Independent Evaluation of Air Filter Media from Chornobyl

An independent evaluation was performed to assess the morphology, pressure drop characteristics, alpha spectroscopy characteristics, and collection efficiency of an air sampling filter media and two types of aerosol face masks provided from Chernobyl by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The evaluation included characterizing the filter morphology by scqg electron microscopy; measuring the filter pressure drop as a function of air flowrate; evaluating the spectroscopy characteristics of the filter for alpha-emitting radionuclides by sampling ambient radon progeny aerosols in an Eberline Alpha-6A alpha continuous air monitor; determining the particle collection efficiency of the filter media for 0.3 {micro}m aerodynamic diameter monodisperse particles at 1 and 2 cfm; and comparing the apparent construction, durability, and performance similarities of the filter media to other media commonly used for monitoring airborne alpha-emitting radionuclides