ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´

Gassy glasses

Spectacles with a common type of plastic lens could record a wearer’s
exposure to hazardous radon gas. Allyl-diglycol carbonate, or CR-39, is the same
plastic the nuclear industry uses for its badge-style dosimeters. Robert
Fleischer, a geologist at Union College in Schenectady, New York, says that
alpha particles released by decaying radon leave tracks in the lens carbonate
that measure the wearer’s cumulative exposure over a few years. Checking the
lenses for radon exposure would be more accurate than measuring radon levels in
household basements, because you have no idea of how long people spend
there.

More from New ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´

Explore the latest news, articles and features