Radon-222, sup 222 Rn progeny, and sup 220 Rn progeny levels in 70 houses
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
A year-long, multipollutant, indoor air quality study involving 70 occupied houses in four states was completed in 1987. All of the houses included in the study had a partial or complete basement with a concrete slab floor and block walls. On an approximately quarterly schedule, integrating monitors for short-lived Rn progeny, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and water vapor were exposed for 1 wk in each house on both the basement and main floors. At the beginning of the study, a pair of alpha-track detectors were placed on top of the refrigerator in the kitchen (or some other sampling location on the main floor) and at a location in the basement. One detector at each location was left in place for a year while the other detector was retrieved and replaced once every 3-mo period. In addition, short-term measurements of Rn and {sup 222}Rn progeny were made at all sampling locations once per quarter. In this study, comparisons were made between: (1) seasonal and annual averages, (2) summer and winter averages, (3) living-area and basement results, (4) {sup 222}Rn and {sup 220}Rn progeny, and (5) short- and long-term measurements. The Rn and Rn progeny concentrations in houses near Huntsville, AL were found to be well above recommended action levels (150 Bq m-3). For houses near Birmingham, AL, summer Rn concentrations were found to exceed winter concentrations, whereas for the other houses in the study, winter concentrations exceeded summer concentrations. Potential alpha energy concentrations (PAEC) from {sup 220}Rn progeny were found to be generally less than PAEC from {sup 222}Rn.
- OSTI ID:
- 7138676
- Journal Information:
- Health Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Health Physics; (USA) Vol. 58:3; ISSN 0017-9078; ISSN HLTPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540130* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
ALABAMA
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUILDINGS
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION IV
GEORGIA
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOUSES
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
ISOTOPES
MISSISSIPPI
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
POLLUTION
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 220
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
TENNESSEE
USA
VARIATIONS