Air cleaning and radon decay product mitigation

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6703313

Hopke, P K ^[1]; Li, C S ^[2]; Ramamurthi, M ^[3]

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1. Clarkson Univ., Potsdam, NY (United States)
2. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). John B. Pierce Foundation Lab.
3. Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (United States)

We evaluated air cleaning as a means to mitigate risks arising from exposure to indoor radon progeny in several single-family houses in the northeastern United States, using a new, automated, semi-continuous activity-weighted size distribution measurement system. Measurements included radon concentration, condensation nuclei count, and activity-weighted size distribution of radon decay products. Measurements were made with and without the air cleaning system operating. The influence of particles generated by various sources common to normal indoor activities on radon progeny behavior was evaluated. Aerosols were generated by running water in a shower, burning candles, smoking cigarettes, vacuuming, opening doors, and cooking. Both a filtration unit and an electrostatic precipitator were evaluated. Using a room model, the changes in attachment rates, average attachment diameters, and deposition rates of the unattached'' fraction with and without the air cleaning systems were calculated. The air cleaner typically reduced the radon progeny concentrations by 50 to 60%.

• Research Organization: Clarkson Univ., Potsdam, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; STOFNJ; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-90ER61029; FG02-89ER60876
• OSTI ID: 6703313
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/61029-11; CONF-901010-11; ON: DE93007318; CNN: J89-62
• Resource Relation: Conference: 29. Hanford symposium on health and the environment: indoor radon and lung cancer--reality or myth, Richland, WA (United States), 16-19 Oct 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
RADON
RISK ASSESSMENT
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
RADIATION MONITORING
AIR CLEANING
CARCINOGENESIS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
LUNGS
AIR POLLUTION
BODY
BUILDINGS
CLEANING
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
MONITORING
NONMETALS
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
POLLUTION
RARE GASES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
560161* - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Man
540130 - Environment
Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)