Developing Soil Gas and 222Rn Entry Potentials for Substructure Surfaces and Assessing 222Rn Control Diagnostic Techniques

Abstract

Research-based procedures for characterizing the causes of elevated indoor ²²²Rn levels and guiding the selection of an appropriate control technique were evaluated at seven New Jersey houses. Procedures such as thorough visual inspections, blower door air leakage tests, pressure field mapping, subsurface vacuum extension tests, sampling of ²²²Rn concentrations throughout the substructure, and measurements of the additional depressurization caused by various appliances all were found to furnish important information to the mitigation contractor or researcher. An analysis of data from these and other diagnostic techniques performed at the seven houses also indicated: (1) regions of very high permeability existed directly adjacent to the exterior of substructure walls and floors; (2) the additional substructure depressurization caused by operation of forced-air furnaces and attic exhaust fans could exceed 1 Pascal; (3) ²²²Rn concentrations below basement slabs and slabs-on-grade adjoining below grade basement walls were approximately seven times higher than those within block wall cavities; and (4) air leakage areas of crawlspace and basement ceilings were quite large, ranging up to 0.15 m₂. The pressure field mapping tests identified the areas surrounding, the substructure that were well coupled to the indoors. Using flow, pressure difference, and ²²²Rn concentration data, indices of soil gas entry potential and ²²²Rn entry potential were developed to indicate the areas of the substructure that may have high entry rates of soil gas and ²²²Rn, respectively. These indices could be helpful for quantifying the relative resistance to soil gas movement of substructure surfaces and surrounding soils and for determining the placement of ²²²Rn control systems.