Radon Diffusion Coefficient Research Articles

On the Air-filled Effective Porosity Parameter of Rogers and Nielson’s (1991) Bulk Radon Diffusion Coefficient in Unsaturated Soils

The radon exhalation rate at the earth's surface from soil or rock with radium as its source is the main mechanism behind the radon activity concentrations observed in both indoor and outdoor environments. During the last two decades, many subsurface radon transport models have used Rogers and Nielson's formula for modeling the unsaturated soil bulk radon diffusion coefficient. This formula uses an "air-filled effective porosity" to account for radon adsorption and radon dissolution in the groundwater. This formula is reviewed here, and its hypotheses are examined for accuracy in dealing with subsurface radon transport problems. The author shows its limitations by comparing one dimensional steady-state analytical solutions of the two-phase (air/water) transport equation (Fick's law) with Rogers and Nielson's formula. For radon diffusion-dominated transport, the calculated Rogers and Nielson's radon exhalation rate is shown to be unrealistic as it is independent of the values of the radon adsorption and groundwater dissolution coefficients. For convective and diffusive transport, radon exhalation rates calculated using Fick's law and this formula agree only for high values of gas-phase velocity and groundwater saturation. However, these conditions are not usually met in most shallow subsurface environments where radon migration takes place under low gas phase velocities and low water saturation.

The effect on the radon diffusion coefficient of long-term exposure of waterproof membranes to various degradation agents.

Waterproofing, usually made of bitumen or polymers with various additives, is used to protect buildings mainly against dampness, but also against radon transported from the soil beneath the building. The radon diffusion coefficient is a material property which is considered to be strongly influenced by the inner structure (chemical composition, crystallinity) of a measured sample. We have used this parameter together with measurements of mechanical properties (hardness, tensile strength, elongation at break, etc.) and FTIR spectroscopy has been used in order to describe the changes in material properties induced by long-term degradation. This paper summarizes the results of radon diffusion coefficient measurements of waterproof materials exposed to radon, soil bacteria, high temperature and combinations of these factors. We have discovered changes as high as 83 % have been discovered compared to virgin samples.

New method and installation for rapid determination of radon diffusion coefficient in various materials

The mathematical apparatus and the experimental installation for the rapid determination of radon diffusion coefficient in various materials are developed. The single test lasts not longer than 18 h and allows testing numerous materials, such as gaseous and liquid media, as well as soil, concrete and radon-proof membranes, in which diffusion coefficient of radon may vary in an extremely wide range, from 1·10−12 to 5·10−5 m2/s. The uncertainty of radon diffusion coefficient estimation depends on the permeability of the sample and varies from about 5% (for the most permeable materials) to 40% (for less permeable materials, such as radon-proof membranes).

Radon emanation from backfilled mill tailings in underground uranium mine

Coarser mill tailings used as backfill to stabilize the stoped out areas in underground uranium mines is a potential source of radon contamination. This paper presents the quantitative assessment of radon emanation from the backfilled tailings in Jaduguda mine, India using a cylindrical accumulator. Some of the important parameters such as 226Ra activity concentration, bulk density, bulk porosity, moisture content and radon emanation factor of the tailings affecting radon emanation were determined in the laboratory. The study revealed that the radon emanation rate of the tailings varied in the range of 0.12–7.03 Bq m−2 s−1 with geometric mean of 1.01 Bq m−2 s−1 and geometric standard deviation of 3.39. An increase in radon emanation rate was noticed up to a moisture saturation of 0.09 in the tailings, after which the emanation rate gradually started declining with saturation due to low diffusion coefficient of radon in the saturated tailings. Radon emanation factor of the tailings varied in the range of 0.08–0.23 with the mean value of 0.21. The emanation factor of the tailings with moisture saturation level over 0.09 was found to be about three times higher than that of the absolutely dry tailings. The empirical relationship obtained between 222Rn emanation rate and 226Ra activity concentration of the tailings indicated a significant positive linear correlation (r = 0.95, p < 0.001). This relationship may be useful for quick prediction of radon emanation rate from the backfill material of similar nature.

Active and passive measurements of radon diffusion coefficient from building construction materials

The gaseous state and chemical inert behavior of radon make it important tracer for the radon transport study through the building materials. The radon resistant property of building construction materials is important parameter to control the indoor radon levels in living and workplaces. The materials with higher radium content can be made less severe by the use of some building materials of low diffusion coefficient and diffusion length. This makes the study of radon diffusion through building material more important along with the study of exhalation and radioactivity content. Keeping this in mind the radon diffusion study was carried out through different building construction materials used for wall and floor by active and passive techniques. The diffusion coefficient from these building materials measured by passive methods varied from (0.9 ± 0.5) × 10−7 to (22.95 ± 13.19) × 10−6 m2s−1 and radon diffusion length varied from 0.21 to 3.31 m for cement, soil, sand, wall putty and plaster of Paris (POP) etc. The radon diffusion coefficient measured by active technique varied from 1.93 × 10−10 to 1.36 × 10−7 m2s−1 for samples with definite geometry like paper, polyethylene, marble, granite etc. The radon diffusion coefficient and diffusion length depend upon the porosity and density of materials for powder samples.

Study of radon transport through concrete modified with silica fume

The concentration of radon in soil usually varies between a few kBq/m3 and tens or hundreds of kBq/m3 depending upon the geographical region. This causes the transport of radon from the soil to indoor environments by diffusion and advection through the pore space of concrete. To reduce indoor radon levels, the use of concrete with low porosity and a low radon diffusion coefficient is recommended. A method of reducing the radon diffusion coefficient through concrete and hence the indoor radon concentration by using silica fume to replace an optimum level of cement was studied. The diffusion coefficient of the concrete was reduced from (1.63 ± 0.3) × 10−7 to (0.65 ± 0.01) × 10−8 m2/s using 30% substitution of cement with silica fume. The compressive strength of the concrete increased as the silica-fume content increased, while radon exhalation rate and porosity of the concrete decreased. This study suggests a cost-effective method of reducing indoor radon levels.

Influence of Humidity on Building Material's Radon Exhalation Rate

In this paper, the humidity of building materials were controlled by adopting the inorganic salts saturated solutions, and the radon exhalation rate of building materials were measured by the active carbon method which under the different humidity conditions. The result indicates that with the humidity increasing, the radon exhalation rate of building material first increasing and then decreasing; The average roundish radius of building material bigger, the speed of radon releasing coefficient arrival the saturation point was quicker; the porosity and humidity was bigger, the radon diffusion coefficient descended was quicker. Under the relative humidity of 56%-96%, the active carbon box with diffusion base may effectively reduce the influence of humidity on active carbons radon absorption, but under the relative humidity of 56%, the active carbon box with diffusion base may not affect the humidity to active carbons radon absorption.

Radon resistant potential of concrete manufactured using Ordinary Portland Cement blended with rice husk ash

The emission of radon from building materials and soil depends upon the radium content, porosity, moisture content and radon diffusion length of materials. Several techniques have been used to reduce the radon emission from the soil using different flooring materials. But the effectiveness of radon shielding depends upon the diffusion of radon through these materials. The present study proposes a method for producing a radon resistant material for decreasing radon diffusion through it. The method involves rice husk ash (RHA) in addition to cement for the preparation of concrete used for flooring and walls. The radon diffusion, exhalation and mechanical property of concrete prepared by rice husk ash blended cement were studied. The addition of RHA caused the reduction in radon diffusion coefficient, exhalation rates, porosity and enhanced the compressive strength of concrete. The bulk radon diffusion coefficient of cementitious concrete was reduced upto 69% by addition of rice husk ash as compare to that of control concrete.

Does long term exposure to radon gas influence the properties of polymeric waterproof materials?

The technical state of buildings and the quality of the indoor environment depend on the quality of the waterproofing course and on the properties of the insulating materials that are applied, in particular on their durability, long-term functional reliability and resistance to corrosive effects of the subsoil. Underground water chemistry and soil bacteria are well-known corrosive agents. Our investigations indicate that the ageing process of waterproof materials can be significantly accelerated by alpha particles emitted by radon and radon progenies which are present in soil gas. Materials commonly available on the building market, e.g. LDPE and HDPE of various densities, PVC, TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin), PP (polypropylene) and EPDM were selected for our experimental study. The preliminary results for 3-year exposure to radon gas show a decrease in tensile strength to 60%, elongation to 80% and hardness to 95% for samples based on PE. The diffusion coefficient of radon for samples based on PVC decreased to 20% of the initial value after 1-year exposure to radon and soil bacteria.

Study of radon diffusion from RHA-modified ordinary Portland cement using SSNTD technique

The diffusion coefficient of radon is a very important factor in estimating the rate of indoor radon inflow. The aim of this work is to develop and assess the potential of radon resistant construction materials in residential buildings. Of late, rice husk ash (RHA) has been used as a component in cement. The X-ray diffraction of RHA indicates that the RHA contains mainly amorphous materials while the X-ray fluorescence analysis shows that the major percentage of it is composed of silica. The amorphous silica present in the RHA is responsible for the pozzolonic activity of the ash. The results of the present study indicate that the RHA when mixed with cement initially reduces radon diffusion coefficient, followed by enhancement when the percentage of RHA is increased above 30% by weight.

Estimation of radon diffusion coefficients in soil using an updated experimental system

Radon diffusion through soil is strongly affected by the degree of water saturation of the soil pores. Methods have been developed by many researchers to measure radon diffusion coefficient. We developed an updated experimental system to estimate radon diffusion coefficients for typical types of soil in Japan and applied it to a typical loam with different water saturation levels (0-0.82). The system consists of a passive-type scintillation cell, soil column, accumulation tank, and radon source. The radon concentration in the accumulation tank is kept stable, and radon diffused through the soil column is continuously measured with the passive-type scintillation cell. We found the radon diffusion coefficients vary from 9.60 × 10(-6) m(2) s(-1) to 1.27 × 10(-7) m(2) s(-1) for the loam samples. Generally, the diffusion coefficients are almost constant for a water saturation range of 0-0.4 and decrease with increasing water saturation from 0.4 to 0.82.

Radioactivity measurements in volcano-tectonic area for geodynamic process study

In the last ten years we carried out several radioactivity investigations in the aetnean area, a peculiar site characterized by both tectonic and volcanic features. In particular, continuous measurements in-soil radon gas carried out from 2001 until 2006 in the eastern flank of Mt. Etna, while several volcanic events occurred, showed a possible correlation between radon concentration and geodynamic activity, in particular magma uprising. We report in particular on the survey performed in order to determine vertical radon concentration profiles at different depths in sites near active faults in order to extract radon diffusion coefficients for the different sites. Moreover laboratory analysis allowed determining radionuclide contents (via γ-spectroscopy) and radon exhalation rate (via Can-technique) for different rock samples from the monitored sites. This study represents a contribution to better define the radon transport process through fractured media, in particular in volcanic area.

Basic principles for the development of a common standardised method for determining the radon diffusion coefficient in waterproofing materials

Paper presents the principles for unified test methods for determining the radon diffusion coefficient in waterproof materials in order to increase the accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility of the results. We consider this very important, because an assessment of the radon diffusion coefficient is required by several national technical standards when waterproofing acts as a radon-proof membrane. The requirements for key parameters for one test method performed under non-stationary conditions and for two methods performed under stationary conditions are described in this paper.

Diffusion of sodium, potassium, calcium, manganese, and radon in tuff and clinoptilolite under leaching

Nuclear physics methods are used to determine the diffusion coefficients of Na, Ca, Mn, K, and 222Rn in clinoptilolite (Sokirnitsa occurrence, Ukraine) and in natural tuff (Yucca Mountain, Nevada, United States) and in tuff irradiated by γ-quanta (Emax = 23 MeV) to a dose of 107 Gy at a leaching temperature of 37°C. The diffusion coefficients of sodium and potassium in clinoptilolite are found to differ considerably: 4 × 10−17 and 2 × 10−20 m2/s, respectively. This indicates the influence of aquacomplexes on the cation transfer. The diffusion coefficient of radon in these materials is determined: in clinoptilolite it equals 2.5 × 10−12 m2/s.

1st International comparison measurement on assessing the diffusion coefficient of radon

Radon diffusion coefficient is a material parameter which is usually used in the radon mitigation measures design. There are different approaches used for radon diffusion coefficient measurement and assessment. The International comparison measurement which was jointly organised by National Radiation Protection Institute and Faculty of Civil Engineering CTU Prague in 2009 and 2010 has registered 11 laboratories from all over the world. Three sets of samples of polyethylene damp-proof membranes were sent to these laboratories for measurement. Till today, the organisers received only five sets of results. The results showed a great variability among laboratories involved.

