Concerning the Interactions That Occur Between Radon Decay Products and Aerosols

The state of experimental and theoretical knowledge concerning the attachment of radon decay products to aerosols is reviewed. Particular emphasis is upon a new attachment principle which predicts that attachment is proportional to the surface area of the aerosol particles for all particle sizes and for all but extremely high concentrations of radon. Aspects of the character and fate of radon decay products which have yet to be fully understood and which require further experimental studies are discussed. Employing the theory of a self preserving particle size distribution of natural aerosols, a hypothetical form for aerosols in uranium mines is developed and employed to calculate the expected fractions of unattached radium A, B and C for various aerosol concentrations and equilibrium times. The results compare favorably with available experimental values.