Measuring Light Air Ions in a Speleotherapeutic Cave

Abstract

The paper deals with a methodology proposed for measuring the concentration of air ions in the environment of speleotherapeutic caves, and with the implementation of the AK-UTEE-v2 ionmeter. Speleotherapy, in the context of its general definition, is the medical therapy that utilizes the climate of selected caves to treat patients with health problems such as asthma. These spaces are characterized by the presence of high air humidity and they make extreme demands on the execution of the measuring device, the Gerdien tube (GT in the following) in particular, and on the amplifier electronics. The result is an automated measuring system using a GT with low-volume air flow, enabling long-term measuring of air ion concentration and determination of spectral ion characteristics. Interesting from the instrumentation viewpoint are the GT design, active shielding, and execution of the electrometric amplifier. A specific method for the calculation of spectral ion characteristics and the mode of automatic calibration were proposed and a procedure of automatic measurement in the absence of attendants was set up. The measuring system is designed for studying and long-term monitoring of the concentration of light negative ions in dependence on climatic conditions and on the mobility of ions occurring in the cave.

Progress of negative air ions in health tourism environments applications

“…Natural radioactivity has particular importance, in this context, because it is the atmosphere major ionization source and capable to small oxygen air ions originating in the initial decay stage [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] . Thus, radioactive anomalies microclimates can be founded in the high natural background radiation areas (HNBRA) due presence of radionuclides elements in mineral, soil, water, gas or emanations from rare sites (spring, cave, beach, mine, fault).…”

“…Some human activities capable to generate air ions: urban garden (blue/green space), wet sauna, water park, ionization place, artificial ionizers (corona discharges, thermionic electron emission from hot metal electrodes or photo-electrodes, radiation from radioisotopes, UV irradiation, high-pressure water injection, anion 33 incentive, tourmaline and other natural ores), dense urbanization atmosphere, pollution, suspended particles, power lines, industrial and vehicular emissions [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] .…”

“…Their high NAI concentrations (>38800 ions/cm 3 ) occur due to: radionuclides contained in limestone, very strong correlation between small ions concentrations with radon volume activity, constant cold temperature, high relative air humidity, calcium and magnesium ions presence in aerosol, modest air flow, low dust content, absence of allergens and bacteria. At this microclimate type, is taken as suitable for therapeutic usage when NAI concentration up to 1000 ions/cm 3 (24) . In this sense, can be related knowledge: speleotherapy, aerosol therapy and radon therapy.…”

“…Comparing to the natural ionization, through different types of generators apparatus, ions concentrations of both polarities (in limited spaces) that attain high values, arriving at a few millions ions/cm 3 , may be obtained under the ionized artificially controlled exposure atmosphere. Thus, natural ionized environments can be reproduced some factors, with more stable properties and sufficient NAI large density to therapeutic treatments; just by artificial ionization provided 19- [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] . 25-19-29-60 .…”

Evaluating the Parameters of a Systematic Long-Term Measurement of the Concentration and Mobility of Air Ions in the Environment inside Císařská Cave

“…Specialists from the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, have tested ionisers that utilise high-voltage stimulation of plants in saline solutions; in their study [11], the effect of such ions on the tracheae of laboratory rats was evaluated via blood tests. The concentration of air ions is commonly measured to facilitate air pollution monitoring [12][13][14][15][16][17], workplace hygiene inspections [18][19][20], curative procedures such as cave therapy [21][22][23][24][25][26], the investigation of atmospheric electricity, and, more recently, also the prediction of earthquakes or weather anomalies [27]. In this context, the generation of atmospheric electricity in the troposphere and the relevant impacts on the environment are described by, for instance, K. Aplin [28][29][30][31].…”