Abstract
The specific activities of 222Rn in environmental samples (atmospheric and soil air, surface and groundwater, etc) can vary over 5 orders of magnitude and hence the methods and instruments to measure radon activities vary widely. The measurement techniques are classified based three characteristics—i) whether measurement involves 222Rn or its progeny; ii) time resolution; and iii) detection of the type of emission, whether alpha or beta particle or gamma radiation resulting from radioactive decay. The three broad classes of time resolution, based on sampling and analysis, include i) grab-sample technique; ii) continuous technique and iii) integrating technique. The preferred technique is based on the purpose of the study and the research question addressed. Precise determination of radon activity in surface waters of the ocean and lakes for tracer studies requires careful sampling. A review of most commonly-used techniques for measuring radon in air and water samples along with quality control, precision and accuracy in radon measurements are presented in this chapter.
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Notes
- 1.
The author’s laboratory experience has shown that the dry ice alone or a mixture of salt and ice is sufficient to quantitatively trap radon in the activated charcoal column.
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Acknowledgments
A thorough technical review of this chapter by Profs. Y.S. Mayya and Bill Burnett is deeply appreciated.
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Baskaran, M. (2016). Radon Measurement Techniques. In: Radon: A Tracer for Geological, Geophysical and Geochemical Studies. Springer Geochemistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21329-3_2
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