Abstract
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can easily accumulate in indoor environments. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), radon gas is the second largest risk factor associated with lung cancer, after tobacco smoking. People spend at least half their life inside buildings, which are becoming increasingly more hermetic due to the pursuit of high energy efficiency - an increase in ventilation rates tends to increase heat losses. In this context, energy efficiency and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) concepts, if not studied in a balanced way, can move in opposite directions. The introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for continuous assessment of the IAQ can help to achieve an optimally integrated balance between them. This article focus on the specification and design of the RnProbe, an IoT Edge Device developed under the scope of the RnMonitor R&D project whose main objective was the specification and development of a Cyber-Physical System (CPS) for integrated Radon Risk Management in public buildings, such as schools, kindergartens, offices, and hospitals, that are restricted to regular occupancy schedules, so that policymakers and building managers can reduce public health risks associated with the exposure to this pollutant. The device collects, aggregates, and transmits up to the cloud, several indoor environmental parameters. When combined these measurements are used to perform specific mitigation actions in the building, to improve IAQ.
Highlights
Radon-222 is an inert gas produced in rocks and soil by the decay of uranium [1]
The experimental validation process was split into these three distinct stages: A) RnProbe Prototype Validation: a set of four RnProbe prototypes were evaluated in the Lab, under a controlled environment, and compared with the reference device, a certified Airthings Plus Radon detector; B) LoRaWAN Connectivity Tests: a set of tests were carried out to evaluate the connectivity of LoRaWAN communications in mixed environments in the region of Viana do Castelo, Portugal; C) RnMonitor Platform Integration: the four devices validated in stage B) were deployed in distinct compartments, with a regular occupation, for continuous online monitoring
Radon Risk Management is a crucial step to effectively manage radon concentration inside buildings and minimize the health risk that people restricted to a regular schedule are exposed to
Summary
Radon-222 is an inert gas produced in rocks and soil by the decay of uranium [1]. The gas is present in the outdoor air in small concentrations and penetrates buildings through its foundation joints, cracks in floors and walls, as well as through pipes and drains. OVERALL SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE Figure 3 illustrates the system conceptual architecture and the three core elements that depict a common use-case In this example, several rooms in distinct buildings are equipped with IoT Edge devices that include long-range and low-power LoRaWAN connectivity. Several rooms in distinct buildings are equipped with IoT Edge devices that include long-range and low-power LoRaWAN connectivity These devices are capable of acquiring a set of indoor environmental parameters (i.e. indoor radon concentration level, atmospheric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration), and are responsible for its transmission up to the cloud for real-time processing and analysis. Taking into account the arguments introduced before, in this work, we opted to use OTAA activation [38]
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