SPECIAL MONITOR DETECTOR DEVELOPMENT FOR RESPIRATOR CONTAMINATION

IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTEGRATED DETECTION SYSTEM FOR CONTAMINATION MONITORING OF RESPIRATORS HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC. BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEX SURFACES, HAND MONITORING USING PORTABLE SURVEY INSTRUMENTATION HAS BEEN THE PREFERRED METHOD. HAND MONITORING IS COSTLY IN TIME AND OFTEN FAILS TO RELIABLY ACHIEVE A GIVEN DETECTION LIMIT BECAUSE OF VARIABLES SUCH AS SURVEY SPEED ANDDISTANCE FROM THE PROBE. THERE IS NEED FOR AN EASILY USED AND CALIBRATED MONITORING SYSTEM FORRESPIRATORS. IN PHASE I OF THIS RESEARCH, WE PROPOSE TO STUDY THREE DIVERSE APPROACHES TO RESPIRATOR MONITORING: PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS, PLASTIC SCINTILLATORS, AND LIQUID SCINTILLATORS. THE MOST PROMISING APPROACH WOULD BE MORE FULLY DEVELOPED IN PHASE II OF THE PROJECT.