title: Development of a low-level radon reference atmosphere.
abstract: In order to calibrate measurement devices for the activity concentration of Rn-222 (radon) in air below 1,000 Bq/m(3), a constant for long time (>5d), homogeneous reference atmosphere is created by a certified activity in a certified volume. The PTB developed this reference atmosphere from 150 Bq/m(3) to 2,000 Bq/m(3) based on the precisely known emanation of Rn-222 from a Ra-226 activity standard. This set-up reduces uncertainties and increases the range of traceability for commercial radon measurement devices. Thus, a gap in radon metrology is closed. The new primary standard for reference atmospheres is realised with a combined relative standard uncertainty of 1.1%.
authors.affiliation: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany. diana.linzmaier@ptb.de
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Linzmaier
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Röttger
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000032:analysis*; D005858:Germany; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon
keywords: Calibration; Emanation; Metrology; Radon; Reference atmospheres