One-Year Continuous Measurement of Outdoor Radon Progeny Concentration in Beijing Area

Abstract

Background: Compared with reported data of radon concentration, data of radon progeny concentration is limited in general, especially in outdoor environment. Materials and Methods: To know both the level and the variation of radon progeny concentration in outdoor environment in Beijing area, one-year continuous measurement with a cycle of 60 minutes was carried out by a step-advanced filter (SAF) monitor for radon progeny measurement. The observation site was located in a park in Eastern Beijing area, and the observation period was from October 17, 2018 to September 29, 2019. Results and Discussion: The equivalent equilibrium concentration (EEC) of radon progeny varies from 0.7 to 19.1 Bq·m-3, with an annual average of 4.9 ± 2.7 Bq·m-3. A clear diurnal variation of EEC, higher in the early morning and lower in the late afternoon, is observed due to the high sensitivity of the SAF monitor. Conclusion: Vertical convection of atmospheric boundary layer is thought to be the main reason of this phenomenon. For annual variation, the lowest monthly average EEC appeared in April, while the highest appeared in November, which might attribute to the atmospheric stability in different seasons.