Radioactive Aerosols

by A. C. Chamberlain

• ISBN13: 9780521612050
• ISBN10: 0521612055
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-11
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book is about radioactive gases and particles which are dispersed in the environment, either from natural causes, or following nuclear test and accidental emissions. In the first five chapters of this book, the formation and properties of radioactive aerosols are described. Radon, which is of natural origin, is treated at some length, because its contribution to background radiation dose is important. Chapters describe the release of fission products, tritium and plutonium, in bomb tests and nuclear accidents. Particular reference is made to the pathways leading via agricultural products to man. The emphasis then changes to cover experimental aspects of radioactive aerosols. For example, problems in micrometeorology, the study of mass transfer, the mechanics of the human lung and uptake of lead from motor exhausts. Arthur Chamberlain has worked at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell for thirty years as the leader of the Aerosol Group. It is a unique exposition and will be used by chemists, geographers, environmentalists as well as governments and other agencies involved in the nuclear debate.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Radon	1	(60)
Physical properties	1	(2)
Radon in air -- methods of measurement	3	(2)
Emanation of radon and thoron from the soil	5	(5)
Radon in air -- variations in space and time	10	(2)
Radon indoors	12	(2)
Radon in mines	14	(1)
Thoron (220Rn) in air	14	(1)
Decay products of radon	15	(5)
Radon and thoron decay products as small ions	20	(3)
Mobility of decay products	23	(2)
Diffusivity of decay products	25	(4)
Attachment of decay products to nuclei	29	(3)
Deposition of decay products on surfaces	32	(3)
Potential alpha energy of unattached decay products	35	(4)
Radiation dose from inhalation of radon and decay products	39	(6)
Dose equivalent	45	(1)
Risk of cancer from inhalation of radon and decay products	46	(1)
Lead 210 and its daughter products	47	(1)
Residence time in atmosphere	48	(3)
Release of 210Po in accident to Windscale reactor	51	(10)
Appendix 1.1	52	(1)
Appendix 1.2	52	(1)
Appendix 1.3	53	(1)
References	53	(8)
Fission product aerosols	61	(54)
Process of fission	61	(3)
Major releases of fission products	64	(1)
Particle size and chemical fractionation	65	(1)
Emission from reactors	66	(3)
Windscale emissions, 1952--6	69	(2)
Windscale accident of October 1957	71	(6)
Accident to SL-1 reactor	77	(1)
Chemical explosion in USSR	77	(3)
Accident at Three Mile Island	80	(1)
Chernobyl accident	81	(9)
Deposition of fission products	90	(5)
Interception by foliage	95	(3)
Field loss of activity from foliage	98	(2)
Normalised specific activity	100	(2)
Transfer to milk	102	(4)
Transfer of fission products from soil to crops	106	(9)
References	108	(7)
Radioiodine	115	(38)
Formation in fission and release to atmosphere	115	(2)
Characterisation of radioiodine	117	(4)
Identification of penetrating forms of radioiodine	121	(2)
Environmental sampling of radioiodine	123	(2)
Particulate and gaseous stable iodine	125	(2)
Deposition of radioiodine to surfaces	127	(2)
Deposition of iodine in the field	129	(4)
Deposition near a reprocessing plant	133	(1)
Retention of 131I on herbage	134	(2)
Transfer of radioiodine to milk	136	(1)
131I in milk following single episodes of deposition	136	(3)
Dose to human thyroids from inhalation and from intake in milk	139	(2)
Relation between fallout of 131I and external gamma dose rate	141	(12)
References	148	(5)
Tritium	153	(17)
Definitions	153	(1)
Natural tritium	154	(1)
Tritium from weapons tests and reactors	154	(1)
Transport of HTO in the atmosphere	155	(4)
Deposition of HTO	159	(4)
Uptake of HTO by human body	163	(1)
Transport and deposition of HT	164	(1)
Field measurements of deposition of tritium gas	165	(5)
References	167	(3)
Plutonium	170	(23)
Formation of plutonium aerosols	170	(6)
Detection of airborne plutonium	176	(2)
Plutonium in the environment	178	(8)
The inhalation of plutonium	186	(2)
Entry of plutonium into diet	188	(5)
References	190	(3)
Mass transfer of radioactive vapours and aerosols	193	(35)
Application of radioactive measurement techniques	193	(1)
Notation	193	(2)
Conductances and resistances	195	(1)
Vapour transport to and from surfaces	196	(3)
Transport of small particles by Brownian diffusion	199	(1)
Deposition by impaction	200	(3)
Profiles of wind speed over extended surfaces	203	(3)
Profiles of vapour concentration over surfaces	206	(2)
Dependence of B-1 on u* and z0	208	(2)
Deposition of particles to canopies in the wind tunnel	210	(5)
Field experiments on deposition of particles	215	(3)
Deposition of particles to forests	218	(1)
Resuspension of particles	219	(4)
Resuspension -- wind-tunnel experiments	223	(5)
References	225	(3)
Studies with radioactive particles and human subjects	228	(25)
Introduction	228	(2)
Deposition of particles in the upper respiratory tract	230	(1)
Clearance of particles from the NP region	231	(1)
Deposition in the TB and P regions	232	(4)
Effect of smoking and of disease on mucociliary clearance	236	(1)
Clearance from the pulmonary region	236	(1)
Cigarette tar	237	(1)
Airborne lead from vehicle exhausts	238	(2)
Inhalation of lead aerosols	240	(2)
Radioactive labelling of exhaust lead	242	(2)
Deposition in the lungs of 203Pb--labelled exhaust particles	244	(1)
Clearance of 203Pb from the lung and transfer to blood	245	(2)
Contribution of petrol lead to blood lead	247	(6)
References	249	(4)
Index	253