New methods of energy efficient radon mitigation.
Two new radon mitigation techniques are introduced and their evaluation in a field study complemented by numerical model predictions is described. Based on numerical predictions, installation of a sub gravel membrane at the study site resulted in a factor of 2 reduction in indoor radon concentrations. Experimental data indicated that installation of "short-circuit" pipes extending between the subslab gravel and outdoors caused an additional factor of 2 decrease in the radon concentration. Consequently, the combination of these two passive radon mitigation features, called the membrane and short-circuit (MASC) technique, was associated with a factor of 4 reduction in indoor radon concentration. The energy-efficient active radon mitigation method, called efficient active subslab pressurization (EASP), required only 20% of the fan energy of conventional active subslab depressurization and reduced the indoor radon concentration by approximately a factor of 15, including the numerically-predicted impact of the sub-gravel membrane.
Fisk
W J
WJ
Indoor Environment Program, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Prill
R J
RJ
Wooley
J
J
Bonnefous
Y C
YC
Gadgil
A J
AJ
Riley
W J
WJ
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000398:Air Pollution, Radioactive / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D004058:Diffusion; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011312:Pressure; D011886:Radon / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012106:Research; D013679:Technology, Radiologic / Q000295:instrumentation
D011886:Radon