Determination and measurement of soil parameters for characterizing radon hazard of soils

Conference · Thu Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:45169

Blue, T E; Jarzemba, M S ^[1]

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1. Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)

There is little correlation between radon concentrations in soil and radon concentrations in homes. One explanation is that the soil radon concentration does not fully characterize the soil as a radon hazard. A mathematical model for the determination of important soil parameters for characterizing the flow of radon into a basement has been analyzed. We have identified important soil properties by mathematically modeling ventilated air enclosed in basement walls of thickness T (through which radon convects) and surrounded by soil of infinite extent (through which radon diffuses). The radon instantaneously mixed uniformly with the basement air and is lost from the basement air by ventilation ({lambda}{sub v}) and decay ({lambda}). It was found that not only the soil pore gas radon concentration, C{sub s}, but also the radon gas diffusion length, L{sub 3}, and the soil porosity, {epsilon}{sub 3}, are important to characterize the soil as a radon hazard. A model for determining the parameters C{sub s}, L{sub 3}, and {epsilon}{sub 3} has also been analyzed. It was found that it is possible to measure in situ these important soil parameters by monitoring the radon gas concentration time history of two cavities of different radii formed in the same soil.

• OSTI ID: 45169
• Report Number(s): CONF-901010-Pt.1; TRN: 95:003574-0020
• Resource Relation: Conference: 29. Hanford symposium on health and the environment: indoor radon and lung cancer--reality or myth, Richland, WA (United States), 15-19 Oct 1990; Other Information: PBD: 1992; Related Information: Is Part Of Indoor radon and lung cancer: Reality or Myth? Part 1; Cross, F.T. [ed.]; PB: 527 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
99 MATHEMATICS
COMPUTERS
INFORMATION SCIENCE
MANAGEMENT
LAW
MISCELLANEOUS
HOUSES
INDOOR AIR CONTAMINATION
RADON
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
SOILS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
MULTI-PARAMETER ANALYSIS
PERMEABILITY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
POROSITY