Aim of a low radon cleanroom technology is to minimize at the same time radon, radon decay produc... more Aim of a low radon cleanroom technology is to minimize at the same time radon, radon decay products concentration and aerosol concentration and to minimize deposition of radon decay products on the surfaces. The technology placed in a deep underground laboratory such as LSM Modane with suppressed muon flux and shielded against external gamma radiation and neutrons provides “Zero dose” space for basic research in radiobiology (validity of the LNT hypothesis for very low doses) and for the fabrication of nanoelectronic circuits to avoid undesirable “single event effects.” Two prototypes of a low radon cleanroom were built with the aim to achieve radon concentration lower than 100 mBq·m3 in an interior space where only radon-free air is delivered into the cleanroom technology from a radon trapping facility. The first prototype, built in the laboratory of SÚRO Prague, is equipped with a standard filter-ventilation system on the top of the cleanroom with improved leakproofness. In an exp...
The Jacobi room model, describing the behaviour of free and attached radon progeny in the atmosph... more The Jacobi room model, describing the behaviour of free and attached radon progeny in the atmosphere of a room was introduced by W. Jacobi 37 years ago [1], was worked out and broadly applied in indoor measuring by J. Porstendorfer [4, 5]. It has been successfully used up to now without substantial changes, so designating it as the J-P model is justified. There have been several attempts to invert measured data to determine the parameters describing the physical processes by approximate approaches [2, 3]. Here, an exact solution is given.
V prispevku je nejprve predstaven teoretický vliv intenzity vetrani, jehož znalost umožnuje lepe ... more V prispevku je nejprve predstaven teoretický vliv intenzity vetrani, jehož znalost umožnuje lepe kvantifikovat odvracene davky z inhalace vzduchu, pro osoby ukryte v budovach, po vzniku mimoradne udalosti s nasledkem kontaminace venkovniho vzduchu plynnou i aerosolovou formou radionuklidu. Na zaklade dosažených výsledku týdennich screeningových mereni prumerne intenzity vetrani v celkem 70 merených objektech (rodinne domy a byty ve výskových domech) a prirozene infiltrace do 20 budov byly pro vybrane kategorie budov, lisicich se tesnosti obalky, a otopnou a neotopnou sezonu vypocitany stredni hodnoty intenzity vetrani. Pro takto nalezene realisticke hodnoty intenzit vetrani byl pak ilustrovan jejich vliv na velikost odvracene davky z inhalace pro obecný radioaktivni kontaminant v plynne i aerosolove forme a pro casove ruznou fazi doby ukryti osob po namerene vnejsi kontaminaci vzduchu v budovach.
Three experiments were conducted with a volunteer to test the kinetics of the 222Rn exhalation af... more Three experiments were conducted with a volunteer to test the kinetics of the 222Rn exhalation after a shorttime exposure to an elevated 222Rn air concentration. Radon concentration in an exhaled air was measured, complemented by whole body counting of 222Rn decay products in a body. Exhaled activities are compared with the prediction of the recent ICRP biokinetic model for radon. While a rapid equilibration of the exhaled radon activity concentration with that in the air inhaled corresponded with the model, the measured 222Rn exhalation rate was significantly less than modelled. Five hours after termination of the inhalation phase, the radon concentration in the exhaled air decreased to levels expected for non-elevated indoor radon activity concentration. Whole body activities of the 222Rn decay products were found higher than expected. Inhalation of the unattached fraction or residual activity of decay products in the air inhaled may be the explanation.
In this article, a portable device was presented for continual measuring of equilibrium equivalen... more In this article, a portable device was presented for continual measuring of equilibrium equivalent concentration (EEC) of (222)Rn based on the Timepix detector with 300-µm-thick active layer. In order to have a portable device, a filtration head was developed for collecting short-lived radon progenies attached on aerosols. The short-lived progenies are estimated from analysing alphas from decay of (218,214)Po from Millipore filter after termination of filtration. Comparison with beta measurement was done as well. The dependence of EEC on an air flow and filtration time was studied. The low-level detection limit for EEC was estimated from the last 10 min of 3-h decay measurement and was found in the range of 40-70 Bq m(-3). EEC was measured in National Radiation Protection Institute radon chamber, and results were compared with the commercial detector Fritra4.
Suppression of radon background is one of main tasks in ultra-low background experiments. The mos... more Suppression of radon background is one of main tasks in ultra-low background experiments. The most promising technique for suppression of radon is its adsorption on charcoal. Within the frame of the NEMO-3 experiment, radon trapping facility (RTF) was installed in Modane underground laboratory in 2004. Based on long-term experience with this facility a new compact transportable anti-radon facility was constructed in cooperation among IEAP CTU, SURO and ATEKO company. The device provides 20m3/h of purified air (air radon activity at the output ∼10mBq/m3). The basic features and preliminary results of anti-radon device testing are presented.
During the Eighth International Conference on High Levels of Natural Radiation and Radon Areas he... more During the Eighth International Conference on High Levels of Natural Radiation and Radon Areas held in autumn 2014 at Prague, the third intercomparison of radon/thoron gas and radon short-lived decay products measurement instruments was organised by and held at the Natural Radiation Division of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI; SÚRO v.v.i.) in Prague. The intercomparison was newly focussed also on continuous monitors with active sampling adapters capable to distinguish radon/thoron gas in their mix field.The results of radon gas measurements carried out in the big NRPI radon chamber indicated very well an average deviation of up to 5 % from the reference NRPI value for 80 % of all the exposed instruments. The results of equilibrium equivalent concentration continuous monitors indicated an average deviation of up to 5 % from the reference NRPI value for 40 % of all the exposed instruments and their ~8-10 % shift compared with the NRPI. The results of investigated ambient conditions upon response of exposed continuous monitors indicated influence of aerosol changes upon response of radon monitors with an active air sampling adapters through the filter, only. The exposures of both radon/thoron gas discriminative continuous monitors and passive detectors have been indicated inconsistent results: on one hand, their excellent agreement up to several per cent for both the gases, and on the other hand, systematic unsatisfactory differences up to 40 %. Additional radon/thoron exercises are recommended to improve both the instruments themselves and quality of their operators.
During the Sixth European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in autu... more During the Sixth European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in autumn 2010 in Prague, the first intercomparison of continuous radon and its short-lived decay product monitors was organised and held by the Natural Radiation Division of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) in Prague. Eight laboratories submitted eight continuous radon monitors, two electronic monitors, three passive integral systems based on charcoal and three continuous radon short-lived decay product monitors. The intercomparison included exposures to both the radon gas concentration and equivalent equilibrium radon concentration (EEC) under different ambient conditions similar to the ones in dwellings. In particular, the influence of the equilibrium factor F, unattached fraction of EEC f(p) and absolute air humidity were investigated. The results of the radon gas measurements were performed on a calibration level of about 8 kBq m(-3). The results of all monitors were compared with the reference NRPI monitor.
Two new single-family houses identified as insufficient with regard to existing radon barrier eff... more Two new single-family houses identified as insufficient with regard to existing radon barrier efficiency, have been selected for further examination. A complex set of radon diagnosis procedures has been applied in order to localise and quantify radon entry pathways into the indoor environment. Independent assessment of radon entry rate and air exchange rate has been carried out using the continuous indoor radon measurement and a specific tracer gas application. Simultaneous assessment of these key determining factors has turned out to be absolutely crucial in the context of major cause identification of elevated indoor radon concentration.
Recently, the role of energy savings in indoor air quality deterioration has been extensively emp... more Recently, the role of energy savings in indoor air quality deterioration has been extensively emphasised, predominantly in the context of significant air exchange rate reduction as a result of home energy retrofits. In case of refurbishment of existing buildings, the effect of energy-efficient technologies on indoor radon concentration is considerably complex and has to be carefully evaluated with respect to radon entry rate (RER) and air exchange rate alteration. For the purpose of detailed analysis of radon entry pathways, the unique infiltration experiment has been carried out using the tracer gas (N2O) method application in field conditions. Significant amount of experimental works has been done to provide an independent assessment of RER and air-exchange rate facilitating the analysis of fundamental factors influencing the indoor radon variations (e.g. indoor-outdoor pressure difference induced by wind, stack effect, heating, ventilation and operation of air-conditioning systems).
During the 7th European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in the au... more During the 7th European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in the autumn of 2013 in Prague, the second intercomparison of measuring instruments for radon and its short-lived decay products and the first intercomparison of radon/thoron gas discriminative passive detectors in mix field of radon/thoron were organised by and held at the Natural Radiation Division of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) in Prague. In total, 14 laboratories from 11 different countries took part in the 2013 NRPI intercomparison. They submitted both continuous monitors for the measurement of radon gas and equivalent equilibrium radon concentration in a big NRPI chamber (48 m3) and sets of passive detectors including radon/thoron discriminative for the measurement of radon gas in the big chamber and thoron gas in a small thoron chamber (150 dm3).
