Natural radioactivity levels in atmospheric air in Málaga (Spain)

Simultaneous measurement of decay products of 222Rn (DRn) and 212Pb concentrations in the atmospheric air 2 m above the ground have been carried out over a 1 yr period. The method used to determine DRn and 212Pb concentrations is based on the total amount of radioactive aerosols deposited on a filter. The alpha particle detector was a mylar sheet having the same diameter as the phototube and a homogeneous layer of ZnS(Ag) crystals. This study demonstrated that the evolution of DRn and 212Pb is very similar. The parallel in the behaviour of the tracers arises because they have evolved analogously in relation to the influence of the air mass and meteorological variables.