Alpha emitters inhalation: detection by a process with flags

• Published in: Annales pharmaceutiques françaises Vol. 66; no. 3; p. 140
• Main Authors: Castagnet, X, Cazoulat, A, Briot, F, Bohand, S, Bohand, X, Laroche, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01-06-2008
• Subjects: Air Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Alpha Particles - adverse effects; Humans; Indicators and Reagents; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Power Plants
• ISSN: 0003-4509
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pharma.2008.04.006

This work relates to the contaminated people survey (alpha emitters inhalation) with nasal mucus sample analysis. Alpha emitters detection by liquid wander on flags (blotting paper) was employed. Compared to the current technique with paper handkerchiefs, this process improves considerably the time, reduced to 10 min between the sampling's reception and the results of the analysis. The detection's sensitivity of the process is also higher. This process with flags concerns the occupational survey on people leaving an alpha contaminated area (nuclear power plant). It is also available to the monitoring of intervention teams leaving the contaminated area during the immediate response phase and the follow-on response phase (management of the crisis and site restoration).