Organic Combustible Liquids

DOE-HDBK-3010-94

3.0 Liquids; Aqueous Solutions

building ventilation; or (2) liquids indoors exposed to other significant overall structural

airflow, such as intrusion of external winds due to localized damage in various areas of the

structure.

No experimental data for the effects of large debris over deposited powder on aerodynamic

entrainment were found. Due to the decrease in aerodynamic stress if liquid is shielded by

remnants and debris of a structure or confinement, an order of magnitude decrease in ARR is

assigned. The bounding ARR for liquid covered with debris or exposed to largely static

conditions in a structure that has lost forced airflow is 4E-8/hr.

For liquids spilled outside, three values are provided. For large pools (even if depth is

shallow) and relatively high windspeeds (~ 30 mph), the maximum ARR estimate from the

SPRAYMASS correlation of 4E-6/hr is assessed to be bounding. If only small external

windspeeds are involved, the 4E-7/hr value for forced ventilation flow is more appropriate.

For liquid spilled on and being absorbed by soil (i.e., rapidly depleting small puddles),

however, special circumstances are involved. The contaminant is being deposited on the soil

in a manner that makes it more conducive to airborne release. A bounding ARR of 9E-5/hr

is assumed based on the experimental work of Mishima and Schwendiman (August, 1973).

This same phenomena would not apply to very large spills with pooling as the ground would

remain damp for a significant period of time and the surface would be less susceptible to

aerodynamic stress.

The values assessed in this section apply only to freshly deposited contaminant that is not

heavily intermingled with the overall soil or waste matrix. They are to be used for

estimating releases for the short term only. It is incorrect to multiply the values cited by

large time periods and assume the resulting large fractions represent real release potential

from long term environmental contamination sites.

3.3

O R G A N I C, C O M B US T I B LE L I QU I DS

Radionuclides are present in combustible liquids during liquid-liquid extraction processes and

during decontamination procedures. In some cases, the radionuclides can be in an aqueous

solution under a burning organic layer (e.g., process liquids, solvents, fuels).

The combustion of a liquid is a heterogenous reaction - heat from the flame radiates back to

the liquid surface resulting in the evaporation of more fuel vapor that entrains air until a

combustible mixture is attained and is ignited. The suspension of non-volatile materials

appears to result from formation of drops of the bulk liquid. If the conditions are such that

the surface film of the liquid is minimally disturbed, very little of the non-volatile

components will be suspended from the bulk liquid. As the surface of the liquid is disturbed

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