A practical soil radon （^222Rn） measurement method

<正>Soil radon measurement of high stability and sensitivity is widely applied,and in some applications,such as in uranium prospecting,~(222)Rn should be distinguished from ~(220)Rn.To meet this requirement,a practical method based on soil radon diffusion and accumulation theory to measure soil radon by Alpha Particle Spectroscopy(α-PS)is discussed in this paper.Theα-PS measurement method can effectively overcome the effects of ~(220)Rn and its daughters (~(216)Po,~(212)Bi,~(212)Po).The system can eliminate the impact of soil radon field disturbance and non-uniformity through soil radon static diffusion.Radon daughters(~(218)Po,~(214)Po)are accumulated under the action of an electrostatic force, which not only enhances the measurement sensitivity,but also increases robustness of the measurement.Simultaneous measurement of multiple points can increase the comparability of measurement data and the measurement efficiency. Experimental data shows that the soil radon measurement method was robust.So it has wide applications such as in geological prospecting,in fissure groundwater exploration and in ground subsidence inspection.     

Transient-Diffusion Measurements of Radon: Practical Interpretation of Measured Data

The mathematical calculation to obtain a radon diffusion coefficient from measured radon transient-diffusion data is usually done by fitting a difference equation to the data. The difference equation is obtained through transformation of the time-dependent diffusion equation based on Fick's law. But, actual measured transient-diffusion data often have much scatter. Therefore just fitting over the whole range of the measured data through the method of least squares may not always be valid, because the method offers a mathematical interpretation rather than a physical one. Instead, the actual radon diffusion coefficients must be otherwise obtainable from measured radon transient data. Taking this viewpoint, the present paper claims that about a 90% leveling-off time is often easily discernible regardless of the shape of the radon transient curve obtained from the measured data and it can be a decisive factor for determining the radon diffusion coefficient. Alternatively, transient diffusion data during the taking-off period of the transient for a ramp-wise introduction of radon into the targeted soil column are not so scattered and can also be decisive. The present paper provides theoretical justifications to support these claims.     

Discriminative detection of deposited radon daughters on CR-39 track detectors using TRIAC II code

A method for detecting deposited ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po by a spectrometric study of CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors is described. The method is based on the application of software imposed selection criteria, concerning the geometrical and optical properties of the tracks, which correspond to tracks created by alpha particles of specific energy falling on the detector at given angles of incidence. The selection criteria were based on a preliminary study of tracks’ parameters (major and minor axes and mean value of brightness), using the TRIAC II code. Since no linear relation was found between the energy and the geometric characteristics of the tracks (major and minor axes), we resorted to the use of an additional parameter in order to classify the tracks according to the particles’ energy. Since the brightness of tracks is associated with the tracks’ depth, the mean value of brightness was chosen as the parameter of choice. To reduce the energy of the particles, which are emitted by deposited ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po into a quantifiable range, the detectors were covered with an aluminum absorber material. In this way, the discrimination of radon’s daughters was finally accomplished by properly selecting amongst all registered tracks. This method could be applied as a low cost tool for the study of the radon’s daughters behavior in air.     

Sensitivity of LR 115 SSNTD in a diffusion chamber

Solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs), such as LR 115, have been commonly used in diffusion chambers for long-term measurements of radon gas concentrations. For the LR 115 SSNTD, it has been found that the active layer removed during chemical etching is significantly affected by the presence and amount of stirring, and thus cannot be controlled easily. However, the sensitivity of the LR 115 detector inside a diffusion chamber to the radon and/or thoron gas concentration is dependent on the actual removed active layer thickness. This relationship is dependant on the geometry of the diffusion chamber and the deposition fraction of ²¹⁸Po in the diffusion chamber, as well as the V function for the LR 115 detector (V is the ratio between the track etch velocity V_t to the bulk etch velocity V_b). This paper presents the experimentally determined relationships between the sensitivity of the LR 115 detector inside a Karlsruhe diffusion chamber and the removed active layer thickness, for both radon and thoron. A V function was adjusted to simulate the relationships. In particular, for the case of ²²²Rn, we have found f ∼ 0.5, where f is the fraction of ²¹⁸Po which decays inside the diffusion chamber before deposition onto available inner surfaces of the chamber. In conclusion, we have found that the sensitivities critically depend on the actual removed active layer thickness, so this should be monitored and used in determining the sensitivities.     

