Methods climate survey

Values differ befween counfries due to differences in climate, rocks, construction methods and materials and living habits. A worldwide figure of 25 Bq for fhe geomefric mean level of radon has been estimated by the United Nahons Scienhfic Committee on the Effects of Ionising Radiations (UNSCEAR). Surveys in the UK suggest a national average of abouf 20 Bq m. In some areas — e.g. Einland, Sweden — concenfrahons of many thousands of Bq m have been measured in large numbers of houses. 

Macro- and microcomponents of inorganic character in the soil are frequently directly related to the composition of underlying rocks. The determination of macro- or microcomponents of the soil serves as a basis of one method among the various approaches to a biochemical survey for the investigation of pollutants, microelements in the soil are of the main importance, being important for the nutrition and health of plants as well as animals. The character of the main elements is determined by their occurrence in the soil profile as whole, whereas their distribution inside of the soil profile is governed by their mobility together with other factors, such as the climate [2]. 

Some of the discrepancies between the Wiepking-Doyle data and the Soden-McLeish data may have been systematic. The Wiepking-Doyle (linear) results were based on a sample population that uniformly had a 12 percent moisture content. The Soden-McLeish (exponential) results,however, were derived in part from the Doyle et al. work based on samples with 9.5 percent moisture content, and in part on their own experiments for which no moisture contents were reported. It is difficult to tell whether these variations in percent moisture could have biased the results significantly. No moisture-related effects on the properties of balsa wood have been evaluated explicitly in any of the literature references surveyed here. To the extent that moisture contents were reported at all, they ranged generally from 8 to 12 percent. This range appears to be a normal condition for kiln-dried balsa wood exposed to ambient atmosphere in temperate climates. (Note The ASTM Standard Method of Testing Small Clear Specimens of... 

Considering the great variety of materials and production methods used, the multiplicity of applications, and the great differences in climate and local conditions of service it is impossible in a brief survey to present more than the principles of research achieved or projected. Limiting this chapter... 

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