Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999, MSIN J2-25, Richland, WA 99352.
Health Phys. 2022 May 1;122(5):618-624. doi: 10.1097/HP.0000000000001546.
High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are widely employed by nuclear facilities to remove radiological particulate matter from their effluent exhaust streams. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationships between the 10-y HEPA filter lifetime deployment and its other performance indicators. This 10-y-long endeavor to collect and analyze data regarding the service life of HEPA filters at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory began in 2010. A set of HEPA filters was selected, and the filters have been surveyed and analyzed at least annually to verify compliance with permit conditions. The study suggests the frequency of filter replacement should be based on the actual operational requirements, such as fume hood face velocity and/or efficiency test results, instead of on the prescribed filter "age limit" of 10 y from the date of manufacture (e.g., birth date) when operating under dry conditions. The study has now been completed, and over the past decade, all the HEPA filters have been replaced due to either technical issues as listed in this report or the previously recommended filter "age limit" of 10 y as prescribed by the oversight bodies. Experimentally determined failure rates are also determined from the data set and can be used to estimate the chances of HEPA filters surviving 15, 20, or even 30 y.
高效空气过滤器（HEPA）广泛应用于核设施，以去除其排放废气中的放射性颗粒物。本研究旨在评估 HEPA 过滤器 10 年使用寿命与其其他性能指标之间的关系。这项为期 10 年的研究始于 2010 年，旨在收集和分析太平洋西北国家实验室 HEPA 过滤器使用寿命的数据。选择了一组 HEPA 过滤器，并至少每年对其进行调查和分析，以验证其是否符合许可条件。研究表明，更换过滤器的频率应根据实际操作要求，如通风柜面风速和/或效率测试结果，而不是根据制造日期（例如生产日期）起 10 年的规定过滤器“寿命限制”来决定。该研究现已完成，在过去的十年中，所有的 HEPA 过滤器都因本报告中列出的技术问题或监督机构规定的 10 年的先前建议的过滤器“寿命限制”而更换。还从数据集确定了实验确定的故障率，可用于估计 HEPA 过滤器在 15、20 甚至 30 年内生存的机会。
