Radionuclide Surrogate Aerosolization, Resuspension, and Suppression
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Date
2022-06-20
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Abstract
In this study, surrogate for internal hazards such as radionuclide particulate matter is suspended into a large chamber and subsequently resuspended after sedimentation. Resuspension is induced by common modes of human movement including walking, wind, and driving on common surfaces such as concrete, vinyl, and grass in a 19 x 12 x 10 ft tent. This resuspension is experimentally modeled for two sizes of particulate (1 and 10 μm) at three different heights (1,4, and 8 ft) and compared across size, surface, and mode of resuspension. Particle size distribution was measured using an aerodynamic particle sizer and the resuspended particles were collected with the wetted wall cyclone and quantitated using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. This testing is later repeated with fire retardant application to reduce resuspension. Although many experiments exist for particulate resuspension, there are a limited number of studies which model suppression of particulate resuspension. Furthermore, many existing studies lack in data comparing suspension across size, surface, and mode of resuspension. In this study, artificial grass was found to generate the highest resuspension factor and concrete the lowest. Furthermore, F500 fire retardant application was found to significantly reduce surrogate resuspension, regardless of resuspension method or testing surface. These results carry impactful information regarding flooring and fire retardant application in nuclear environments. If acted upon, this study could lead to higher factors of safety for nuclear energy plants and facilities.
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Radionuclide, Suppression, Suspension, Fire Retardant