title: Continuous monitoring for airborne alpha emitters in a dusty environment.
abstract: Disposal of radioactive wastes in underground facilities requires continuous monitoring for airborne radioactive materials, both on the surface and underground. In addition to a natural background of nonradioactive and radioactive aerosols, there may be a sizeable dust contribution from ongoing work such as mining and vehicular traffic. In the monitoring of alpha-emitting radionuclides, these aerosols may lead to self-absorption in the source and a deterioration of the energy spectrum of the detected alpha particles. In this paper, the influence of a realistic background aerosol on the performance of an alpha monitoring system is evaluated theoretically. It is shown that depositing alpha emitters and background aerosol on a surface for counting leads rapidly to a considerable loss of counts, a deterioration of the alpha spectra, an eventual saturation of the count rates, and interference from the natural background of Rn daughters.
authors.affiliation: Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute, Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Guilmette
mesh_terms: D000398:Air Pollution, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D000512:Alpha Particles; D001729:Bismuth / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D011005:Plutonium / Q000032:analysis; D011059:Polonium / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D017687:Radon Daughters; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D017687:Radon Daughters; D007854:Lead; D011005:Plutonium; D011059:Polonium; D001729:Bismuth