Optimization of a portable liquid scintillation counting device for determining 222Rn in water

The new EU Council Directive 2013/51/Euratom of 22 October 2013 introduced limits for the content of 222Rn in drinking water. Radon analysis in water requires a lengthy task of collection, storage, transport and subsequent measurement in a laboratory. A portable liquid scintillation counting device allows rapid sampling with significant savings of time, space, and cost compared with the commonly used techniques of gamma spectrometry or methods based on the desorption of radon dissolved in water. In this study, we describe a calibration procedure for a portable liquid scintillation counting device that allows measurements of 222Rn in water by the direct method, and we also consider the case of 226Ra being present in the sample. The results obtained with this portable device are compared with those obtained by standard laboratory techniques (gamma spectrometry with a high-purity Ge detector, gamma spectrometry with a NaI detector, and desorption followed by ionization chamber detection)

A new methodology for defining radon priority areas in spain

One of the requirements of EU-BSS (European Basic Safety Standards) is the design and implementation of a National Radon Action Plan in the member states. This should define, as accurately as possible, areas of risk for the presence of radon gas (222Rn) in homes and workplaces. The concept used by the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), the body responsible for nuclear safety and radiation protection in Spain, to identify "radon priority areas" is that of radon potential. This paper establishes a different methodology from that used by the CSN, using the same study variables (indoor radon measurements, gamma radiation exposure data, and geological information) to prepare a radon potential map that improves the definition of the areas potentially exposed to radon in Spain. The main advantage of this methodology is that by using simple data processing the definition of these areas is improved. In addition, the application of this methodology can improve the delimitation of radon priority areas and can be applied within the cartographic system used by the European Commission-Joint Research Center (EC-JRC) in the representation of different environmental parameters

Automatic system for continuous monitoring of indoor air quality and remote data transmission under smart_rad_en project

In September 2016, the SMART-RAD-EN Project was launched, funded by the Competitiveness Operational Programme 2014-2020 of Romania, to be developed up to the year 2020. The ambitious overall objective is focus on to the concept of "smart city" in terms of intelligent integrated solutions, which it aims to achieve in international premiere, in order to improve public health by increasing indoor environmental quality and optimizing the energy efficiency of housing in five urban areas of Romania. In this study, the current status of the development of the prototype system for continuous monitoring and remote data transmission on radon levels and other household air pollutants (CO2, CO, VOCs and temperature, pressure and humidity sensors) is presented, as an important objective in the frame of the SMART_RAD_EN project. The prototype for intelligent monitoring system was assembled and now is involved in the testing process. Metrology and quality assurance of the prototype system will be carried out within accredited European laboratories and by consulting with the international scientific experts. Remote data transmitted will allow: (1) real time interactive visualization, of the impact of user behavior on indoor air quality; (2) information in case of exceeding threshold levels; (3) to produce estimates of future pollution as a result of the correlation with the meteorological parameters (temperature, pressure and humidity) and user activity. The system, metrological validated, will be implemented in 100 houses with high exposure to radon and other ambient pollutants from the main Romanian urban agllomerations ? Cluj-Napoca, Bucuresti, Timisoara, Iasi and Sibiu

Garment allergy caused by Disperse Blue 360: A new sensitizer

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Pousa-Martínez M, González-Rodríguez C, Rodriguez-Rodriguez M, Sainz-Gaspar L,Sardina FJ, Fernández-Redondo V. Garment allergy caused by Disperse Blue 360: A new sensitizer. Contact Dermatitis. 2018;79:37–38, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.12975. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived VersionsDisperse dyes are some of the most common causes of textile contact dermatitis. Current legislation does not help to identify the colorant used in a garmentS

Use of radon and CO2 for the identification and analysis of short-term fluctuations in the ventilation of the polychrome room inside the Altamira Cave

A study is presented on rapid episodes of air exchange in the Polychrome Room of the Altamira Cave (Cantabria, Spain) using continuous monitoring of radon and CO2 tracer gases, as well as environmental parameters such as internal and external air temperature. For this, criteria have been developed to carry out an inventory of these types of events during the 2015–2020 period. Most of the degassing-recharging events occur over several hours or days, especially during spring and autumn. This means that the room can be significantly ventilated during these short periods of time, posing an exchange of energy and matter with potential impact in the preservation of the rock art present inside. In addition, the hypothesis that temperature gradients between the internal and external atmosphere is one of the main factors that induces degassing has been tested.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport, grant number J200028

Rainfall characteristics in León in 2016 and 2017

Ponencia presentada en: XXXV Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el XIX Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en León, del 5 al 7 de marzo de 2018.Nowadays, air pollution is one of the principal risk to human health and rain is the main sink of aerosol particles in the atmosphere, since it is the main process to mitigate pollution. Furthermore, the study of rainfall characteristics is crucial because it can provide information about present and future risks in an area, related to rain amount or intensity. In order to know the characteristics of the precipitation in the city of León, rain was sampled during 2016 and 2017 using a Laser Precipitation Monitor (LPM) of Thies Clima which registered drops between 0.125 and 8 mm in 22 channels. Furthermore, a Circulation Weather Types (CWTs) classification was carried out based on Lamb (1972), to identify the weather type related to a peculiar synoptic situation in days with rain. Focusing on rain characteristics in the city of León, 3.23·109 drops m-2 have fallen in 2016 with a mean size of 0.36±0.20 mm and 1.06·109 drops m-2 in 2017 with a mean size of 0.35±0.19 mm. The rain characteristic according to Lamb Weather Types during rain events will be analyzed.This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant TEC2014-57821-R), the University of Leon (Programa Propio 2015/00054/001) and the AERORAIN project (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Grant CGL2014-52556-R, ERDF co-financed)

