Relationship between the 210Po activity incorporated in the surface of an object and the potential α-energy concentration

The 210Po activity in the surface layer of an object is determined by the total deposition flux of Rn progeny. The total deposition flux is mainly a function of deposition fraction and concentration of attached and unattached progeny. A linear relationship between the activity of 210Po incorporated in the surface of a glass object and the average potential α-energy concentration (PAEC) in air is found by using the Jacobi-Porstendörfer predictive model for short-lived Rn progeny. The cumulative exposure to Rn progeny over a certain time period is also found to be related to the surface activity of 210Po. The surface of a glass object can be used as an effective dosimeter for retrospective dose estimation, but with inherent uncertainties involved.