Abstract
Two models of the dispersion of a solid contaminant in a room were compared. The first model was the perfect mixing model, widely used in room air modeling to predict concentration, thus exposure (the integral of concentration over time). The second model was the turbulent puff diffusion model, sometimes used in atmospheric dispersion modeling. The models predicted different consequences from a solid contaminant release in a room, such as from a bulk-loading operation or a spill. The predicted exposures from a release were evaluated for both models. The models also were compared against data from an illustrative set of experimental measurements with the use of powder spill as a source. In the room, the exposures decreased almost inversely with distance, behavior more in accord with the turbulent puff model than with the perfect mixing model.