Radon concentration in caves as a proxy for tectonic activity in the cantabrian mountains (Spain)

Radon (Rn) constitutes a good geochemical tracer for neotectonic activity in faults since associated fracturing near the surface favours fluid escape to the atmosphere. In this contribution, we measured the Rn concentration in the air inside karst caves to constraints the recent fault activity in the Cantabrian Mountains (N Spain). Rock formations exhumed during the uplifting of the Cantabrian Mountains record a long history of fracturing, which has the potential to connect deeper sources of Rn with the surface. In this regional study, we correlate Rn measurements with cave survey data and geological structures using a Geographic Information Systems. Thirty-four Rn average concentration was recorded by CR-39 detectors during 8 integrated months. The method is applied to the central part of the Cantabrian Mountains that is built on sedimentary and low-grade metamorphic rocks relatively poor in U. Dominant tectonic structures and Rn concentration are examined in 28 cavities. The concentration of Rn values is higher than 0.5 kBq·m-3 in caves developed preferably following fractures with the direction N30oW, being the concentration greater than 0.8 kBq·m-3 in cavities located less than 200±50 m from subvertical faults with such orientation. Rn anomalies point to relative high connectivity along subvertical fault zones NW-trending, preserving fracture connectivity in the most recent structures in the Cantabrian Mountains. Finally, in the study area there is a low but significant radioactive hazard which is associated to fault zones in a fractured rock massif. It contrasts with other active tectonic settings where the radioactive hazard may come from fault movements

Intercomparison of Indoor Radon Measurements Under Field Conditions In the Framework of MetroRADON European Project

Interlaboratory comparisons are a basic part of the regular quality controls of laboratories to warranty the adequate performance of test and measurements. The exercise presented in this article is the comparison of indoor radon gas measurements under field conditions performed with passive detectors and active monitors carried out in the Laboratory of Natural Radiation (LNR). The aim is to provide a direct comparison between different methodologies and to identify physical reasons for possible inconsistencies, particularly related to sampling and measurement techniques. The variation of radon concentration during the comparison showed a big range of values, with levels from approximately 0.5 to 30 kBq/m3. The reference values for the two exposure periods have been derived from a weighted average of participants' results applying an iterative algorithm. The indexes used to analyze the participants' results were the relative percentage difference D(%), the Zeta score ( ? ), and the z-score ( z ). Over 80% of the results for radon in air exposure are within the interval defined by the reference value and 20% and 10% for the first and the second exposure, respectively. Most deviations were detected with the overestimating of the exposure using passive detectors due to the related degassing time of detector holder materials.This research was funded by the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR), JRP‐Contract 16ENV10 MetroRADON (http://www.euramet.org). The EMPIR initiative is co‐funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the EMPIR Participating States

The Laboratory of Natural Radiation (LNR) - a place to test radon instruments under variable conditions of radon concentration and climatic variables

The publication of the new European Union Basic Safety Standards represents a remarkable milestone in the fi eld of radiological protection in terms of adding radon exposure to this framework. Therefore, the coming years will bring the need to measure radon not only in the workplaces but also in the living spaces as a direct outcome of the application of the new EU Directive. So, the importance of having reliable instruments is evident and interlaboratory exercises are becoming more and more popular. However, most of them are carried out under constant conditions of meteorological variables. We present in this paper a facility to broaden the interlaboratory comparisons further by adding the study of radon exposures under real conditions of changes in climatic parameters. In addition, the facility has the possibility to verify the response of radon monitors when the radon concentration changes several orders of magnitude in a short period of time. Our work shows some results of one of the interlaboratory exercises carried out in the premises, where the radon levels were rather homogeneous in the testing room

Continuous monitoring of radon gas as a tool to understand air dynamics in the cave of Altamira (Cantabria, Spain)

The use of radon as an atmospheric tracer in the Altamira Cave over the past 30 years has provided relevant information about gaseous exchanges between the Polychromes Room, the adjoining Chambers inside the cave, and the outside atmosphere. The relatively simple physico-chemical behaviour of radon gas provides a marked advantage over other tracer gases that are usually present in high concentrations in hypogeous environments, such as CO2. Two types of continuous radon measurement were undertaken. The first involves active detectors located in the Hall and Polychromes Room, which provide radon concentration values at 1-hour intervals. In addition, nuclear solid track etched detectors (CR-39) are used in every chamber of the cave over 14-day exposure periods, providing average radon concentrations. In this paper we show some of the specific degassing and recharge events identified by anomalous variations in the concentration of radon gas in the Polychromes Room. In addition, we update knowledge regarding the degree of connection between chambers inside the cave and with the outside atmosphere. We verify that the connection between the Polychromes Room and the rest of the cave has been drastically reduced by the installation of the second closure in 2008. Except for point exchanges with the Crossing zone generated by a negative temperature gradient in that direction, the atmosphere of the Polychromes Room remains stable, or else it exchanges matter with the outside atmosphere through the karst interface. The role of radon as a tracer is demonstrated to be valid both to reflect seasonal cycles of degassing and recharge, and to analyse shorter (daily) period fluctuations.This research was funded by the Project “Estudios analíticos para una propuesta de accesibilidad pública de la Cueva de Altamira” funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Spain (MECD)