title: The level and distribution of ²²⁰Rn concentration in soil-gas in Guangdong Province, China.
abstract: In order to understand the level and distribution of (220)Rn concentrations in soil-gas in the high-radiation-background area, an (220)Rn survey was carried out for the first time using a RAD7 portable radon monitor at 67 locations covering a total area of 1800 km(2) in the South of China. (220)Rn concentrations were significantly different from that in the surface areas covered by the weathered granite of Yanshan Period or Quaternary sediments. The (220)Rn concentrations varied between 6.65 and 461 kBq m(-3) and the averages were 294.42 ± 81.36 and 23.30 ± 25.84 kBq m(-3) for weathered granite products and sediments, respectively. A high positive correlation between (220)Rn concentrations and (232)Th activity concentrations was found. (220)Rn concentrations had no statistically significant variations from depths of 20-140 cm with an interval of 20 cm. It is worth paying attention to the problem of such a high soil (220)Rn concentration in Zhuhai City and Zhongshan City.
authors.affiliation: School of Geophysics and Information Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China. npwang@cugb.edu.cn
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D001417:Background Radiation; D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D004867:Equipment Design; D005720:Gamma Rays; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D011786:Quality Control; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon