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

Abstract

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.