A NEW LOW-COST RADON SAMPLER

RADON FOUND IN INDOOR AIR PRESENTS A GREATER RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH HAZARD TO THE GREATEST POPULATION THAN ANY OTHER RADIATION SOURCE. QUANTEX CORPORATION'S OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A VERY LOW COST, FEATHERWEIGHT, MAILABLE, ALPHA-PARTICLE DOSIMETER MEDIUM THAT CAN BE EMPLOYED BY THE GENERAL POPULATION AT ANY SITE. THE PROPOSED MEDIUM IS A THIN MATERIAL THAT MAINTAINS TRAPPED ELECTRONS AT ALPHA PARTICLE IMPACT SITES FOR EXTREMELY LONG TIMES, BUT WILL SCINTILLATE VISIBLE LIGHT WHEN ILLUMINATED BY NEAR-INFRARED (COMMON GAAS LASER DIODES, LED'S, ETC.). THE PROPOSED EFFORT WOULD GENERATE AND QUANTIFY THE PERFORMANCE OF EXPERIMENTAL SAMPLES OF QUANTEX'S UNIQUE ELECTRON TRAPPING (ET) MATERIALS IN APPROPRIATE ALPHA-TRANSMISSIVE THIN-FILM ENVELOPES TO DEMONSTRATE FEASIBILITY. PHASE I WILL EXPLORE THE OPTIMUM ET MATERIAL COMPOSITION AND SAMPLE FABRICATION FOR ALPHA-PARTICLE SELECTIVITY, PHOTOMULTIPLIER AND INFRARED DIODE CONFIGURATIONS, AND "ERASING" REQUIREMENTS. INITIAL COST ANALYSIS AND AMENABILITY TO MASS MANUFACTURING WILL BE STUDIED AND SUMMARIZED. THE PROPOSED APPROACH WOULD REVOLUTIONIZE RADON PROGENY SITESAMPLING, AND REQUIRE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE APPARATUS AT CENTRAL COUNTING STATIONS. COMMERCIAL APPLICATION WOULD BE WIDESPREAD FOR DWELLINGS AND OFFICES, AND COULD ALSO BE VERYSIGNIFICANT FOR MINING PERSONNEL.