INTERNATIONAL INTERCOMPARISON EXERCISE ON NATURAL

RADIATION MEASUREMENTS UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS (IFC11)*

BOTOND PAPP 1, ALEXANDRA CUCO (DINU) 1*, MIRCEA MOLDOVAN 1,

ROBERT BEGY1, TIBERIU DICU 1, DAN C. NI 1, CARLOS SAINZ 1,2,
CONSTANTIN COSMA1
1
Babe-BolyaiUniversity, Fntnele street, no.30, Cluj-Napoca, 400294, Romania
E-mail: dinualexandra2007@gmail.com
2
Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria,
Santander, 39011, Spain
Received November 15, 2012

One of the aims of the First Intercomparison on Natural Radioactivity Under Field
Conditions was to test different instruments and detectors for the measurement of radon
gas and external gamma radiation (dose rate) in filed conditions, where the levels of
natural radiation are quite high. The event was organized by the Radon group of
University of Cantabria, (Spain) LaRUC, and was held in the end of May 2011, in the
area of an old uranium mine of ENUSA, near Saelices el Chico (Salamanca, Spain).
The following activities were performed: External gamma dose rate; Radon indoors
with active and passive detectors; Radon outdoors; Radon in water; Radon exhalation
rate from building materials; Radon exhalation rate from soil and Radon in soil gas.
This work presents the main results of the intercomparison obtained by our group in all
the exercises.
Key words: radon in water, gamma dose rate, radon in soil gas, indoors passive detectors,
indoors active detectors, international intercomparison.

1. INTRODUCTION

Measuring and testing indoor radon levels and external radiation dose for the
population due to natural sources are of high importance to the total effective dose
and it is necessary to ensure that the values provided from measurements and tests
are accurate. One of the most common ways to assure the quality of the tests is by
the means of intercomparisons carried out by approved services or reference
laboratories [1]. Intercomparisons are an important tool for the measurement

*
Paper presented at the First East European Radon Symposium FERAS 2012, September 25,
2012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Rom. Journ. Phys., Vol. 58, Supplement, P. S210S220, Bucharest, 2013

2 Intercomparison on natural radiation measurements under field conditions (IFC11) S211

services and laboratories in order to detect potential problems and perform

rectifications as well as to provide calibrations for the instruments [2, 3].
The First Intercomparison on Natural Radioactivity Under Field Conditions
was held in the area of an old uranium mine of ENUSA in the municipality of
Saelices el Chico (Salamanca, Spain) between 23 and 27 of May, 2011, and was
organized by the Radon group of University of Cantabria (Spain). The main
objective of this event was to test different instruments and detectors for the
measurement of radon gas and external gamma radiation (dose rate) in real
conditions in a place where the levels of natural radiation are quite high.
The old uranium mine site was closed in 2004 and since then, the restoration
process has been taking place. The Radon group from University of Cantabria in
Spain has established a site with normal background and the second site where the
exposure is more 20 time higher as normal background value in order to test and
calibrates instruments and detectors for the measurement of natural radiation under
typically variations of temperature, pressure and atmospheric pressure which we
can find in occupancy places (dwellings and working places). The exercises were
carried out in one of the buildings of the old uranium mine used in the past for
uranium mineral treatment, where the Radon group of University of Cantabria
arranged the house in order to convert it to a laboratory of natural radioactivity
with natural levels of indoor radon gas. These levels are also affected by daily
changes of weather conditions which make the place suitable for studying radon
concentration variations indoors. The building is a two-storey house, where the
ground level contains two radon chambers with higher radon levels. The possibility
of using artificial ventilation systems allows controlling the natural radon
concentrations. Another room was used for the radon in water exercise. In the
surroundings of the building a 99 m2 was used as field for external gamma dose
rate measurements [4].
The main goal of the inter-comparison exercise was measurements of radon
gas in water, soil gas, indoors and outdoors, radon exhalation rate and
measurements of the external gamma dose rate (by the existence of radioactive
tailings in the surroundings). Thus, the following activities was performed:
External gamma dose rate; Radon indoors with active and passive detectors;
Radon outdoors; Radon in water; Radon exhalation rate from building materials;
Radon exhalation rate from soil and Radon in soil gas. A total number of 45
participant institution from different European countries took part in the activities,
such as universities, reference laboratories and commercial companies which main
activities are related to the measurement of natural radiation and radon gas and
external gamma radiation in particular. This report presents the main results of the
intercomparison, as well as discussions of the achieved results obtained by our
group from Babes-Bolyai University (BBU) in all the exercises [4].
S212 Botond Papp et al. 3

