7Be and 210Pb wet/dry deposition in Melbourne, Australia and the development of deployable units for radiological emergency monitoring

Publication date: November 2017
Source:Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Volumes 178–179
Author(s): Jane Courtier, Sandra Sdraulig, Gillian Hirth
A large stainless-steel collection tray (with a surface area of one square metre) was purpose built and mounted on the roof of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) building at Yallambie, Victoria, Australia. Using this system two years' worth of wet/dry deposition samples have been collected and analysed. Smaller portable units were also developed for deployment in an emergency and/or for environmental monitoring. The cosmogenic radionuclide ⁷Be and the naturally occurring terrestrial radionuclide ²¹⁰Pb have been used to validate the systems. The data from the smaller units was successfully compared to the larger permanent collection unit for validation, thus finding the portable units fit for purpose.Monitoring of wet and dry fallout deposition is an important response to radiological emergencies. It can provide useful information in verifying predictive models of radionuclide atmospheric transport and dispersion, in addition to providing local deposition data.



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