AlphaNUCLEAR started business in 1975 as a manufacturer of instrumentation for the detection and measurement of radon gas and radon progeny. These instruments are used worldwide in applications that include health physics, geophysics and earthquake prediction, and environmental studies.

In mining health physics applications, our continuous working level (CWL) monitors are used in most of the world's uranium mines. These compact, rugged, lightweight scientific instruments monitor, record, and if so equipped, provide prompt visual and audible warning of radon levels. Some are designed as long term station monitors, and some as personal alpha dosimeters (PADs). Most are deployed on or within visual range of personnel working in confined under ground environments such as mines, caves, storage facilities, and tunneling operations.

Radon working level (WL) measurement inherently involves drawing ambient air through an appropriate filter membrane and counting the alpha particle radiation from radon progeny trapped on the filter. The alphaNUCLEAR WL monitors are the continuous sampling type (CWL), meaning the air pump and alpha event counter(s) run continuously. The alpha counts are integrated into 10-minute periods, then stored in a nonvolatile memory with capacity for up to 55 days of run time data.

For continuous working level (CWL) measurements to be consistent and accurate, the volume of air pumped through the filter must be known and constant. All alphaNUCLEAR CWL monitors utilize a form of mass airflow measurement, this provides the system microprocessor with data for closed loop servo control of the airflow. Following completion of a sampling run (> 7 hours), the periodic (10 minute) count data is read out from the CWL monitors with a PC running the alphaNUCLEAR PRISM software. This software programme performs complex WL calculations and generates reports that include average WL, maximum WL, periodic WL listing, and graphical WL plots. An estimate of the average thoron WL can be reported from sampling times longer than about 36 hours.

AlphaNUCLEAR also offers a line of dust pump systems. These flow controlled pumps with flow rates of 2.5 and 5 litres per minute, can be packaged along with the cap lamp battery/light system, or with a small rechargeable 9 hour battery pack. Custom design and manufacture of radon related instrumentation and accessories is also available.