https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-02005-7
Regular Article
COUNTERFOG system applied inside the warehouse: verification of the counter response against radiochemical attack scenario
1
Guardia Civil. Interior Affairs Ministry, Madrid, Spain
2
Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain
Received:
16
February
2021
Accepted:
27
September
2021
Published online:
20
October
2021
Chemical and radiological emergences can be caused by terrorist attacks, such as the use of CWA, as well as from industrial accidents. Whatever the trigger, these events often involve the rapid dispersal of toxic chemical agents that, depending on the scenario and level of exposure, can compromise security and human health. These risks and the associated alarm in the population justify the interest in the development of systems and processes for the efficient capture of toxics airborne released in these incidents. The countermeasure proposed in this work is based on the use of fog (i.e. water dissolution with several additives such as isopropanol, Ag+ compounds even so metallic sorbents solid in suspension). The different combinations of these countermeasures were tested and evaluated in order to achieve maximum cleaning efficiency and speed of action. These tests were performed at different scales comprising laboratory scale, pilot plant, and inside a large building. The effect of the combined countermeasure studied is much greater than that of each of the measures separately, since, as has been shown, the joint interaction favours the reduction of the concentration of the dispersed radiochemical agent in the atmosphere. The capability at real scale of the propounded system for minimising the effect of chemical and/or radionuclide dispersion in the atmosphere has been confirmed.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
