MONITORING OF GAMMA RADIATION AND METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS AT GROUND LEVEL IN SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, BRAZIL

A pilot study has been conducted to determine the feasibility of using low-cost portable instrument to measure and characterize the background gamma radiation in São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil. A NaI(Tl) scintillator coupled to a photomultiplier and connected to a PC recorded variations of the local background gamma radiation over extended periods of time. The collected data show that there is a correlation between meteorological parameters and the radiation level. This correlation can be attributed to variations in the concentration of radon gas Rn-222 at ground level produced by these meteorological phenomena. Measurements of energy calibration, stability and reproducibility of system were made during the work.