A new method for studying the transport of radon and thoron in various building materials using CR-39 and LR-115 solid state nuclear track detectors

Radon (Rn-222) and thoron (Rn-220) alpha-activities per unit volume were measured inside and outside different building materials by using two types of solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) (CR-39 and LR-115 type II). In addition, the radon and thoron emanation coefficients of the studied materials were evaluated. Based on these data. the transport of radon and thoron across parallelepipedic blocks of the building materials could be investigated and radon and thoron global sc-activities per unit volume outside different building material blocks were determined. Moreover, the diffusion length and the effective diffusion coefficient of radon in the building materials were evaluated and the total alpha activity due to radon in the atmospheres of different rooms consisting of different building materials was studied. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.