Re: Offsite Release Calculations

[Peter Fundarek <p.fundarek@utoronto.ca>]

> How do you calculate the off site "uCi/ml" release in this hypothetical
> situation? Hypothetically, let's say you start a fire outdoors, (a
> _really hot_ fire) and toss in a piece of depleted uranium, let nature
> take its course, then put out the fire. You collect the remains of the
> DU, and calculate how many uCi got away. How do you come up with the
> "ml" figure in this uncontrolled situation? There is no stack to measure
> flow rates. Air sampling?
> 

Check out Health Physics 50(3), March 1986.  It was an article concerning the 
release of radioactive material in a fire for selected radioisotopes.  According 
to the information that I have in front of me, about 0.01 of the original amount 
of material would be released.  Sorry, but I don't know how much air was used in 
the fire but it would probably be related to the weight of wood consumed and the 
amount of oxygen required for the combustion of that amount of wood.  Good luck.


Regards,
Peter J. Fundarek
University of Toronto
email:  p.fundarek@utoronto.ca
phone:  (416) 978-2374
fax:  (416) 971-1384