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Comparison of results from indoor radon measurements using active and passive methods with those from mathematical modeling

Radiation and Environmental Biophysics volume 58, pages 345–352 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been used to simulate the distribution of indoor radon concentration in a naturally ventilated room. Finite volume method was employed in CFD code for the simulation of indoor radon. The simulation results were validated at 34 points in a matrix of two horizontal planes (y = 1.3 m and y = 2.1 m) using passive pinhole dosimeters and at six points using an active scintillation radon monitor. The CFD results were found to exhibit an excellent correlation with the measured values. It is concluded that CFD analysis is a powerful tool to visualize indoor radon distribution.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Board of Research in Nuclear Science, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, for granting financial support for this work (Project No. 36(4)/14/45/2014-BRNS) and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, India, for providing software support (ANSYS FLUENT14.5).

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Affiliations

  1. Center for Advanced Research in Physical Sciences (CARPS), Fatima Mata National College (Autonomous), Kerala, 691001, India

    A. K. Visnuprasad & P. J. Jojo

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, T.K.M College of Engineering, Kerala, 691005, India

    K. E. Reby Roy

  3. Department of Applied Physics, Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae, Papua New Guinea

    P. J. Jojo

  4. Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400 085, India

    B. K. Sahoo

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  1. A. K. Visnuprasad
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  2. K. E. Reby Roy
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  3. P. J. Jojo
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  4. B. K. Sahoo
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Correspondence to P. J. Jojo.

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Visnuprasad, A.K., Reby Roy, K.E., Jojo, P.J. et al. Comparison of results from indoor radon measurements using active and passive methods with those from mathematical modeling. Radiat Environ Biophys 58, 345–352 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-019-00804-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-019-00804-2

Keywords

  • Computational fluid dynamics
  • Pinhole dosimeter
  • Ventilation rate
  • Radon flux
  • Indoor radon