Capabilities and Facilities. The Atmospheric Radioactivity team undertakes measurement, prediction and evaluation of radon, thoron and their progeny in industry and the natural environment. Many established and some novel radon applications for solving scientific and industrial problems have been pursued. Projects range from assessment of radon-related hazards to the use of radon as a tracer of polluted air masses for global air transport studies. Many of the tasks are at the forefront of research in the field and novel instruments have to be developed.
Enquiries are welcome from educators and the public.
The atmospheric radioactivity laboratory is equipped with analytical instrumentation for measuring an extended range of radon and radon progeny concentrations and radon emanation and exhalation rates in gaseous, liquid, solid and mixed phase samples. The analytical laboratory instrumentation includes a radon calibration chamber, a radon rig, and liquid scintillation counter and gamma spectrometers. There is also field instrumentation for monitoring radon concentration in air and determining radon and thoron flux density. Radon calibration chamber used to calibrate radon and radon daughter detectors under controlled conditions and to study radon daughter attachments to aerosols . Radon rig used to determe very low levels of radon concentrations in and radon exhalation from solid, liquid and gaseous samples under normal pressure.