222Rn activity in soil gas across selected fault segments in the Cantabrian Mountains,NW Spain

²²²Rn activity in soil gas was measured across fault segments of the seismic active Ventaniella Fault and the seismic inactive Sabero-Gordón Fault in the Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain, in order to investigate the variability of the ²²²Rn concentration. The sampling took place in summer and autumn 2010. During the autumn measurement program, an additional ²²²Rn soil gas mapping was carried out in the Sabero-Gordón research area. Zones of elevated ²²²Rn activity in the soil gas were identified by background ²²²Rn values of the geological formations used for mapping and local background values from ²²²Rn values outside the elevated ²²²Rn activity zones. Unexpectedly, the Sabero-Gordón Fault showed higher ²²²Rn activity, up to 441 kBqm^?3, compared to the ²²²Rn activity of the Ventaniella Fault which had a maximum of 106 kBqm^?3. Comparison of the results shows that the values measured in summer are about 5 times higher than the autumn values. This difference is not reflected in petrophysical soil parameters or meteorological conditions documented during the field measurements. Based on the results of our work we conclude that the magnitude of ²²²Rn concentration in soil gas is not an indicator of local seismic activity of the investigated faults. For the studied segment of the aseismic Sabero-Gordón Fault we suggest active genesis of pathways for gas migration driven by aseismic fault slip causing the elevated ²²²Rn activity in soil gas.     

Atmospheric 222Rn concentration and source term at El Arenosillo 100 m meteorological tower in southwest Spain

²²²Rn concentration time series at 10 m and at 100 m have been measured hourly for one year at the meteorological station, El Arenosillo, on the Spanish southwest coast. A ²²²Rn flux characterization was also done.A seasonal analysis of atmospheric ²²²Rn concentration was performed and results for each season present evidence associated with the origin of air masses reaching the El Arenosillo station. An increase in ²²²Rn concentration was observed when the wind came from Morocco, the Sierra Morena and the Guadalquivir valley areas. On the other hand, a net ²²²Rn concentration decrease was found when the wind came from the Atlantic Ocean and the South of Portugal.Low ²²²Rn flux of 4 Bq m^?2 h^?1 was measured. This result makes this station a useful site for studies related to remote ²²²Rn source contributions because of low local ²²²Rn background. The measured annual average concentration of ²²²Rn gas at the El Arenosillo station is 3.51 ± 0.05 Bq m^?3 at 10 m and 2.61 ± 0.05 Bq m^?3 at 100 m.     

Seasonal variations of radon and the radiation exposure levels in Nerja cave, Spain

²²²Rn concentrations in the air in Nerja cave (Spain) (3° 52′35′′W 36° 43′50′′N) were measured by continuous monitoring using Alpha-Guard, Genitron instrument equipment. The ²²²Rn measurements were carried out for a complete annual cycle in the different halls: Vestibule hall from July 2003 to June 2004, Ballet hall from July 2004 to June 2005 and Mirador hall from July 2005 to June 2006. Starting from the entrance of the cave we successively find the Vestibule hall, the Ballet hall and the Mirador hall. The range of ²²²Rn levels were of 8–627 Bq m⁻³ for the Vestibule hall, 28–575 Bq m⁻³ for the Ballet hall and 38–578 Bq m⁻³ for the Mirador. The aim of this study was to detect seasonal variation patterns of ²²²Rn concentrations. The seasonal variations of ²²²Rn concentrations are discussed in relation to various meteorological factors measured inside and outside the cave. The radiation exposure levels for workers and tourists with different equilibrium factors have been evaluated. The radiation exposure levels for workers and tourists only represent a low percentage of the exposure guides for the general population.     

Development and intercomparison of a reusable radon-in-water standard

Radium-free standards are not readily available for proficiency testing of laboratories that conduct radon (²²²Rn) analyses of water. For this study, 33 identical, reusable, radon-in-water standards were prepared using a ²²⁶Ra-loaded filter sandwiched in polyethylene sheeting. The ²²²Rn concentrations in the ²²⁶Ra-free standards were measured by liquid scintillation counting and compared to 10 reference solutions containing ²²⁶Ra. The ²²²Rn concentrations measured in the standards were consistent (standard deviation of <2%), but averaged substantially less than concentrations determined in the ²²⁶Ra reference standards. At full ingrowth, 86% of the ²²²Rn produced by the sandwiched ²²⁶Ra sources emanated into the water. An intercomparison of radon-in-water standards, performed to examine the accuracy of analyses by commercial, government, and private companies, showed that 18 of the 21 participants reported concentrations within 25% of the known (693 Bq l^?1).     

