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A theoretical investigation of the distribution of indoor radon concentrations

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Abstract

Inhalation of radon (222Rn) and its decay products are a major source of natural radiation exposure. It is known from recent surveys in many countries that radon and its progeny contribute significantly to total inhalation dose and it is fairly established that radon when inhaled in large quantity causes lung disorder. In recent times, numerical modelling has become the cost effective replacement of experimental methods for the prediction and visualization of indoor pollutant distribution. The aim of this study is to implement the Finite Volume Method (FVM) for studying the radon distribution indoor. The findings show that the radon concentration which is distributed in a non-homogeneous way in the room is due to the difference in the radon concentration of different sources (wall, floor and ceiling). Moreover, the radon concentration is much larger near walls, and decreases in the middle of the room because of the effect of air velocity. We notice that the simulation results of radon concentration are in agreement with the results of other experimental studies. The annual effective dose of radon in the model room has been also investigated.

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Abbreviations

c:

Concentration of radon (Bqm−3)

ci :

Concentration of radon (Bqm−3) in inlet

L:

Height of the room (m)

p:

Pressure (Nm−2)

Pr:

Prandtl numbre

Sc:

Schmidt number

Sh:

Sherwood number

Nu:

Nusselt number

Re:

Reynolds number

Ra:

Rayleigh number

Ri:

Richardson number

Le:

Lewis number

N:

Buoyancy ratio

\({\bar{\varepsilon }}_{\text{c}}\) :

Overall effectiveness coefficient for contaminant distribution

Caverage :

Average concentration of (222Rn) inside the room (Bqm−3)

Coutlet :

Average concentration of 222Rn at the outlet (Bqm−3)

Cinlet :

Average concentration of 222Rn at the inlet (Bqm−3)

u:

Velocity vector (ms−1)

w:

Height of the opening (m)

x,y:

Cartesian coordinates

ρ:

Mixture density (Air-222Rn), Kg m−3

λ:

222Rn decay constant (s−1)

D:

Radon diffusivity in air (m−2 s−1)

βc :

Thermal expansion coefficient, K−1

g:

Gravitational acceleration (m−2 s−1)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics (LPM-ERM), Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, B.P.523, 23000, Beni-Mellal, Morocco

    R. Rabi & L. Oufni

Authors
  1. R. Rabi
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  2. L. Oufni
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Correspondence to L. Oufni.

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Rabi, R., Oufni, L. A theoretical investigation of the distribution of indoor radon concentrations. Indian J Phys 91, 471–479 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12648-016-0932-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12648-016-0932-8

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