Airborne Radon-222 Measurement by Active Sampling with Charcoal Adsorption and Gamma-Ray Spectrometry

A simple method for measuring radon concentration in air is presented. Airborne radon is adsorbed in a charcoal bed by an active air sampling. In time, the adsorbed radon comes to attain radioactive equilibrium with its short-lived progeny ²¹⁴Pb. Utilizing this fact, radon concentration is derived from γ-ray measurement of ²¹⁴Pb. This method is estimated to be capable of detecting radon concentration in air down to 0.79Bq·m^?3 The adsorption coefficient obtained with the method is compared with what is obtainable with passive sampling. Applications of this method to indoor and outdoor radon measurements are described.     

Retrospective radon progeny measurements through measurements of Po activities on glass objects using stacked LR 115 detectors

A stacked LR 115 detector consisting of two active layers was proposed for determining ²¹⁰Po activity in glass surfaces after deposition of short-lived radon progeny. The sensitivities of both active layers were calculated. Two glass samples were exposed in a chamber to determine the experimental calibration factors for the radon gas and progeny, which were then compared with the theoretical calibration factors from simulations. The experimental and the simulated calibration factors for radon progeny agreed well. The discrepancy between the calibration factors for radon gas was due to a much higher equilibrium factor used in the experimental calibration than the nominal value assumed in the simulation. A mini-survey of contemporary and retrospective radon progeny concentrations was carried out at 10 residential sites. A relationship between contemporary and retrospective radon progeny concentrations was not readily observable.     

Long-term measurements of equilibrium factor with electrochemically etched CR-39 SSNTD

Recently, our group proposed a method (proxy equilibrium factor method) using a bare LR 115 detector for long-term monitoring of the equilibrium factor. Due to the presence of an upper alpha-particle energy threshold for track formation in the LR 115 detector, the partial sensitivities to ²²²Rn, ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po were the same, which made possible measurements of a proxy equilibrium factor F_p that was well correlated with the equilibrium factor. In the present work, the method is extended to CR-39 detectors which have better-controlled etching properties but do not have an upper energy threshold. An exposed bare CR-39 detector is first pre-etched in 6.25 N NaOH solution at 70 °C for 6 h, and then etched electrochemically in a 6.25 N NaOH solution with ac voltage of 400 V (peak to peak) and 5 kHz applied across the detectors for 1 h at room temperature. Under these conditions, for tracks corresponding to incident angles larger than or equal to 50°, the treeing efficiency is 0% and 100% for incident energies smaller than and larger than 4 MeV, respectively. A simple method is then proposed to obtain the total number of tracks formed below the upper energy threshold of 4 MeV, from which the proxy equilibrium factor method can apply.     

The Effect of Some Soil Characteristics on Soil Radon Concentration and Radon Exhalation from Soil Surface

To find out the impacts of soil characters on radon concentrations in soil and radon exhalation from soil, field measurements on soil radon concentrations (60 cm under the soil surface) and radon exhalation rate from soil surface were carried out in totally 31 points with different types of soil in three cities in both South and North China. Soil radium contents, water contents, soil porosity and grain size were concretely analyzed in our laboratory. The linear simulation was used to analyze the above data. The results showed that radon exhalation rate from soil and radon concentrations in soil have direct proportion to soil radium contents. Rather high radium content and radon exhalation rate were measured in Guiyang area, 67±28Bq/kg and 40±59mBq/m²-s, however no high soil radon concentration was found due to the difficulties in the measurements on clay soils with high water saturation. Compared with soil radium contents, radon exhalation rate from soil and soil radon concentrations are more easily impacted by soil characters and change in a rather large range.     

