Charged particle ratio in222Rn indoor atmosphere

The majority of radon daughter products are positively charged; however, their charge is masked by atmospheric ions created along the path of the accompanying -particles. The resulting positive-to-negative particle ratio P, which is usually higher than unity can change during the mitigation of radon daughters; such a change gives evidence that the mechanism is controlled by electric forces.     

Average daily and annual courses of222Rn concentration in some natural medium

Simultaneous measurements of the²²²Rn concentration in the outdoor atmosphere of Bratislava and in the soil air over one year period have been made. Daily and seasonal variations of the²²²Rn concentration in both media were found. Some attributes of these variations as well as methods of measurements are presented in this work.     

Ventilation modes and greenhouse structures affect 222Rn concentration in greenhouses in China

The influences of ventilation modes and greenhouse structures on radon concentrations in single- and multi-span plastic film greenhouses were studied to find effective engineering measures for controlling indoor radon by numerical simulation. The plants and mulch on ground, and sealing conditions had been considered to ensure the accuracy of simulation. Ventilation mode obviously influenced the indoor radon concentration and distribution, while the ventilation wind speed and structural form exerted no clear influence. Mechanical ventilation could reduce radon concentration to a greater extent than natural ventilation, and side-face ventilation was superior to end-face ventilation.

     

Fast determination of indoor radon (<Superscript>222</Superscript>Rn) concentration using liquid scintillation counting

The indoor ²²²Rn radionuclide was directly absorbed in typical 20 ml glass scintillation vials by passing ?3 dm³ of ambient air through 16 ml of water-immiscible non-volataile scintillation cocktail Ultima-Gold F for 10 min. The activity of radon and its two α-emitting daughters: ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po, was determined with the BetaScout low-background liquid scintillation counter. The limit of ²²²Rn detection is 9 Bq/m³, and the quantification limit with 20% relative accuracy is 28 Bq/m³. The results of the indoor Rn measurement in different houses showed good consistency with results obtained from a Sarad EQF 3220 device.     

Application of ultra-low level liquid scintillation to the determination of 222Rn in groundwater

A procedure for the determination of ²²²Rn in environmental water samples using liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was applied. The extractive scintillator RADONS^Ò and an ultra-low background 1220 QuantulusÔ were used. A minimum detectable activity of 0.1 Bq·l^?1 in 20 ml was found with low-diffusion polyethylene vials and 200 minute measurement time. Quenching effects and possible interferences due to the existence of other radionuclides in the extraction process were studied. The procedure was controlled by gamma-ray spectrometry of the ²²²Rn daughters. Applications to environmental samples collected from spas, wells, and public springs in Extremadura (Spain) are presented.     

222Rn gas diffusion and determination of its adsorption coefficient on activated charcoal

The adsorption coefficient is the fundamental parameter characterizing activated charcoal"s ability to adsorb ²²²Rn. The adsorption coefficient is determined for ²²²Rn activated charcoal detectors. In addition, a diffusion and adsorption model is developed for the transport of ²²²Rn in a porous bed of activated charcoal. These processes can be described by parabolic second order differential equation. The equation is numerically solved using the finite differences method. With this model, the ²²²Rn activity adsorbed in the detector is calculated for diverse situations.     

Measurements of222Rn migration in soil

The concentration of radon (²²²Rn) was measured in the soil near the ground surface, using CR/39 solid state nuclear track detectors. The measurements were carried out in PVC tubes at 0.25 m intervals up to 1.25 m. The detectors were etched in 7N NaOH solutions at 80°C. The -tracks from radon's decay were counted using a microscope. A microscope-camera-computer system developed for automatic counting was also used. The results provide evidence for the non-diffusive transport of radon in soils. A transport length of (46.9±3.2) cm was estimated for radon transport near ground surface. Also the variation of soil's radon concentration was correlate to humidity and atmospheric pressure.     

Radiological assessment of 222Rn, 220Rn,EERC, and EETC in residential dwellings of district Palwal,Southern Haryana,India

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - A systematic measurement of radon/thoron concentration by using pin-holes dosimeter and their decay products by deposition based progeny sensors...     

