Re: airfilters and radon daughters

[BERNARD L COHEN <blc+@PITT.EDU>]

On Thu, 29 Nov 2001, Franz Schoenhofer wrote:

> Dear collegues and friends at RADSAFE,

>

> I recently read an article in a German scientific journal about the "hazard"

> from air filters used to dehumidify the air in water works. While it is well

> known, that radon accumulates in water works I was also of the opinion that

> whatever filter one uses to filter air through will filter off at least a

> great part of the daughter products. And since the Chernobyl accident we

> know all to well that any aerosols are filtered (why should we use air

> filters if they would not??)

>

> Do you know of any literature, which scientifically deals with the question

> of radon daughter removals by commercial air filters and especially dose

> rates to be expected near the filters and during changing the filters and

> possibly inhaling dust?



	--Passing air through a filter does nothing to the radon gas, but

the filter collects the radon daughters. That is the basis for most

techniques for measuring working level, the exposure from radon daughters.

For most situations, you can assume that all radon daughters are

collected, and from that, calculate the exposure from standing close to

the filter. If there is a problem with high exposures, people can stay

away from the filter for an hour after the air flow is cut off; that will

allow most of the radon daughters to decay away.



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