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Updated: Dec 28, 2025
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Published on: June 6, 2018
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A new primary emanation standard for Radon-222.
Florian Mertes1, Stefan Röttger1, Annette Röttger1
1Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
Summary
New reference materials for radon-222 (Rn-222) were created using radium-226 (Ra-226) electrodeposition. These sources enable precise, stable radon atmosphere generation with low uncertainty for calibration purposes.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear physics and radiochemistry.
- Development of reference materials for radioactivity measurements.
Background:
- Accurate calibration of radon (Rn-222) monitoring equipment is crucial for radiation protection.
- Existing methods for generating stable radon atmospheres have limitations in precision and range.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop new, stable emanation sources for radon-222 (Rn-222) using radium-226 (Ra-226).
- To establish a reliable method for generating reference atmospheres below 300 Bq⋅m⁻³ with low uncertainty.
Main Methods:
- Electrodeposition of Ra-226 onto stainless-steel discs.
- Alpha-particle spectrometry for Ra-226 activity determination.
- Gamma-ray spectrometry using HPGe detectors for Rn-222 emanation measurement.
- Utilizing the distorted equilibrium of the Ra-226 decay chain.
Main Results:
- New emanation sources for Rn-222 were successfully developed.
- Stable reference atmospheres below 300 Bq⋅m⁻³ were produced with uncertainties not exceeding 2% (k=1).
- Comparative measurements eliminated the need for emission probabilities and detection efficiency knowledge.
Conclusions:
- The developed emanation sources provide a reliable method for generating low-concentration Rn-222 reference atmospheres.
- This advancement supports accurate calibration of radiation monitoring instruments.
- The method offers high precision and stability for Rn-222 metrology.
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