[ RadSafe ] Determining Radon

[Hill, Eric D]

When I worked up in a structure named a Hortonsphere (containment facility
for sodium cooled reactor), we did 10 minute air samples drawing at least 25
LPM.  We then used an alpha meter and did a paper test (reading with/without
paper between sample and detector since you should see a fair amount of
alpha decay).  Then we looked at half life and if it came out to 20-30
minutes, we declared a temperature inversion and relaxed our controls.  

Eric Hill

-----Original Message-----
From: Director [mailto:director at eventhorizonmedia.net]
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 6:36 AM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Determining Radon


 Greetings Douglas,



Your Radon woes are not unique. I work at a D.O.E site here in South
Carolina and deal with this every day. We use the PCM whole body friskers
also. The only thing you can do when confronted with the problem is consider
the half life of radon and her daughters and hold the suspect contaminee for
a period of time waiting for decay. Typically we survey the individual as if
more serious contamination were present and isoloate them accordingly, then
wait in increments of 30 minutes, remonitoring after each time set.
Significant decay indicates radon. We do not allow the person to pass until
they are able to clear the monitor twice. 



It appears Franz seems more interested in proclaiming the virtue of his
education rather than helping you with the problem. While "radiation
professionals" like Franz may have their place in the industry, public
relations would obviously NOT be one of them. 



Good luck Doug,



Paul Gray director at eventhorizonmedia.net



>

> Our soil remediation project just acquired a PCM-2.  This is a whole

body

> gas proportional frisker set up to detect alpha and beta

contamination.

> Since we are a soil remediation project, we are subject to radon gas.

Per

> our procedures, we are required to report all personal skin and

clothing

> contaminations with the exception of contamination due to radon gas.

I

> was wondering if anyone out there has had experience with this type of

> instrument in detecting radon gas and what methodology is used in the

> field to determine if the alarms are due to radon or real

contamination?

> Please keep in mind that we do not have a count room available with

the

> gamma spec. capabilities.  We are limited to field instruments only.

>

> Thank you in advance for all replies to this inquiry.

>

> Douglas Coble 
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