用罐装氡气校准测氡仪的方法研究

为满足测氡仪校准和检定周期内的期间核查的需要,研制用罐装氡气校准测氡仪的方法。该方法采用氡的衰变规律和氡的测量原理,研制了动态标准物质——罐装氡气,可有效地克服标准镭源的缺乏和缺点,实现测氡仪质量控制活动。实验测试表明,该方法满足《测氡仪检定规程》JJG 825—2013中氡源的要求,用该方法校准测氡仪是可行的。     

用CR－39探测器测量有氡泉洗浴间房屋内氡浓度

用ＣＲ－３９固体核径迹探测器测量带有氡泉洗浴间房屋内氧浓度，同时测量了疗养院医护人员办公室和住宅内氡浓度，估算了氡暴露所致患者和医护人员的辐射剂量，探讨了有关防护问题。     

新型连续测氡仪测氡快速定值法

为适应新型连续测氡仪快速测氡的需要,探讨一种快速定值方法。采用新型连续测氡仪测定刻度因子,依据不同测量周期收集到~(218)Po衰变产生的α粒子数,建立相应的衰变关系式。测量时无须多次测量,利用关系式即可快速定值。实验表明:该快速定值方法提高了新型连续测氡仪的定值效果,简化了定值过程。     

Effect of spring water on the radon concentration in the air at Masutomi spa in Yamanashi Prefecture,Japan

The concentrations of ²²²Rn existing in air have been studied by using a convenient and highly sensitive Pico-rad detector system at Masutomi spa in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The measurements in air were carried out indoors and outdoors during the winter of 2000 and the summers of 1999 and 2005. The concentrations of ²²²Rn in spring water in this region were measured by the liquid scintillation method. The concentrations of natural radionuclides contained in soils surrounding spa areas were also examined by means of the γ-ray energy spectrometry technique using a Ge diode detector to investigate the correlation between the radionuclides contents and ²²²Rn concentrations in air at each point of interest. The atmospheric ²²²Rn concentrations in these areas were high, ranging from 5 Bq/m³ to 2676 Bq/m³. The radon concentration at each hotel was high in the order of the bath room, the dressing room, the lobby, and the outdoor area near the hotel, with averages and standard deviations of the concentration of 441 ± 79 Bq/m³, 351 ± 283 Bq/m³, 121 ± 5 Bq/m³, and 23 ± 1 Bq/m³, respectively. The source of ²²²Rn in the air in the bath room is more likely to be the spring water than the soil. The spring water plays carries the radon to the atmosphere. Our measurements indicated that the ²²²Rn concentration in the air was affected by the ²²²Rn concentration in spring water rather than that in soil.     

氡子体比的现场测量及其对剂量转换系数的影响

氡子体比是指其短寿命子体218 Po、214 Pb、214 Bi的活度浓度的比值,是氡子体剂量评价中的重要参数,但环境中氡子体比的数据非常有限。为了解和把握城市典型环境中氡子体比的现状,并分析其对剂量转换系数的影响,本文利用便携式α谱仪,现场测量了城市典型室内外环境的氡子体比,并通过分析室内外环境氡子体比数据的特点,讨论了环境氡子体比对剂量转换系数的影响。测量结果显示,城市典型室内环境中氡子体比的平均值为1∶0.59∶0.58,典型室外环境中氡子体比的平均值为1∶0.50∶0.67。因各子体的剂量系数与它们的α潜能呈正比,所以氡子体比对剂量转换系数的影响很小。     

Modeling Radon Flux Density from the Earth's Surface

In order to make the idealized model for predicting soil radon flux more practically and accurately, two central variables (radon emanation power and soil water content) controlling the amount of radon transportation in soil were formulated. The reformulated model for predicting radon flux density was verified by the field measurements carried out in 10 different sites. The result indicates that the reformulated model is useful for improving the prediction feasibility and accuracy of radon flux density from the earth's surface.     

Radon Levels in China

This paper reviewed and summarized the results and problems of a nation-wide environmental radon survey which was carried out from 1984 to 1990 in China. Indoor radon concentrations were measured in 10,811 dwellings, and which covered 26 provinces and cities all over China. The range of indoor radon concentrations was <LLD-386.8Bq·m^?3, the average was 22.5 Bq·m^?3 and 19.6 Bq·m^?3 for arithmetic mean and geometric mean, respectively. Both outdoor radon concentrations and indoor radon progeny concentrations were also reported. Even though the grab sampling was taken as the main method of the survey, it was still a valuable reference.     

