duration and the choice of measuring intervals on relative standard deviations were analyzed. Obtaining satisfactory results by this method should be expected only in the case of high radon and thoron progeny concentrations in air. The optimization process also showed up to be dependent on the progeny concentration. Determinant of the system matrix and its effect on the sensitivity of the results were investigated.

The enrichment behavior of natural radionuclides in pulverized oil shale-fired power plants

The oil shale industry is the largest producer of NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) waste in Estonia. Approximately 11-12 million tons of oil shale containing various amounts of natural radionuclides is burned annually in the Narva oil shale-fired power plants, which accounts for approximately 90% of Estonian electricity production. The radionuclide behavior characteristics change during the fuel combustion process, which redistributes the radionuclides between different ash fractions. Out of 24 operational boilers in the power plants, four use circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology and twenty use pulverized fuel (PF) technology. Over the past decade, the PF boilers have been renovated, with the main objective to increase the efficiency of the filter systems. Between 2009 and 2012, electrostatic precipitators (ESP) in four PF energy blocks were replaced with novel integrated desulphurization technology (NID) for the efficient removal of fly ash and SO2 from flue gases. Using gamma spectrometry, activity concentrations and enrichment factors for the (238)U ((238)U, (226)Ra, (210)Pb) and (232)Th ((232)Th, (228)Ra) family radionuclides as well as (40)K were measured and analyzed in different PF boiler ash fractions. The radionuclide activity concentrations in the ash samples increased from the furnace toward the back end of the flue gas duct. The highest values in different PF boiler ash fractions were in the last field of the ESP and in the NID ash, where radionuclide enrichment factors were up to 4.2 and 3.3, respectively. The acquired and analyzed data on radionuclide activity concentrations in different PF boiler ashes (operating with an ESP and a NID system) compared to CFB boiler ashes provides an indication that changes in the fuel (oil shale) composition and boiler working parameters, as well as technological enhancements in Estonian oil shale fired power plants, have had a combined effect on the distribution patterns of natural radionuclides in the oil shale combustion products.

The environmental geochemistry of trace elements and naturally radionuclides in a coal gangue brick-making plant

An investigation focused on the transformation and distribution behaviors of trace elements and natural radionuclides around a coal gangue brick plant was conducted. Simultaneous sampling of coal gangue, brick, fly ash and flue gas were implemented. Soil, soybean and earthworm samples around the brick plant were also collected for comprehensive ecological assessment. During the firing process, trace elements were released and redistributed in the brick, fly ash and the flue gas. Elements can be divided into two groups according to their releasing characteristics, high volatile elements (release ratio higher than 30%) are represented by Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se and Sn, which emitted mainly in flue gas that would travel and deposit at the northeast and southwest direction around the brick plant. Cadmium, Ni and Pb are bio-accumulated in the soybean grown on the study area, which indicates potential health impacts in case of human consumption. The high activity of natural radionuclides in the atmosphere around the plant as well as in the made-up bricks will increase the health risk of respiratory system.

Age-dependent inhalation doses to members of the public from indoor short-lived radon progeny

The main contribution of radiation dose to the human lungs from natural exposure originates from short-lived radon progeny. In the present work, the inhalation doses from indoor short-lived radon progeny, i.e., (218)Po, (214)Pb, (214)Bi, and (214)Po, to different age groups of members of the public were calculated. In the calculations, the age-dependent systemic biokinetic models of polonium, bismuth, and lead published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) were adopted. In addition, the ICRP human respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract models were applied to determine the deposition fractions in different regions of the lungs during inhalation and exhalation, and the absorption fractions of radon progeny in the alimentary tract. Based on the calculated contribution of each progeny to equivalent dose and effective dose, the dose conversion factor was estimated, taking into account the unattached fraction of aerosols, attached aerosols in the nucleation, accumulation and coarse modes, and the potential alpha energy concentration fraction in indoor air. It turned out that for each progeny, the equivalent doses to extrathoracic airways and the lungs are greater than those to other organs. The contribution of (214)Po to effective dose is much smaller compared to that of the other short-lived radon progeny and can thus be neglected in the dose assessment. In fact, 90 % of the effective dose from short-lived radon progeny arises from (214)Pb and (214)Bi, while the rest is from (218)Po. The dose conversion factors obtained in the present study are 17 and 18 mSv per working level month (WLM) for adult female and male, respectively. This compares to values ranging from 6 to 20 mSv WLM(-1) calculated by other investigators. The dose coefficients of each radon progeny calculated in the present study can be used to estimate the radiation doses for the population, especially for small children and women, in specific regions of the world exposed to radon progeny by measuring their concentrations, aerosol sizes, and unattached fractions.

Radon-222 activity flux measurement using activated charcoal canisters: revisiting the methodology

The measurement of radon ((222)Rn) activity flux using activated charcoal canisters was examined to investigate the distribution of the adsorbed (222)Rn in the charcoal bed and the relationship between (222)Rn activity flux and exposure time. The activity flux of (222)Rn from five sources of varying strengths was measured for exposure times of one, two, three, five, seven, 10, and 14 days. The distribution of the adsorbed (222)Rn in the charcoal bed was obtained by dividing the bed into six layers and counting each layer separately after the exposure. (222)Rn activity decreased in the layers that were away from the exposed surface. Nevertheless, the results demonstrated that only a small correction might be required in the actual application of charcoal canisters for activity flux measurement, where calibration standards were often prepared by the uniform mixing of radium ((226)Ra) in the matrix. This was because the diffusion of (222)Rn in the charcoal bed and the detection efficiency as a function of the charcoal depth tended to counterbalance each other. The influence of exposure time on the measured (222)Rn activity flux was observed in two situations of the canister exposure layout: (a) canister sealed to an open bed of the material and (b) canister sealed over a jar containing the material. The measured (222)Rn activity flux decreased as the exposure time increased. The change in the former situation was significant with an exponential decrease as the exposure time increased. In the latter case, lesser reduction was noticed in the observed activity flux with respect to exposure time. This reduction might have been related to certain factors, such as absorption site saturation or the back diffusion of (222)Rn gas occurring at the canister-soil interface.

Invited article: in situ comparison of passive radon-thoron discriminative monitors at subsurface workplaces in Hungary

During a one-year long measurement period, radon and thoron data obtained by two different passive radon-thoron discriminative monitors were compared at subsurface workplaces in Hungary, such as mines (bauxite and manganese ore) and caves (medical and touristic). These workplaces have special environmental conditions, such as, stable and high relative humidity (100%), relatively stable temperature (12°C-21°C), low or high wind speed (max. 2.4 m s(-1)) and low or elevated aerosol concentration (130-60,000 particles m(-3)). The measured radon and thoron concentrations fluctuated in a wide range among the different workplaces. The respective annual average radon concentrations and their standard deviations (in brackets) measured by the passive radon-thoron discriminative monitor with cellulose filter (CF) and the passive radon-thoron discriminative monitor with sponge filter (SF) were: 350(321) Bq m(-3) and 550(497) Bq m(-3) in the bauxite mine; 887(604) Bq m(-3) and 1258(788) Bq m(-3) in the manganese ore mine; 2510(2341) Bq m(-3) and 3403(3075) Bq m(-3) in the medical cave (Hospital Cave of Tapolca); and 6239(2057) Bq m(-3) and 8512(1955) Bq m(-3) in the touristic cave (Lake Cave of Tapolca). The respective average thoron concentrations and their standard deviation (in brackets) measured by CF and SF monitors were: 154(210) Bq m(-3) and 161(148) Bq m(-3) in the bauxite mine; 187(191) Bq m(-3) and 117(147) Bq m(-3) in the manganese-ore mine; 360(524) Bq m(-3) and 371(789) Bq m(-3) in the medical cave (Hospital Cave of Tapolca); and 1420(1184) Bq m(-3) and 1462(3655) Bq m(-3) in the touristic cave (Lake Cave of Tapolca). Under these circumstances, comparison of the radon data for the SF and CF monitors showed the former were consistently 51% higher in the bauxite mine, 38% higher in the manganese ore mine, and 34% higher in the caves. Consequently, correction is required on previously obtained radon data acquired by CF monitors at subsurface workplaces to gain comparable data for SF monitors. In the case of thoron, the data were unreliable and no significant tendency was seen during the comparison therefore comparison of previously obtained thoron data acquired by either CF or SF is doubtful. There was probable influence by relative humidity on the detection response; however, the effects of the high wind speed and elevated aerosol concentration could not be excluded. The results of this study call attention to the importance of calibration under extreme environmental conditions and the need for using reliable radon-thoron monitors for subsurface workplaces.

