Performance Evaluation of AlphaSensor Radon Modules Under Real-World Conditions

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Radiological Health
• Instrumentation

Background:

• Radon (Rn) is a radioactive gas and a known carcinogen.
• Accurate radon monitoring is crucial for public health and environmental studies.
• Commercial radon detectors require rigorous performance evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of 43 AlphaSensor units against a reference monitor.
• To assess key performance indicators including sensitivity, uncertainty, background, linearity, and temporal response.
• To determine the suitability of AlphaSensors for home use and scientific applications.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of 43 AlphaSensor units with an AlphaGUARD 1000PF reference monitor.
• Conducted approximately 16,000 integrated measurements across a concentration range of 10–20 kBq/m³.
• Applied various statistical approaches to evaluate performance indicators.

Main Results:

• AlphaSensor units demonstrated performance consistent with the manufacturer's claim of ≤10% uncertainty compared to the AlphaGUARD.
• Sensitivity, background, linearity, and temporal response were evaluated.
• Individual calibration factors and methodologies were tentatively suggested.

Conclusions:

• AlphaSensor units and derived commercial devices (e.g., AlphaTracer) are affordable and suitable for domestic radon monitoring.
• With minor hardware additions, AlphaSensors are viable for large-scale scientific radon monitoring networks.
• The study supports the use of AlphaSensors for both personal and research-based radon detection.