Measuring radon exhalation rate in two cycles avoiding the effects of back-diffusion and chamber leakage

Environ Monit Assess. 2013 Oct;185(10):8759-65. doi: 10.1007/s10661-013-3210-7. Epub 2013 Apr 25.

Abstract

This paper will present a simple method for measuring the radon exhalation rate from the medium surface in two cycles and also avoiding the effects of back-diffusion and chamber leakage. The method is based on a combination of the "accumulation chamber" technique and a radon monitor. The radon monitor performs the measurement of the radon concentration inside the accumulation chamber, and then the radon exhalation rate can be obtained by simple calculation. For reducing the systematic error and the statistical uncertainty, too short of total measurement time is not appropriate, and the first cycle time should be about 70 % of the total measurement. The radon exhalation rate from the medium surface obtained through this method is in good agreement with the reference value. This simple method can be applied to develop and improve the instruments for measuring radon exhalation rate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*
  • Diffusion
  • Radiation Monitoring / instrumentation
  • Radiation Monitoring / methods*
  • Radon / analysis*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive
  • Radon