• 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 Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.71-76
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• 2002

A survey of radon concentrations in both indoor and outdoor atmospheres was carried out using EIRM and Cup Monitor for the period of February 1996 to March 1997. EIRM were used to measure the indoor and outdoor radon concentration at five major cities university. Cup Monitor were also used to measure the indoor radon concentrations at shopping store, office building, apartment, hospital and house in Seoul. The mean indoor and outdoor radon concentrations at the five major cities(Seoul, Daegu, Daejon, Cwangiu and Busan) were 24.1 Bq/m$^3$and 8.62 Bq/m$^3$, respectively. The ratio of indoor to outdoor radon concentrations ranged front 1.7 to 3.9. Inspection of its seasonal distribute pattern indicates the enhancement during winter relative to summer, consistently for both indoor and outdoor air. The results of the survey showed that the concentrations in basements were clearly higher than those in usual living/working places.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.395-400
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• 2005

An environmental radon monitoring system, comprising a radon-cup, an etching system, and a track counting system, was constructed. The radon cup is a cylindrical chamber with a radius of 2.2 cm and a height of 3.2 cm in combination with a CR-39 detector. Carbon is impregnated in the bodies of the detector chamber to avoid problem of an electrostatic charge. The optimized etching condition for the CR-39 exposed to a radon environment turned out to be a 6 N NaOH solution at 70^{\circ}$ over a 7hour period. The bulk etch rate under the optimized condition was $1.14{\pm}0.03\;{\mu}m\;h^{-1}$. The diameter of the tracks caused by radon and its progeny were found to be in the range of $10\~25\;{\mu}m$ under the optimized condition. The track images were observed with a track counting system, which consisted of an optical microscope, a color charged couple device (CCD) camera, and an image processor. The calibration factor of this system is obtained to be $0.105{\pm}0.006$ tracks $cm^2$ per Bq $m^{-3}$ d.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.325-325
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• 1998

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.18-22
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• 1989

In order to calibrate the CR-39 Solid State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD), a closed -circulation type SSNTD-Calibration-System containing a radon-cup with the Millipore filter has been set-up, and the tracks produced on the SSNTD were measured for the known amount of radon concentration. Calibration factor for the time integrated radon concentration as a function of the track density on CR-39 was estimated to be $0.24{\pm}0.09(pCi/l)\;day/(Tr/cm^2)$.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.10-17
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• 1989

A study for the assessment of dose given by outdoor radon to respiratory system has been carried out by making use of radon-cups containing CR-39 plastic track detectors. Detection efficiencies were determined by irradiation of the radon-cups in a standard radon chamber of known concentration. Thus determined detection factors of CR-39 plastic track detector in bare, open cup and filtered cup geometry are found to be 0.273, 0.0813 and 0.0371 $trmm^{-2}$/(37$Bqm^{-3}{\cdot}d$), respectively, which are chemically etched in 30% NaOH solution of $70^{\circ}C$ for 220 minutes. The outdoor radon concentrations measured at Taejeon(Chungnam National University) from May 1988 to March 1989 are in the range of 27.4 - 135.8 Bq/$m^3$(0.74 - 3.67pCi/l)by open cup and 16.7 - 143.9 Bq/$m^3$(0.45 - 3.89 pCi/l) by filtered cup, which yield overall annual average value of outdoor radon concentration of $70.8Bq/m^3$(1.91 pCi/l). Corresponding effective dose equivalent rate to respiratory system of ICRP standard man is assessed to be 520 nSv /h.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.311-317
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate Rn concentration and annual radiation exposure level in the basement and first floor. The Rn Cup monitors were placed in different environments such as shopping stage, office building, Apartment, Hospital, house in Seoul from Match 1996 to April 1997 and CR-39 films were collected every two months. The mean radon concentration in the basement of house($88.6\;Bq/m^3$) showed the highest level among the areas, while radon concentration on the first floor of house($50.5\;Bq/m^3$) showed the higher than other areas. The annual radiation exposure dose that person on the floor / in the basement of differential place in the seoul can be exposed during living was estimated from 24.11 to 87.64 mRem/yr. This radiation dose is significantly lower than 130mRem maximum radiation dosage from the radon nuclide prescribed by the ICRP, with respect to the overall average exposure of the working adult. this study indicated that possible radon sources on the first floor / in the basement areas are radon intrusion from soil gas, construction materials, or ground water leaking. Further study is needed to quantitatively assess major contributions of radon-222 and health effect to radon exposure.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.57-66
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• 1988

A series of experiments is performed to measure radon concentration in the near-surface soil gas at the four locations (Cheju-Si, Seoguipo-Si, Taejeong-eup, Seongsan-eup) in Cheju Island, using CR-39 detectors placed inside radon cups. Two types of radon cups are installed in shallow holes of about 15 cm in diameter and 50cm in depth. The optimum etching conditions, i.e., the concentration of NaOH solution, etchant temperature and etching time, are found to be 625N, $70^{\circ}C$ and 5.5 hours for CR-39 detectors. A typical conversion factor of radon cup is calculated as $$1track/mm^3{\cdot}30day=0.059Bq/{\ell}$$. Average radon concentrations over 30 days measured in Cheju Island from May 1, 1987 to April 23, 1988 are $3.1{\pm}0.3Bq/{\ell}$ for open radon cups and $1.7{\pm}0.2Bq/{\ell}$ for closed radon cups.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1991

Effective dose equivalents resulting from inhalation of indoor radon-222 daughters at 12 residential areas in Korea were assessed by a simple mathematical lung dosimetry model based on the measurements of long-term averaged radon concentrations at 340 dwellings. The long-term averaged indoor radon-222 concentrations and corresponding eqilibrium equivalent radon $concentration(EEC_{Rn})$ measured by passive time-integrating CR-39 radon cups are in the range of $33.82{\sim}61.42Bq/m^3(median\;:\;48.90Bq/m^3)$ and of $13.53{\sim}24.57Bq/m^3(median\;:\;19.55Bq/m^3)$, respectively. The effective dose equvalent conversion factor for the exposure to unit $EEC_{Rn}$ derived in this study was estimated $1.07{\times}10^{-5}mSv/Bq\;h\;m^{-3}$ for a reference adult and agreed well with those recommended by the ICRP and UNSCEAR. The annual average dose equivalent to the lung $(H_{LUNG})$ from inhalation exposure to measured $EEC_{Rn}$ was estimated to be 20.90 mSv and resulting effective dose $equivalent(H_E)$ was to be 1.25 mSv, which is about 50% of the natural radiation exposure of 2.40 mSv/y to the public reported by the UNSCEAR.