Determinación de la tasa de exhalación de gas radón de la cebolla, ajo y zanahoria usando la técnica Electret Ion Chamber

Abstract

In this study, the radon mass and superficial exhalation rates of garlic, onion and carrot, sampled in Guaranda province of Bolívar, were determined using the technique Electret Ion Chamber. The samples were dehydrated at 56 degrees centigrade for 48 hours and crushed to different granulometry (3mm, 6mm and less than 1mm). The Short-Term Method was used (MST) (exposure period 7 days) and Long-Term Method (MLT) (exposure period 8 days). With the MST samples with granulometry of 3mm, 6mm and less than 1mm were analysed (carrot only), the 3mm mass and surface exhalation rate results for most samples were higher than with 6mm grading, deducing that the granulometry of the samples influences the radon gas exhalation. With the MLT, samples of 3mm and less than 1mm (carrot) were studied, the comparison of the methods show that the MST is preferable over the MLT, both in terms of the time required to perform a measurement and in terms of the precision of the result. Red onion and male garlic have higher mean superficial exhalation rates (0.41 Bq per square meter per hour) than female garlic, pearl onion and carrot (0.28 Bq per square meter per hour). Red onion shows the highest mean radon mass exhalation rate (0.041 Bq per kilogram per hour) followed by male garlic (0.027 Bq per kilogram per hour). The lowest rates correspond to female garlic, pearl onion and carrot (0.018 Bq per kilogram per hour). The comparison between varieties of garlic and onion revealed that male garlic shows a mean rate of superficial and mass exhalation greater than female garlic and red onion more than pearl onion.