An unattended device for high-voltage sampling and passive measurement of thoron decay products

An integrating measurement device for the concentration of airborne thoron decay products was designed and calibrated. It is suitable for unattended use over up to several months also in inhabited dwellings. The device consists of a hemispheric capacitor with a wire mesh as the outer electrode on ground potential and the sampling substrates as the inner electrode on +7.0 kV. Negatively charged and neutral thoron decay products are accelerated to and deposited on the sampling substrates. As sampling substrates, CR39 solid-state nuclear track detectors are used in order to record the alpha decay of the sampled decay products. Nuclide discrimination is achieved by covering the detectors with aluminum foil of different thickness, which are penetrated only by alpha particles with sufficient energy. Devices of this type were calibrated against working level monitors in a thoron experimental house. The sensitivity was measured as 9.2 tracks per Bq/m(3) × d of thoron decay products. The devices were used over 8 weeks in several houses built of earthen material in southern Germany, where equilibrium equivalent concentrations of 1.4-9.9 Bq/m(3) of thoron decay products were measured.

Multi-parametric approach towards the assessment of radon and thoron progeny exposures

Conventionally, the dosimetry is carried out using radon and thoron gas concentration measurements and doses have been assigned using assumed equilibrium factors for the progeny species, which is inadequate pertaining to the variations in equilibrium factors and possibly due to significant thoron. In fact, since the true exposures depend upon the intricate mechanisms of progeny deposition in the lung, therefore an integrated approach for the assessment of progeny is essential. In this context, the recently developed deposition based progeny concentration measurement techniques (DTPS: Direct Thoron progeny sensors and DRPS: Direct Radon progeny sensors) appear to be best suited for radiological risk assessments both among occupational workers and general study populations. DTPS and DRPS consist of aluminized mylar mounted LR115 type passive detectors, which essentially detects the alpha particles emitted from the deposited progeny atoms on the detector surface. It gives direct measure of progeny activity concentrations in air. DTPS has a lower limit of detection limit of 0.1 Bq/m(3) whereas that for DRPS is 1 Bq/m(3), hence are perfectly suitable for indoor environments. These DTPS and DRPS can be capped with 200-mesh type wire-screen to measure the coarse fraction of the progeny concentration and the corresponding coarse fraction deposition velocities as well as the time integrated fine fraction. DTPS and DRPS can also be lodged in an integrated sampler wherein the wire-mesh and filter-paper are arranged in an array in flow-mode, to measure the fine and coarse fraction concentration separately and simultaneously. The details are further discussed in the paper.

Thoron detection with an active Radon exposure meter--first results

For state-of-the-art discrimination of Radon and Thoron several measurement techniques can be used, such as active sampling, electrostatic collection, delayed coincidence method, and alpha-particle-spectroscopy. However, most of the devices available are bulky and show high power consumption, rendering them unfeasible for personal exposition monitoring. Based on a Radon exposure meter previously realized at the Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU), a new electronic prototype for Radon/Thoron monitoring is currently being developed, which features small size and weight. Operating with pin-diode detectors, the low-power passive-sampling device can be used for continuous concentration measurements, employing alpha-particle-spectroscopy and coincidence event registration to distinguish decays originating either from Radon or Thoron isotopes and their decay products. In open geometry, preliminary calibration measurements suggest that one count per hour is produced by a 11 Bq m(-3) Radon atmosphere or by a 15 Bq m(-3) Thoron atmosphere. Future efforts will concentrate on measurements in mixed Radon/Thoron atmospheres.

Complementary system for long term measurements of radon exhalation rate from soil

A special set-up for continuous measurements of radon exhalation rate from soil is presented. It was constructed at Laboratory of Radiometric Expertise, Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), Krakow, Poland. Radon exhalation rate was determined using the AlphaGUARD PQ2000 PRO (Genitron) radon monitor together with a special accumulation container which was put on the soil surface during the measurement. A special automatic device was built and used to raise and lower back onto the ground the accumulation container. The time of raising and putting down the container was controlled by an electronic timer. This set-up made it possible to perform 4-6 automatic measurements a day. Besides, some additional soil and meteorological parameters were continuously monitored. In this way, the diurnal and seasonal variability of radon exhalation rate from soil can be studied as well as its dependence on soil properties and meteorological conditions.

