A significant number of Durridge's customers use the RAD7 to monitor radon (and often thoron) as a tracer in groundwater or surface waters for geological research. However, several studies have also been conducted to measure radon in drinking water since ingestion of high enough concentrations can pose a health hazard. Based on a National Academy of Science report, the US EPA estimates that radon in drinking water causes about 168 cancer deaths per year: 89% from lung cancer caused by breathing radon released to the indoor air from water and 11% from stomach cancer caused by consuming water containing radon. In fact, a 2019 study by researchers in India found that 35% of groundwater samples used for drinking water contained radon levels higher than European Union guidelines: Risk assessment of radon in drinking water in Khetri Copper Belt of Rajasthan, India
Good Reads
Naturally occurring 222Rn is recognized as a powerful environmental tracer in hydrology. Radon-in-water concentrations can be measured in the field by stripping radon from a water sample into a gas volume and measuring the respective radon-in-gas concentration using a portable radon-in-gas monitor. Alternatively, radon can be extracted from the water body by diffusion through a radon exchanger such as polypropylene (PP) tubing and then is measured using a radon-in-gas monitor, connected in closed-loop to the PP membrane. This paper discusses results of field experiments in which the Water Probe (Durridge co.), a 2.2 m long PP tubing connected to a RAD7 monitor, is used to determine dissolved radon concentration in four water bodies characterised by different water flow velocity and radon concentration: "Testing the radon-in-water probe set-up for the measurement of radon in water bodies"
Did You Know?
Several accessories can be used with the RAD7 to measure radon in water, depending on your project requirements. The application note "Product Comparison: Radon In Water Accessories" provides descriptions of each accessory and the applications to which they are suited. Click here to learn more.
DURRIDGE Tip
If you are using RAD7, or several RAD7s, to collect data on a long-term or ongoing basis, it can be challenging to organize and search for RAD7 data files, or to share them with colleagues. This becomes more difficult on a collaborative project where several participants can be in different locations. An efficient solution to this problem is CAPTURE CLOUD - see a short video.
Radon in the News
Georgia State researchers receive $1.2 million grant to develop novel radon testing system - read more here
Global Reach
Customers in Europe can now purchase the RAD7 and accessories on RadonMarket.com. This online marketplace is hosted by Niton srl, located in Italy.
Share our newsletter with your colleagues on social media.
Email us with topics you'd like to learn more about to info@durridge.com
Durridge Company Inc., 900 Technology Park Drive, Billerica, MA 01821, United States, (978) 667-9556
.png)
