Re: NEED VENDOR FOR RADON IN WATER

["Schoenhofer" <schoenho@via.at>]

Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 Wien
AUSTRIA
Tel./Fax: +43-1-4955308
Mobiltel.: +43-664-3380333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

----------
> Von: Coleman, Jesse H. <jhcoleman@tva.gov>
> An: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Betreff: NEED VENDOR FOR RADON IN WATER
> Datum: Mittwoch, 07. Mai 1997 21:56
> 
> RADSAFERS:
> There are a lot of vendors selling radon-in-air monitoring kits.
> I need some kits to measure radon in well water.
> Do any of you know of such kits?
> Where can I get some of them?
> I seem to remember such kits, but not where to get them.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Jesse Coleman
> Voice:   205-386-2993
> FAX:     205-386-2370
> e-mail:  jhcoleman@tva.gov

............................................................................


Jesse,

I do not know of any kits for radon in water. They are not needed. The
determination of radon in water is extremely simply and easy - mix ten
milliliter of water with ten milliliter of a water immiscible liquid
scintillation cocktail, shake well, wait three hours for establishment of
equilibrium between radon and its daughters and measure it. For calibration
use a radium solution of known concentration. For background prepare a
sample with distilled water the same way. 

As far as I know this method was introduced by Prichard and Gesell. We have
used it for many hundreds, rather thousands of radon determinations. We
have four ultra low-level LSC counters ("Quantulus"), which enable us to
determine in the same sample also the concentration of Ra-226 down to less
than 30 mBq/l - without any chemical separations. I think that pipetting of
water and cocktail is the most easy, time and manpower saving sample
preparation I can imagine.

In case you or other radsafers are interested in details, contact me and
give me your fax number.

Franz