Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Radiation and Environmental Biophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackers JG (1984) Direct measurement of radon exhalation from surfaces. Radiat Prot Dosim 7:192–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Akbari K, Mahmoudi J, Ghanbari M (2013) Influence of indoor air conditions on radon concentration in a detached house. J Environ Radioact 116:166–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chauhan N, Chauhan RP (2015) Active–passive measurements and CFD based modelling for indoor radon dispersion study. J Environ Radioact 144:57–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chauhan N, Chauhan RP, Joshi M, Agarwal TK, Aggarwal P, Sahoo BK (2014) Study of indoor radon distribution using measurements and CFD modeling. J Environ Radioact 136:105–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Rahman NM, Abu-Atiya I (2010) Radon exhalation from building materials for decorative use. J Environ Radioact 101(4):317–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaware JJ, Sahoo BK, Sapra BK, Mayya YS (2011) Indigenous development and networking of online radon monitors in the underground uranium mine. Radiat Prot Environ 34:37–40

    Google Scholar 

  • https://www.ansys.com/products/fluids/ansys-fluent. Accessed 07 Feb 2017

  • Keller G, Hoffmann B, Feigenspan T (2001) Radon permeability and radon exhalation of building materials. Sci Total Environ 272:85–89

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar A, Chauhan RP, Joshi M, Sahoo BK (2014) Modeling of indoor radon concentration from radon exhalation rates of building materials and validation through measurements. J Environ Radioact 127:50–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maged AF, Ashraf FA (2005) Radon exhalation rate of some building materials used in Egypt. Environ Geochem Health 27(5–6):485–489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahur AK, Kumar R, Mishra M, Sengupta D, Prasad R (2008) An investigation of radon exhalation rate and estimation of radiation doses in coal and fly ash samples. Appl Radiat Isot 66(3):401–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petropoulos NP, Anagnostakis MJ, Simopoulos SE (2001) Building materials radon exhalation rate: ERRICCA intercomparison exercise results. Sci Total Environ 272:109–118

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Porstendorfer J, Wicke A, Schraub A (1978) A influence of exhalation, ventilation and deposition processes upon the concentrations of radon, thoron and their decay products in room air. Health Phys 34:465–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reshma B, Ravikumar CD, Visnuprasad AK, Jojo PJ, Dhanalakshmi B, Chitra N, Bala SS, Jose MT, Rosaline M (2017) Inhalation dose and source term studies in a tribal area of Wayanad, Kerala, India. J Environ Public Health 2017:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1930787

    Google Scholar 

  • Rout RP, Mishra R, Prajith R, Jalaluddin S, Sapra BK (2014) Measurement of 222Rn and 220Rn decay product deposition velocities using SSNTD based passive detectors. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 302:1495–1499

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahoo BK, Sapra BK (2015) Advances in measurement of indoor 222Rn and 220Rn gas concentrations using solid state nuclear track detectors. Solid State Phenom 238:116–126. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.238.116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahoo BK, Sapra BK, Gaware JJ, Kanse SD, Mayya YS (2011) A model to predict radon exhalation from walls to indoor air based on the exhalation from building material samples. Sci Total Environ 409:2635–2641

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sahoo BK, Sapra BK, Kanse SD, Gaware JJ, Mayya YS (2013) A new pin-hole discriminated 222Rn/220Rn passive measurement device with single entry face. Radiat Meas 58:52–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahoo BK, Agarwal TK, Gaware JJ, Sapra BK (2014) Thoron interference in radon exhalation rate measured by solid state nuclear track detector based can technique. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 302(3):1417–1420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinhäusler F (1996) Environmental 220Rn a review. Environ Int 22(1):1111–1123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sumesh CG, Vinod KA, Tripathi RM, Puranik VD (2012) Comparison study and thoron interference test of different radon monitors. Radiat Prot Dosim 15(3):1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • UNSCEAR (2000) United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of atomic radiation. Report A/AC.82/-644, Exposures of workers and the public from various sources of radiation. United Nations, New York

  • Urosevic V, Nikezic D, Vulovic S (2008) A theoretical approach to indoor radon and thoron distribution. J Environ Radioact 99:1829–1833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (2018) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA Assessment of risks from radon in homes, United States (2018). https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon Accessed 13 June 2018

  • Wang F, Ward IC (2000) The development of a radon entry model for a house with a cellar. Build Environ 35(7):615–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JS, Chan TL, Cheung CS, Leung CW, Hung WT (2006) Three-dimensional pollutant concentration dispersion of a vehicular exhaust plume in the real atmosphere. Atmos Environ 40:484–497

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhuo W, Iida T, Morizumi J, Aoyagi T, Takahashi I (2001) Simulation of the concentrations and distributions of indoor radon and thoron. Radiat Prot Dosim 93:357–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

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).

Author information

Authors and 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

Authors
  1. A. K. Visnuprasad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. E. Reby Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. J. Jojo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. K. Sahoo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. J. Jojo.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in relation to the content of the article.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

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

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

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

Keywords

Search

Navigation