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The response of plastic detectors to radon activity inside houses
382
Abstracts--I lth ICSSNTD
THE RESPONSE OF PLASTIC DETECTORS TO RADON ACTIVITY INSIDE HOUSES F. Abu-Jarad* and J.H. Fremlin ** *Department of Physics, University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia **Department of Physics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham BI5 2TT, England ABSTRACT The results of using plastic track detectors LR-II5 and CR-39 for measuring the radon activity inside rooms shows linearity between the number of ~-tracks and the time of exposure. It also shows the reproducibility of plastic placed in the same position for a particular room, but a noticeable variation in the number of ~tracks was observed when similar plastic detectors were placed at different positions in the same room. About 200 plastics of the two types mentioned were placed in the same condition in more than i00 houses in different areas in the UK. The results show a log-normal distribution between the number of houses per unit of radon concentration against concentration. However the CR-39 results varied between 3 to 9 times more than the LR-II5 results, mainly due to the plate-out of aerosol particles to their surfaces.
RADON EMANATION FROM URANIUM CORRIDOR IN ORKNEY ISLANDS AND IN KINVER CAVES F. Abu-Jarad* and J.H. Fremlin + *Department of Physics, University of Petroleum and Minerals Dhahran, Saudi Arabia +Department of Physics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham BI5 2TT, England ABSTRACT Some f a r m h o u s e s on the uranium corridor in Orkney where the uranium concentration varied between 500-1200 ppm were studied. An inverted open-mouthed can with a piece of CR-39 stuck to the inside of the closed end was used as an arrangement for radon detection. The cans were buried at a depth of about 30 em below the soil surface in the garden of each farm house studied. The radon concentrations inside the cans were found to vary from 7-600 pC i £~i. This corresponds to an exhalation rate of 5-500 p Ci m-2h -I. These figures were I00 times more than the average figures under those cans attached to the walls of the same houses. The can technique was also used in the sand-stone Kinver caves near Birmingham which were occupied until 1950. The activity of radon inside and outside the can was found to be on average 14 and I0 pCi ~-i respectively. This is much more than activity in the houses in Birmingham (3.4 and 1.4 pCi ~- respectively).
Abstracts--I lth ICSSNTD
THE RESPONSE OF PLASTIC DETECTORS TO RADON ACTIVITY INSIDE HOUSES F. Abu-Jarad* and J.H. Fremlin ** *Department of Physics, University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia **Department of Physics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham BI5 2TT, England ABSTRACT The results of using plastic track detectors LR-II5 and CR-39 for measuring the radon activity inside rooms shows linearity between the number of ~-tracks and the time of exposure. It also shows the reproducibility of plastic placed in the same position for a particular room, but a noticeable variation in the number of ~tracks was observed when similar plastic detectors were placed at different positions in the same room. About 200 plastics of the two types mentioned were placed in the same condition in more than i00 houses in different areas in the UK. The results show a log-normal distribution between the number of houses per unit of radon concentration against concentration. However the CR-39 results varied between 3 to 9 times more than the LR-II5 results, mainly due to the plate-out of aerosol particles to their surfaces.
RADON EMANATION FROM URANIUM CORRIDOR IN ORKNEY ISLANDS AND IN KINVER CAVES F. Abu-Jarad* and J.H. Fremlin + *Department of Physics, University of Petroleum and Minerals Dhahran, Saudi Arabia +Department of Physics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham BI5 2TT, England ABSTRACT Some f a r m h o u s e s on the uranium corridor in Orkney where the uranium concentration varied between 500-1200 ppm were studied. An inverted open-mouthed can with a piece of CR-39 stuck to the inside of the closed end was used as an arrangement for radon detection. The cans were buried at a depth of about 30 em below the soil surface in the garden of each farm house studied. The radon concentrations inside the cans were found to vary from 7-600 pC i £~i. This corresponds to an exhalation rate of 5-500 p Ci m-2h -I. These figures were I00 times more than the average figures under those cans attached to the walls of the same houses. The can technique was also used in the sand-stone Kinver caves near Birmingham which were occupied until 1950. The activity of radon inside and outside the can was found to be on average 14 and I0 pCi ~-i respectively. This is much more than activity in the houses in Birmingham (3.4 and 1.4 pCi ~- respectively).