Re: Iodine in a plume as a gas

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 1/17/02 9:09:55 AM Mountain Standard Time, GNICHOLL@DEP.STATE.NJ.US writes:



> 2. Does I-131 behave as a gas at distances of up to 10 miles from the plant?  Our specific concern is that plate out on surfaces and adsorption of iodine on air particulates would be limiting factors in accurately assessing exposrues.


Treating I-131 as a gas overestimates the air dispersion and underestimates the ground deposition (of iodine plated out on airborne particles).  I'd be tempted to run the model both ways: look at the atmospheric deispersion as a gas, and look at the particulate deposition.  If you then calculate an inhalation dose and cloudshine dose from the gas model and groundshine, resuspension and igestion (if you even have that) from the particulat model you would have bounding values.


My guess is that iodine would plate out on anything metallic, and would probably also absorb on the particle surface.  



Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com