The project will be undertaken in collaboration with Dr. Eric Finch and Gillian Gunning, Trinity College Dublin.

While extensive studies have been carried out on indoor levels in houses, workplaces and schools there have been no such studies undertaken to measure the outdoor levels of radon in Ireland. It is our aim to quantify these outdoor levels.

It is proposed that passive alpha track detectors (CR-39) will be placed at 19 sites throughout Ireland for a period of 12 months. The detectors will be sheltered in Stevenson screens, which are used by Met Éireann for meteorology measurements. Varying conditions will be looked at, such as the height of detector placement, seasonal variation, duration of active measurement and climate variations. A crucial part of this study will be to bring the measurement uncertainties down as far as possible as it is suspected that most concentrations will be low.

In completing this project the accuracy of radon exposure to the Irish population will be increased and the methods and analysis utilized in this study can be used by radon researchers in other countries as guidelines.