Influence of radioactivity on surface charging and aggregation kinetics of particles in the atmosphere

Radioactivity can influence surface interactions, but its effects on particle aggregation kinetics have not been included in transport modeling of radioactive particles. In this research, experimental and theoretical studies have been performed to investigate the influence of radioactivity on surface charging and aggregation kinetics of radioactive particles in the atmosphere. Radioactivity-induced charging mechanisms have been investigated at the microscopic level, and heterogeneous surface potential caused by radioactivity is reported. The radioactivity-induced surface charging is highly influenced by several parameters, such as rate and type of radioactive decay. A population balance model, including interparticle forces, has been employed to study the effects of radioactivity on particle aggregation kinetics in air. It has been found that radioactivity can hinder aggregation of particles because of similar surface charging caused by the decay process. Experimental and theoretical studies provide useful insights into the understanding of transport characteristics of radioactive particles emitted from severe nuclear events, such as the recent accident of Fukushima or deliberate explosions of radiological devices.

Size distributions of airborne radionuclides from the fukushima nuclear accident at several places in europe

Segregation and radioactive analysis of aerosols according to their aerodynamic size were performed in France, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, and Greece after the arrival of contaminated air masses following the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in March 2011. On the whole and regardless of the location, the highest activity levels correspond either to the finest particle fraction or to the upper size class. Regarding anthropogenic radionuclides, the activity median aerodynamic diameter (AMAD) ranged between 0.25 and 0.71 μm for (137)Cs, from 0.17 to 0.69 μm for (134)Cs, and from 0.30 to 0.53 μm for (131)I, thus in the "accumulation mode" of the ambient aerosol (0.1-1 μm). AMAD obtained for the naturally occurring radionuclides (7)Be and (210)Pb ranged from 0.20 to 0.53 μm and 0.29 to 0.52 μm, respectively. Regarding spatial variations, AMADs did not show large differences from place to place compared with what was observed concerning bulk airborne levels registered on the European scale. When air masses arrived in Europe, AMADs for (131)I were about half those for cesium isotopes. Higher AMAD for cesium probably results from higher AMAD observed at the early stage of the accident in Japan. Lower AMAD for (131)I can be explained by the adsorption of gaseous iodine on particles of all sizes met during transport, especially for small particles. Additionally, weathering conditions (rain) encountered during transport and in Europe in March and April contributed to the equilibrium of the gaseous to total (131)I ratio. AMAD slightly increased with time for (131)I whereas a clear decreasing trend was observed with the AMADs for (137)Cs and (134)Cs. On average, the associated geometric standard deviation (GSD) appeared to be higher for iodine than for cesium isotopes. These statements also bear out a gaseous (131)I transfer on ambient particles of a broad size range during transport. Highest weighted activity levels were found on the 0.49-0.95 μm and on the 0.18-0.36 μm size ranges in France and in Poland, respectively. The contribution from resuspension of old deposited (137)Cs was assessed for the coarse particle fractions only for the first sampling week.

Critical level setting of continuous air monitor

Algorithms used to compensate the radon and thoron progeny's interference are one of the key technologies for continuous air monitors (CAMs). In this study, a CAM that can automatically change filter was manufactured, and equations used to calculate the transuranic aerosol concentration and the corresponding critical level were derived. The parameters used in calculation were acquired by continuous measurement in a high radon environment. At last, validation of the calculation was tested in a cave where the radon concentration fluctuated frequently, and the results were analysed.

Measurement of radon diffusion length in thin membranes

Building regulations in Israel require the insulating of buildings against radon (222)Rn penetration from soil. In radon-prone areas membranes stretched between the soil and the building foundation are used, together with sealing other possible penetration routes. Designing the radon mitigation procedure requires checking that all sealing materials are practically, radon tight, having a thickness of at least three times the radon diffusion length. In this work, a very simple technique to evaluate the radon diffusion length in thin membranes, using a radon source of known activity and an activated charcoal canister as radon detector is presented. The theoretical formalism and measurement results for polyethylene membranes of different densities obtained in a recent comparison exercise are presented.

