Generation and mobility of radon in soil

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6559758· OSTI ID:6559758

Rose, A W; Jester, W A; Ciolkosz, E J

This study has confirmed large seasonal and daily variations of Rn in soil gas, developed models for the effects of temperature and moisture on air-water Rn partition, inhibited Rn diffusion from wet soil into sparse large air-filled pores and effects of diffusion into bedrock, demonstrated that organic matter is a major host for 226Ra in soils and that organic-bound Ra largely determines the proportion of 222Rn emanated to pore space, shown that in contrast 220Rn is emanated mainly from 224Ra in Fe-oxides, detected significant disequilibrium between 226Ra and 238U in organic matter and in some recent glacial soils, demonstrated by computer models that air convection driven by temperature differences is expected in moderately permeable soils on hillsides.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-87ER60577
• OSTI ID: 6559758
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60577-5; ON: DE93012292
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540230* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
DAILY VARIATIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON
RARE GASES
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
VARIATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES