Proposed Aerosol Charge Measurements for Enhancing Indoor Radiation Dose Models

Tashfeen Muhammad Hammad ud din1, James McGrath2, Miriam Byrne2 

1,2,3 School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies (C-CAPS), National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Summary

Radioactive aerosols, released to the atmosphere via accidents, have the potential to travel over long distances with wind. Radioactive aerosols have the ability of self-charging, and this distinguishes them from non-radioactive aerosols, which follow Boltzmann equilibrium. However, in radioactive aerosol exposure modelling, the charge on radioactive aerosols is often neglected, despite the significant role played by charge in aerosol interaction with surfaces. As few experimental data currently exist regarding charged aerosol deposition, an experimental methodology is proposed whereby charged aerosol particles will be generated under laboratory conditions, and their deposition behaviour will be investigated for a range of test indoor surface types. The data will then be used to populate a probabilistic indoor air pollution model so that the indoor movement of radioactive particles can be simulated more accurately than previously possible.