Study of radon exhalation rate from environmental matrices using alpha counting system

The studies on radon exhalation rate have grabbed the attention of researches in the field of environmental radioactivity, since radon and its progeny solely contributes about 50% of the total radiation dose to the public. It affects human health both by ingestion and inhalation pathway. Since we spend maximum time indoors, it is very essential to study the radon exhalation rate from soil samples and building materials, from which houses are built. This paper presents a simple novel experimental technique to study radon exhalation rate from environmental matrices using alpha counting system. The experiment has been repeated using Smart Radon Monitor to validate the new technique. It strongly correlates with the results of SRM and this method is more accurate compared to other known techniques. (author)