Abstract
Among the several aspects of decay products behavior, deposition is of special significance because of its prominent role in the activity removal from the environment, which eventually results in the occurrence of decay product disequilibrium with the parent gas. This point is particularly important in case of thoron dosimetry where thoron progeny 212Pb accounts for the most of the radiological dose. The deposition depends on the size distribution of decay products and the structure of air turbulence at the air-surface interface. In the present work, the effect of varying air-flow (fan speed) and aerosol count median diameter (CMD) was studied on the deposition and distribution profile of 212Pb using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The simulations have been carried out in a cubical calibration chamber of volume 8 m3, facilitated at RP&AD, BARC. Simulated results showed that the increase of total depositional loss rate of attached fraction of 212Pb due to increase of the fan speed was significant for CMD up to 400 nm, beyond which this effect started becoming less prominent with increasing diameter. Besides, a minimum of the total depositional loss rate curve was seen to be shifted to the higher CMD with increase of the fan speed. CFD results were found to be in good agreement with experimental observations obtained in the controlled conditions with thoron source.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Agarwal TK, Sahoo BK, Gaware JJ, Joshi M, Sapra BK (2014) CFD based simulation of thoron (220Rn) concentration in a delay chamber for mitigation application. J Environ Radioact 136:16–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.05.003
Agarwal TK, Joshi M, Sahoo BK, Kanse SD, Sapra BK (2015) Effect of 220Rn gas concentration distribution on its transmission from a delay chamber: evolving a CFD- based uniformity index. Radiat Protect Dosim 168:546–552. https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncv361
Agarwal TK, Sahoo BK, Joshi M, Mishra R, Meisenberg O, Tschiersch J, Sapra BK (2019) CFD simulations to study the effect of ventilation rate on 220Rn concentration distribution in a test house. Radiat Phys Chem 162:82–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2019.04.018
Agarwal TK, Sahoo BK, Shetty T, Gaware JJ, Kumara Sudeep Karunakara N, Sapra BK, Datta D (2020) Numerical simulation of 222Rn profiling in an experimental chamber using CFD technique. J Enviro Radio 220–221.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106298
Agarwal TK, Sahoo BK, Kumar M, Sapra BK (2021) A Computational fluid dynamics code for aerosol and decay-product studies in indoor environments. J Radio and Nucl Chem 330:1347–1355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07877-8
Agarwal TK, Gaware JJ, Sapra BK (2022a) A CFD-based approach to optimize operating parameters of a flow-through scintillation cell for measurement of 220Rn in indoor environments. Environ Sci and Poll Res 29:16404–16417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16780-4
Agarwal TK, Kanse SD, Rosaline M, Sapra BK (2022b) A CFD based approach to assess the effect of environmental parameters on decay product-aerosol attachment coefficient. J Radio and Nucl Chem 330:1347–1355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08402-1
Augusto LLX, Lopes GC, Gonçalves JAS (2016) A CFD study of deposition of pharmaceutical aerosols under different respiratory conditions. Braz J Chem Eng 33:549–558. https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-6632.20160333s20150100
Chen F, Yu SCM, Lai Alvin CK (2006) Modelling particle distribution in indoor environments with a new drift flux model. Atmos Environ 40:357–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.09.044
Heintzenberg J (1994) Properties of the log-normal particle size distribution. Aerosol Sci Technol 21:46–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/02786829408959695
Hinds WC (1999) Respiratory deposition. Aerosol Technology: Properties, Behavior, and Measurement of Airborne Particles, 233–259
Kaltenbach C, Laurien E (2018) CFD Simulation of aerosol particle removal by water spray in the model containment THAI. J Aero Sci 120:62–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2018.03.005
Kanse SD, Sahoo BK, Gaware JJ, Prajith R, Sapra BK (2016) A study of thoron exhalation from monazite-rich beach sands of high background radiation areas of Kerala and Odisha, India Environ Eart Sci. 75.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6279-9
Kumar A, Singh P, Agarwal T, Joshi M, Semwal P, Singh K (2020) Statistical inferences from measured data on concentrations of naturally occurring radon, thoron, and decay products in Kumaun Himalayan belt. Environ Sci and Poll Res 27(32):40229–40243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09920-9
Lai Alvin CK, Nazaroff WW (2000) Modelling indoor particle deposition from turbulent flow onto smooth surfaces. J Aero Sci 31:463–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-8502(99)00536-4
Mayya YS, Mishra R, Prajith R, Sapra BK, Kushwaha HS (2010) Wire-mesh capped deposition sensors: novel passive tool for coarse fraction flux estimation of radon thoron progeny in indoor environments. Sci the Tot Environ 409:378–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.10.007
