Radon Certification Exam Study Guide Graded A 2024

Radon Gas Characteristics - -not detected by human senses -naturally occurring -chemically unreactive The nucleus of an atom consists of ____________ and ______________ - protons and neutrons What characteristic of an atom determines the charge? - Electrons What characteristic of an atom determines the isotope? - Nuetrons What characteristic of an atom determines the element I.D? - Protons What determines the atomic mass number? - The number of protons AND neutrons What is the annual average indoor radon level in the U.S? - 1.3 What is the annual average outdoor radon level in the U.S? - 0.4 What is the definition of a half-life? - The time required for HALF of the material to decay ______________ is an atom that has lost or gained electrons - Ion 1 picocurie per liter of radon is defined as - 2.22 disintegrations per minute within one liter of air How long does it take for radon gas to reach secular equilibrium? - 4 hours Higher air flow makes ER ________________ - Decrease Lower air flow makes ER _________________ - Increase [Working Level(100)]/(pCi/L) - Equilibrium Ratio Equation Radon decay products primarily responsible for damage to lung cells - Polonium 218 and Polonium 214 ______________ is a measure of exposure to radon decay products - Working Level Month The largest single contributor to a persons total exposure to all forms of radiation will come from: - Radon gas A person who smokes is _____ times more likely to contract lung cancer from radon - 15 4 factors that influence the strength of the Radon source in the soil - 1. Radium content of the soil 2. Size of the soil particles 3. Permeability of the soil 4. Forces pushing and pulling through the soil 4 driving forces responsible for Radon entry - 1. Air pressure differentials 2. Diffusion 3. Emanation 4. Well Water Which driving force is responsible for the greatest amount of radon entry? - Air pressure differentials What driving force is associated with the stack effect? - Temperature differences What driving force is associated with diffusion? - Concentration differences Radon and Radon decay product measurements that are permitted to be used for real estate testing and yield a single average reading over a period of time. - Time Integrated Measurements Radon and Radon decay product measurements that are taken over a few seconds or minutes and are allowed to reach secular equilibrium and are counted for at least 10 minutes. - Grab Measurements Radon and Radon decay product measurements that show the average radon concentration and hourly trends. - Continuous measurements Radon and Radon decay products that are taken over a few seconds or minutes and are immediately counted. - Sniffing measurements How long should closed house conditions be maintained prior to a short-term test lasting less than 4 days? - 12 hours prior to initial testing For s short-term test lasting less than 7 days how long should closed house conditions be maintained? - They do not need to be maintained prior to initiating testing. What is the minimum distance a radon detector should be placed from the floor? - 20 inches or almost 2 feet