Re: Copper Tuping on the Intake of CAMs

[Jeff Whicker <jjwhicker@lanl.gov>]

For those interested,

At LANL, we conducted tests to determine if transfer tubes helped or hurt 
the timeliness and sensitivity of CAM response.  For our specific case, the 
conclusions of the study were: 1) that significant loss of radioactive 
particulate could occur in the transport tube, 2)  amount of loss depended 
strongly on particle size 2) use of the transport tubes to sample at 
"better" locations (in our case at room ventilation exhaust points) did not 
improve the timeliness or sensitivity of the CAM response in the rooms 
studied.  In summary, for us, elimination of the transport tubes would 
likely improve CAM performance.

The results of our study were published in Health Physics and I would be 
glad to send anyone a copy if helpful (reference below).

Whicker, J.J.; Rodgers, J.C.; Lopez, R.C.  Assessment of need for transport 
tubes when continuously monitoring for radioactive aerosols.  Health 
Physics Vol. 77(3):322-327, 1999.

Jeff Whicker


At 09:47 AM 10/27/00 -0500, you wrote:
>We use copper tubing on some of our CAM intakes.  We usually stay below 6 
>feet, but have had a few a little longer.  Some questions came up during a 
>recent audit and I am looking for data from other sites that may use 
>tubing on their CAMs.
>
>1.  How long of lengths?
>2.  Testing that may have been done (ex particle size, line loss etc.)
>3.  Any written guidance that might be out there.
>
>Please respond directly, my e-mail is changing, but I will still receive 
>messages at the current address for a few weeks.
>
>BielaD@wvnsco.com
>716-942-4423
>
>Thank You
>Dave Biela
> 
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>   !
>
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=========================
Jeff Whicker

Los Alamos National Laboratory
Mail Stop G761
Los Alamos, NM 87545

wk: 505-667-2610
fax: 505-665-6071
email: jjwhicker@lanl.gov

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information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html