In autumn 2010, an outdoor measuring station for measurement of atmospheric radon, gamma equivale... more In autumn 2010, an outdoor measuring station for measurement of atmospheric radon, gamma equivalent dose rate in the range of 100 nSv h(-1)-1 Sv h(-1) and proper meteorological parameters such as thermal air gradient, relative air humidity, wind speed and direction and solar radiation intensity was built in the area of the National Radiation Protection Institute vvi. The station was designed to be independent of an electrical network and enables on-line wireless transfer of all data. After introduction of the station, illustrations of its measurement properties and the results of measured diurnal and seasonal variability of atmospheric radon, based on annual continuous measurement using a high-volume scintillation cell at a height of 2.5 m above the ground, are presented.
After an introduction of Timepix detector, results of these detectors with silicon and cadmium te... more After an introduction of Timepix detector, results of these detectors with silicon and cadmium telluride detection layer in assessment of activity of short-lived radon decay products are presented. They were collected on an open-face filter by means of one-grab sampling method from the NRPI radon chamber. Activity of short-lived radon decay products was estimated from measured alpha decays of 218,214Po. The results indicate very good agreement between the use of both Timepix detectors and an NRPI reference instrument, continuous monitor Fritra 4. Low-level detection limit for EEC was estimated to be 41 Bq m(-3) for silicon detection layer and 184 Bq m(-3) for CdTe detection layer, respectively.
On the case of a parallel metrological measurement of unattached and attached concentrations of r... more On the case of a parallel metrological measurement of unattached and attached concentrations of radon progeny, the evaluation by an inversion of the Jacobi-Porstendörfer room model indicates a real overestimation of the concentration of RaA ((218)Po).
To subserve the institutional research and tasks coming out from the Czech National Radon Program... more To subserve the institutional research and tasks coming out from the Czech National Radon Programme, a new QA programme to calibrate all the known types of devices that measure radon and its short-lived progeny was developed at the Department of Radon mobile group of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) at Prague. The programme also included calibration of instruments measuring a unique quantity of unattached and attached fractions of short- lived radon progeny Generally, NRPI declares estimation of radon concentration during all routine calibration measurements with an overall uncertainty <5% (one sigma) and of equilibrium-equivalent radon concentration with an overall uncertainty <10% (one sigma). The results of the comparative measurements of the unattached and attached fractions of each short-lived radon progeny carried out with a comparing continuous monitor Fritra 4 in the German reference radon chamber at PTB Braunschweig indicated an acceptable level of agreement, up to 10%.
Aim of a low radon cleanroom technology is to minimize at the same time radon, radon decay produc... more Aim of a low radon cleanroom technology is to minimize at the same time radon, radon decay products concentration and aerosol concentration and to minimize deposition of radon decay products on the surfaces. The technology placed in a deep underground laboratory such as LSM Modane with suppressed muon flux and shielded against external gamma radiation and neutrons provides “Zero dose” space for basic research in radiobiology (validity of the LNT hypothesis for very low doses) and for the fabrication of nanoelectronic circuits to avoid undesirable “single event effects.” Two prototypes of a low radon cleanroom were built with the aim to achieve radon concentration lower than 100 mBq·m3 in an interior space where only radon-free air is delivered into the cleanroom technology from a radon trapping facility. The first prototype, built in the laboratory of SÚRO Prague, is equipped with a standard filter-ventilation system on the top of the cleanroom with improved leakproofness. In an exp...
The Jacobi room model, describing the behaviour of free and attached radon progeny in the atmosph... more The Jacobi room model, describing the behaviour of free and attached radon progeny in the atmosphere of a room was introduced by W. Jacobi 37 years ago [1], was worked out and broadly applied in indoor measuring by J. Porstendorfer [4, 5]. It has been successfully used up to now without substantial changes, so designating it as the J-P model is justified. There have been several attempts to invert measured data to determine the parameters describing the physical processes by approximate approaches [2, 3]. Here, an exact solution is given.
V prispevku je nejprve predstaven teoretický vliv intenzity vetrani, jehož znalost umožnuje lepe ... more V prispevku je nejprve predstaven teoretický vliv intenzity vetrani, jehož znalost umožnuje lepe kvantifikovat odvracene davky z inhalace vzduchu, pro osoby ukryte v budovach, po vzniku mimoradne udalosti s nasledkem kontaminace venkovniho vzduchu plynnou i aerosolovou formou radionuklidu. Na zaklade dosažených výsledku týdennich screeningových mereni prumerne intenzity vetrani v celkem 70 merených objektech (rodinne domy a byty ve výskových domech) a prirozene infiltrace do 20 budov byly pro vybrane kategorie budov, lisicich se tesnosti obalky, a otopnou a neotopnou sezonu vypocitany stredni hodnoty intenzity vetrani. Pro takto nalezene realisticke hodnoty intenzit vetrani byl pak ilustrovan jejich vliv na velikost odvracene davky z inhalace pro obecný radioaktivni kontaminant v plynne i aerosolove forme a pro casove ruznou fazi doby ukryti osob po namerene vnejsi kontaminaci vzduchu v budovach.
