Airborne ~(131)I at a background monitoring site

摘要

As part of an environmental surveillance program, measurements of ~(131)I in samples of atmospheric aerosols were determined in week-long collection periods at 0.3 km and 1.5 km from a municipal-sewage sludge incinerator located in Albany, New York. During an 11-month period when the sampler was temporarily located near the incinerator, sampling canisters of activated charcoal nearly always contained detectable airborne ~(131)I activity (range of 0.1-6.0 mBq m~(-3)). In contrast, remote concentrations where the sample was normally located were near or below analytical detection limits, both before and after the 11-month relocation. Activities of wet and dry fallout at both locations were below detection limits. The source of ~(131)I in the aerosols associated with the sewage sludge was likely excreta from patients following medical treatments at local hospitals.