title: Measurement of thoron gas in the environment using a Lucas scintillation cell.
abstract: A simple and fast method for measuring the concentration of (220)Rn in the environment was developed based on the AB-5 portable radon measuring device. First, background counts were measured with a Lucas scintillation cell (LSC), then air sampling measurement was started immediately and lasted for 1 min; the (220)Rn concentration could be calculated from the counts before and after sampling as well as the theoretical detection efficiency. Results of theoretical calculations showed that in a pure (220)Rn environment the lower detection limit of the LSC would be some 65  Bq m(-3) (with a confidence level of 70%). The experimental results showed that compared with a RAD7 monitor in pure (220)Rn or mixed (222)Rn/(220)Rn environments the deviations were less than ± 10%. This method can also be used for quantitative measurement of (220)Rn concentration.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qiuju
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Weihai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhuo
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012588:Scintillation Counting
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D011886:Radon