• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.23-29
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• 1989

A Lucas cell was established and calibrated by using the double layer tube standard radon source. The calibration factors were 0.031$\pm$0.002 (pCi/l)/(cph/Cell) at room temperature, and 0.029$\pm$0.001 (pCi/l)/(cph/Cell) at $50^{\circ}C$. Radon and its daughters concentrations were measured in a room air for the demonstrating purpose. The concentrations of 222 Rn, $^{218}Po,\;224\;Pb,\;and\;^{214}Bi$ were 0.87, 0.53, 0.35 and 0.26 pCi/l. The total eqilibrium factor was around 0.40 and the WL is $3.33{\times}10^{-3}$, resulting in 30 mrem/yr at this place.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 1991

Radon-222 exhalation rate from several domestic building materials were experimentally measured by using radon cup method, in which a CR-39 plastic is used as a passive radon detector. The radon detection factor of CR-39 detector determined in a series of calibration experiments was $0.164{\pm}0.005(tracks\;cm^{-2}/Bq\;d\;m^{-3})$, which is consistent with those reported by other investigators. The radon exhalation rates of several building materials (brick, red brick, concrete block, granite plate, concrete floor and wall) ranges from $6.8{\times}10^{-6}\;(granite plate)\;to\;75.0{\times}10^{-6}Bq/m^2-sec(brick)$ with the increasing order of granite plate, red brick, concrete wall, concrete block, concrete floor and brick. It showed that the CR39 radon cup can be efficiently utilized in measuring the radon-222 gas exhalation rate from building materials.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.59-66
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• 2006

Optimal method of radon analysis in groundwater was studied using ultra low-level liquid scintillation counter (ULLLSC) which is well known as an analytical instrument for analyzing the alpha and beta radionuclides in environmental materials. Optimization of pulse shape analyzer (PSA) in operating the LSC was performed with $^{241}Am\;and\;^{90}Sr/^{90}Y$ as well as $^{226}Ra$ Also, the chemical quenching of scintillation generation and the color quenching of the generated photon to photomultiplier tubes (PMT) were determined their effects not only to decrease the analytical efficiency but also to change the optimal PSA level and background due to high ion contents of groundwaters. The optimal PSA level was shown in the range of 90 to 110 with less than 5% error. The effects of high ion contents in groundwater for the analytical efficiency show within 10% error from the different ion contents. The chloroform as a quenching agent was used to determine the analytical efficiency with the different amount, showing that the efficiency decreases 20% using the 2% of chloroform.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.149-158
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• 2012

In this paper, we measured the variations of radon concentrations in groundwater using low-level Liquid Scintillation Counter (LSC), an instrument for analyzing the alpha and beta radionuclides at its 10 sites around the Kumjung-Gu, north-western of Busan. Optimization of Pulse Shape Analyzer (PSA) to determinate the highest value of figure of merit (FM) was decided using Quantulus 1200 LSC with radium-226 source, the optimal PSA level was shown in the range of 100 to 110. The results show that the Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA) of radon concentrations is 0.61 $Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$ for 20 minutes in PSA level. We find that the average radon concentration in groundwater is high in granitic rock area and low in volcanic rock area. (Biotite granite : 191.39 $Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$, Micro graphic granite : 141.88 $Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$, Adamellite : 92.94 $Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$, Andesite (volcanic) : 35.35 $Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$). No significant seasonal variation pattern is observed from the long-term variation analysis from 10 selected sites. We have not seen the significant correlation of radon concentration to groundwater temperature, atmospheric temperature, atmospheric pressure and rainfall. The concentration variation is probably caused by more complex factors and processes.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.86-90
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• 2013

$^{222}Rn$ concentrations in the groundwater samples without standard material due to the short half-life (3.82 day) were measured through the establishment of the counting efficiency of LSC (Liquid Scintillation Counter) using a standard source of $^{226}Ra$. This study for Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) of $^{222}Rn$ analysis was performed to analyze blank samples, duplicate samples, samples of groundwater sampling before and after. In-situ blank samples collected were in the range of 0.44~6.28 pCi/L and laboratory samples were in the range of 1.66~4.95 pCi/L. Their correlation coefficient was 0.9691 and the source contamination from sampling, migration and keeping of samples were not identified. The correlation coefficient between original and duplicate samples from 65 areas was 0.9987. Because radon is an inert gas, in case of groundwater sampling, it is considered to affect the radon concentration. We analyzed samples separately by groundwater sampling before and after using distilled water, but there is no significant difference for $^{222}Rn$ concentrations in distilled waters of two types.