Determination of blank indication of active radon monitors

• Published in: Applied radiation and isotopes Vol. 81; pp. 242 - 247
• Main Authors: Cardellini, F., De Felice, P., Pagliari, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2013
• Subjects: 210Pb poisoning; Active radon monitor; Air Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis; Blank indication; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure; Equipment Failure Analysis; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Monitoring - instrumentation; Radon - analysis; Radon chamber; Radon detector background; Radon detector contamination; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Active radon monitor; Blank indication; Radon detector background; 210Pb poisoning; Radon detector contamination; Radon chamber; Pb poisoning
• ISSN: 0969-8043; 1872-9800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.03.093

The importance of determination of the blank indication for active radon monitors is discussed. Two new blank chambers were developed at ENEA-INMRI that allows such determination with an uncertainty lower than a few Bq/m3. Results are reported and that show the large blank variability between radon active monitors and its growth with time when such monitors are used at high radon concentrations.
•Determination of blank indication for active radon monitors is an important issue.•Two new blank chambers were developed at ENEA-INMRI.•Determination of the blank indication is possible with uncertainty lower than a few Bq/m3.•Results are reported that show the large blank variability between radon active monitor•Evidence of blank growth with time when monitors are used at high radon concentrations.