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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
Measurement of the equilibrium factor between radon and its progeny in the underground mining environment
O M Ntwaeaborwa1, N D Kgwadi, S H Taole
1Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa. ntwaeab.sci@mail.uovs.ac.za
Abstract:
A scintillation cell and a portable radiation spectrometer for radon progeny were respectively employed to measure the concentration of radon and that of its progeny in the underground gold mine environment. The measured concentrations were subsequently used to calculate the equilibrium factor between radon and its progeny. The results obtained indicate that various locations underground have different values of radon concentration and ratios of radon concentration to its progeny concentration. The differences can be ascribed to variations in grades of uranium at different locations and to some environmental factors such as ventilation, particle concentration, and the deposition of the progeny on surfaces or on the atmospheric aerosol.
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