An air sample collected by drawing a known volume of air through a filter is used to measure which form of contamination?

An air sample collected by drawing a known volume of air through a filter is used to measure which form of contamination?

• A. Iodine
• B. Particulate
• C. Tritium
• D. Noble Gas

Answer: (B)

Drawing a known volume of air through a filter is a way to collect particulate matter from the air. The filter physically traps solid or liquid aerosols that may carry radioactive contaminants, so counting the radioactivity on the filter gives the particulate contamination level in the sampled air. Iodine, tritium, and noble gases are not primarily captured by a simple air filter. Iodine can be present as vapor or attached to particles and often needs a specific capture method (like charcoal) for the gaseous form; tritium is typically found as water or a vapor and requires different sampling or trapping techniques; noble gases are inert and pass through filters, requiring specialized gas sampling and detectors. Thus, the filter method is best suited for measuring particulate contamination.

Drawing a known volume of air through a filter is a way to collect particulate matter from the air. The filter physically traps solid or liquid aerosols that may carry radioactive contaminants, so counting the radioactivity on the filter gives the particulate contamination level in the sampled air.

Iodine, tritium, and noble gases are not primarily captured by a simple air filter. Iodine can be present as vapor or attached to particles and often needs a specific capture method (like charcoal) for the gaseous form; tritium is typically found as water or a vapor and requires different sampling or trapping techniques; noble gases are inert and pass through filters, requiring specialized gas sampling and detectors. Thus, the filter method is best suited for measuring particulate contamination.