Alpha spectrometry for particle size determination of mineral sands dust samples

A method is proposed for assessing the size distribution of the radioactive particles directly from the alpha spectrum of a dust sample. The residual range distribution of alpha particles emerging from a sphere containing a monoenergetic alpha emitter is simply a quadratic function of the diameter of the sphere. The residual range distribution from a typical dust particle closely approximates that of a sphere of the same mass. For mixtures of various size particles of similar density the (multiparticle) residual range distribution can thus readily be calculated for each of the alpha emitters contained in the particles. Measurement of the composite residual range distribution can be made in a vacuum alpha spectrometer provided the dust sample has no more than a monolayer of particles. The measured energy distribution is particularly sensitive to upper particle size distributions in the diameter region of 4μm to 20μm of 5 mg/cm3 density particles, i.e. 2 to 10 mg/ch2. For dust particles containing212Po or known ratios of alpha emitters a measured alpha spectrum can be unraveled to the underlying particle size distribution. Uncertainty in the size distribution has been listed as deserving research priority in the overall radiation protection program of the mineral sands industry. The proposed method had the potential of reducing this uncertainty, thus permitting more effective radiation protection control. 2 refs., 1 tabs., 1 figs