Mechanisms of Diffusion of Radon in Buildings and Mitigation Techniques

Abstract

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in rocks, soil, and building materials. Precisely because of its gaseous nature, it tends to concentrate in indoor environments, resulting in a danger to human health. The effects of radon have been described, documented, and attested by the international scientific community and recognized as the second cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking and in synergy with it. In December 2013, the Council of the European Union issued Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, which establishes basic safety standards relating to protection against the dangers deriving from exposure to ionized radiation and managing the health risks associated with radon. In addition, designing buildings against radon risk in synergy with the use of low environmental impact materials is one of the objectives of building sustainability certifications. This work presents how radon creeps into buildings and reports several technologies that are needed to remove and mitigate the risk associated with indoor radon in existing and new buildings.

Assessment of Indoor Radon Gas Concentration in Latvian Households

“…Overall, there was natural ventilation in 92.4% of the buildings where radon detectors were placed: 94.7% of the private detached houses and 88.7% of the multistory blocks of flats. The buildings with mechanical ventilation had significantly lower levels of radon than the ones with natural ventilation (31 (21,57) vs. 54 (30,94), p < 0.001; Table 1). The duration of the aeration of the buildings during summer slightly negatively correlated with the radon levels (r s = −0.105, p = 0.002), while the winter aeration pattern correlated less (r s = −0.066, p = 0.051).…”

“…However, the study revealed a nuanced landscape where factors such as building age, type, presence of a cellar, and ventilation influence radon concentrations. Although many households fell within safe limits, a fraction exceeded recommended thresholds, which indicates that there are hidden radon exposure dangers [22,29,30].…”

“…The impact of ventilation systems on radon concentrations was also evident, with the buildings employing mechanical ventilation demonstrating lower radon levels compared to those relying on natural ventilation. Effective ventilation systems can help reduce radon levels in premises by diluting indoor air with outdoor air, thereby decreasing the concentration of radon gas [30,[33][34][35][36]. Properly designed ventilation systems can also create positive pressure indoors, preventing radon from entering through cracks and gaps in the building.…”