The influence of the nature of soil and plant and pollution on the 238U, 232Th, 222Rn and 220Rn concentrations in various natural honey samples using nuclear track detectors: Impact on the adult consumers

²³⁸U and ²³²Th concentrations as well as ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn α-activities per unit volume were measured in various natural honey samples collected from different regions in Morocco using CR-39 and LR-115 type II solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). These radionuclides were also measured in soils, plant flowers and nectar solutions corresponding to the honey samples studied. In addition, these radionuclides were measured in different imported honey samples. The measured ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn concentrations ranged from (1.5±0.1) mBq kg⁻¹ to (10.6±0.6) mBq kg⁻¹, (1.1±0.1) mBq kg⁻¹ to (4.2±0.2) mBq kg⁻¹, (1.5±0.1) Bq kg⁻¹ to (10.6±0.6) Bq kg⁻¹ and (1.1±0.1) Bq kg⁻¹ to (4.2±0.2) Bq kg⁻¹ for the honey samples studied, respectively. Annual ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ²²²Rn intakes by Moroccan adults from the consumption of honey were assessed. The influence of the nature of soil and plant on the ²³⁸U and ²³²Th contents of the studied honey samples was investigated. These measurements were completed by an investigation of the ²³⁸U and ²³²Th transfer between soils and plant flowers and that between plant flowers and honey, and also by the investigation of the influence of pollution due to different material dusts on ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ²²²Rn in the honey samples studied. Committed equivalent doses due to the annual intake of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ²²²Rn were evaluated in the organs of adult members of the Moroccan rural population from the ingestion of the honey samples. The maximum total committed effective dose due to ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ²²²Rn from the ingestion of natural honey by the Moroccan rural population was found to be equal to 0.64 μ Sv y⁻¹.     

Radon activity measurements around Bakreswar thermal springs

²²²Rn concentrations were measured in the bubble gases, spring waters, soil gases and in ambient air around the thermal springs at Bakreswar in West Bengal, India. This group of springs lies within a geothermal zone having exceptionally high heat flow about 230 mW/m², resembling young oceanic ridges. The spring gas has a high radon activity (～885 kBq/m³) and is rich in helium (～1.4 vol. %) with appreciably large flow rate. The measured radon exhalation rates in the soils of the spring area show extensive variations from 831 to 4550/mBqm² h while ²²²Rn concentrations in the different spring waters vary from 3.18 to 46.9 kBq/m³. Surface air at a radius of 40 m around the springs, within which is situated the Bakreswar temple complex and a group of dwellings, has radon concentration between 450 and 500 Bq/m³. In the present paper we assess the radon activity background in and around the spring area due to the different contributing sources and its possible effect on visiting pilgrims and the people who reside close to the springs.     

Radon survey and soil gamma doses in primary schools of Batman,Turkey

A survey was conducted to evaluate levels of indoor radon and gamma doses in 42 primary schools located in Batman, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Indoor radon measurements were carried out using CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detector-based radon dosimeters. The overall mean annual ²²²Rn activity in the surveyed area was found to be 49 Bq m^?3 (equivalent to an annual effective dose of 0.25 mSv). However, in one of the districts (Besiri) the maximum radon value turned out to be 307 Bq m^?3. The estimated annual effective doses are less than the recommended action level (3–10 mSv). It is found that the radon concentration decreases with increasing floor number. The concentrations of natural and artificial radioisotopes were determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy for soil samples collected in close vicinity of the studied schools. The mean gamma activity concentrations in the soil samples were 31, 25, 329 and 12 Bq kg^?1 for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs, respectively. The radiological parameters such as the absorbed dose rate in air and the annual effective dose equivalent were calculated. These radiological parameters were evaluated and compared with the internationally recommended values.     

