A study of airborne radon levels in Paarl houses (South Africa) and associated source terms, using electret ion chambers and gamma-ray spectrometry.
Indoor radon ((222)Rn) concentrations were measured in Paarl homes by means of electret ion chambers. The concentrations varied between 28 and 465 Bq m(-3). The average values (Bq m(-3)) found in houses on the west and east side of the Berg River, which bisects Paarl, were 132 (+/-11) and 37 (+/-3), respectively. Radiometric analyses of soils show that the mean (226)Ra activity concentration is three times higher on the west than on the east side of the Berg River.
Department of Physics, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7537, South Africa. rlindsay@uwc.ac.za
R
R
Lindsay
R T
RT
Newman
W J
WJ
Speelman
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000398:Air Pollution, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013019:South Africa; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055672:Static Electricity
D011868:Radioisotopes; D011886:Radon