Development of a new aerosol monitoring system and its application in Fukushima nuclear accident related aerosol radioactivity measurement at the CTBT radionuclide station in Sidney of Canada

A high volume aerosol sampler ("Grey Owl") has been designed and developed at the Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada. Its design guidance is based on the need for a low operational cost and reliable sampler to provide daily aerosol monitoring samples that can be used as reference samples for radiological studies. It has been developed to provide a constant air flow rate at low pressure drops (∼3 kPa for a day sampling) with variations of less than ±1% of the full scale flow rate. Its energy consumption is only about 1.5 kW for a filter sampling over 22,000 standard cubic meter of air. It has been demonstrated in this Fukushima nuclear accident related aerosol radioactivity monitoring study at Sidney station, B.C. that the sampler is robust and reliable. The results provided by the new monitoring system have been used to support decision-making in Canada during an emergency response.

Temporal changes of 7Be, 137Cs and 210Pb activity concentrations in surface air at Monaco and their correlation with meteorological parameters

Results of analysis of (7)Be, (137)Cs and (210)Pb on aerosol filters carried out from 1998 to 2010 in Monaco show that a weak correlation between activity concentrations of these radionuclides in the atmosphere and meteorological parameters has been found for (7)Be and temperature (r = 0.50), (210)Pb and temperature and humidity (r = 0.43 and 0.41, respectively), and (137)Cs and precipitation (r = 0.51). The minimum and maximum (7)Be activity concentrations were observed during 2000 and 2009, corresponding with the maximum and minimum solar activity, respectively. The maximum (137)Cs activity concentration found in May-June 1998 was due to the accident at Algeciras in Spain. The deposition velocities of (7)Be, (137)Cs and (210)Pb depended on the precipitation rate, and attained maximum values during dry seasons. The investigated radionuclides may be used as atmospheric tracers, especially in long-term periods.

Characterisation of prompt and delayed atmospheric radioactivity releases from underground nuclear tests at Nevada as a function of release time

A database with information on about 500 cases of atmospheric radioactivity releases from underground nuclear tests is analysed. The data are statistically evaluated and systematically aggregated in order to characterise prompt uncontrolled as well as delayed operational releases of radioactivity into the atmosphere. The focus is put on the latter. The reported data compare well with theoretically derived xenon activities for reasonable nuclear test scenarios. Conclusions are drawn on the main features of releases that can be expected from underground nuclear tests as a function of release time. These findings are relevant for developing and validating methods to be applied in global monitoring of atmospheric radioactivity with respect to indications of an underground nuclear explosion.

Tritium concentrations in the atmospheric environment at Rokkasho, Japan before the final testing of the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant

This study aimed at obtaining background tritium concentrations in precipitation and air at Rokkasho where the first commercial spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Japan has been under construction. Tritium concentration in monthly precipitation during fiscal years 2001-2005 had a seasonal variation pattern which was high in spring and low in summer. The tritium concentration was higher than that observed at Chiba City as a whole. The seasonal peak concentration at Rokkasho was generally higher than that at Chiba City, while the baseline concentrations of both were similar. The reason for the difference may be the effect of air mass from the Asian continent which is considered to have high tritium concentration. Atmospheric tritium was operationally separated into HTO, HT and hydrocarbon (CH(3)T) fractions, and the samples collected every 3 d-14 d during fiscal year 2005 were analyzed for these fractions. The HTO concentration as radioactivity in water correlated well with that in the precipitation samples. The HT concentration was the highest among the chemical forms analyzed, followed by the HTO and CH(3)T concentrations. The HT and CH(3)T concentrations did not have clear seasonal variation patterns. The HT concentration followed the decline previously reported by Mason and Östlund with an apparent half-life of 4.8 y. The apparent and environmental half-lives of CH(3)T were estimated as 9.2 y and 36.5 y, respectively, by combining the present data with literature data. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used the atmospheric lifetime of 12 y for CH(4) to estimate global warming in its 2007 report. The longer environmental half-life of CH(3)T suggested its supply from other sources than past nuclear weapon testing in the atmosphere.

Dose estimation and radon action level problems due to nanosize radon progeny aerosols in underground manganese ore mine

One of the essential parameters influencing of the dose conversion factor is the ratio of unattached short-lived radon progeny. This may differ from the value identified for indoor conditions when considering special workplaces such as mines. Inevitably, application of the dose conversion factors used in surface workplaces considerably reduces the reliability of dose estimation in the case of mines. This paper surveyed the concentration of radon and its short-lived radon progeny and identified the unattached fraction of short-lived radon progeny. As well equilibrium factor during the month of August was calculated simultaneously at two extraction faces in a manganese ore mine. During working hours the average radon concentrations were 220 Bq m(-3) and 530 Bq m(-3) at Faces 1 and 2; the average short-lived progeny concentration was 90 Bq m(-3) and 190 Bq m(-3), the average equilibrium factors were 0.46 and 0.36, and the average unattached fractions were 0.21 and 0.17, respectively. The calculated dose conversion factor was between 9 and 27 mSv WLM(-1), but higher values could also be possible.

Elevated radioxenon detected remotely following the Fukushima nuclear accident

We report on the first measurements of short-lived gaseous fission products detected outside of Japan following the Fukushima nuclear releases, which occurred after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. The measurements were conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), (46°16'47″N, 119°16'53″W) located more than 7000 km from the emission point in Fukushima Japan (37°25'17″N, 141°1'57″E). First detections of (133)Xe were made starting early March 16, only four days following the earthquake. Maximum concentrations of (133)Xe were in excess of 40 Bq/m(3), which is more than ×40,000 the average concentration of this isotope is this part of the United States.

A model to predict radon exhalation from walls to indoor air based on the exhalation from building material samples

In recognition of the fact that building materials are an important source of indoor radon, second only to soil, surface radon exhalation fluxes have been extensively measured from the samples of these materials. Based on this flux data, several researchers have attempted to predict the inhalation dose attributable to radon emitted from walls and ceilings made up of these materials. However, an important aspect not considered in this methodology is the enhancement of the radon flux from the wall or the ceiling constructed using the same building material. This enhancement occurs mainly because of the change in the radon diffusion process from the former to the latter configuration. To predict the true radon flux from the wall based on the flux data of building material samples, we now propose a semi-empirical model involving radon diffusion length and the physical dimensions of the samples as well as wall thickness as other input parameters. This model has been established by statistically fitting the ratio of the solution to radon diffusion equations for the cases of three-dimensional cuboidal shaped building materials (such as brick, concrete block) and one dimensional wall system to a simple mathematical function. The model predictions have been validated against the measurements made at a new construction site. This model provides an alternative tool (substitute to conventional 1-D model) to estimate radon flux from a wall without relying on ²²⁶Ra content, radon emanation factor and bulk density of the samples. Moreover, it may be very useful in the context of developing building codes for radon regulation in new buildings.

Thoron in indoor air: modeling for a better exposure estimate

Only recently, the radioactive gas thoron ((220)Rn) and its decay products have been regarded as significant health risk in the indoor environment. This is because of new findings of increased thoron concentrations in traditional mud dwellings and considerations leading toward reduced action levels for natural airborne radionuclides. A model which describes the sources and sinks of thoron and its decay products should help to assess the indoor exposure. This work presents an extensive depiction of the influences of indoor conditions on the occurrence of these radionuclides. Measurements were performed in an experiment room and in mud dwellings in China and India. Mud even with an average (232)Th concentration was identified as a significant thoron source. The spatial distribution of the decay products proved to be homogeneous, which is in contrast to thoron gas. The prominent contribution of the unattached and attached decay product (212)Pb to the exposure was elaborated. The theoretically derived impact of air exchange and aerosol concentration, which determines the proportion of unattached decay products, could be confirmed. Transfer coefficients of the model were determined. The thoron model with these transfer coefficients predicts annual doses of almost 2 mSv for dwellers of traditional Chinese and Indian mud buildings, confirming the potential health impact of thoron.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The radioactive noble gas radon with its decay products is well known as a health risk. After increased concentrations of the isotope (220)Rn (thoron) have been found in traditional Chinese mud-walled cave dwellings, the need for a model that describes the occurrence of thoron and its decay products indoors has arisen. This work presents such a model from the emergence of thoron in the building material until the decay to the stable (208)Pb and discusses the various influences on the occurrence of these nuclides. The model makes possible to predict the exposure of people staying in a room to thoron and its decay products and--combined with a dose model--to calculate their inhalation doses from easily measurable data.

Thoron (220Rn) decay products removal in poorly ventilated environments using unipolar ionizers: dosimetric implications

Ionizers are proven to be effective in reducing the activity concentration of radon/thoron decay products in workplace environments. However, limited studies have been conducted on understanding the mechanism of removal and the related size dependency. This study demonstrates the feasibility of reducing the activity concentrations in small chambers and in room environments up to a factor of about 7. Field experiments in an uncontrolled ventilation area such as a thorium oxalate storage shed have also shown promising results with a possible concentration reduction by a factor of 4. However, these reductions have been necessarily associated with an increase (3-5 times) in the unattached fraction of the decay products which is a significant contributor to the lung dose. Owing to this, aspersions have been cast on the capability of the ionizers in reducing the effective dose. An attempt has been made here to estimate the effective doses over a wide range of parameters such as the initial unattached fraction, activity reduction ratio and the change in the unattached fraction, which get altered due to the use of ionizers. The study proves that for realistically achievable activity reduction ratios of about 3-5 with the employment of ionizers, the inhalation dose in workplace environments can be reduced by a factor of at least 4, as indicated by model calculations.

Observations and modelling of thoron and its progeny in the soil-atmosphere-plant system

Samples of pasture vegetation, mainly Trifolium pratensis, were collected at the Botanic Garden of the University of Bologna during the period 1998-2000 and measured by gamma-spectrometry for determining thoron progeny. Concentrations of (212)Pb were between 1.5 and 20 Bq m(-2), with individual peaks up to 70 Bq m(-2). Soil samples were collected at the same location and physically characterised. Their chemical composition (particularly Th and U) was determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Lead-212 on plants mainly originates from dry and wet deposition of this isotope generated in the lower atmosphere by the decay of its short-lived precursor (220)Rn, which is produced in the upper soil layers as a member of the natural thorium decay chain and exhales into the atmosphere. Concentrations of (220)Rn in the atmosphere depend on (1) the amount of Th present in soil, (2) the radon fraction which escapes from the soil minerals into the soil pore space, (3) its transport into the atmosphere, and (4) its redistribution within the atmosphere. The mobility of radon in soil pore space can vary by orders of magnitude depending on the soil water content, thus being the main factor for varying concentrations of (220)Rn and (212)Pb in the atmosphere. We present a simple model to predict concentrations of thoron in air and its progeny deposited from the atmosphere, which takes into account varying soil moisture contents calculated by the OPUS code. Results of this model show close agreement with our observations.

High spatial resolution observations of 137Cs in northern Britain and Ireland from airborne geophysical survey

This study reports the (137)Cs data derived from three regional and national scale High Resolution Airborne Resource and Environmental Surveys (HiRES) in northern Britain and Ireland. The detailed spatial resolution, combined with the large areas these surveys collectively cover, gives insight into large-scale deposition patterns and possible subsequent re-distribution of (137)Cs on a level that was previously not possible. The largest survey area considered covers the whole of Northern Ireland. All three data sets display some clustering of higher (137)Cs activities on high ground together with regional scale NNW-SSE and NW-SE banding features. We interpret these as representing a series of rainfall interceptions of the repeated passage of the Chernobyl plume. Our observations, obtained at 200 m flight line intervals, appear to provide significant detail in relation to existing knowledge of large scale along-wind deposition of (137)Cs.

Variation of short-lived beta radionuclide (radon progeny) concentrations and the mixing processes in the atmospheric boundary layer

Radon is emitted to the atmosphere with quasi constant emission rates depending on the radium concentration in the earth's crust and soil physical properties. In this way, the 222Rn and 220Rn concentration in air reflects significantly the thickness of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). The aerosol-associated, beta-emitting progeny nuclides of 222Rn were measured daily in the framework of the atmospheric radioactivity monitoring program of NIMH at Sofia. The 214Pb concentration was estimated from the measured short-lived beta activity of 24-h filter samples, changed daily at 6:00 GMT. The impact of some meteorological factors such as wind direction, wind velocity, humidity, and temperature on short-lived beta radionuclides is estimated, and the results show no simple statistical relationship. A seasonal pattern was observed with winter minima and late summer-early autumn maxima. High variability in daily morning concentrations and mean monthly values was observed. There were well pronounced differences between years. The height of the convective ABL was estimated from daily radio-soundings at 12:00 GMT for the period 2001-2006 and from seven soundings per day during the experimental campaign in Sofia in October 2003. In general, concentrations of short-lived 222Rn progeny nuclides decreased with increased convective ABL height.

Relationship between variations of (7)Be, (210)Pb and (212)Pb concentrations and sub-regional atmospheric transport: Simultaneous observation at distant locations

In order to investigate the applicability of (212)Pb as a tracer for atmospheric transport in the sub-regional scale (few hundred kilometers in horizontal direction and up to approximately 1km by height), we measured the air concentrations of the short-lived radionuclide (212)Pb along with the long-lived (7)Be and (210)Pb near the ground surface. For this purpose, simultaneous observations were continued for several days at three locations: a reference point representative for standard land surface atmosphere conditions, a second location at an altitude 650 m near the reference point, and on a solitary island approximately 180 km from the reference point. Measurements of radioactivity in aerosol particle samples collected at intervals of 2-3h with a high-volume air sampler were performed by extremely low background gamma-ray spectrometry with the use of Ge detectors located at the Ogoya Underground Laboratory. Concentration of (7)Be or (210)Pb and their variation patterns was found to be similar among the three points during the whole observation period except for moment of the passage of a cold front. The results indicate that distributions of concentrations of the long-lived nuclides were uniform in this range. On the other hand, concentration levels and the variation patterns of the short-lived (212)Pb differed greatly from one location to another, reflecting differences in geographical location and altitude of the observation points. Additionally, there were certain indications that observed concentration of (212)Pb contained two components: an autogenous component from sources nearby and a heterogenous one from faraway sources carried by atmospheric horizontal transport. Results of this study provide experimental proof that (212)Pb can be used as a tracer of sub-regional atmospheric transport.

Physicochemical characterization of Capstone depleted uranium aerosols II: particle size distributions as a function of time

The Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study, which generated and characterized aerosols containing DU from perforation of armored vehicles with large-caliber DU penetrators, incorporated a sampling protocol to evaluate particle size distributions. Aerosol particle size distribution is an important parameter that influences aerosol transport and deposition processes as well as the dosimetry of the inhaled particles. These aerosols were collected on cascade impactor substrates using a pre-established time sequence following the firing event to analyze the uranium concentration and particle size of the aerosols as a function of time. The impactor substrates were analyzed using proportional counting, and the derived uranium content of each served as input to the evaluation of particle size distributions. Activity median aerodynamic diameters (AMADs) of the particle size distributions were evaluated using unimodal and bimodal models. The particle size data from the impactor measurements were quite variable. Most size distributions measured in the test based on activity had bimodal size distributions with a small particle size mode in the range of between 0.2 and 1.2 microm and a large size mode between 2 and 15 microm. In general, the evolution of particle size over time showed an overall decrease of average particle size from AMADs of 5 to 10 microm shortly after perforation to around 1 microm at the end of the 2-h sampling period. The AMADs generally decreased over time because of settling. Additionally, the median diameter of the larger size mode decreased with time. These results were used to estimate the dosimetry of inhaled DU particles.

Physicochemical characterization of Capstone depleted uranium aerosols IV: in vitro solubility analysis

As part of the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study, the solubility of selected aerosol samples was measured using an accepted in vitro dissolution test system. This static system was employed along with a SUF (synthetic ultrafiltrate) solvent, which is designed to mimic the physiological chemistry of extracellular fluid. Using sequentially obtained solvent samples, the dissolution behavior over a 46-d test period was evaluated by fitting the measurement data to two- or three-component negative exponential functions. These functions were then compared with Type M and S absorption taken from the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 66 Human Respiratory Tract Model. The results indicated that there was a substantial variability in solubility of the aerosols, which in part depended on the type of armor being impacted by the DU penetrator and the particle size fraction being tested. Although some trends were suggested, the variability noted leads to uncertainties in predicting the solubility of other DU-based aerosols. Nevertheless, these data provide a useful experimental basis for modeling the intake-dose relationships for inhaled DU aerosols arising from penetrator impact on armored vehicles.