Radiation Measurements 40 (2005) 316 319 www.elsevier.

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Design, construct and test of a calibration radon chamber

R. Shweikani , G. Raja
Atomic Energy Commission of Syria (AECS), Damascus, P.O.Box 6091, Syria Received 27 August 2004; accepted 8 May 2005

Abstract A new radon chamber has been designed, constructed, and tested. The design was chosen to meet the needs of several different radon detection techniques, both active and passive. The chamber is a cubic shape made of pixy glass with volume about 0.65 m3 . On top, it has a circular opening with double lock system for entering and removing samples without signicant disturbance of the inside concentration. It also has the possibility to expose passive radon detectors at different levels inside the chamber. In addition, two fans, with variable speeds, were tted in two opposite corners to maintain the uniformity of radon gas inside the volume. This calibration chamber can be used to perform researches and studies on radon behavior, in addition to calibrating different types of detectors (passive and active) which are used for measuring radon and its daughters. Solid radium-226 source with activity of 122 kBq was placed at the bottom of the chamber to generate radon. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Radon; Calibration chamber; SSNTD; Lucas cell

1. Introduction The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States reported scientists estimate that from about 5000 to about 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States may be attributed to radon (EPA, 1986). It is now well established that the inhalation of radon and its short-lived daughters by an average member of the general public is the largest individual contributor to radiation dose (Green et al., 1992). It is very important when calculating radiation doses and risk factors resulting from the exposure of the general population to radon and its decay products to nd an accurate and reliable method of detection. Numerous attempts to develop and improve the methods and techniques of radon measurements have been made (NEA, 1985; Nevissi, 1987).

Radon measurement techniques can be divided into three board categories: (1) grab sampling, (2) continuous and active sampling and (3) integrative sampling. The choice between these categories will depend on the kind of information required, the time over which an instrument can be devoted to measurements at a single location and the desired accuracy with which measurements can be related to an estimate of risk. In order to make accurate and meaningful measurement using any of the above measuring techniques, it is necessary to calibrate the detector under a known radon activity concentration usually within an enclosed purpose-built radon chamber (Shweikani et al., 1995). This work describes a newly built radon chamber and the measurements performed to test and determine radon activity concentration inside the chamber. 2. Radon chamber design A new radon chamber was designed, constructed and tested in the department of protection and safety at the

Corresponding author. Tel.: +963 11 611 1926/7;

fax: +963 11 611 2289. E-mail address: rshweikani@aec.org.sy (R. Shweikani). 1350-4487/$ - see front matter 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.radmeas.2005.05.010

R. Shweikani, G. Raja / Radiation Measurements 40 (2005) 316 319

317

Fig. 1. A general photo of the radon chamber.

Atomic Energy Commission of Syria. The chamber is a cubic shape made of pixy glass with dimensions of 81 cm 81 cm 102 cm (length width height). Fig. 1 shows two photos of the chamber clarifying most of the following described features. The chamber was tted with three openings on three of its sides with diameter 15 cm; one of them was tted with a thick rubber glove to maneuver things inside the chamber without disturbing the concentration of radon. On top, an opening with diameter of 30 cm tted with a double lock system, to insure inserting and removing samples without signicant change in radon concentration in the chamber. The inside lock of the double lock system was xed to a rod connected to a step motor to drive the closing plate (the plate which will carry samples) up to close position or down to start of exposure. The level at which exposure will take place inside the chamber is controlled by a meter xed at the side of the plate. Five valves for sampling radon from the chamber were introduced, two of them at the top and three on the three sides at different levels. Two variable speed fans were also xed in opposite sides inside the chamber. The rotation speed of each fan is controllable from outside. In addition, two electric supply units were xed inside the chamber for inserting electrically operated instrument inside the chamber. The power supply

for these two units is controlled on and off from outside. A control panel is xed at one side of the chamber (Fig. 1) containing six electrical switches (main, motor, two fans and two electrical supply units) with six associated lights when on, two switches to start the motor up or down and two switches to control the speed of the two fans. Radon is generated inside the chamber using a solid radium-226 source with activity of 122 kBq (from Pylon Electronic Development Company, Model 2000). The chamber was tested for leakage by elevating the pressure to over twice the normal pressure and the chamber was tested using bubble generator. The double lock system was also tested using plastic detectors which showed that the track densities after 4 h exposure were slightly higher than the background.

3. Measurement of the radon activity concentration To determine the radon activity concentration inside the chamber a cross calibration with primary radon chamber in Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority was performed. Fifty home made radon diffusion chambers (Fig. 2), each having a plastic detector (CR-39), were sent to be exposed in Norway for different exposure times, in a radon chamber

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chamber are also plotted in Fig. 4. From the slopes of the two plots, radon activity concentration was determined to be 170 kBq m3 (10%).