2. MATERIAL AND METHODS

2.1. RADON IN WATER

The aim of this exercise was to test different measuring systems of radon in
water using a sample with a fix radon concentration. To do this, a barrel containing
100 L of water was connected to a small box containing a soil sample with high
amount of uranium. Thus, radon gas generated from uranium radioactive decay is
pumped into the barrel and was dissolved in the water. The barrel was closed in
order to prevent radon gas leakages. The sampling was done using a tap installed in
the wall of the barrel.
The method of measuring radon from water sample used by us based on the
using of a LUK-VR system, which consists from a LUK-3A radon detector (based
on scintillation technique with Lucas cells) and a VR scrubber for radon
measurements in water samples [5, 6]. The VR-scrubber consists from a glass
vessel of 500 cm3 volume in which a known quantity of water sample (i.e. 300 cm3)
was introduced. The principle of operation is that the concentration of the radon
dissolved in the water sample is mixed with the air that is on the top of the water
level, within the scrubber volume. Following this, air is then transferred from the
scrubber into the Lucas cell, to measure the radon activity concentration of the
sample, by Lucas cell method. The extraction of radon gas from the water sample
(i.e. the transfer process from the scrubber into the detection chamber of the
detector), and the calibration of the method (i.e. calculations of radon activity
concentration of a water sample and the efficiency detection of the Lucas cell) in
[BqL-1] are described in details in [6, 7].

2.2. EXTERNAL GAMMA DOSE RATE

The aim of this exercise was to compare different instruments of dose rate
meter at two selected sites from the area of the old uranium mine of ENUSA with
highest natural gamma doses. One of these had the name of Severiano green
consists from 17 points, and another site having high dose rates values consists
from 4 points. A total number of 11 participants take part in this activity.
BBU group participated with an instrument in the name of Gamma Scout
dose rate meter, equipped with a Geiger-Mller counter tube, which determines the
dose rate in terms of the Equivalent Dose [Svh-1]. This dose rate meter detect not
only gamma radiation, but alpha and beta radiation as well. In this inter-
comparison exercise it was used for the detection of the gamma radiation, only [8].
The calibration of the instrument (i.e. conversion from imp/sec. into the dose rate)
was made using the Cs-137 isotope at the gamma energy of 661 keV, by which the
conversion from the Equivalent Dose H*(10) [Sv] to Air Kerma (Kair) [Gy] was
done with a factor of (Sv/Gy = 1.2) [4].
4 Intercomparison on natural radiation measurements under field conditions (IFC11) S213

2.3. RADON IN SOIL GAS

Radon in soil gas comparisons tests the calibration of the instruments and the
techniques of soil gas sampling, soil gas transfer into the detection chamber, radon-
measuring procedures, stability of field measurements, and elimination of thoron as
well as data processing [9].
The method of radon in soil measurements is composed from the sampling of
soil gas and the detection of radon gas. In our case, for sampling the soil gas a
Neznal probe was used (a steel pipe with 1 m length and 1 cm diameter), which
was inserted into the soil to a given depth (80 cm regularly). To create an active
volume at the end of the probe in the soil, it should remove a few cm. For soil gas
sampling a Janet Syringe was used, with a volume of 145 mL (equal with the
volume of the detection cell) [10, 11]. Radon activity concentration was measured
using the LUK3C radon and thoron detector (Ji Plch-SMM, Prague), which was
developed for radon measurements in soil gas and is based on a scintillation
technique with Lucas cell [5]. The characteristics of the detection system of the
instrument are described in details in the papers under references [13, 14]. Table 1
shows the characteristics of the sampling system and of the instrument used by our
group in this exercise.

Table 1
Characteristics of the sampling system and of the instrument used by BBU group gin
the International exercise (Saelices del Chico) Radon in soil gas
SAMPLING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
Type (description) of the sampling probe Neznal probe
Description of the sampling system grab sampling - syringe (150 mL)
Typical volume of the soil-gas sample 150 mL
INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTION
Instrument Model LUK 3C
Manufacturer Ji Plch-SMM, Prague
Last calibration from manufacturer
Principle of measurement Lucas cell (scintillation), time of counting of
400 s; influence of thoron eliminated

The selected site for this exercise (previously analyzed by the Radon v.o.s.
company, Czech Republic) was a site with high radon levels in soil gas. The
measurements of radon in soil were performed at 8 field points.

2.4. RADON INDOORS PASSIVE DETECTORS

The Indoor Radon exercise (i.e. the exposures) with passive detectors were
done in three separate rooms of the building, two rooms at the ground floor and one
room in the first floor. In total, the 22 institutions were participated at this exercise,
using five different types of detectors: CR39 (18 sets), LR-115 (3 sets), Makrofol
(2 sets), activated charcoal (3 sets) and electrets (2 sets) [4]. In particular, BBU
S214 Botond Papp et al. 5

group used CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors provided from Radosys Ltd,
Hungary. The characteristics of the used CR-39 detectors are the following:
thickness of 1 mm, total area of 100 mm2, type and filter of air gap and the range of
the exposure between 40-12000 kBqhm-3 (http://www.radosys.com).
After the exposure to radon concentration, an etching process and an
automatic reading of all the detectors had been made in the Environmental
Radioactivity Laboratory of Babe-Bolyai University, using RadoSys-2000
equipment (Elektronika, Budapest, Hungary) [13, 14, 15, 16].
For a good statistics of the result, 15 detectors were necessary for each
exposure and 15 more to be used as transits. During the intercomparison exercise
three different exposures were performed (exposure no.1, 2 and 3). Some detectors
were used as transits, being considered as exposure no. 4. Results of the
intercomparison were done in terms of exposure to radon [kBqhm-3], but some of
them (due to the characteristics of the used detectors) gave the result in terms of
radon concentration [kBqm-3] [4]. Table 2 shows the characteristics of the radon
exposures and the number of participants in each. In addition, 9 laboratories used
the transit exposures (i.e. exposure no.4) and they gave the results of the transits.

Table 2
Characteristics of the radon indoors exposures for CR-39 track detectors.
Exposure No. 1 No. 2 No. 3
Start (dd.mm. hh:mm) 24.05. (12:30) 25.05. (17:30) 26.05. (11:30)
End (dd.mm. hh:mm) 08.06. (18:30) 16.06. (20:10) 13.06. (11:15)
Nr. of participants 24 22 17

2.5. RADON INDOORS ACTIVE DETECTORS

The exercise of the comparison of Radon indoors active detectors was

performed in the two rooms located at the ground floor of the laboratory building,
and the measurements were done exclusively during the meeting. The total number
of the participant institutions was 17, and the following instruments were used:
RADON SCOUT (31 pieces), Alpha Guard (12 pieces), RADIM (12 pieces),
RAD7 (2 pieces) and ATMOS (2 pieces). BBU group was participated with
RADON SCOUT (4 pieces), Alpha Guard (1 pieces) and RADIM (3 pieces) [4].

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

3.1. RADON IN WATER

BBU group performed three measurements of radon in water, and gives the
result of radon activity concentration in terms of BqL-1, with uncertainty. A
6 Intercomparison on natural radiation measurements under field conditions (IFC11) S215

preliminary analysis of the data of this exercise was made, based on the results
from 13 participants, where no reference value was set (see Table 3) [4].

Table 3
Results of the exercise Radon in water (BBU results: CRn dCRn,
and results of the statistical analysis: mean, standard deviation, etc).
Our results
CRn dCRn [Bq L-1] 358.3 35.8
dCRn (%) 10
Statistical analysis of all the results
Mean (SD) [Bq L-1] 338 (37)
Min. [Bq L-1] 252
Max. [Bq L-1] 412
SD (%) 11

Statistical analysis show that our result using Lucas cell technique is quite
close to the border of 1 standard deviation. A possible explanation for the
difference in our results and of other participants could be attributed to the
sampling technique, where all the samples were taken in a short interval (2-3
hours). Therefore the participants were opening and closing the tap for the
acquisition of the water sample. This situation possibly created disequilibrium in
the radon concentration inside the barrel so the radon concentration in water
samples was not exactly the same.

3.2. EXTERNAL GAMMA DOSE RATE

Each participant was evaluated according to the mean value of the Air Kerma
Rate (Kair) [nGyh-1] with standard deviation which was determined from the
Equivalent Dose Rate H*(10) [Svh-1], provided from the individual dose rate
measurement. Finally, for the two sites, the mean value of a single participant was
compared with the mean value of all the participants, with an uncertainty of 1 SD.
In addition, was done reference values provided by CIEMAT, in terms of Air
Kerma Rate (Kair). Results of the measurements (i.e. reference values for both sites,
means and standard deviations of BBU results, as well as results of all the
participants) were represented in Table 4.
Comparing the mean values of these results with the reference values of the
sites, in case of the Severiano green site, BBU mean value is in agreement with the
reference value in the range of the standard deviation. In case of the site with high
dose rate, the mean value with the standard deviation is not in the range of the
reference value but in both case the mean values is in agreement with the mean
values from all the results, taking account the standard deviations.
S216 Botond Papp et al. 7

Table 4
Results of the exercise external gamma dose rate (mean of our results versus mean
of all the results with standard deviations, in units of Air Kerma Rate)
Site Reference Our results All results
value Mean S.D. Mean (S.D.)
[nGyh-1] [nGyh-1] [nGyh-1]
Severiano green 110 144 29 130 (35)
High gamma dose rate 1800 2613 352 2257 (436)

We can conclude that it has been observed the need to take into account the
energy response of the detector in the case of ambient dose rate determinations. In
these types of measurements, the energy spectrum is quite different from that use in
the calibration of the device (normally a 137Cs source). Most of the errors are due to
this phenomenon [4]. In these cases the devices are not designed for outdoors
determinations in the presence of the natural radionuclides.

3.3. RADON IN SOIL GAS

Results of radon in soil measurements, i.e. radon activity concentrations were

done in terms of [kBqm-3]. Table 5 shows results of our measurements (radon
concentrations and uncertainties) for the 8 points, also mean values and standard
deviations of radon concentrations provided from the results of 18 participants. It
was different number of results provided from the participants in each points

Table 5
BBU results of the exercise Radon in soil gas and results of the statistical analysis
(mean values and standard deviation) of all the participants
Point Our results Means of all results
Depth CRn dCRn Nr. of CRn (SD)
[m] [kBqm-3] results [kBqm-3]
A 0.6 8.10 1.00 12 13 (16)
B 0.5 29.16 2.16 15 40 (19)
C 0.65 33.60 2.09 17 48 (27)
D 0.65 17.23 1.17 13 29 (16)
E 0.5 45.43 3.79 18 72 (36)
F 0.5 35.03 2.45 15 37 (39)
G 0.6 120.87 8.14 16 126 (94)
H 0.5 13.17 0.97 18 22 (8)

The distribution of the results in each point was checked and two different
data distribution was found. In points A, B, D, F and H the values give a log-
normal distribution, by which the results were done in terms of Geometric Mean
and Geometric Standard Deviation. In the rest of the points C, E and G the
8 Intercomparison on natural radiation measurements under field conditions (IFC11) S217

distribution is normal and the results are characterized by Mean and Standard
Deviation [4].
The comparison of these radon results with the means of all the results conducts
to a good agreement of BBU concentration values with the mean concentrations
determined from all the results, with a correlation coefficient of 0.98.