Radon Emanation Phenomena: A Probabilistic Basis to Estimate Radon Emanation Coefficients Based on Its Zigzag Travel

Previous theoretical approaches based on mathematical models by other researchers to the subject of radon emanation assumed straight linear travel of radon generated in grains constituting rocks or soils. However, it is difficult for these approaches to explain high radon emanation coefficients for rocks or soils without the introduction of the ideas of radon indirect recoil or a threshold for imbedding into grains. Unlike them, the present authors proposed anotherhypothesis based on the idea of radon zigzag travel and elucidated high radon emanation in a previous paper. The radon zigzag travel is caused by many collisions of radon with atoms constituting the grains. The results of the theoretical calculation successfully supported the claims of nanopore presence by Rama and Moore and radium layer presence near grain surfaces by Krishnaswami and Seidemann in a unified manner. However, the present authors think there is still room to improve their theory and they want to entice researchers toward a better explanation of high radon emanation for rocks or soils. Therefore, they give a probabilistic basis for their hypothesis and make a comparison between radon emanation coefficients obtained on straight linear and zigzag travel models, before concluding with a validity check of the models.     

基于制备型气相色谱的氙氡分离技术研究

放射性氙同位素探测对监视全面禁止核试验条约（CTBT）的履行具有重要意义;同时在核设施安全运行、环境辐射监测及核事故应急监测中意义重大。氡的子体,包括²¹⁴Bi和²¹⁴Pb会严重干扰放射性氙同位素的活度测量,在氙测量前必须将氡去除,为此开展了制备型气相色谱分离氙氡技术研究。本文研究建立了一套制备型气相色谱系统实验平台,采用氙标准样品,考察了实验平台的氙制备性能;自制了氙氡混合源,测试了氡去污因子。结果表明：建立的实验平台和基于该平台的氙氡分离与氙制备的实验方法实用高效：对氙的制备量不小于11.5 mL（@STP）;制备样品中氙的体积比浓度和氙回收效率分别不小于80%和95%;氡去污因子大于10⁵,满足CTBT大气放射性氙监测技术要求。     

Evaluation of Radon in Soil Gas and Natural Radioactivity in Surface Soil of Kinki District,Japan

Radon and its progeny are an important part of natural environmental exposure to radiation. However, little information is available about the radon contents of soil gas. We carried out a survey of radioactivity, focusing on ²²²Rn-concentrations in soil gas in parts of western Japan. Fifty nine samples in soil gas from 4 Prefectures of the Kinki district were analyzed with a liquid scintillation counter after the trapping of radon in soil gas into a toluene based-scintillation cocktail, together with 19 samples of interest from karst and uranium mining sites in another two Prefectures for comparison. The cumulative frequency of the ²²²Rn-concentrations in soil gas of the Kinki district showed a log-normal distribution. The average content was found to be 11.9kBqm^?3 (arithmetic mean) and 7.5kBqm^?3 (geometric mean). A maximum concentration of radon in soil gas, 2.1 MBqm^?3 was found at the marker of the Ningyo uranium mining site. Surveys of natural radioactivity in soil were also carried out with a Ge(Li) detector to determine the concentrations in soil, mainly focusing on uranium and thorium series. The radon concentrations in soil gas were weakly correlated with those of uranium series in soils. There were no great differences vertically in the natural radioactivity in soils within 1 m, but a difference by one order of magnitude was found in soils horizontally even in the residence area of the Kinki district.     

Chemical diffusion coefficient calculation of U3+ in LiCl-KCl molten salt

Self-diffusion coefficient denotes the intrinsic diffusion of elements without the chemical gradient; generally, it is different from the chemical diffusion coefficient that is used in Fick's law. However, the self-diffusion coefficient can be converted to the chemical diffusion coefficient by considering the concentration-dependent activity coefficient of solute. In this study, the multiple time origins method was applied to calculate the self-diffusion coefficient of U³⁺ in LiCl-KCl eutectic salt at different temperatures and concentrations. The chemical diffusion coefficient was obtained based on the calculated results and thermodynamic theory. Calculated results show that self-diffusion coefficient decreases with concentration however chemical diffusion coefficient indicates to change little initially but appears to increase followed by decrease later within the concentration range of 0–3 at%.