Multi-parameter studies of environmental aerosols with cascade track filters

Abstract

Aerosols in the air in a factory processing nuclear reactor fuel material were collected by using cascade Kapton track filters with outer pore sizes of 12.8, 4.0 and 1.0 μ m consecutively and a conventional filter of glass fiber being behind to collect all aerosol particles left-over. The volume of air passed through the filters was measured by a flow meter. The weight of aerosol particles on each filter was obtained by the weight difference of the filter before and after collection of aerosol particles. α -activity on each filter was measured with a methane gas flow proportional counter. The sizes and elemental compositions of aerosol particles on the filters were analyzed by using a scanning electron microscope and an electron microprobe. Special attention was given to uranium aerosol particles. The median sizes of uranium aerosol particles were obtained being 1.97, 1.33 and 0.72 μ m on the first, second and third filter, respectively. The median size of all the uranium aerosol particles on the three track filters was 1.25 μ m .