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Title: Method for measuring the exhalation of radon from building materials

Abstract

The health hazards associated with radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, may be significantly greater in buildings where ventilation is restricted. Since building materials such as concrete, gypsum, brick, and wood are potential sources of radon, it is important that their radon emanation rate be determined. A rapid and accurate method is presented for determining the radon emanation rate per mass from building materials by determining simply the radon exhalation rate per unit mass. A small sample of the material is sealed in a container from one to three days. The emanated radon is then collected on glass wool cooled to liquid-nitrogen temperature and subsequently transferred to a scintillation flask where the ..cap alpha..-activity is counted. The reproducibility errors of the measurements are on the order of 5%.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
5215389
Report Number(s):
LBL-10631
ON: DE82013877; TRN: 82-013909
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BUILDING MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADON; RADIATION MONITORING; CONCRETES; CONFIGURATION; DIFFUSION; ERRORS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; INDOOR AIR POLLUTION; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; AIR POLLUTION; DATA; ELEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FLUIDS; GASES; INFORMATION; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MONITORING; NONMETALS; NUMERICAL DATA; POLLUTION; RARE GASES; 500300* - Environment, Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Ingersoll, J G, Stitt, B D, and Zapalac, G H. Method for measuring the exhalation of radon from building materials. United States: N. p., 1982. Web. doi:10.2172/5215389.
Ingersoll, J G, Stitt, B D, & Zapalac, G H. Method for measuring the exhalation of radon from building materials. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5215389
Ingersoll, J G, Stitt, B D, and Zapalac, G H. 1982. "Method for measuring the exhalation of radon from building materials". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5215389. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5215389.
@article{osti_5215389,
title = {Method for measuring the exhalation of radon from building materials},
author = {Ingersoll, J G and Stitt, B D and Zapalac, G H},
abstractNote = {The health hazards associated with radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, may be significantly greater in buildings where ventilation is restricted. Since building materials such as concrete, gypsum, brick, and wood are potential sources of radon, it is important that their radon emanation rate be determined. A rapid and accurate method is presented for determining the radon emanation rate per mass from building materials by determining simply the radon exhalation rate per unit mass. A small sample of the material is sealed in a container from one to three days. The emanated radon is then collected on glass wool cooled to liquid-nitrogen temperature and subsequently transferred to a scintillation flask where the ..cap alpha..-activity is counted. The reproducibility errors of the measurements are on the order of 5%.},
doi = {10.2172/5215389},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5215389}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1982},
month = {Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1982}
}