Determination of the diffusion coefficient and solubility of radon in plastics

This paper describes a method for determination of the diffusion coefficient and the solubility of radon in plastics. The method is based on the absorption and desorption of radon in plastics. Firstly, plastic specimens are exposed for controlled time to referent (222)Rn concentrations. After exposure, the activity of the specimens is followed by HPGe gamma spectrometry. Using the mathematical algorithm described in this report and the decrease of activity as a function of time, the diffusion coefficient can be determined. In addition, if the referent (222)Rn concentration during the exposure is known, the solubility of radon can be determined. The algorithm has been experimentally applied for different plastics. The results show that this approach allows the specified quantities to be determined with a rather high accuracy-depending on the quality of the counting equipment, it can be better than 10 %.

Radon diffusion coefficients in 360 waterproof materials of different chemical composition

This paper summarises the results of radon diffusion coefficient measurements in 360 common waterproof materials available throughout Europe. The materials were grouped into 26 categories according to their chemical composition. It was found that the diffusion coefficients of materials used for protecting houses against radon vary within eight orders from 10(-15) to 10(-8) m(2) s(-1). The lowest values were obtained for bitumen membranes with an Al carrier film and for ethylene vinyl acetate membranes. The highest radon diffusion coefficient values were discovered for sodium bentonite membranes, rubber membranes made of ethylene propylene diene monomer and polymer cement coatings. The radon diffusion coefficients for waterproofings widely used for protecting houses, i.e. flexible polyvinyl chloride, high-, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene and bitumen membranes, vary in the range from 3 × 10(-12) to 3 × 10(-11) m(2) s(-1). Tests were performed which confirmed that the radon diffusion coefficient is also an effective tool for verifying the air-tightness of joints.

Measurement of radon permeability through polyethylene membrane using scintillation detector

The permeability of Radon 222 through polyethylene membranes has been studied using activated charcoal technique. The permeability constant of Radon 222 through low-density polyethylene, linear low-density Polyethylene and high density polyethylene samples has been measured. There is a considerable agreement between the values obtained by our method and the method suggested by W. Arafa [2002. Permeability of radon 222 through some materials. Radiat. Meas. 35, 207–211], and SSNTD technique suggested by A. Hafez and G. Somogyi [1986. Determination of radon and thoron permeability through some plastics by track technique. Int. J. Radiat. Appl. Instrum. Nucl. Track Radiat. Meas. 12 (1–6), 697–700]. In this work Radon permeability through different polyethylene membranes has been measured using three different methods, i.e. solid state nuclear track technique, W. Arafa [2002. Permeability of radon 222 through some materials. Radiat. Meas. 35, 207–211] method and our proposed method. In addition to this, in this study, the diffusion coefficient of radon in charcoal as well as solubility of Radon in polyethylene membrane has been taken into consideration.

Calculation of radon diffusion coefficient and diffusion length for different building construction materials

The diffusion of radon in dwellings is a process determined by the radon concentration gradient across the building material structure between the radon source and the surrounding air, and can be a significant contributor to indoor radon inflow. Radon can originate from the deeply buried deposit beneath homes and can migrate to the surface of earth. Radon emanates to the surfaces mainly by diffusion processes from the point of origin following α-decay of 226Ra in underground soil and building materials used, in the construction of floors, walls, and ceilings. In the present study radon diffusion through some building materials viz. coarse sand and stone dust of different grain size has been carried out using LR-115 type II solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). The radon diffusion coefficients and diffusion lengths through these building construction materials have been calculated. The effect of grain size on radon diffusion through these building materials shows the decrease in radon diffusion with decrease in grain size.

Radon diffusion coefficients of vapour barrier membranes used in Canadian building construction

Vapour barrier membranes are often used as soil gas retarder in building construction. While vapour permeance characteristics of these membranes are well known and specified in Canadian standards, their radon diffusion coefficients are yet not available. This study provides test results of radon diffusion coefficients for 10 vapour barrier membranes commonly used in Canadian building construction.