Table 5-1. ARFs from Burning of Packaged, Contaminated, Mixed , Combustible Wastes

DOE-HDBK-3010-94

5.0 Surface Contamination; Contaminated, Combustible Solids

The pre-contaminated wastes were packaged in a plastic bags and sealed in an 18-in. x 18-in.

x 24-in.-high cardboard carton. The carton was placed on a grille-like holder shown in

Figure A.42 in Appendix A in a 10-ft diameter x 10-ft tall stainless steel vessel system

shown in Figure A.3. The carton was ignited and allowed to burn to self extinguishment

under natural convection. Fractional airborne release was determined by collecting airborne

material at the vessel outlet on the ceiling. The results are reproduced in Table A.46 in

Appendix A and the relevant data shown in Table 5-1.

T ab le 5-1. A R F s from B urn in g of P ack aged , C on tam in ated , M ixed ,

C om b u stib le W astes

(T ab le II - M ishim a an d S ch w en d im an , A p ril 1973)

M ass U , g

U Cpd.

ARF

9.1

UO2

5.3E-4

a.d. UNH1

25.2

3.0E-5

UNH2

25.5

8.3E-5

25.5

UNH

4.7E-5

64.1

UO2

1.7E-4

UO2/UNH

4.1E-5

25.5

UNH

3.0E-5

50.2

UO2

5.2E-5

25.5

a.d. UNH

1.5E-4

UNH

1.5E-4

51.6

1.5E-4

UO2

a.d. UNH = air dried uranyl nitrate hexahydrate

UNH = uranyl nitrate hexahydrate

The ARFs range from 3E-5 to 5E-4, roughly an order of magnitude. No differences for

compound are discernible from the limited data set. The maximum ARF measured was

5E-4. The median value is 8E-5 with an average ARF of 1E-4.

Contamination was also measured on the floor and walls following the runs and is listed in

Table A.46. As previously noted in the discussion of ARF in the Introduction to this

handbook, some of the contamination was observed to come from burning fuel material

directly ejected from the fire. Some of the contamination detected on the walls may also

have been airborne contamination or contamination entrained in soot agglomerations that

deposited during the experiments. Floor and wall deposition were not included in the ARF

reported for several reasons. First, it was not possible to clearly distinguish between the

remains of burning fuel ejected from the fire, which is not airborne material, and other

potential sources of contamination. Secondly, any plateout in the immediate vicinity of the

fire is considered a generic phenomena. Considering that many more deposition surfaces

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