Low-level atmospheric radioactivity measurement using a NaI(Tl) spectrometer during aerosol sampling

Appl Radiat Isot. 2017 Aug:126:225-227. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.12.046. Epub 2016 Dec 22.

Abstract

In order to increase the early warning ability of the radiation monitoring network of the Czech republic, a high-volume aerosol sampler was upgraded with a NaI(Tl) probe placed directly above the aerosol filter. The paper demonstrates the possibility of using a method based on principal component regression to accurately subtract the complicated natural background caused by radon decay products. This approach yielded minimum detectable activities of 8mBq/m3, 3mBq/m3 and 7mBq/m3 for 131I, 134Cs and 137Cs, respectively, after 24h of sampling.

Keywords: Atmosphere; Gamma spectrometry; Radioactive aerosol; Real time; Spectrum analysis.

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols
  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*
  • Algorithms
  • Cesium Radioisotopes / analysis
  • Czech Republic
  • Humans
  • Iodides
  • Iodine Radioisotopes / analysis
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Radiation Monitoring / instrumentation*
  • Radiation Monitoring / methods
  • Radiation Monitoring / statistics & numerical data
  • Regression Analysis
  • Sodium
  • Spectrometry, Gamma / instrumentation*
  • Spectrometry, Gamma / methods
  • Spectrometry, Gamma / statistics & numerical data
  • Thallium

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive
  • Cesium Radioisotopes
  • Iodides
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Iodine-131
  • thallium-doped sodium iodide
  • Cesium-137
  • Sodium
  • Thallium
  • Cesium-134