Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
508668 
Journal Article 
Beryllium-7 Aerosols in Ambient Air 
Papastefanou, C 
2009 
Yes 
Aerosol and Air Quality Research
ISSN: 1680-8584
EISSN: 2071-1409 
9 
2 
187-197 
English 
WOS:000269260500003 
The aerodynamic size distribution of Be-7 aerosol particles in ambient air was determined by using 1-ACFM and high-volume (HVI) cascade impactors, 20 m above the ground on the roof of the Faculty of Science building, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki at Thessaloniki Greece (40 degrees 38'N, 22 degrees 58'E) from November 2006 to June 2008. The activity concentration of 7Be aerosols was determined by gamma spectrometry (E gamma = 0.477 MeV). The activity size distribution of Be-7-aerosols was largely associated with submicron aerosol particles in the accumulation mode (0.4-2.0 mu m). The activity median aerodynamic diameter, AMAD varied from 0.76-1.18 mu m (average 0.90 mu m), indicating post-condensation growth either in the upper atmosphere or after mixing into the boundary layer. The geometric standard deviation, sigma(g) varied from 1.86-2.77 (average 2.24). The activity size distribution of Be-7-aerosols peaked in the 0.7-1.1 mu m size range in the 65% of the measurements carried out by the 1-ACFM cascade impactor. In estimating lifetimes of Be-7-aerosols in ambient air, a mean residence time of about 8 days averaged for atmospheric aerosols of 0.90 mu m AMAD size. 
Beryllium-7; Radioactive aerosols; Aerosol impactors; 1-ACFM; AMAD; Residence time; activity size distributions; tropospheric aerosols; residence times; be-7; pb-210; transport; rates