Determination of waterborne 222Rn concentrations using AC canisters.
A method for measuring 222Rn concentration in water using charcoal canisters is presented. 222Rn is transferred within a few minutes from water contained in a 0.720 L bottle to a charcoal canister using a portable degassing unit. In the laboratory, gamma counting is performed at least 10 h after sampling to determine waterborne 222Rn concentration. The results obtained with charcoal canisters are compared to measurements made with Marinelli beakers calibrated in a comparison with liquid scintillation counting. The efficiency of transferring dissolved 222Rn in water to activated charcoal is 99%, based on measurements made using Marinelli beakers. The lower limit of detection at the 95% confidence level is approximately 1 kBq m-3 for a 15 min gamma count. The system was used to measure radon concentration in mineral groundwater near Rome.
Mancini
C
C
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Nucleare e Conversioni di Energia, Rome, Italy.
Giannelli
G
G
D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon