Sampler and cell for radon detectors and method of using same

Patent · Tue Sep 28 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6660974

Powell, B

A relatively small diameter, relatively deep hole is made in the ground and a sampler tube is inserted therein. An acetate sleeve is detachably inserted into a chamber on the upper end of the sampling tube and the sampler is left for at least sixteen hours and preferably longer in order to permit radon gas to migrate up the tube. Daughter products of radon deposit on the acetate film which is then placed in a scintillation cell attached to the counting chamber of a scintillation counter, which counts the alpha emissions of the daughter products thereby permitting the amount of radon gas to be calculated. This method reduces considerably any contamination of the scintillation counting chamber so that cleansing is not necessary thus permitting a much higher level of productivity. The system is also totally insensitive to thoron so that no correction for thoron signals is required. The same method can be used to collect airborne samples by hanging the acetate strip in a desired location for at least four hours and counting alpha emissions from said strip as above.

• Assignee: EDB-83-018231
• Patent Number(s): US 4352014
• OSTI ID: 6660974
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440101* -- Radiation Instrumentation-- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ACETATES
ALPHA PARTICLES
BOREHOLES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CAVITIES
CHARGED PARTICLES
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
ISOTOPES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
MONITORS
NONMETALS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION MONITORS
RADON
RARE GASES
SAMPLING
SCINTILLATION COUNTING
SOILS