4. Measurement of radon homogeneity inside the chamber Homogeneity of radon inside the chamber was tested using plastic detectors. For this purpose, exposures of plastic detectors were performed at different levels inside the chamber for different fan situations for xed exposure time (4 h). In all, four groups of detectors were prepared. Each group contains 21 detectors. Detectors of each group were distributed at six different levels inside the chamber (5, 20, 35, 50, 65 and 85 cm from top). The four groups were exposed as follows: (1) Group 1 was exposed with two fans (top and bottom) off. (2) Group 2 was exposed with only the top fan on (at medium speed). (3) Group 3 was exposed with only the bottom fan on (at medium speed). (4) Group 4 was exposed with both the top and the bottom fans on (at medium speed). All detectors then etched and counted using the same conditions described earlier. Average track densities against level of exposure are plotted for the four groups. Figs. 58 show the obtained plots for groups 14, respectively. From these graphs, it is quite clear that the distribution of radon inside the chamber was uniform and the homogeneity of radon could be considered acceptable as differences were less than 10%. It should be noted that the average track densities observed in all graphs (around 6500 10% track /cm2 ) were not affected by the exposure circumstances. As all the above experiments were performed over several months and from the obtained results, it could be

Fig. 2. Home made radon diffusion chamber.

16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0

Average Track Density (track/cm2)

y = 192.47x+1040.9 R2 = 0.9978

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Radon Exposure (kBq*d/m3)

Fig. 3. Average track densities against exposure to radon for Norway exposed detectors.

Average Track Density (track/cm2)

25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 0 0.1 y = 32445x+ 231.47 R2 = 0.999

Average Track Density (track/cm2)

0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 Exposure Time (day)

0.6

0.7

8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Depth fromTop (cm)

Fig. 4. Average track densities against exposure time for detectors exposed at the new radon chamber.

with known radon concentration. Another fty radon diffusion chambers were also prepared and exposed to radon in the new chamber. All detectors then etched with 6.25 N NaOH at 70 C for 8 h, and counted with an optical microscope. Track densities against exposure to radon for Norway exposed detectors are plotted in Fig. 3. Similarly, track densities against exposure time for detectors exposed at the new

Fig. 5. Variation of the average track densities against exposure positions inside the chamber (fans off).

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Average Track Density (track/cm2)
8000 Average Track Density (track/cm2) 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Depth from Top (cm)

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8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Depth from Top (cm)

Fig. 6. Variation of the average track densities against exposure positions inside the chamber (bottom fan on).

Fig. 8. Variation of the average track densities against exposure positions inside the chamber (two fans on).

8000 Average Track Density (track/cm2) 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

inside the chamber. Controls on temperature, pressure and many other parameters will be tted later to the chamber. In general the chamber is very handy and necessary for any laboratory working with radon. It costs nearly $500 as its construction materials are readily available everywhere.

Acknowledgements Authors would like to thanks the D.G. of the AECS Prof. I. Othman for his continuous support. Also thanks to Mr. B. Jorbi and Mr. M. Tahan for their help in this work.

Depth from Top (cm)

Fig. 7. Variation of the average track densities against exposure positions inside the chamber (top fan on).

References noticed that radon concentration inside the chamber was stable, giving approximately the same track densities for the same exposure time. 5. Conclusion A new chamber was designed, constructed and tested at atomic energy commission of Syria. The chamber was tted with many features to enable performing the calibration of most types of radon measurement devices. More tests will be performed to control equilibrium factor (F ) inside the chamber by generating aerosols, changing the speed of the fans and measuring the concentration of radon daughters
Environmental Protection Agency of USA, 1986. A citizens guide to radon, what it is and what to do about it. Published with the Department of Health and Human Services, EPA-86-005. Green, B.M.R., Lomas, P.R., ORiordan, M.C., 1992. Radon in dwellings in England. National Radiological Protection Board NRPB-R254, HMSO, London, England. Nevissi, A.E., 1987. Methods for detection of radon and radon daughters. Indoor Radon and its Hazards, vol. 30. University of Washington Press. Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), 1985. Metrology and monitoring of radon, thoron and their daughter products. Nuclear Energy Agency OCED, Paris. Shweikani, R., Badr, I., Maged, A.F., Andam, A.A., Durrani, S.A., 1995. A new calibrated chamber for parametric studies of radon and thoron gases. Radiat. Meas. 25, 613614.