Direct comparison of three methods for the determination of radon in well water

Radon concentrations obtained using a bubbler device developed to collect and bubble water samples in the laboratory and field were compared with results from conventional liquid scintillation counting. Measurements from standard solutions with a wide concentration range showed excellent agreement between liquid scintillation and results obtained using the bubbler device in conjunction with alpha-scintillation cells. Measurements of waterborne radon concentrations in 110 community and private wells in New York State ranged from 1 to 4,100 Bq L-1, with arithmetic and geometric means of 200 and 30 Bq L-1, respectively. Excellent agreement between the analytical techniques was obtained for each field site.