Joel B. Forrester

A shallow underground laboratory for low-background radiation measurements and materials development.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently commissioned a new shallow underground laboratory, located at a depth of approximately 30 meters-water-equivalent. This new addition to the small class of radiation measurement laboratories located at modest underground depths houses the latest generation of custom-made, high-efficiency, low-background gamma-ray spectrometers and gas proportional counters. This paper describes the unique capabilities present in the shallow underground laboratory; these include large-scale ultra-pure materials production and a suite of radiation detection systems. Reported data characterize the degree of background reduction achieved through a combination of underground location, graded shielding, and rejection of cosmic-ray events. We conclude by presenting measurement targets and future opportunities.

Chemometric analysis of multiple species of Bacillus bacterial endospores using infrared spectroscopy: discrimination to the strain level.

Previous work using infrared spectroscopy has shown potential for rapid discrimination between bacteria in either their sporulated or vegetative states, as well as between bacteria and other common interferents. For species within one physiological state, however, distinction is far more challenging, and requires chemometrics. In the current study, we have narrowed the field of study by eliminating the confounding issues of vegetative cells as well as growth media and focused on using IR spectra to distinguish only between different species all in the sporulated state. Using principal component analysis (PCA) and a classification method based upon similarity measurements, we demonstrate a successful identification rate to the species level of 85% for Bacillus spores grown and sporulated in a glucose broth medium.

FTIR spectroscopy for bacterial spore identification and classification

The ability to distinguish endospores from each other, from vegetative cells, and from background particles has been demonstrated by PNNL and several other laboratories using various analytical techniques such as MALDI and SIMS. Recent studies at PNNL using Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with statistical analysis have shown the ability to characterize and discriminate bacterial spores and vegetative bacteria from each other, as well as from background interferents. In some cases it is even possible to determine the taxonomical identity of the species using FTIR. This effort has now grown to include multiple species of bacterial endospores, vegetative cells, and background materials. The present work reports on advances in being able to use FTIR, or IR in combination with other techniques, for rapid and reliable discrimination.

Low-background gamma-ray spectrometry for the international monitoring system

PNNL has developed two low-background gamma-ray spectrometers in a new shallow underground laboratory, thereby significantly improving its ability to detect low levels of gamma-ray emitting fission or activation products in airborne particulate in samples from the IMS (International Monitoring System). The combination of cosmic veto panels, dry nitrogen gas to reduce radon and low background shielding results in a reduction of the background count rate by about a factor of 100 compared to detectors operating above ground at our laboratory.

Infrared signatures of Bacillus bacteria: clear IR distinctions between sporulated and vegetative cells with chemical assignments

This paper highlights the distinctions between the infrared (IR) absorption spectra of vegetative versus sporulated Bacillus bacteria. It is observed that there are unique signatures clearly associated with either the sporulated or the vegetative state, and that vegetative cells (and associated debris) can contribute to the spore spectra. A distinct feature at ~1739 cm-1 appears to be unique to vegetative cell spectra, and can also be used as an indicator of vegetative cells or cell debris in the spore spectra. The data indicate the band is caused by a phospholipid carbonyl bond and are consistent with, but do not prove it to be, either phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) or phosphatidyl glycerol (PG), the two major classes of phospholipids found in vegetative cells of Bacillus species. The endospore spectra show characteristic peaks at 1441, 1277, and 1015 cm-1 along with a distinct quartet of peaks at 766, 725, 701, and 659 cm-1. These are clearly associated with calcium dipicolinate trihydrate, CaDP•3H2O. We emphasize that the spore peaks, especially the quartet, arise from the calcium dipicolinate trihydrate and not from dipicolinic acid or other dipicolinate hydrate salts. The CaDP•3H2O vibrational peaks and the effects of hydration were studied using quantum chemistry in the PQS software package. The quartet is associated with many motions including contributions from the Ca2+ counterion and hydration waters including Ca-O-H bends, H2O-Ca-O torsions and O-C-O bends. The 1441 and 1015 cm-1 modes are planar pyridine modes with the 1441 mode primarily a ring C-N stretch and the 1015 mode primarily a ring C-C stretch.

Pressure Sensor Calibration using VIPA Hardware

The VIPA hardware uses a series of modules to control the system. One of the modules that the VIPA hardware uses is a 16-bit analog input module. The main purpose of this module is to read in a voltage. The inputs of these modules are connected directly to the voltage outputs of all the pressure sensors in the system. Because the sensors have different pressure and voltage output ranges, it is necessary to calibrate and scale the sensors so that the values make sense to the operator of the system.