Evaluation of particle-capturing ability of a hydrogel-based surface decontamination agent using simulated nuclear fallout particles

Surface decontamination agents must effectively capture particle contaminants that have been deposited on surfaces. This ability is particularly important in scenarios involving nuclear fallout particles. In this technical note, the particle-capturing ability of a hydrogel, specifically, the polyvinyl alcohol-borax complex, was investigated as a potential decontamination agent for treating radioactively contaminated surface. For the assessment, simulated nuclear fallout particles, prepared by melting consolidation at 1200 °C followed by mechanical milling, were fixed on a stainless-steel substrate. The results demonstrated that the hydrogel effectively removed the simulated fallout particles from the surface. Even after only 1 min of contact time, the surface was left thoroughly clean, demonstrating the effectiveness of the polyvinyl alcohol-borax complex as a surface decontamination agent.