A Coupled Transport and Fate Model for Health and Environmental Effects

We propose to develop a Health and Environmental Risks Assessment Capability (HERAC) that will allow Air Force personnel and related contractors to develop actionable, scientifically based, health and environmental risks assessments of maintenance tasks upon aircraft and other weapons. Presently, no capability exists to effectively model and simulate the microscale (from 2 to 50 feet) transport and dispersion of hazardous gasses and aerosols and their respiratory absorption. In Phase I the feasibility of microscale Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of transport, dispersion, and environmental risks exposure assessment was demonstrated. In Phase II, an improved contaminant transport generator and a maintenance workspace model builder will be developed. The workspace model builder will be capable of importing complex workspace configurations such as aircraft, benches, and other wind field obstacles. Additional HERAC functions will include the abilities to import, create, and edit hazardous chemical databases and maintenance task scenarios. A user friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) will be developed to guide users through the entire HERAC process. HERAC will aid Health and Environmental Engineers to determine what types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are appropriate for maintenance tasks in keeping with Air Force Occupational Health Programs.