Measurement of Radon in Ambient Air
Radon is formed from the decay of radium, a radioactive element in the decay series of uranium or thorium. It is a heavy substance that is a gas under normal conditions and being an alpha emitter is considered to be a health hazard. Inhalation of air with high radon concentration has been found to increase risk of lung cancer. Measurement of radon in living atmosphere thus becomes pertinent while assessing dose from natural environment. Since radon gas concentration in the environment varies diurnally and seasonally, it is essential that long term integrated measurements are carried out for a meaningful estimate of the gas concentration.
Solid State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD) based dosimeters are used for long term measurement of radon in atmosphere.
Polltech has developed a complete system for measurement of Radon which includes a specially designed dosimeter with LR115 loaded cartridges and an accurate constant temperature etching bath in addition to a field proven Spark counter, specifically used in conjunction with SSNTD films. The design allows loading and unloading of cartridges from Dosimeter and etching & washing of exposed LR115 without the need for touching the LR115 films.