title: Radon water to air transfer measured in a bathroom in an energy-efficient home with a private well.
abstract: Monthly measurements of radon in kitchen and bath tap water along with indoor air concentrations were made from 1994 to 1996 in an energy-efficient home with a private well. The well supplies all water to the home. The radon in cold and hot kitchen water averaged 69±2 and 52±2 Bq l(-1), respectively. Radon in cold and hot water from the bath/shower room shower head averaged 60±1 and 38±2 Bq l(-1), respectively, whereas hot water collected in the shower at the tub base averaged 5±1 Bq l(-1) or a 92% radon loss to air. While the calculated transfer factor of 1/10,000, i.e. radon concentration in air to radon in water, conventionally applies to the whole house, measurements for the specific water release during showering in a bathroom exhibit a larger transfer factor of 1/2300, due to smaller room volume.
authors.affiliation: New York University School of Medicine, Hoboken, NJ, USA naomi.harley@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Naomi H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Harley
authors.affiliation: New York University School of Medicine, Retired Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Passaporn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chittaporn
authors.affiliation: New York University School of Medicine, Sterling Forest, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Retired USDOE, Hoboken, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Isabel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Fisenne
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon