Long-Term Measurements of Radon and Thoron Exhalation Rates from the Ground Using the Vertical Distributions of Their Activity Concentrations

Oumar Bobbo Modibo, Yuki Tamakuma, Takahito Suzuki, Ryohei Yamada, Weihai Zhuo, Chutima Kranrod, Kazuki Iwaoka, Naofumi Akata, Masahiro Hosoda and Shinji Tokonami
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Oumar Bobbo Modibo: Department of Radiation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
Yuki Tamakuma: Department of Radiation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
Takahito Suzuki: Department of Radiation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
Ryohei Yamada: Department of Radiation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
Weihai Zhuo: Institute of Radiation Medicine, Fudan University, 2094 Xietu Road, Shanghai 200032, China
Chutima Kranrod: Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
Kazuki Iwaoka: National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-0024, Japan
Naofumi Akata: Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
Masahiro Hosoda: Department of Radiation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
Shinji Tokonami: Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: A long-term measurement technique of radon exhalation rate was previously developed using a passive type radon and thoron discriminative monitor and a ventilated type accumulation chamber. In the present study, this technique was applied to evaluate the thoron exhalation rate as well, and long-term measurements of radon and thoron exhalation rates were conducted for four years in Gifu Prefecture. The ventilated type accumulation chamber (0.8 × 0.8 × 1.0 m 3 ) with an open bottom was embedded 15 cm into the ground. The vertical distributions of radon and thoron activity concentrations from the ground were obtained using passive type radon-thoron discriminative monitors (RADUETs). The RADUETs were placed at 1, 3, 10, 30, and 80 cm above the ground inside the accumulation chamber. The measurements were conducted from autumn 2014 to autumn 2018. These long-term results were found to be in good agreement with the values obtained by another methodology. The radon exhalation rates from the ground showed a clearly seasonal variation. Similar to findings of previous studies, radon exhalation rates from summer to autumn were relatively higher than those from winter to spring. In contrast, thoron exhalation rates were not found to show seasonal variation.

Keywords: exhalation rate; radon; thoron; long-term measurement; seasonal variation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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