German Researchers Develops New Method Detecting Radiation

Approximately one fourth of our annual radiation exposure we absorb by breathing within our own four walls.

A relevant radiation source here is thoron, an isotope of the noble gas radon, which so far has been very difficult to measure. Researchers of the Physikalisch-Technische-Bundesanstalt (PTB) have now been successful here with the crucial step: By means of their new thoron progeny chamber, it has only very recently been possible to calibrate measuring devices with an accuracy unique worldwide. That is the requirement for being able to determine thoron (radon-220) and its progenies with a high degree of accuracy. This is of great importance for the health safety of exposed persons, due to the fact that the results of thoron measurements varied very strongly depending on the measuring device, thus leaving much room for estimations.

Posted April 1st,2008