Meisenberg O, Tschiersch J (2010) Thoron in indoor air: modeling for a better exposure estimate. Indoor Air 21:240–252. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0668.2010.00697.x
Mishra R, Mayya YS (2008) Study of a deposition-based direct thoron progeny sensor (DTPS) technique for estimating equilibrium equivalent thoron concentration (EETC) in indoor environment. Radiat Meas 43:1408–1416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2008.03.002
Mishra R, Mayya YS, Kushwaha HS (2009) Measurement of 220Rn/222Rn progeny deposition velocities on surfaces and their comparison with theoretical models. J Aero Sci 40:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2008.08.001
Mishra R, Prajith R, Sapra BK, Mayya YS (2010) Response of direct thoron progeny sensors (DTPS) to various aerosol concentrations and ventilation rates. Nucl Inst Methods Phys Res B 268:671–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2009.12.012
Mishra R, Rout RP, Prajith R, Jalaluddin S, Khan A, Sapra BK, Mayya YS (2021) Dynamics and direct sensing of radon progeny. J Radio and Nucl Chem 330:1393–1396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-08016-z
Parker S, Nally J, Foat T, Preston S (2010) Refinement and testing of the drift-flux model for indoor aerosol dispersion and deposition modelling. J Aero Sci 41:921–934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2010.07.002
Porstendörfer J (1994) Properties and behaviour of radon and thoron and their decay products in the air. J of Aero Sci 25(2):219–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-8502(94)90077-9
Rabi R, Oufni L (2018) Evaluation of indoor radon equilibrium factor using CFD modeling and resulting annual effective dose. Radi Phy and Chem 145:213–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2017.10.022
Sahoo BK, Sudeep KK, Karunakara N, Gaware JJ, Sapra BK, Mayya YS (2017) Thoron Mitigation System based on charcoal bed for applications in thorium fuel cycle facilities (part 1): Development of theoretical models for design considerations. J Environ Radio 172:237–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.03.015
Semwal P, Agarwal TK, Singh K, Joshi M, Gusian GS, Sahoo BK, Ramola RC (2019) Indoor inhalation dose assessment for thoron-rich regions of Indian Himalayan belt. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26:4855–4866. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3891-0
Semwal P, Agarwal TK, Joshi M, Kumar A, Singh K, Ramola RC (2022) Effective dose estimation of radon, thoron and their progeny concentrations in the environs of Himalayan belt, India. IntJ Enviro Sci Tech. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04118-7
Trilochana S, Somashekarappa HM, Sudeep KK, Mayya YS, Karunakara N (2020) CFD-based simulation and experimental verification of 222Rn distribution in a walk-in type calibration chamber. J Radio and Nucl Chem 323:507–513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06957-0
Tokonami S (2020) Characteristics of Thoron (220Rn) and its progeny in the indoor environment Int. J Environ Res Public Health 17(23):8769. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238769
Tong Z, Zhong W, Yu A, Chan HK, Yang R (2016) CFD–DEM investigation of the effect of agglomerate–agglomerate collision on dry powder aerosolisation. J Aero Sci 92:109–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2015.11.005
UNSCEAR (2000) Sources and effects of ionizing radiation: UNSCEAR 2000 Report to the General Assembly with Scientific Annexes. United Nations, New York
Versteeg HK, Malalasekera W (1995) Computational fluid dynamics: the finite, vol method. Longman Scientific & Technical, Harlow, England
World Health Organization (2009) WHO handbook on indoor radon: a public health perspective. World Health Organization
Zhao B, Jun Wu (2009) Effect of particle distribution on particle deposition in ventilation rooms. J Hazardous Mate 170:449–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.04.079
Zhuo W, Iida T, Moriizumi J, Aoyagi T, Takahashi I (2001) Simulation of the concentrations and distributions of indoor radon and thoron. Radiat Protect Dosim 93:357–367. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a006448
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data generation, and analysis were performed by Tarun Kumar Agarwal, Rosaline Mishra, and Balvinder Kaur Sapra. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Tarun Kumar Agarwal and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Georg Steinhauser
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Highlights
• CFD simulations to study the deposition and distribution profiles of 212Pb in a calibration chamber.
• Estimation of deposition velocity for varying median diameter and fan speeds.
• Significant variation of friction velocity on the inner surfaces of the chamber.
• Analysis of the role of friction velocity and gravitational settling on the depositional patterns.
• Experimental validation of CFD outcomes.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Agarwal, T.K., Mishra, R. & Sapra, B.K. A CFD-based approach to study the deposition and distribution behaviour of 212Pb in a calibration chamber. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 46950–46959 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25499-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25499-3