A person lives in conditions of natural radiation. We do not feel this physical phenomenon in everyday life, however, exceeding the normative background has a detrimental effect on the body of humans and animals. To monitor the background radiation, it makes sense to periodically measure its level in the environment around us. A device called a household dosimeter serves this purpose.
Necessary
household dosimeter (indicator of radioactivity)
Instructions
Step 1
Use a household indicator, for example, "Neiva-IR", to measure radioactivity. It is designed to study the radioactive background in everyday life: in living quarters, at workplaces, and so on. Read the instructions for use carefully before using the device.
Step 2
Make sure that the indicator contains a working battery. If the battery is low or missing, purchase and insert it into the device. Remove the power compartment cover. Place the battery in the compartment and connect the terminal to the appropriate connector. Close the cover.
Step 3
Turn the indicator over with the back facing you. There is a switch on the back of the device. Set it to the "Reset" position. In this case, the display will show “0”, and a blinking “C” icon will appear next to it.
Step 4
Now move the switch to the Count position. The instrument starts counting pulses. After about half a minute, the count will stop, and the display will display the measurement result. To re-measure, it is necessary to reset the instrument readings again and turn the switch to the pulse counting position.
Step 5
To make the measurement more accurate and to remove the measurement error, take ten measurements in succession and calculate the average value by adding the data of all measurements and dividing by the number of measurements.
Step 6
The result obtained indicates the level of radiation at a particular point in the room, while the value is expressed in micro-roentgen per hour (μR / h). To get a complete picture of the background radiation in an apartment or workplace, take measurements at several points. For comparison: the natural background of gamma radiation for Moscow, for example, fluctuates between 10-30 μR / h.
Step 7
Observe safety precautions when working with a household dosimeter. Do not touch the investigated objects and substances with your hands and the indicator, otherwise you can contaminate the device, which will inevitably lead to distortion of the measured background values. To check the performance of the indicator, it is enough to bring it to objects with an increased natural background (this can be birch ash, fertilizers from potassium chloride, and so on).
