Measurements of Airborne 212Pb and 220Rn at Varied Indoor Locations Within the United States

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Abstract
Measurements have been made at varied locations within the United States comparing the concentration of 212Pb in air with that of the progeny of 222Rn to see if 212Pb is typically a significant contributor to indoor radioactivity. Auxiliary measurements were made comparing 220Rn with 222Rn. In terms of potential .alpha.-particle energy, 212Pb is significant (the ratio of its contribution to the combined contribution of 218Po, 214Pb, and 214Bi averaged about 0.6) and may warrant greater consideration as a component of indoor radioactivity. Correlations were found between the concentration of 220Rn progeny and 222Rn progeny, and the concentration of 220Rn and 222Rn. Environmental factors such as transport pathways and ventilation rates which exert a common influence on the concentrations of airborne isotopes provide a possible explanation for these correlations.