Exposure of burrowing mammals to Radon Rn-222 in Northwest England
This dataset includes individual passive detector measurements of radon Rn-222 in the air of artificial burrows, Rn-222 measurements by instrumentation in soil gas of interstitial soil pores and burrow air, gamma analyses results for soil samples and, soil moisture and temperature data. Estimates of absorbed dose rates to wildlife from exposure to natural background radionuclides are required to put estimates of dose rates arising from regulated releases of radioactivity and proposed benchmarks into context. These data are from a study conducted at seven sites in northwest England (comprising broadleaved and coniferous woodlands, scrubland and pastures). Passive track etch detectors were used to measure the Rn-222 concentrations in artificial burrows over a period of approximately one year (July 2009 to June 2010). Instrumented measurements of burrow air and soil pore gas were also conducted in October 2009.
The data result from a study funded by NERC-CEH and the England & Wales Environment Agency.
The data result from a study funded by NERC-CEH and the England & Wales Environment Agency.
Publication date: 2012-05-29
View record as
Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
- Study area
-
- Spatial representation type
- Tabular (text)
- Spatial reference system
- OSGB 1936 / British National Grid
Temporal information
- Temporal extent
-
2008-12-01 to 2012-06-30
Provenance & quality
Methodologies for Rn-222 measurements described in: Beresford N.A. et al, Exposure of burrowing mammals to 222Rn, Sci Total Environ (2012), doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.05.023 Gamma analyses (not reported in above paper) Soil samples were taken to a depth of 50 cm from adjacent to each burrow at the end of the study for subsequent gamma-analyses. Samples we dried at 80°C, homogenised and weighed into c. 950 ml plastic containers. The containers were sealed and left for 25 d to allow secular equilibrium to be reached. The samples were subsequently counted on hyper-pure Ge-detectors for 4 d. The resultant spectra were analysed using the Canberra Apex-Gamma software package. The detectors are calibrated using certified standards, containing mixtures of gamma-emitting radionuclides, which are mixed into matrix of different densities. The methodology is UKAS accredited.
Citations
Beresford, N. A., Barnett, C. L., Vives i Batlle, J., Potter, E. D., Ibrahimi, Z.-F., Barlow, T. S., Schieb, C., Jones, D.G. & Copplestone, D. (2012). Exposure of burrowing mammals to 222Rn. Science of The Total Environment, 431, 252-261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.05.023
Correspondence/contact details
Professor Nick Beresford
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg
Lancaster
Lancashire
LA1 4AP
UNITED KINGDOM
enquiries@ceh.ac.uk
Lancaster
Lancashire
LA1 4AP
UNITED KINGDOM
Authors
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8722-0238
Barnett, C.L.
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Vives i Batlle, J.
Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK.CEN)
Potter, E.D.
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Ibrahimi, Z-F.
Public Health England, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards
Barlow, T.S.
British Geological Survey
Schieb, C.
British Geological Survey
Jones, D.G.
British Geological Survey
Copplestone, D.
University of Stirling
Other contacts
- Custodian
-
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centreinfo@eidc.ac.uk
- Publisher
-
NERC Environmental Information Data Centreinfo@eidc.ac.uk
Additional metadata
- Topic categories
- environment
- INSPIRE theme
- Environmental Monitoring Facilities
- Keywords
- background exposure , burrowing animals , Cumbria , exposure , Great Britain , Pollution , radioecology , Radioecology , radionuclide , radon
- Funding
- Natural Environment Research Council
Environment Agency - Last updated
- 08 February 2024 17:33