Computer simulation and experimental studies of implanted 210Po in glass resulting from radon exposure

Retrospective radon exposure measurements rely on an understanding of how the depth distribution of the implanted activity in glass is influenced by processes such as implantation, diffusion, corrosion, and cleaning. In this study, the implantation depth of 210Po was found by step-wise etching with two different etchants to obtain the depth distribution. The depth profiles are compared with results from simulations using the SRIM computer program. Theoretically estimated distributions showed good agreement with experimental 210Pb (or 210Po) activity depth profiles obtained by sequential etching. The maximum depth of implanted activity was about 100 nm, and activity deeper than about 70 nm is associated with the second alpha decay from 214Po activity previously implanted in the glass matrix. However, there was no depth interval where the activity was solely due to a single decay from the surface. The results also show that measurement of the depth profile for both "old" and controlled 222Rn exposure