In our search for new equipment, new ideas and new methods of research, the members of PIRA are always on the look-out. Not too long ago I settled in for an hour long show on the Discovery channel. The documentary featured an investigative team that employed several devices I had never had the chance to use. One of which was the Air Ion Counter.

        What exactly is this device? Let's find out. The Air Ion Counter can be used for the detection of natural and artificial ions. Natural ions include those generated from the decay of radioactive minerals and radon gas; ions generated by fires, lightning, and evaporating water; and ions associated with storm activity. Note that in fair weather at sea level, typical ion counts are about 400 negative and 500 positive ions per cubic centimeter. Before a storm, positive ions increase dramatically. During a storm, negative ions increase. The Ion Counter can gauge the output and coverage of artificial sources such as ion generators, improperly grounded air conditioning vents, combustion vapor and electrically charged or heated surfaces, and plasma-discharge ions in air and other gases.

        Ok, so what is an ion? What do they do? Let's ring the school bell and sit in for a lesson. I must warn you guys, the following is very technical. I'm still trying to translate much of it. We'll get into why it might be useful later on in the article.

        Almost all positive ("+") natural ions come from radioactivity. Approximately 40% of these natural air ions come from radioactive minerals in the ground. Every time a radioactive atom decays near the air, it produces 50,000 - 500,000 air ion pairs. Another 40% comes from radon in the air (which produces about 250,000 ion pairs for each radon atom), and 20% comes from cosmic rays (these are high-energy protons from distant supernovas). Indoors, ions "live" an average of 30 seconds before touching a surface and shorting to ground. Outdoor ions usually "live" several minutes more.

        Negative ions usually come from radioactivity and evaporating water. Lightning, thunderstorms, and forest fires can contribute positive and negative ions, but these ions are not produced under everyday conditions. Normal fair-weather ion concentrations are 200 to 800 negative and 250 to 1500 positive ions per cubic centimeter. Indoor levels are usually lower. Several hours before a storm, positive ion concentration will increase dramatically, sometimes exceeding 5000 ions per cubic centimeter. During a storm, the negative ions increase to several thousand while the positive ions decrease, often to below 500.

        Ions can also be produced by high-energy events, such as an open flame or a glowing, red-hot object. Hot objects usually emit equal numbers of positive and negative ions. High DC (Direct Current) voltage (over 1000 Volts), especially when connected to pointed metal edges or needles, will produce ions of the same polarity as the voltage source. This is the basis of home ionizers. Evaporating water will produce negative ions in the air and as a consequence leave positive charges behind in the water that hasn't yet evaporated.

        Because a large concentration of positive ions can attract negative ions, high concentrations of both are often found together. Typically, a high concentration (1000 or more) of both may be found in one area outdoors while low concentration (300 or less) is found typically one city block away. A cloud of pure positive ions with a concentration of 1000 ions/cm3 would be very unstable and would fall apart if its diameter were more than about 30m (100'). For this reason, high concentrations of just positive (or just negative) ions tend to be compact, and don't stretch more than about 30m. The only exception is during storms, when strong atmospheric electric fields can maintain a high concentration of only one ion polarity. While testing indoors, you may find high negatives in one area of a room and high positives in another, because rooms are relatively small.

        You can produce negative ions directly by combing your hair with a plastic comb. If you then blow air past the comb, the air will have between 1000 and 10,000 negative ions immediately next to the comb. The number is lower in high humidity. Also, your breath contains about 20,000 to 50,000 negative ions from the evaporating water, but you must be grounded to exhale a concentration this high. If you are insulated from ground, you will become more positively charged with each exhalation because your breath is removing negative charge. Eventually, you will become sufficiently positive, that the negative ions will immediately return to you.

        Indoors, near ground level or in the basement, most positive ions come from radon. The number of ions is directly proportional to radon concentration multiplied by average ion lifetime. Because it is unlikely that a high level of 1000 + ions/cm3, (or 1.00 on the Air Ion Counter) can come from anything else other than flame, smoke, or a hot electric heating element, it is probable that 1000 + ions/cm3 in a basement signifies the presence of at least 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) of radon. Four pCi/L is the maximum allowable amount in the U.S. If radon is the source of the ions, then the concentration of ions will be approximately equal throughout the basement. If, instead, it is +1000 near a hot water heater but only 100 + ions/cm3 elsewhere, it is not radon. A slightly higher concentration of + ions near cracks in the concrete foundation or near corners indicate the radon is coming in there. If the average + ion count is low (for example, less than 100), then there is essentially no radon present. It is not possible to "hide" the ions that radon produces. "No ions" means "no radon". Ions help gases conduct electricity

        When an atom is hit by a fast-moving particle, like those emitted by radioactive materials, or absorbs light, an electron may be torn off. What is left is an electrically charged atom or "ion," carrying a positive charge, and the process is known as "ionization." When such processes occur in air, they produce free ions and electrons, which can move and carry an electric current, something neutral atoms cannot do. Air is usually an excellent electrical insulator, but with ionization present, electric charges can leak through it.

        Ok, back to basic writing. Most of the information above was for background. It gives you and me the information of what an Air Ion Counter does and what Ions are. Simply telling you why I think this is a good tool would be only doing half the job. The real focus is on the high-energy events and what is written in that last paragraph. This leakage may very well be the cause of temporary equipment failure during investigations. It has always been a belief that ghosts, in one way or another, produce some kind of electromagnetic field. It has been measured (with widely different results), and even felt by some. I have often thought that this field is producing free ions, perhaps as a by-product of a ghost's energy interacting with our environment. In effect, an Air Ion Counter is used to detect the by-product of a ghost's presence, not the ghost itself.

        If this is the case, this tool could be very useful…expensive, but useful. Although, I still see the same problem we run into with EMF detectors. We're only measuring the edge on the anomaly, not the entire anomaly itself. The subject could be 2 feet wide or 12 feet wide, but since we're only measuring from one direction, the actual size would remain a mystery. What we need is an array of meters and counter, with the ability to measure an entire room. Any takers?

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