In-place testing of tandem HEPA filter stages using fluorescent aerosols

Fluorescent test aerosols were used in field testing of large multiple-stage HEPA filter systems. The technique excluded interference from non-fluorescent background particles known to leak into the plenum or ducting between the filters and the downstream sampling probe. This technique solved the problem of measuring extremely low concentrations of the test aerosol in the presence of background aerosol. The upstream fluorescent test aerosol was diluted with clean air and drawn into a single particle aerosol spectrometer capable of counting, sizing, and detecting fluorescence of each particle. The particle sizing function was performed on light scattered by the particle passing through the beam of a helium-cadmium laser. Concurrently the fluorescence excited by the laser illumination was detected at a longer wavelength. Since spectrometer response in the fluorescent mode was <2% of naturally occurring aerosols, background aerosols were insignificant as an interference to the downstream concentration measurement. Decontamination factors (DF) on the order of 108 were measured in the field studies on >9.4 m3/s (20,000 cfm) systems. Additional generator capacity and acceptably lower test aerosol to background aerosol concentraion ratios could be used to extend this capability to measure DF greater than 108. Dye-tagged DOP aerosols were generated either by gas-thermal or sonic nozzle generators. Experiments with the gas-thermal generator showed only 20% of fluorescence from the dye was degraded by the vaporization process. A single sonic nozzle was shown to aerosolize 0.7 to 1.0 L/h of dye-tagged DOP aerosol in the proper size range for HEPA filter testing. A multiple sonic nozzle generator is a practical consideration to provide greater capacity