Development and Calibration of a Radon Chamber

Abstract

The development of the radon chamber was initiated so that the provincial Radiation Safety Unit would have the ability to calibrate the radon and radon progeny monitoring equipment used by the provincial mines inspectors. The integrating radon dosimeters used for monitoring radon levels in buildings and in the environment are also calibrated in the chamber. The main chamber is 36" in length, 30" in depth and is 30" high. A 16.5" x 16" x 16" transfer chamber is attached to the side of the main chamber. This side chamber acts as an interlock so that the instruments to be calibrated can be transferred into the main chamber without high levels of radon entering the laboratory. The radon chamber is calibrated relative to the radon calibration facility at the Mining Research Laboratories operated by the Mineral and Energy Technology Branch of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada in Elliot Lake, Ontario.