In general people associate environmental radioactivity with the artificial radioactivity and knows very little about natural radioactivity. Thus there is a critical need to improve nuclear physics public education. From 2005 in Italy two programs were promoted from Ministry of Education and University and National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) for scientific dissemination in the field of environmental radioactivity. High school students in many Italian regions were involved in particular in indoor radon measurements. With this program students acquired awareness about the risks of inhalation of radon and its progeny and at the same time contributed to carry out radon monitoring, participating to all the experimental phases, from detectors set-up to data analysis. In particular we report about the activities carried out at Catania University and INFN division regarding a survey in the eastern Sicily. The overall monitoring, spanned over a period of 5 years, was carried out using passive nuclear track detection technique, through CR-39 dosimeters. In total about 500 detectors were placed in dwellings and schools in 57 locations. The investigated area have shown medium–high indoor radon concentrations, higher than the Italian average (70 Bq/m3). From the evaluation of the participating teachers and students, this kind of activities represents a successful strategy to enhance dissemination of physics, in particular in radioactivity topics.

Radioactivity measurements as tool for physics dissemination

IMME', Giuseppina;
2014-01-01

Abstract

In general people associate environmental radioactivity with the artificial radioactivity and knows very little about natural radioactivity. Thus there is a critical need to improve nuclear physics public education. From 2005 in Italy two programs were promoted from Ministry of Education and University and National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) for scientific dissemination in the field of environmental radioactivity. High school students in many Italian regions were involved in particular in indoor radon measurements. With this program students acquired awareness about the risks of inhalation of radon and its progeny and at the same time contributed to carry out radon monitoring, participating to all the experimental phases, from detectors set-up to data analysis. In particular we report about the activities carried out at Catania University and INFN division regarding a survey in the eastern Sicily. The overall monitoring, spanned over a period of 5 years, was carried out using passive nuclear track detection technique, through CR-39 dosimeters. In total about 500 detectors were placed in dwellings and schools in 57 locations. The investigated area have shown medium–high indoor radon concentrations, higher than the Italian average (70 Bq/m3). From the evaluation of the participating teachers and students, this kind of activities represents a successful strategy to enhance dissemination of physics, in particular in radioactivity topics.
2014
Physics dissemination; Radioactivity laboratory; Radon survey
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/55409
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