Controlled Laboratory Experiments on Radon Diffusion Coefficient

Abstract

Radon which occurs in uranium decay series is a noble gas and it moves from the deeper layers of the earth crust to the atmosphere. Formation of the radon gas in the Earth's crust and its migration to the atmosphere are quite a complex process due to the external factors like tectonic movements, meteorological factors etc. In this process, both the advection and diffusion are effective mechanisms for radon transport. But, the most effective mechanism is diffusion. In this study, radon diffusion of soils taken from Küçük Menderes Basin was investigated by controlled laboratory experiments and the radon diffusion coefficient of these soils was calculated. Soil gas radon measurements were performed by LR 115 Type 2 solid state nuclear track detectors.

Radon Gas Estimation from Building Materials

“…Where J is the radon flux (Bq m -2 s -1 ), D is the radon diffusion coefficient (m 2 s -1 ), 𝜕𝐶/𝜕𝑍 is the concentration gradient (Bq m -3 ) [19].…”