Method of studying the volumetric activity of radon in aqueous medium by liquid scintillation spectrometer

Currently,  there is an increase in cancers, including lung cancer in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and in regions with an increased level of natural radiation, there is a difference in the number of oncological diseases compared to other regions with a normal radiation background. In this connection, there is a need to study the radiation background and its effect on the human body, the effect of ionizing radiation on the growth and development of oncological diseases. The purpose of this work is to develop a methodology for determining the concentration of radon in an aqueous medium by determining the ratio between instantaneous and equilibrium radon activity in an aqueous tincture of crushed uranium ore using liquid scintillation alpha and beta spectrometry. During the experiments, a modified sample preparation method was developed, the proportions of alpha and beta decays of radon daughter decay products (DDP) were calculated, their activity was measured on a liquid scintillation spectrometer SL-300 with a minimum detectable activity of 1 Bq/l, a graph of the dynamics of the decrease in the volumetric activity of radon and its DDP, a comparative graph of radon decay was obtained depending on the time. The developed methodology will allow for a more accurate analysis of water samples from reservoirs of areas with a uranium deposit. In the future, based on the results of this initial study, it is possible to determine the dependence of the incidence of lung cancer on the concentration of radon in the environment, to form fundamental ideas about the role of radiation in the occurrence and development of cancer.

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