A new pin-hole discriminated 222Rn/220Rn passive measurement device with single entry face

Solid State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD) based diffusion chambers have been widely used for residential radon measurements due to their cost effectiveness, portability and easy-to-use feature. In India, an LR-115 track detector based twin-cup dosimeter has been in use for about a decade for indoor ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn measurements. However, the estimation of the gas concentrations using this dosimeter was based on the assumption of the same entry rate of the gases into the two cups of the dosimeter, which may not be valid for dosimeters deployed in turbulent environmental conditions. To overcome this limitation, a new pin-hole based ²²²Rn/²²⁰Rn discriminating measurement device has been developed. The underlying discrimination technique has been established by modelling ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn diffusion into a pin-hole chamber and validating the same by carrying out experiments in a test chamber. The device has been calibrated at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai following the standard procedures to correlate the number of tracks registered in the LR-115 detector placed in the two chambers to the ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn concentration in the environment. Salient features of the device include (i) the pin-holes act as ²²²Rn/²²⁰Rn discriminator and eliminate the requirement of membrane filter used in the earlier twin cup design (ii) the single entrance design for gas transmission and (iii) use of multiple pin-holes of reasonably small radius minimises effect of turbulence on ²²²Rn/²²⁰Rn transmission factors so that the calibration factor is independent of indoor turbulence.     

A method to simultaneously and continuously measure the 222Rn and 220Rn exhalation rates of soil in an open loop

This paper presents a process in which a radon monitor based on the electrostatic collection method is used to measure the ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn exhalation rates simultaneously and continuously employing a ventilation-type accumulation chamber. Generally, the radon exhalation rate can be measured by accumulation technique, but cannot be measured continuously. The advantage of this method using a ventilation-type accumulation chamber is that the radon exhalation rates can be measured continuously. Even though the environmental air is drawn into the chamber, the low atmospheric values of radon and thoron do not influence the measurement accuracy. The ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn exhalation rates error from the environmental air is less than 5% in this experiment.     

Determination of radon concentration in soil gas by gamma-ray spectrometry of olive oil

Measurements of radon concentration in soil gas have been carried out using a bubbling system in which the soil gas is drawn through an active pumping to bubble a liquid absorber (olive oil) for the deposition of the soil gas in it. After the bubbling process, the absorber is then taken for gamma-ray measurements. Gamma-ray photopeaks from the ²¹⁴Pb and the ²¹⁴Bi radon progeny are considered for the detection of the ²²²Rn gas to study the concentration levels for radon soil gas. Results for some field measurements were obtained and compared with results obtained using AlphaGuard radon gas monitor. The technique provides a possible approach for the measurements of radon soil gas with gamma-ray spectrometry.     

The use of radon (Rn-222) and volatile organic compounds in monitoring soil gas to localize NAPL contamination at a gas station in Rio Claro,São Paulo State,Brazil

This study focuses on the presence of radon (²²²Rn) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil gases at a gas station located in the city of Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil, where a fossil fuel leak occurred. The spatial distribution results show a correlation between ²²²Rn and VOCs, consistent with the fact that radon gas has a greater chemical affinity with organic phases than with water. This finding demonstrates that the presence of a residual hydrocarbon phase in an aquifer can retain radon, leading to a reduced radon content in the soil gas. The data in this study confirm the results of previous investigations, in which the method used in this study provided a preliminary fingerprint of a contaminated area. Furthermore, the data analysis time is brief, and only simple equipment is required.     

Daily variation of radon gas and its short-lived progeny concentration near ground level and estimation of aerosol residence time

Atmospheric concentrations of radon(~(222)Rn) gas and its short-lived progenies~(218)Po,~(214)Pb, and~(214)Po were continuously monitored every four hours at the ground level in Jeddah city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The measurements were performed three times every week, starting from November 2014 to October 2015. A method of electrostatic precipitation of positively charged~(218)Po and ~(214)Po by a positive voltage was applied for determining~(222)Rn gas concentration. The short-lived~(222)Rn progeny concentration was determined by using a filter holder connected with the alpha-spectrometric technique. The meteorological parameters(relative air humidity, air temperature, and wind speed) were determined during the measurements of~(222)Rn and its progeny concentrations.~(222)Rn gas as well as its short-lived progeny concentration display a daily and seasonal variation with high values in the night and early morning hours as compared to low values at noon and in the afternoon. The observed monthly atmospheric concentrations showed a seasonal trend with the highest values in the autumn/winter season and the lowest values in the spring/summer season. Moreover, and in parallel with alphaspectrometric measurements, a single filter-holder was used to collect air samples. The deposited activities of~(214)Pb and the long-lived~(222)Rn daughter ~(210)Pb on the filter were measured with the gamma spectrometric technique. The measured activity concentrations of~(214)Pb by both techniques were found to be relatively equal largely. The highest mean seasonally activity concentrations of ~(210)Pb were observed in the autumn/winter season while the lowest mean were observed in the spring/summer season. The mean residence time(MRT) of aerosol particles in the atmospheric air could be estimated from the activity ratios of ~(210)Pb/~(214)Pb.     

Continuous radon monitoring in soil gas towards earthquake precursory studies in basaltic region

The Koyna-Warna region, near the west coast of India, is well known for reservoir-triggered seismicity. The seismic activity in this region greatly increased following the construction of an artificial reservoir across the Koyna River during the 1960s. A destructive earthquake of M 6.3 occurred on December 10, 1967, and further 19 earthquakes of M>5 have been recorded during the preceding 40 years until 2007. The soil gas radon (²²²Rn) has been studied as an earthquake precursor by continuous monitoring (hourly) at two sites around the Warna reservoir. One site has a multi-sensor probe (installed at three different depths), together with a rainfall recording facility, and another probe is mounted on a hillock at Nivle. During the study period (2005–2007), a total of 11 earthquakes (including 2 aftershocks) of M 4–4.8 were recorded. Most of these events had recorded precursory radon signals. For a given earthquake, the ²²²Rn precursory signatures were recorded at one of the two sites only. Even multiple depth probes showed discordant behaviour in recording temporal Rn variation. Causes of non-concurrence in Rn recording between sites and probes, including the combined effect of site heterogeneity, focal depth, epicentral distance, earthquake magnitude, faults responsible for the earthquake, etc, are discussed.     

Thoron (220Rn) in the indoor environment and work places

Ever since studies on uranium miners established the presence of a positive risk coefficient for the occurrence of lung cancer in miners exposed to elevated levels of ²²²Rn and its progeny, there was a great upsurge of interest in the measurement of ²²²Rn in the environment. Subsequently, considerable data is being generated on the levels of ²²²Rn in the environment across the worlds and is being periodically reported by UNSCEAR reports. In contrast to this, data pertaining to ²²⁰Rn in indoors and workplace environment is scaree due to the genral perception that its levels are negligible due to its shorter half life, and subsequently its contribution to the total inhalation dose is ignored, in the presence of other significant sources of natural radiation. This may not be true. Globally many locations have higher levels of natural background radiation due to elevated levels of primordial radio nuclides in the soil and their decay products like radon (²²²Rn), and thoron (²²⁰Rn) in the environment. Of late, technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material has also contributed to the burden of background radiation. It is estimated that inhalation of ²²²Rn, ²²⁰Rn and their short lived progenies contribute more than 54% of the total natural background radiation dose received by the general population. ²²⁰Rn problem exists in industries which use thorium nitrate. Including India, lamps using thoriated gas mantles are still being used for indoor and outdoor lighting and by hawkers in rural as well as urban areas. Considering the fact that large amount of thorium nitrate is being handled by these industries, contribution to the inhalation dose of workers from ²²⁰Rn gas emanated and build up of the progeny in ambient air may also be quite significant. In this paper current status of ²²⁰Rn levels in the indoor environment and workplaces as well as in other industries where large amount of ²³²Th is being handled is being summarized. Methods of measurement and reported levels are also summarized.     

Traceability of CDs/DVDs used as retrospective 222Rn detectors to reference STAR laboratory

The practical applications of the method for retrospective ²²²Rn measurements by home stored CDs/DVDs need a proper metrological assurance. The specific feature of this method, as compared to other methods for retrospective ²²²Rn measurements is the possibility for an individual a posteriori calibration of the used CD/DVD-detectors. This paper describes a procedure to ensure the traceability of this method to a reference STAR laboratory. A set of 7 groups of CDs/DVDs were exposed to 4 reference ²²²Rn exposure levels. After that they were treated in the etching laboratory as ”real” detectors and the ²²²Rn concentrations were determined by applying an individual a posteriori calibration, correction for high track density and correction for depth at which the alpha tracks were etched. The results from all 7 groups of exposed detectors demonstrated relative variation from the reference values in the interval 3.4–23.4%. The results provide evidence that the routine measurements by the CD/DVD method warrant measurements with a relative uncertainty better than 25% and therefore this method is acceptable for large-scale applications.     

Measurements of radon concentrations in well waters near the Akşehir fault zone in Afyonkarahisar,Turkey

Afyonkarahisar is located in the mid-west Anatolia in Turkey where Akşehir fault zone lies. This earthquake active zone has produced earthquakes in magnitudes from 3.0 to 7.1 in Richter scale. The ²²²Rn concentrations in well waters near the fault zone in Afyonkarahisar and its surroundings were determined for the first time. Samples were studied with a Packard Tri-Carb 2770TR/SL model liquid scintillation analyzer. The measured values ranged from 0.7 to 31.7 Bq/L.     

Measurements of radon concentration levels in thermal waters in the region of Konya,Turkey

²²²Rn (radon) is one of the most important sources of natural radiation to which people are exposed. It is an alpha-emitting noble gas and it can be found in various concentrations in soil, air and in different kinds of water. In this study, we present the results of radon concentration measurements in thermal waters taken from the sources in the region of Konya located in the central part of Turkey. The radon activity concentrations in 10 thermal water samples were measured by using the AlphaGUARD PQ 2000PRO radon gas analyser in spring and summer of the year 2012. We found that radon activity concentrations range from 0.60±0.11 to 70.34±3.55 kBq m^?3 and from 0.67±0.03 to 36.53±4.68 kBq m^?3 in spring and summer, respectively. We also calculated effective doses per treatment in the spas for the spring and summer seasons. It was found that the minimum and maximum effective doses per treatment are in the range of 0.09–10.13 nSv in spring and in the range of 0.1–5.26 nSv in summer.     

The Determination of 222Rn in Drilling Fluids of the KTB Pilot Borehole Using SSNTD Techniques

²²²Rn dissolved in drilling fluids of the KTB (Kontinentales Tiefbohrprogramm der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) pilot hole has been determined using solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) technique:The α-sensitive SSNTD CR-39 was used to measure the a-activity of ²²²Rn. Well-defined conditions for Rn-measurements could be established by employing a mica nuclear track microfilter to separate the detector containing air volume from the volume containing the water. This technique has been applied to determine quantitatively the ²²² Rn-concentration as a function of depth of the borehole down to 4000 m.     

Performance test of passive radon–thoron discriminative detectors on environmental parameters

This paper describes how humidity, wind and ambient aerosols in air influence the detection responses of passive detectors. Two types of alpha track detectors based on a passive radon (²²²Rn)–thoron (²²⁰Rn) discriminative measurement technique were used: the Raduet and Radopot detectors that were developed and calibrated by the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Japan. The initial experiment showed that the infiltration rate of ²²⁰Rn onto sponges with a high air exchange rate for the Raduet detectors was one third lower than that onto filters for the Radopot detectors. Little distinct dependence on humidity was observed for the ²²²Rn detection responses of both detectors. For ²²⁰Rn, the detection responses of both detectors for the high air exchange rate seemed to decrease slightly at high humidity conditions. The ²²⁰Rn detection responses of the Radopot detectors had little influence from wind speed. The ²²⁰Rn detection responses of the Raduet detectors for the high air exchange rate seemed to decrease at low wind speeds. Furthermore, there was little difference between the detection responses in the presence and absence of ambient aerosol particles because the ambient aerosols were filtered out during their passive diffusion through the sponges and filters for the Raduet and Radopot detectors, respectively.