Anomalous results with the widely used NRPB/SSI-type passive radon dosemeter.

In an industrial hall, with large variations of radon concentration within minutes, simultaneous measurements were done with two types of passive radon detectors and an active radon measuring device. The widely used passive radon detector of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) [Health Protection Agency (former NRPB) (HPA)]/Statens strålskyddsinstitut (Swedish Radiation Protection Institute) (SSI) type produced anomalous results, seemingly uncorrelated to the radon concentration which was in the order of hundreds of becquerels per metre, usually underestimating but occasionally overestimating. We tried to reproduce similar exposure characteristics in our laboratory, but failed to reproduce the anomalous readings.

Radiological impact of almost a century of phosphate industry in Flanders, Belgium.

In Belgium, since about 1920, the phosphate industry has been an important industrial activity. It is principally situated in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium, and produces mainly phosphoric acid, fertilizers, and cattle food. At its height, between 1980 and 1990, it processed between 1.

Mapping large areas of radioactively contaminated land with a self adapted, handheld, GPS coupled, scintillation detector.

In Belgium, during several decennia, a phosphate plant discharged radium chloride containing waste water into two small rivers. One of those is part of a hydrographically very complex ecosystem with lots of small tributaries and hundreds of hectares of flooding zones. Hence, the river banks and large parts of these flooding zones have become contaminated with radium, heavy metals and chlorides.

Comparison of retrospective and contemporary indoor radon measurements in a high-radon area of Serbia.

In Niska Banja, Serbia, which is a high-radon area, a comparison was made between two retrospective radon measuring methods and contemporary radon measurements. The two retrospective methods derive the radon concentrations that occurred in dwellings over longer periods in the past, based on the amount of trapped (210)Po on the surface of glass objects (surface traps, ST) or in the bulk of porous materials (volume traps, VT). Both surface implanted (210)Po in glass objects and contemporary radon in air were measured in 46 rooms, distributed in 32 houses of this radon spa-town, using a dual alpha track detector configuration (CR-39 and LR115) and CR-39 track etched detectors, respectively.

Development of a low cost, GPS-based upgrade to a standard handheld gamma detector for mapping environmental radioactive contamination.

A low cost extension to a standard handheld radiation monitor was developed, allowing one to perform outdoor georeferenced gamma measurements. It consists of a commercial wireless Bluetooth GPS receiver, a commercial RS-232 to Bluetooth converter combined with a standard Bluetooth enabled pocket personal computer (PPC). The system is intended for use in difficult to access areas, typically for foot campaigns.