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Experimental system to evaluate the effective diffusion coefficient of radon.
Masahiro Hosoda1, Shinji Tokonami, Atsuyuki Sorimachi
1National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|February 5, 2009
Summary
Researchers developed a new system to accurately measure the effective diffusion coefficient of radon, a key factor in radon exhalation from soil. This system ensures negligible radon leakage and provides reliable data for environmental and radiological assessments.
Area of Science:
- Radiological Sciences
- Environmental Science
- Geophysics
Background:
- Radon exhalation from the ground surface is influenced by the effective diffusion coefficient.
- Previous methods for measuring this coefficient faced technical challenges.
- Accurate measurement is crucial for radon risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel experimental system for precise evaluation of the effective diffusion coefficient of radon.
- To overcome limitations of existing methodologies in radon diffusion measurement.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a calibrated international standard radon chamber (National Institute of Radiological Sciences) for a stable radon source.
- Designed an experimental system with negligible radon leakage, verified through testing.
- Measured the effective diffusion coefficient in free-space and in dry porous materials (35% and 45% porosity) using homogeneous artificial soil.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated negligible radon leakage from the developed experimental system.
- Obtained measurements for the effective diffusion coefficient in free-space and porous media.
- Observed strong agreement between experimental measurements and theoretical calculations.
Conclusions:
- The developed experimental system accurately and efficiently evaluates the effective diffusion coefficient of radon.
- The system's reliability is confirmed by the concordance of measured and theoretical values.
- This advancement facilitates improved estimation of radon exhalation rates.
