Department of Physics & Energy Science

James Burkhart is the director of the Western Regional Radon Training Center established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He is also the director of the Radon Measurements Lab. The Radon Measurements Lab employs one undergraduate student each semester, giving the student opportunities to learn many different radiation measuring techniques. The Radon Measurements Lab has been self-supporting and has provided UCCS with over $40,000 in revenue which is available to the department for special projects such as a scholarship for incoming freshmen. The Western Regional Radon Training Center is also self-supporting. In addition to an amount kept by the campus administration, this operation generates $5,000 - $10,000 per year in revenue for a special departmental account which has also been used for student scholarships and other special projects. Burkhart's involvement with radon has led to his giving dozens of talks for the public, real estate professionals and schools. Also, a special course was taught for school officials through Continuing Education. Burkhart is responsible for curriculum development and teaching courses for public health officials, radon professionals (measurement labs and contractors) and the general public.

• A Diffusion Cloud Chamber for Viewing Alpha Tracks  Proceedings of the AARST 2003 International Radon symposium, 2003


• Determination of individual calibration factors for Rn-222, Po-218 and Po-214 in scintillation cells P.H. Jenkins, J. F. Burkhart. American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition Program  Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Applied Modeling and Computations in Nuclear Science Radiation Detection.Washington D.C. August, 2005


• Correction for overdispersion due to observing correlated counts in three methods of measuring ²²²Rn in air P.H. Jenkins, C.J. Kershner, J.F. Burkhart. American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition Program, Division of. Nuclear Chemistry and Technolgy, Applied Modeling and Computations in Nuclear Science Radiation Detection. Washington D.C. August, 2005


• Elevation Effects on Radon Cell Counting Efficiency J..F. Burkhart, P.H. Jenkins. Proceedings of the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologist 2005   International Radon Symposium. San Diego, CA. September, 2005>  


• Correcting Deviations from Poisson Statistics in Radon Measurements using Grab Scintillation Cells, Activated Charcoal Devices and Liquid Scintillation Charcoal Devices P.H. Jenkins, J.F. Burkhart, C.J. Kershner. Proceedings of the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologist 2005 International Radon Symposium. San Diego, CA September, 2005


• "Surfacial Materials Influence on Radon Production and Transport:  A Colorado Example", J.F. Burkhart and T.P. Huber, Proceedings of Technical  Exchange Meeting on Assessing Indoor Radon Health Risks, Section N, DOE, Grand Junction, Colorado, September, 1989.


• "A Comparison of Indoor Radon Concentrations Between Preconstruction and Post-Construction Single Family Dwellings", J.F. Burkhart and D.L. Kladder, Proceedings: The 1991 International Symposium on Radon and Radon Reduction Technology Exchange,, published as document EPA-600/9-91-37a-d. Golden, Colorado, June, 1991.


• "A Comparison of Passive Radon Mitigation Techniques Utilized During New Home Construction," D. Kladder and J.F. Burkhart, Proceedings of The 1991 Radon Technical Exchange, Golden, Colorado, June, 1991. 


• "A Comparison of Current Collection/Sampling Techniques for Waterborne Radon Analysis," J.F. Burkhart, D. Gray, R.D. Martin and B. Warrick, Proceedings of The 1991 Annual AARST  National Fall Conference: Conference Preprints, Volume II.


• "An Evaluation of the Performance of the EPA Diffusion Barrier Charcoal Adsorber for Radon-222 Measurements in Indoor Air," D.J. Gray, J.F. Burkhart, A.P. Jacobson, 1992 International Symposium on Radon and Radon Reduction, Volume 2, Minneapolis, Minnesota, September, 1992.


• "The Correlation of Indoor Radon Concentration to Commonly Available Geologic Data", J.F. Burkhart and T.P. Huber, Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 17, No. 2 pp. 249-256, 1993. "Radon Distribution on the Island of Guam and Correlations to Surficial Geology and Deposition Models," J.F. Burkhart and D. Kladder, Proceedings of the AARST 1993 International Radon  Conference, Denver, Colorado, September, 1993.


• "An Investigation of Factors Affecting the Entry of Radon into Structures on the Island of Guam," D.L. Kladder, J.F. Burkhart, M. Thorburn, Environment International, 1997.


• "An Overview of Radon - A Guide for Installing Radon Control Systems in New Homes", J.F. Burkhart and D. Kladder, 1998 International Radon Symposium, IV-1.1 thru IV-1.26, 1998.


• A Survey of Public Drinking Water Systems on Wells in Colorado, J.F. Burkhart, L.A.Martin, S.L. Kladder, D.L. Kladder, 1999 International Radon Symposium, pp. 17.0-17.7, 1999. 


• A New Look at the Twelve Hour Dynamic Equilibrium Protocol J.F. Burkhart and R.E.Camley, 1999 International Radon Symposium, pp. 18.0-18.5, 1999.


• Using a Model to Estimate the Effects of Ventilation and Exhaust Appliances on the Accuracy of a 48-Hour Radon Test, J.F. Burkhart, R.E. Camley, 2000 International Radon Symposium, pp. 16.0-16.11, 2000.


• The Correlation Between Small Ventilation Rates and Indoor Radon Concentrations Using a Multi-Room House Model, J.F. Burkhart, R.E. Camley, Proceedings of the 2002 International Radon Symposium, Vol. 1, pp. 41-50, 2002.


• Lung Cell Immune System Response Due to Irradiation by Alpha Particles, J.F. Burkhart, R. E. Camley, Proceedings of the 2002 International Radon Symposium, Vol. 1, pp. 51-62, 2002.


• A Proposal to Set Up a Network of AARST Measurement Professionals to Act as First Responders in the Event of an Accidental or Purposeful Radioisotope Event J..F.Burkhart, Proceedings of the AARST 2003 International Radon Symposium, 2003.


• Radiation Fundamentals for Radon Professionals, James F. Burkhart, Proceedings of the AARST 2004 International Radon Symposium, 2004.