Field comparison of several commercially available radon detectors.
To determine the accuracy and precision of commercially available radon detectors in a field setting, 15 detectors from six companies were exposed to radon and compared to a reference radon level. The detectors from companies that had already passed National Radon Measurement Proficiency Program testing had better precision and accuracy than those detectors awaiting proficiency testing. Charcoal adsorption detectors and diffusion barrier charcoal adsorption detectors performed very well, and the latter detectors displayed excellent time averaging ability. Alternatively, charcoal liquid scintillation detectors exhibited acceptable accuracy but poor precision, and bare alpha registration detectors showed both poor accuracy and precision. The mean radon level reported by the bare alpha registration detectors was 68 percent lower than the radon reference level.
Field
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RW
University of Iowa, Institute of Agricultural Medicine and Occupational Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, Iowa City 52242.
Kross
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BC
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006798:Housing; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values
D000393:Air Pollutants; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon