Intercomparison Exercise of Measurement Techniques for Radon, Radon Decay Products and Their Particle Size Distributions at NIRS

An intercomparison exercise of radon, radon decay products and particle size distribution was carried out using the radon/aerosol chamber at National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 2002. Nine institutions participated in this exercise. Radon concentrations were first compared using a domestic ionization chamber, which was regarded as the primary standard equipment in Japan. Subsequently, several types of passive radon detectors were placed in the radon/aerosol chamber and their readings were compared with each other. Radon decay products concentrations were also intercompared, though the number of participants was small. After injection of Carnauba wax aerosols with the evaporation-condensation method, the particle size distribution of radon progeny was compared with three different sampling techniques: graded screen array, diffusion battery and cascade impactor. The present paper describes an overview of the experiment and the present status of correspondence on radon devices.