A new method for determination of222Rn and220Rn in geothermal steam

The radionuclides²²²Rn and²²⁰Rn are measured by incorporating their daughters²¹⁴Pb and²¹²Pb in a very thin layer of PbS and accumulating the alpha spectrum of their daughter products²¹⁴Po and²¹²Po. The median yield was measured as 88% using a known amount of²¹⁰Pb tracer. A single fumarole and all 23 geothermal wells tested were found to contain²²⁰Rn. As isotopes of Th, Bi, Po and Ra, are also absorbed in the PbS layer, the method can be used for determinations of these in tap-water.     

A study of 222Rn concentration of salty underground water and spring water in Jeju,Korea

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The efficiency transfer procedure from a geometry where a volume source was placed directly on the endcap of a germanium detector to three...     

Preliminary studies on 222Rn concentration in ground water from selected areas of the Accra metropolis in Ghana

Preliminary studies on groundwater samples from selected wells in three communities in the Greater Accra region of Ghana have been carried out to determine the concentration of ²²²Rn. The studies were carried out in the dry season when the weather conditions were fairly stable and the communities depend mostly on groundwater sources for domestic use during this period. Measurements were carried out using gamma spectrometry. The average activity concentration obtained was 8.1 Bq/L with an average annual effective dose of 59.2 μSv. The result is within the range published by other countries and the recommended limit for radon in drinking water set by the World Health Organization.     

Optimisation of enrichment methods and evaluation of errors for high sensitivity measurement of 222Rn in natural waters

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - A method was applied in the separation and determination of trace lithium in uranium products. Separation and enrichment of lithium was carried...     

A survey of 222Rn concentrations in dwellings of Turkey

As part of a national program to determine public exposure to natural radiation, indoor air ²²²Rn concentrations were determined in dwellings of Turkey. The ²²²Rn concentrations were measured with time-integrating passive nuclear etched track detectors in 27 provincial centers. The indoor radon concentrations were found to be in the range of 10-380 Bq^.m^-3. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Background of low-level gamma-ray spectrometer due to the atmospheric 220Rn and 222Rn

In connection with low-level gamma-ray counting of natural samples, background due to 220Rn- and 222Rn-daughters was monitored. The results obtained for 4 months showed that the background gamma-ray from 222Rn-daughters was more variable than that of 220Rn-daughters. An efficient air-conditioning was helpful to keep the background stable. It was practically equivalent to the use of N2-gas. Radiometric data for dust samples filtered from the laboratory air suggested that Rn-daughters tended to be removed by air-conditioning.     

Effect of natural gas usage on indoor radon levels

Effect of natural gas usage on indoor radon concentrations were investigated in dwellings in four counties of ?zmir municipality using LR-115 Type II cellulose nitrate films. The dwellings were separated two groups: natural gas user and non-user. Indoor radon levels were found higher in natural gas using dwellings. Also, indoor radon levels were evaluated in terms of concentrations and annual effective dose. Indoor radon concentrations were found between 22.8 and 707.8 Bq m^?3 and highest concentrations were determined in kitchen in third floor of Bornova dwellings. Indoor radon concentrations in kitchens were found higher than the living rooms. On the other hand, opposite results obtained for annual effective dose, because of very short occupancy period of the kitchens.     

Modelling and calculation of risk due to radon concentration in residential houses,Nicosia, Cyprus

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Lifetime lung cancer risks were computed using EPA/BEIR-VI models employing recent North Cyprus statistics (4-year averages from 2012 to 2016) to...     

Comparison of three methods for measuring 222Rn in drinking water

Three techniques were used to measure ²²²Rn in drinking water: the degassing method followed by counting in an ionisation chamber (IC); gamma spectrometry (GS); and liquid scintillation counting (LSC). Environmental samples were measured in the field using the IC, and the same samples were measured in the laboratory using GS and LSC. The results obtained using the three techniques are compared and discussed in the context of the new Euratom Drinking Water Directive (2013/51/Euratom), which sets out general principles for monitoring radioactive substances such as radon.