Indoor Radiation Levels Enhanced by Underground Radon Diffusion

Abstract

The indoor radiation exposure to humans is mainly due to radioactive radon gas and emissions from building construction materials. Its transport mechanism therefore calls for innovative investigations. There are three main factors of radon entrance in to a building environment are: a) Emission of radon from building materials used in construction b) By convection through cracks and openings in the building and c) Diffusion from soil through pore space of construction materials. The transport phenomenon of radon through diffusion is a significant contributor to indoor radon entry. The diffusion of radon in dwellings is a process mainly determined by the radon concentration gradient across the building material structure between the radon source and the surrounding air. Keeping this in mind the radon diffusion studies have been made through soil, brick powder and cement. Simultaneously the indoor radon levels have been measured in dwellings with cemented, bricks and soil flooring.