THE UNIVERESITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO AND NEW MEXICO STATE JOINT DUST/RADIONUCLIDE TRACKING PROJECT
EMSL Project ID
21292
Abstract
This dissertation entails the study of radiochemical and chemical properties of bulk aerosol particle samples collected at several mineral aerosol emission sites in North America and abroad; these include New Mexico, Texas, and/or other localities in the USA; Chihuahua, Mexico; Asia, and Africa. Dust samples (i.e., PM2.5 to PM10 bulk aerosol particle samples) collected at these sites will be analyzed for radionuclide activity. (PM2.5 and PM10 refer to particulate matter in the atmosphere that are 2.5 and 10 microns in diameter, respectively.) Collecting PM data from these sites has the following objectives:1)To examine dust samples from North America, Asia, and Africa and determine whether and to what extent and characteristic particulates are contaminated with radionuclides.
2)To determine the mineralogy (and chemistry) of aeolian dusts from selected 'emission hotspots' at different locales around the globe, as a function of aerosol particle size, to determine if there are common characteristics of particle-size-segregated mineralogy from (soil/dust) aerosol emission sources on different continents.
3)To identify the sources and subsequent behavior (i.e., biogeochemical cycling of contaminated dust) and effects of uranium (U), plutonium (Pu), and Americium (Am) global fallout in the global dust cycle.
4)To establish links or associate dust source dispersion behavior with dust deposition patterns (i.e., rock varnishes and affects of iron oxide via diffuse reflectance spectroscopy).
5)To monitor and document the pathways of aeolian (aerosol) dispersion of radionuclides from a wind-erosive natural deposit of radionuclides in Chihuahaua, Mexico.
6)To fractionate soils (break up by grain size) and analyze resulting mineral mixes.
The results of this study will be used to understand the origin and nature of PM episodes and airborne radionuclides in their respective regions and subsequent transport and deposition patterns.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2007-06-11
End Date
2007-03-07
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members