title: Open charcoal chamber method for mass measurements of radon exhalation rate from soil surface.
abstract: Radon exhalation rate from the soil surface can serve as an important criterion in the evaluation of radon hazard of the land. Recently published international standard ISO 11665-7 (2012) is based on the accumulation of radon gas in a closed container. At the same time since 1998 in Russia, as a part of engineering and environmental studies for the construction, radon flux measurements are made using an open charcoal chamber for a sampling duration of 3-5 h. This method has a well-defined metrological justification and was tested in both favorable and unfavorable conditions. The article describes the characteristics of the method, as well as the means of sampling and measurement of the activity of radon absorbed. The results of the metrological study suggest that regardless of the sampling conditions (weather, the mechanism and rate of radon transport in the soil, soil properties and conditions), uncertainty of method does not exceed 20%, while the combined standard uncertainty of radon exhalation rate measured from the soil surface does not exceed 30%. The results of the daily measurements of radon exhalation rate from the soil surface at the experimental site during one year are reported.
authors.affiliation: Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Research and Technical Center of Radiation-Chemical Safety and Hygiene", Moscow, Russia. Electronic address: andrey-ants@yandex.ru.
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsapalov
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: cvrkost@technion.ac.il.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kovler
authors.affiliation: Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience, Moscow, Russia. Electronic address: peterm7@inbox.ru.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miklyaev
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D002606:Charcoal; D011886:Radon
keywords: Activated charcoal; Metrology; Radon; Soil; Surface exhalation rate; Unfavorable conditions