Apparatus for real-time airborne particulate radionuclide collection and analysis

A method for collecting and analyzing an airborne particulate radionuclide, comprising the steps of mounting a filter in a housing, said housing having an air inlet upstream of the filter and an air outlet downstream of the filter, flowing an air stream therethrough, the air inlet receiving the air stream, the filter collecting airborne particulate radionuclide and permitting a filtered air stream to pass through the air outlet, wherein the improvement comprises:

• (a) mounting a germanium diode gamma detector downstream of the filter in the filtered air stream, and having a detection face spaced apart from a downstream side of the filter a minimum distance for a substantially maximum counting detection while permitting substantially free air flow through the filter and uniform particulate radionuclide deposition on the filter;
• wherein
• (b) said air stream is provided by a moving vehicle with said housing and germanium diode gamma detector mounted thereon.

An apparatus for collecting and analyzing an airborne particulate radionuclide, comprising:

• (a) a germanium diode gamma detector mounted in an air stream within a housing, said housing having an air inlet upstream of said detector and an air outlet downstream of said detector, wherein said air stream flows therethrough;
• and
• (b) a filter mounted in said housing upstream from said detector, said filter collecting airborne particulate radionuclide and permitting a filtered air stream to pass through said air outlet, said filter spaced apart from a detection face of said detector a minimum distance for a substantially maximum counting detection while permitting substantially free air flow through said filter and uniform particulate radionuclide deposition on said filter.

A method for collecting and analyzing an airborne particulate radionuclide, comprising the steps of:

• (a) mounting a germanium diode gamma detector in an air stream within a housing, said housing having an air inlet upstream of said detector and an air outlet downstream of said detector, flowing said air stream therethrough;
• and
• (b) mounting a filter in said housing upstream from said detector, said filter collecting airborne particulate radionuclide and permitting a filtered air stream to pass through said air outlet, said filter spaced apart from a detection face of said detector a minimum distance for a substantially maximum counting detection while permitting substantially free air flow through said filter and uniform particulate radionuclide deposition on said filter.