RESUMO
An underground station for the measurement of low-level radioactivity is in operation in Northern Italy in the town of Como under the Baradello hill. The rock cover is -300 m water equivalent. This paper reports about the preliminary measurements carried out to characterise the site of the Baradello hill and the installation of a high-purity Ge detector with a radio-pure copper shielding. Features and levels of the achieved background are reported and discussed, in comparison with other above ground and underground low-radioactivity stations. Sensitivities to radioactivity in typical environmental matrices are evaluated, confirming the very low-gamma background attained in the laboratory.
Assuntos
Poluentes Radioativos do Ar/análise , Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados/análise , Radiação de Fundo , Monitoramento de Radiação/instrumentação , Monitoramento de Radiação/métodos , Radônio/análise , Raios gama , Itália , Laboratórios , Doses de Radiação , Proteção RadiológicaRESUMO
A low background station for the measurement of low level radioactivity is under development in Northern Italy. The rock cover is about 300 m water equivalent. We report and discuss measurements of radon concentration in air and of gamma, muon and neutron fluxes performed in the neighborhood of the station site. We present and apply a simple analytical model capable to disentangle the contribution to the measured gamma activities due to 222Rn in air from the one due to 238U and its daughters in the rocks.