Three experiments were conducted with a volunteer to test the kinetics of the 222Rn exhalation af... more Three experiments were conducted with a volunteer to test the kinetics of the 222Rn exhalation after a shorttime exposure to an elevated 222Rn air concentration. Radon concentration in an exhaled air was measured, complemented by whole body counting of 222Rn decay products in a body. Exhaled activities are compared with the prediction of the recent ICRP biokinetic model for radon. While a rapid equilibration of the exhaled radon activity concentration with that in the air inhaled corresponded with the model, the measured 222Rn exhalation rate was significantly less than modelled. Five hours after termination of the inhalation phase, the radon concentration in the exhaled air decreased to levels expected for non-elevated indoor radon activity concentration. Whole body activities of the 222Rn decay products were found higher than expected. Inhalation of the unattached fraction or residual activity of decay products in the air inhaled may be the explanation.
In this article, a portable device was presented for continual measuring of equilibrium equivalen... more In this article, a portable device was presented for continual measuring of equilibrium equivalent concentration (EEC) of (222)Rn based on the Timepix detector with 300-µm-thick active layer. In order to have a portable device, a filtration head was developed for collecting short-lived radon progenies attached on aerosols. The short-lived progenies are estimated from analysing alphas from decay of (218,214)Po from Millipore filter after termination of filtration. Comparison with beta measurement was done as well. The dependence of EEC on an air flow and filtration time was studied. The low-level detection limit for EEC was estimated from the last 10 min of 3-h decay measurement and was found in the range of 40-70 Bq m(-3). EEC was measured in National Radiation Protection Institute radon chamber, and results were compared with the commercial detector Fritra4.
Suppression of radon background is one of main tasks in ultra-low background experiments. The mos... more Suppression of radon background is one of main tasks in ultra-low background experiments. The most promising technique for suppression of radon is its adsorption on charcoal. Within the frame of the NEMO-3 experiment, radon trapping facility (RTF) was installed in Modane underground laboratory in 2004. Based on long-term experience with this facility a new compact transportable anti-radon facility was constructed in cooperation among IEAP CTU, SURO and ATEKO company. The device provides 20m3/h of purified air (air radon activity at the output ∼10mBq/m3). The basic features and preliminary results of anti-radon device testing are presented.
During the Eighth International Conference on High Levels of Natural Radiation and Radon Areas he... more During the Eighth International Conference on High Levels of Natural Radiation and Radon Areas held in autumn 2014 at Prague, the third intercomparison of radon/thoron gas and radon short-lived decay products measurement instruments was organised by and held at the Natural Radiation Division of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI; SÚRO v.v.i.) in Prague. The intercomparison was newly focussed also on continuous monitors with active sampling adapters capable to distinguish radon/thoron gas in their mix field.The results of radon gas measurements carried out in the big NRPI radon chamber indicated very well an average deviation of up to 5 % from the reference NRPI value for 80 % of all the exposed instruments. The results of equilibrium equivalent concentration continuous monitors indicated an average deviation of up to 5 % from the reference NRPI value for 40 % of all the exposed instruments and their ~8-10 % shift compared with the NRPI. The results of investigated ambient conditions upon response of exposed continuous monitors indicated influence of aerosol changes upon response of radon monitors with an active air sampling adapters through the filter, only. The exposures of both radon/thoron gas discriminative continuous monitors and passive detectors have been indicated inconsistent results: on one hand, their excellent agreement up to several per cent for both the gases, and on the other hand, systematic unsatisfactory differences up to 40 %. Additional radon/thoron exercises are recommended to improve both the instruments themselves and quality of their operators.
During the Sixth European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in autu... more During the Sixth European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in autumn 2010 in Prague, the first intercomparison of continuous radon and its short-lived decay product monitors was organised and held by the Natural Radiation Division of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) in Prague. Eight laboratories submitted eight continuous radon monitors, two electronic monitors, three passive integral systems based on charcoal and three continuous radon short-lived decay product monitors. The intercomparison included exposures to both the radon gas concentration and equivalent equilibrium radon concentration (EEC) under different ambient conditions similar to the ones in dwellings. In particular, the influence of the equilibrium factor F, unattached fraction of EEC f(p) and absolute air humidity were investigated. The results of the radon gas measurements were performed on a calibration level of about 8 kBq m(-3). The results of all monitors were compared with the reference NRPI monitor.
Two new single-family houses identified as insufficient with regard to existing radon barrier eff... more Two new single-family houses identified as insufficient with regard to existing radon barrier efficiency, have been selected for further examination. A complex set of radon diagnosis procedures has been applied in order to localise and quantify radon entry pathways into the indoor environment. Independent assessment of radon entry rate and air exchange rate has been carried out using the continuous indoor radon measurement and a specific tracer gas application. Simultaneous assessment of these key determining factors has turned out to be absolutely crucial in the context of major cause identification of elevated indoor radon concentration.
Recently, the role of energy savings in indoor air quality deterioration has been extensively emp... more Recently, the role of energy savings in indoor air quality deterioration has been extensively emphasised, predominantly in the context of significant air exchange rate reduction as a result of home energy retrofits. In case of refurbishment of existing buildings, the effect of energy-efficient technologies on indoor radon concentration is considerably complex and has to be carefully evaluated with respect to radon entry rate (RER) and air exchange rate alteration. For the purpose of detailed analysis of radon entry pathways, the unique infiltration experiment has been carried out using the tracer gas (N2O) method application in field conditions. Significant amount of experimental works has been done to provide an independent assessment of RER and air-exchange rate facilitating the analysis of fundamental factors influencing the indoor radon variations (e.g. indoor-outdoor pressure difference induced by wind, stack effect, heating, ventilation and operation of air-conditioning systems).
During the 7th European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in the au... more During the 7th European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in the autumn of 2013 in Prague, the second intercomparison of measuring instruments for radon and its short-lived decay products and the first intercomparison of radon/thoron gas discriminative passive detectors in mix field of radon/thoron were organised by and held at the Natural Radiation Division of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) in Prague. In total, 14 laboratories from 11 different countries took part in the 2013 NRPI intercomparison. They submitted both continuous monitors for the measurement of radon gas and equivalent equilibrium radon concentration in a big NRPI chamber (48 m3) and sets of passive detectors including radon/thoron discriminative for the measurement of radon gas in the big chamber and thoron gas in a small thoron chamber (150 dm3).
In autumn 2010, an outdoor measuring station for measurement of atmospheric radon, gamma equivale... more In autumn 2010, an outdoor measuring station for measurement of atmospheric radon, gamma equivalent dose rate in the range of 100 nSv h(-1)-1 Sv h(-1) and proper meteorological parameters such as thermal air gradient, relative air humidity, wind speed and direction and solar radiation intensity was built in the area of the National Radiation Protection Institute vvi. The station was designed to be independent of an electrical network and enables on-line wireless transfer of all data. After introduction of the station, illustrations of its measurement properties and the results of measured diurnal and seasonal variability of atmospheric radon, based on annual continuous measurement using a high-volume scintillation cell at a height of 2.5 m above the ground, are presented.
After an introduction of Timepix detector, results of these detectors with silicon and cadmium te... more After an introduction of Timepix detector, results of these detectors with silicon and cadmium telluride detection layer in assessment of activity of short-lived radon decay products are presented. They were collected on an open-face filter by means of one-grab sampling method from the NRPI radon chamber. Activity of short-lived radon decay products was estimated from measured alpha decays of 218,214Po. The results indicate very good agreement between the use of both Timepix detectors and an NRPI reference instrument, continuous monitor Fritra 4. Low-level detection limit for EEC was estimated to be 41 Bq m(-3) for silicon detection layer and 184 Bq m(-3) for CdTe detection layer, respectively.
On the case of a parallel metrological measurement of unattached and attached concentrations of r... more On the case of a parallel metrological measurement of unattached and attached concentrations of radon progeny, the evaluation by an inversion of the Jacobi-Porstendörfer room model indicates a real overestimation of the concentration of RaA ((218)Po).
To subserve the institutional research and tasks coming out from the Czech National Radon Program... more To subserve the institutional research and tasks coming out from the Czech National Radon Programme, a new QA programme to calibrate all the known types of devices that measure radon and its short-lived progeny was developed at the Department of Radon mobile group of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) at Prague. The programme also included calibration of instruments measuring a unique quantity of unattached and attached fractions of short- lived radon progeny Generally, NRPI declares estimation of radon concentration during all routine calibration measurements with an overall uncertainty <5% (one sigma) and of equilibrium-equivalent radon concentration with an overall uncertainty <10% (one sigma). The results of the comparative measurements of the unattached and attached fractions of each short-lived radon progeny carried out with a comparing continuous monitor Fritra 4 in the German reference radon chamber at PTB Braunschweig indicated an acceptable level of agreement, up to 10%.
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