Radon (²²²Rn) is a radioactive gas emanating from geological materials. Inhalation of this gas is closely related to an increase in the probability of lung cancer if the levels are high. The usual methodology for the quantification of radon by passive methods is the use of etched solid-state nuclear track detectors, frequently in combination with optical microscopes or image scanning for image acquisition and software-based image processing for track counting. Currently available commercial instrumentation, as the Radosys microscopy system, is quite expensive, so the development of alternative methodologies is desirable.

In this work, a simple, fast and low-cost image acquisition system for the determination of tracks in chemically etched CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detectors to quantify ²²²Rn alpha tracks has been proposed. The image of the detector surface is obtained by a conventional light stereoscopic microscope, transmitted by a CCD camera into the computer, and analyzed by the ImageJ open-source software. This methodology was employed to analyze 45 samples collected in dwellings and caves located in the region of Extremadura (Southwest Spain). Results show a good correlation coefficient of r² = 0.98 between the reference and purposed methodology and excellent repeatability, demonstrating that the system enables routine counting tracks for radon measurement as an alternative to the Radosys microscopy instrument.

氡 ( ²²² Rn) 是一种源自地质材料的放射性气体。如果水平高，吸入这种气体与肺癌概率增加密切相关。通过被动方法量化氡的常用方法是使用蚀刻的固态核径迹探测器，经常与光学显微镜或图像扫描相结合以获取图像，并使用基于软件的图像处理进行径迹计数。当前可用的商业仪器，如 Radosys 显微镜系统，非常昂贵，因此需要开发替代方法。

在这项工作中，提出了一种简单、快速和低成本的图像采集系统，用于确定化学蚀刻 CR-39 固态核轨迹探测器中的轨迹，以量化²²² Rn α 轨迹。探测器表面的图像由传统的光学立体显微镜获得，由CCD相机传输到计算机中，并由ImageJ开源软件进行分析。该方法用于分析在位于埃斯特雷马杜拉（西班牙西南部）地区的住宅和洞穴中收集的 45 个样本。结果显示 r ^{2 的}相关系数很好 = 0.98 在参考方法和目的方法之间以及出色的可重复性，表明该系统能够实现氡测量的常规计数轨迹，作为 Radosys 显微仪器的替代方案。