Radon Daughter Equilibrium and Unattached Fraction in Mine Atmospheres

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Abstract
Measurements of the equilibrium between Rn and its daughters in mine atmospheres were presented. The situation in mines was too complex to be described by any simple theoretical model. There was a good correlation between the equilibrium factor [F] and the individual daughter ratios. The individual daughter concentrations may be assessed by Kusnetz-measurements of F. Measurements by the wire screen method indicated that the dust concentration was the main influencing factor upon the unattached fraction of the Rn daughters. The unattached fraction of the potential .alpha.-energy was < 0.05 in most mining situations. In areas with clean air, the unattached fraction may be > 0.3. Measurements indicated a good correlation between the unattached fraction of the potential .alpha.-energy and the unattached fraction of the individual daughter products. Assessments of the unattached fraction of the individual daughters may be obtained by using the Kusnetz method for measurements on the screen and back up filter.