Thomas B. Watson, Head
(631) 344-4517
(631) 344-2887 [FAX]
twatson@bnl.gov


Russell N. Dietz, Ph.D.
(631) 344-3059
dietz@bnl.gov		 John Heiser
(631) 344-4405
heiser@bnl.gov		 Rick Wilke
(631) 344-3932
wilke@bnl.gov		 Gabe Vignato
(631) 344-3295
vignato@bnl.gov

 


The Tracer Technology Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory is responsible for the development of new tracers and new applications of tracers.  Tracers generally are gases used to tag and track the course of various substances.

The Center's scientists, engineers and technical collaborators have done pioneering work in the development and practical use of perfluorocarbon tracers in such areas as tracking atmospheric pollutants, measuring air ventilation rates in homes and commercial buildings, finding leaks in electric and gas utility equipment, and studying oil and gas reservoir characteristics.

Although the Center's work is focused on applications of gaseous conservative tracers made of inert compounds such as perfluorocarbons, other applications require the use of non-conservative tracers.  The Center is prepared to develop types such as gaseous reactive and depositing tracers, soluble tracers, and aerosol tracers.

Tracer technology is a specialized field requiring ultra-low level detection, unique physical and chemical separation processes, highly sophisticated equipment, and trained operators.  The Center offers the latest capabilities available in tracer technology and is committed to on-going developments in the field.


 

Read about the New York City Tracer Test conducted in March 2005 (Newsday, Tuesday, March 15, 2005)
 
 

Pertinent publications of the Tracer Technology Center:
 

Dietz, R. N. and Cote, E. A.  Air infiltration measurements in a home using a convenient perfluorocarbon tracer technique.  Environ. Internatl. 8, 419-433 (1982).  BNL-30797  [1.7 MB .pdf file]

Dietz, R. N.  Perfluorocarbon tracer technology.  In Regional and Long-Range Transport of Air Pollution, Lectures of a course held at the Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy, September 15-19, 1986, S. Sandroni (ed.), pp. 215-247.  BNL-38847  [3.3 MB .pdf file]

Senum, G. I., Fajer, R. W., Harris, B. R., Jr., DeRose, W. E., and Ottaviani, W.  Petroleum reservoir characterization by perfluorocarbon tracers.  In SPE/DOE Eighth Symposium on Enhanced Oil Recovery, pp. 337-344, Tulsa, OK, April 21-24, 1992.  BNL-46883R  [975 K .pdf file]

Dietz, R. N. and Goodrich, R. W. Measurement of HVAC  system performance and local ventilation using passive perfluorocarbon tracer technology. Prepared in part for the State University of New York, College of Technology, Farmingdale, NY. Informal Report, BNL-61990, June 1995.  [1.7 MB pdf file]

Dietz, R. N.   Vapor detection of trafficking of contraband money -- a discussion of technical feasibility.  Informal Report, BNL-62834, Feb. 1996.
[130 K .pdf file]

Dietz, R. N. and Senum, G. I.  Detection of interstate liquids pipeline leaks:  Feasibility evaluation.  A concept paper prepared for discussion with Battelle Memorial Institute and the Colonial Pipeline Company Informal Report, BNL-65970, Oct. 1998.  [30 K .pdf file]

Sullivan, T. M., Heiser, J., Gard, A., and Senum, G.  Monitoring subsurface barrier integrity using perfluorocarbon tracers.  J. Environ. Eng. 124, 490-497 (1998).  BNL-66156  [1.1 MB .pdf file]

Ghafurian, R., Dietz, R. N., Rodenbaugh, T., Dominguez, J., and Tai1, N.  Leak location in fluid filled cables using the PFT method.  IEEE Trans. on Power Delivery 14, 18-22 (1999). BNL-65969  [553 K .pdf file]

Dietz, R. N.  Multi-tracer control room air inleakage protocol and simulated primary and extended multi-zone results.  Informal Report, BNL-69105, 2002.  [103 K .pdf. file]

Simmonds, P. G., Greally, B. R., Olivier, S., Nickless, G., Cooke, K. M., and Dietz, R. N.  The background atmospheric concentrations of cyclic perfluorocarbon tracers determined by negative ion-chemical ionization mass spectrometry.  Atmos. Environ. 36, 2147-2156 (2002). BNL-69443  [1.9 MB .pdf file]

Green, M., Kuhns, H., Pitchford, M., Dietz, R., Ashbaugh, L., and Watson, T.  Application of the tracer-aerosol gradient interpretive technique (TAGIT) to sulfur attribution for the Big Bend Regional Aerosol and Visibility Observation (BRAVO) Study.  J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 53, 586-595 (2003).  BNL-71197-2003-JA  [2.1 MB .pdf file]

Dietz, R. N.  Determination of Unfiltered In-Leakage by ATD and AIMS E 741 Techniques.  Industrial Excellence Through Communication and Training:  Control Room Habitability, Nuclear HVAC Utility Group (NHUG), New York City, NY, July 28-30, 2003.  NHUG_72903.pdf  [2.7 MB .pdf file].
 
 

[Revised 02/01/06]