Influence of dust loading on the alpha-particle energy resolution of continuous air monitors for thin deposits of radioactive aerosols.

Alpha-particle continuous air monitors must sometimes be operated in dusty environments where significant dust loading of the filter can be anticipated. It is important to understand how this dust loading affects the response of the continuous air monitors. Not only must a filter be changed if there is a reduction in airflow, but a change may be necessary if the energy resolution deteriorates and the continuous air monitor loses sensitivity and specificity for the radioactive aerosols of interest. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate alpha-particle energy resolution of continuous air monitor filters, particularly under dust loading conditions. Aerosol particles of various sizes were tagged with radon decay products to serve as surrogates for radioactive aerosols of interest such as plutonium or uranium. While the size of radioactive aerosols, filter type, and dust type affected the energy resolution, the thickness of an underlying (nonradioactive) dust layer did not show significant effect for the materials studied and a loading range of 0.01-10 mg x cm(-2). Our results indicate that it is possible for continuous air monitors to detect the release of radioactive aerosols with little deterioration in energy resolution under conditions of significant dust loading provided that the deposited layer of radioactive aerosols remains thin (< or = 0.1 mg x cm(-2)).

Temporal and spatial variation of episodic wind erosion in unburned and burned semiarid shrubland.

Redistribution of soil, nutrients, and contaminants is often driven by wind erosion in semiarid shrublands. Wind erosion depends on wind velocity (particularly during episodic, high-velocity winds) and on vegetation, which is generally sparse and spatially heterogeneous in semiarid ecosystems. Further, the vegetation cover can be rapidly and greatly altered due to disturbances, particularly fire. Few studies, however, have evaluated key temporal and spatial components of wind erosion with respect to (i) erosion rates on the scale of weeks as a function of episodic high-velocity winds, (ii) rates at unburned and burned sites, and (iii) within-site spatial heterogeneity in erosion. Measuring wind erosion in unburned and recently burned Chihuahuan desert shrubland, we found (i) weekly wind erosion was related more to daily peak wind velocities than to daily average velocities as consistent with our findings of a threshold wind velocity at approximately 7 m s(-1); (ii) greater erodibility in burned vs. unburned shrubland as indicated by erosion thresholds, aerodynamic roughness, and nearground soil movement; and (iii) burned shrubland lost soil from intercanopy and especially canopy patches in contrast to unburned shrubland, where soil accumulated in canopy patches. Our results are among the first to quantify post-fire wind erosion and highlight the importance of accounting for finer temporal and spatial variation in shrubland wind erosion. This finer-scale variation relates to semiarid land degradation, and is particularly relevant for predictions of contaminant resuspension and redistribution, both of which historically ignore finer-scale temporal and spatial variation in wind erosion.

Influence of room geometry and ventilation rate on airflow and aerosol dispersion: implications for worker protection.

Knowledge of dispersion rates and patterns of radioactive aerosols and gases through workrooms is critical for understanding human exposure and for developing strategies for worker protection. The dispersion within rooms can be influenced by complex interactions between numerous variables, but especially ventilation design and room furnishings. For this study, dependence of airflow and aerosol dispersion on workroom geometry (furnishings) and ventilation rate were studied in an experimental room that was designed to approximate a plutonium laboratory. Three different configurations of simulated gloveboxes and two ventilation rates (approximately 6 and 12 air exchanges per hour) were studied. A sonic anemometer was used to measure airflow parameters including all three components of air velocity vectors and turbulence intensity distributions at multiple locations and heights. Aerosol dispersion rates and patterns were measured by releasing aerosols multiple times from six different locations. Aerosol particle concentrations resolved in time and space were measured using 16 multiplexed laser particle counters. Comparisons were made of air velocities, turbulence, and aerosol transport across different ventilation rates and room configurations. A strong influence of ventilation rate on aerosol dispersion rates and air velocity was found, and changes in room geometry had significant effects on aerosol dispersion rates and patterns. These results are important with regards to constant evaluation of placement of air sampling equipment, benchmarking numerical models of room airflow, and design of ventilation and room layouts with consideration of worker safety.