Method for measuring the exhalation of radon from building materials
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%.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5215389
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-10631; ON: DE82013877; TRN: 82-013909
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
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)