Characteristics of natural radioactivity appearing in its diurnal variation

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7112645

Nakatani, S

The characteristics of naturally occurring radioactivity were investigated in terms of the time variation of its concentration in the atmosphere. An outline of various types of time variation of the concentration of radioactivity occurring naturally in the atmosphere is presented along with methods of measuring the properties of natural radioactivity, especially the nature of size distributions of radioactive aerosols and the degree of equilibrium between radon-222 and its daughters in the air which are influenced by various conditions of the atmosphere. The first reason for the study was the need for investigation of the nature of airborne radioactivity that produces various effects on ionization and electric phenomena. Secondly, the concentration of the natural background activity occurring in Tokyo is important in view of the anticipated rise in activity level due to the use of various radioisotopes. In addition the effect of radioactive aerosols on the human body has attracted the attention of many researchers. The size distribution of radioactive aerosols and the degree of radioactive equilibrium among the radon daughters are closely related to the magnitude of the internal radiation doses.

• Research Organization: Electrotechnical Lab., Tokyo (Japan)
• OSTI ID: 7112645
• Report Number(s): N-76-24799; REPT-755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ASIA
BACKGROUND RADIATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
COLLOIDS
DAILY VARIATIONS
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
DOSE RATES
DOSIMETRY
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
JAPAN
MEASURING METHODS
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
NUCLEI
PARTICLE SIZE
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
SIZE
SOLS
VARIATIONS