Calibration of an air monitor prototype for a radiation surveillance network based on gamma spectrometry

A Baeza; J M Caballero; J Á Corbacho; M Á Ontalba-Salamanca; J Vasco

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.11.095

Calibration of an air monitor prototype for a radiation surveillance network based on gamma spectrometry

Appl Radiat Isot. 2014 May:87:57-60. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.11.095. Epub 2013 Dec 1.

Authors

A Baeza¹, J M Caballero¹, J Á Corbacho¹, M Á Ontalba-Salamanca², J Vasco¹

Affiliations

¹ LARUEX, Department of Applied Physics, University of Extremadura, Avda. Universidad s/n, 10071 Cáceres, Spain.
² LARUEX, Department of Applied Physics, University of Extremadura, Avda. Universidad s/n, 10071 Cáceres, Spain. Electronic address: ontalba@unex.es.

PMID: 24355305
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.11.095

Abstract

The objective of this work is to present the improvements that have been made in quasi-real-time air radioactivity concentration monitors which were initially based on overall activity determinations, by incorporating gamma spectrometry into the current prototype. To this end it was necessary to develop a careful efficiency calibration procedure for both the particulate and the gaseous fractions of the air being sampled. The work also reports the values of the minimum detectable activity calculated for different isotopes and acquisition times.

Keywords: Aerosols; Gamma-ray spectrometry; I-131; Radiation surveillance network.