7Be and 210Pb wet/dry deposition in Melbourne, Australia and the development of deployable units for radiological emergency monitoring

A large stainless-steel collection tray (with a surface area of one square metre) was purpose built and mounted on the roof of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) building at Yallambie, Victoria, Australia. Using this system two years’ worth of wet/dry deposition...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental radioactivity 2017-11, Vol.178-179, p.419-425
Main Authors: Courtier, Jane, Sdraulig, Sandra, Hirth, Gillian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
210Pb
7Be
Deposition flux
Radiological emergency
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Summary:A large stainless-steel collection tray (with a surface area of one square metre) was purpose built and mounted on the roof of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) building at Yallambie, Victoria, Australia. Using this system two years’ worth of wet/dry deposition samples have been collected and analysed. Smaller portable units were also developed for deployment in an emergency and/or for environmental monitoring. The cosmogenic radionuclide 7Be and the naturally occurring terrestrial radionuclide 210Pb have been used to validate the systems. The data from the smaller units was successfully compared to the larger permanent collection unit for validation, thus finding the portable units fit for purpose. Monitoring of wet and dry fallout deposition is an important response to radiological emergencies. It can provide useful information in verifying predictive models of radionuclide atmospheric transport and dispersion, in addition to providing local deposition data. •In-situ and portable collection units were developed to monitor wet/dry deposition in the event of radiological emergency.•Validation of the portable units.•7Be and 210Pb deposition flux data collected and analysed.
ISSN:0265-931X
1879-1700
DOI:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.07.004