Time-averaged exposures to sup 220 Rn and sup 222 Rn progeny in Colorado homes
- Department of Energy, Grand Junction Projects Office, CO (USA)
Week-long time-averaged exposures to naturally occurring {sup 220}Rn and {sup 222}Rn progeny have been measured at several locations in Colorado by monitoring the alpha activity collected continuously on a fixed-membrane filter. The alpha-energy spectrum associated with the activity collected on the filter was recorded every 15 min using a microcomputer-controlled alpha spectrometer. The alpha counts observed in three energy regions permitted complete separation of the contributions from each decay chain, and calculation of the separate time-averaged potential alpha-energy concentrations in air from {sup 220}Rn progeny, PAEC(Tn), and from {sup 222}Rn progeny, PAEC(Rn). The time-averaged PAEC(Tn) ranged from 0.3 to 6.9 mWL at 12 indoor locations, and the time-averaged PAEC(Rn) ranged from 1.0 to 59.0 mWL. The ratios of the indoor PAEC(Tn) to indoor PAEC(Rn) ranged from 0.09 to 0.58, with an overall average ratio of 0.32 and a standard deviation of 0.15. The 10 L min-1 flow rate through the filter was selected to approximate the air intake rate of a resting human; the time-averaged PAEC thus represents the progeny concentrations that would have been inhaled by a person breathing the same atmosphere.
- OSTI ID:
- 6711435
- Journal Information:
- Health Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Health Physics; (USA) Vol. 58:6; ISSN 0017-9078; ISSN HLTPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540130* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BISMUTH
BUILDINGS
COLORADO
CONTAMINATION
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION VIII
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOUSES
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
ISOTOPES
LEAD
MAMMALS
MAN
METALS
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
POLLUTION
POLONIUM
PRIMATES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 220
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
USA
VERTEBRATES