The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya has a system for testing atmospheres with radon (STAR)-type radon chamber for measuring the concentration of radon inside it, in accordance with standard IEC 61577-4:2009 (Radiation Protection Instrumentation – Part 4: Equipment for the production of reference atmospheres containing radon isotopes and their decay products). The radon chamber consists of a hermetic enclosure of 20 m3 and has measuring equipment and automatic control systems to reproduce atmospheres with different concentrations of radon and its progeny, and the possibility of altering climate conditions and aerosol concentrations. The radon chamber is linked to the reference laboratory of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SRSA) and has the capacity to undertake calibrations and studies of the response of radon concentration measurement systems, which use either continuous or integrated measures.
Among the objectives of the Radon Studies Laboratory are:
- Offer a calibration service to meet the needs of users who carry out measurements of radon and its progeny and atmospheric aerosols.
- Organize and carry out intercomparison campaigns.
- Collaborate in the undertaking of research projects, especially those relating to metrology and the measurement of radon and particles in indoor and outdoor air.