Calibration Measurements

Calibration measurements are measurements made in a known radon environment, such as a calibration chamber. Detectors requiring analysis, such as charcoal canisters, alpha track detectors, electret ion chambers, and radon progeny integrating samplers, are exposed in a calibration chamber and then analyzed. Instruments providing immediate results, such as continuous working level and radon monitors, should be operated in a chamber to establish individual instrument calibration factors.

Calibration measurements must be conducted to determine and verify the conversion factors use to derive the concentration results. These factors are determined normally for a range of concentrations and exposure times, and for a range of other exposure and/or analysis conditions pertinent to the particular device. Determination of these calibration factors is a necessary part of the laboratory analysis, and is the responsibility of the analysis laboratory. These calibration measurement procedures, including the frequency of tests and the number of devices to be tested, should be specified in the quality assurance program maintained by manufacturers and analysis laboratories.