Passive environmental radon detector study

Technical Report · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6658550

There are three stages at which the ambient air concentrations of radon-222 are monitored around the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project sites: before, during, and after construction. Pre-remedial-action measurements are taken for approximately 1 year. Monitoring is conducted during the entire duration of construction, and post-remedial-action monitoring is performed for approximately 1 year. Currently, the UMTRA Project uses Radtrak[reg sign] brand alpha-track radon detectors for these environmental measurements. The purposes of radon monitoring around the UMTRA sites are (1) to determine background values around the site and pre-remedial-action conditions, (2) to control construction activities and monitor off-site releases, and (3) to compare post-remedial-action concentrations with pre-remedial-action values to demonstrate that radon concentrations have been reduced to approximately background levels. The Technical Assistance Contractor to the DOE for the UMTRA Project evaluated the performance of four different types of passive environmental radon detectors under both controlled laboratory conditions and field conditions at an unremediated UMTRA site. This study was undertaken to evaluate the accuracy and precision of four different passive, timeintegrating, environmental radon detectors in an effort to determine which brand of detector is best suited to measure environmental outdoor radon concentrations for the UMTRA Project. Voluntary manufacturer participation in the study was solicited by placing an advertisement in the Commerce Business Daily. All manufacturers participating in the study supplied the detectors and analysis free of charge.

• Research Organization: USDOE Albuquerque Operations Office, NM (United States). Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project Office
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-91AL62350
• OSTI ID: 6658550
• Report Number(s): DOE/UMTRA-400690-0000; ON: DE93008962
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
RADIOMETERS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
RADON 222
RADIATION MONITORING
FEED MATERIALS PLANTS
MILL TAILINGS
NUMERICAL DATA
PERFORMANCE
REMEDIAL ACTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
EVALUATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON ISOTOPES
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
WASTES
540130* - Environment
Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540250 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)
054000 - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
440101 - Radiation Instrumentation- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments