Interpretation of the response of continuous radon monitors to transient radon concentrations.
Continuous monitoring of radon concentrations can yield substantially more information than grab sampling in situations where concentrations vary significantly with time. Although several continuous monitors have been designed, calibration is usually difficult and not completely rigorous. In this work a simple and rigorous method is developed for the calibration and operation of all types of continuous flow-through instruments. Theoretical and experimental verification of the method is provided.
Radon Concentration Measurement of Multiplexed Samples with a Continuous Radon Monitor
A Continuous Radon Monitor (CRM) is a flow-through device that counts alpha emissions from a gas sample as it passes through a scintillation cell. To improve it abil ity to track time-varying radon concentrations, a forward-marching data analysis pro cedure that takes into account the production, deposition and decay of radon daughters as a function of time had been previously developed by Busigin et. al. This paper examines some of the constraints associated with applying a CRM and the forward-marching analysis procedure to the problem of temporally varying radon concentrations. It utilizes Monte-Carlo simulations, together with limited experimental data, to perform: 1) an examination of the potential bias of the forward-marching analysis technique, 2) an examination of a simplified methodology for evaluating concentration-measurement uncertainty for known radon concentration histories, and 3) an analysis of an example application of the simplified uncertainty analysis to the multiplexing of soil-gas samples. The results of these analyses indicate: 1) that the forward-marching analysis technique is relatively unbiased, at least at concentrations above 4 pCi/1 for 2-3 minute timesteps, and 2) that a simplified uncertainty analysis procedure based upon Poisson statistics and no error correlation between intervals provides generally acceptable estimates of measure ment uncertainty. This paper examines the constraints associated with applying a single CRM to the problem of monitoring spatially and temporally varying radon concentrations, including: 1) an examination of the stability and practicality of a previously developed temporal analysis technique (Busigin 1979), 2) an examination of a simplified methodology for evaluating concentration-measurement uncertainty for CRMs, and 3) an example appli cation of the simplified uncertainty analysis to the multiplexing of soil-gas samples.
Eimeria odocoilei n. sp. from the mule deer Odocoileus h. hemionus in Washington.
SYNOPSIS. Eimeria odocoilei n. sp. is described from feces of a mule deer Odocoileus h. hemionus in Washington. Its oocysts are 26 to 28 by 22 to 26 μ. It is the second species of Eimeria described from this host.