Survey of life-cycle costs of glass-paper HEPA filters. Revision 1

摘要

A survey of the major users of glass-paper HEPA filters was conducted in the DOE complex to ascertain the life cycle costs of these filters. Purchase price of the filters is only a minor portion of the costs; the major expenditures are incurred during the removal and disposal of contaminated filters. Through a combination of personal interviews, site visits and completion of questionnaires, the costs associated with the use of HEPA filters in the DOE complex was determined. The total approximate, life-cycle cost for a glass-paper HEPA filter is $3,000 for one considered low-level waste (LLW), $11,780 for transuranic (TRU) and $15,000 for high-level waste (HLW). The weighted-average cost for a standard HEPA fitter in the complex is $4,753. Although the cost estimate represents an average for all sizes and types of HEPA filters used in DOE facilities, the majority of the filters are 2 ft (times) 2 ft (times) l ft filters with wooden frames, deep pleated glass-fiber media, and an adhesive sealant.