Radon Measurement & Consulting Services
Radon Professional Services personnel are dedicated to serving both homeowners and commercial enterprises. Our professional radon measurement services utilize state-of-the-art testing and laboratory equipment to provide rapid and reliable analytical data for:
- Construction site evaluation and planning consulting services
- Florida mandatory testing
- Multi-family apartment communities
- Public, private school, and day care centers
- Nursing homes and skilled care facilities
- Single family residential homes
- McKay Scholarship compliance
- Commercial Construction
Radon Environmental Assessments
- Radon Gas Measurement
- Radon in Soil Measurements
- Radon in Building Materials
- Radon in Water Measurements
- Site Investigations
- Background Gamma Survey Measurements
- Radon Report Evaluation & Recommendations
Radon Gas Measurement
AC – Activated Charcoal Absorption: An airtight container with activated charcoal is opened in the area to be sampled and radon in the air adsorbs onto the charcoal granules. At the end of the sampling period, the container is sealed and sent to the laboratory for analysis. The gamma decay from the radon adsorbed to the charcoal is counted on a scintillation detector and a calculation based on calibration information is used to calculate the radon concentration at the sample site. Charcoal adsorption detectors, depending on design, are deployed from 2 to 4 days. Because charcoal allows continual adsorption and desorption of radon, the method does not give a true integrated measurement over the exposure time.
AT – Alpha Track Detection: The detector is a small piece of special plastic inside a small container. Air being tested diffuses through a filter covering a hole in the container. When alpha particles from radon and its decay products strike the detector, they cause damage tracks. At the end of the test the container is sealed and returned to the laboratory for reading. The plastic detector is treated to enhance the damage tracks and then the tracks over a predetermined area are counted using a microscope or optical reader. The number of tracks per area counted is used to calculate the radon concentration of the site tested. Exposure of alpha track detectors is usually 3 to 12 months, but because they are true integrating devices, alpha track detectors may be exposed for shorter lengths of time when they are measuring higher radon concentrations. The device can also be used for 30 day measurements when time permit for longer testing periods.
Electret Ion Chamber Short-Term (ES) and Long-Term (EL): An electrostatically charged disk detector (electret) is situated within a small container (ion chamber) . During the measurement period, radon diffuses through a filter-covered opening in the chamber, where the ionization resulting from the decay of radon and its progeny reduces the voltage on the electret. A calibration factor relates the measured drop in voltage to the radon concentration. Variations in electret design determine whether detectors are appropriate for making long-term or short-term measurements. ES detectors may be deployed for 2 to 7 days. Since electret ion chambers are true integrating detectors, the ES type can be exposed at longer intervals if radon levels are sufficiently low. EL detectors may be deployed for 1 to 12 months. Since the electret-ion chambers are true integrating detectors, the EL type can be exposed at shorter intervals if radon levels are sufficiently high.
CR – Continuous Radon Monitoring: This method category includes those devices that record real-time continuous measurements of radon gas. Air is either pumped or diffuses into a counting chamber. The counting chamber is typically a scintillation cell or ionization chamber. Scintillation counts are processed by electronics, and radon concentrations for predetermined intervals are stored in the instrument’s memory or transmitted directly to a printer. This is the preferred device to use for short term and post mitigation measurements.
Site Investigations
- Building Site and Materials Evaluation
- Pre-Mitigation Source Surveys and Diagnostics
- Pre-Construction Soil Surveys