3.4. RADON INDOOR PASSIVE DETECTORS

From radon indoor by passive detectors measurements it can be seen that all
the results provided from the participants are inside the limits of 30 % of the
standard deviation from the mean value. The statistical analysis of all the data
using CR-39 track detectors shows that the distributions of the results for the three
radon exposures (no.1, no.2 and no.3) follow a normal distribution which is
characterized by the mean value and standard deviation from all results. Table 6
shows a summary of the results from the measurements with our CR-39 track
detectors participating in the three exposures (in addition for the exposure with
transits), in comparison with the mean values and standard deviations from all the
detectors provided by the participants.

Table 6
Results obtained by our CR-39 detectors in the exercise radon indoor,
compared by the means and standard deviations from all CR-39 detectors results.
Exposure no. 1 no. 2 no. 3 no. 4
Our results 2978 (85) 670 (28) 98 (16) 24 (12)
Mean (SD)
[kBqhm-3])
SD (%) 3% 4% 17 % 50 %
All results 3521 (478) 693 (67) 104 (16) 63
Mean (SD)
[kBqhm-3]
SD (%) 14 % 10 % 15 % 23 %
Category B A A -

The results corresponding to the transit detectors (exposure no. 4) had a mean
value of 63 kBqm-3 with a standard deviation of 23 %. Our result in this case is
smaller because we also extract the background of detectors. For the two exposures
(no.2 and no.3) the standard deviations from the mean value are less to 15 % for all
participants and BBU result is much closed to mean value (3.3%, respectively
5.7%). In the case of exposure no.1 the result is with 15.4% less as the mean of all
participants and we checked and reinstalled the software for our Radosys.
There was no reference value and we compared BBU results with the means
of all the results. To do this, absolute difference (in %) between BBU mean and the
mean value of all the results 10 % were ranked as category A; 15% as category
B; 20 % as category C. These categories were done in the Table 6 (last line).
S218 Botond Papp et al. 9

3.5. RADON INDOORS ACTIVE DETECTORS

As results of the radon indoors measurements using active detectors was give
a graph of the variation of the radon concentrations (during the period of the
exercise) for all the devices (from all the participants) (see Fig.1), where BBU
devices were assigned by a code IFC11_21 [4]. It can be observed and can be
conclude that the agreement between all devices and our devices is good.

Fig. 1 Results of radon indoors using active detectors for all participants (23-27 of May) [4].

4. CONCLUSIONS

Considering the frame of the International Intercomparison on Natural

Radioactivity Under Field Conditions it has been tested Radon in water, External
gamma dose rate, Radon in soil, Radon indoors with passive and active detectors
measurement methods, with a number of 45 participant institution from European
countries.
10 Intercomparison on natural radiation measurements under field conditions (IFC11) S219

The results obtained from Radon in water comparison measurements are in

good agreement with the limit of the standard deviation of the mean value provided
from the results of all the participants. The uncertainty of the determination of the
activity concentration of our result is in the order of 10 %.
The results obtained from External gamma dose rate measurements
comparing with reference values of the two sites show that at low dose rate (i.e. in
case of the Severiano green site) our mean value is in agreement with reference
value in the range of the standard deviation, and in the case of high dose rate our
mean value is higher (45%) than reference value but comparing with average value
of all participants is higher only with 15%. The uncertainty (i.e. the standard
deviation) of our determinations is lower than 20 %.
The Radon in soil exercise shows that BBU results of radon concentrations
are in good agreement with the means of all the results radon concentrations
provided from the participants, with a correlation coefficient of 0.98.
The Radon indoors passive detectors measurements based on three different
exposures by CR 39 track detectors, show an absolute difference 15.4% in case
of the high exposure (no.1), 6% in case of the medium and low exposure (no.2 as
well as no.3, respectively).
The Radon indoors active detectors measurement results are in good
agreement between all devices and BBU devices are applicable for the period of
measurements.

Acknowledgements. This work was supported by the project 586-12487, Contract No.
160/15.06.2010 with the title IMPLEMENTATION OF RADON REMEDIATION TECHNIQUES
IN DWELLINGS OF BIA URANIUM MINE AREA/ IRART of the Sectoral Operational
Programme Increase of Economic Competitiveness co-financed by The European Regional
Development Fund.

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