Summary of EPA's radon-reduction research in schools during 1989-90

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6286434

Leovic, K W

The report details radon mitigation research in schools conducted by EPA during 1989 and part of 1990. The major objective was to evaluate the potential of active subslab depressurization (ASD) in various geologic and climatic regions. The different geographic regions also presented a variety of construction types and heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system designs that are encountered in radon mitigation of school buildings. A secondary objective was to initiate research in difficult-to-mitigate schools. The research led to the following major conclusions on radon diagnostics and mitigation in schools: (1) Schools have many physical characteristics that typically make their mitigation more complex than house mitigation, including building size and substructure, subslab barriers, HVAC systems, and locations of utility lines. (2) Important school diagnostic procedures and measurements include review of radon measurements and building plans, investigation of the building to assess potential radon entry routes and confirm information in the building plans, analysis of the HVAC system and its influence on pressure differentials and radon levels, and subslab pressure field extension measurements to determine the potential applicability of ASD. (3) ASD can be applied successfully in schools where subslab communication barriers are limited.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Air and Energy Engineering Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6286434
• Report Number(s): PB-91-102038/XAB; EPA--600/8-90/072
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AC SYSTEMS
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
BUILDINGS
CONTAMINATION
CONTROL
DEPRESSURIZATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLUIDS
GASES
HVAC SYSTEMS
MASS TRANSFER
MITIGATION
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
POLLUTION CONTROL
POWER SYSTEMS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADON
RARE GASES
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS