Sampling for Airborne Radioactivity

Abstract : This report examines how to sample airborne radioactivity with minimal complexity and time expenditure, using conventional high-volume samplers in combination with alpha-particle spectrometry. The use of alpha spectrometry provides compensation for radon/thoron decay products collected on the filter paper of the sampler, leading to a seven-fold improvement in measurement sensitivity of artificial airborne alpha sources compared to simply treating radon/thoron products as a background contribution. It is estimated that high sensitivity measurements of airborne radioactivity can be made in under 30 minutes, using the procedures recommended in this report.