Monitoring of atmospheric gamma radiation and radon observations of rainfall events in southeast of Brazil
Abstract
It is well known that we live in an environment that is under the influence of radioactivity. Radioactive elements in Earth's crust, cosmic rays, and anthropogenic sources contribute to the radiation of different types (alpha, beta, gamma and X-rays) that can be measured. An interesting phenomenon associated with environmental radioactivity is radon washout wherein the radon gas that is produced by the decay of natural radioactive elements and released into the atmosphere is concentrated near ground by falling rain. Rain drops trap radon in their interior and transport this radioactive gas to the surface. In this study, we describe the monitoring of the localized and temporary increase in the natural radioactivity caused by radon washout using a 3"x 3" NaI(Tl) scintillator. Variations in the radioactivity were correlated with changes in meteorological conditions. We observed that even though rainfall is a main factor in the increase of natural radioactivity near ground, other factors such as the presence of fog and winds play an important role in the concentration and dispersion of radon. Because of the low cost of our experimental set up, we believe that this is an experiment that could easily be conducted in most universities and could also be used to monitor environmental radioactivity levels.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUSM.A31A..04M
- Keywords:
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- 7984 SPACE WEATHER / Space radiation environment