Assume that the soil under a poorly insulated house emits 2 pCi/(m2.s) of radon gas and that all this as finds its way through the cellar floor and into the house. The house has 100 m2 floor space, the average ceiling height is 2.6 m, and the radon first-order decay rate is 7.6x10/hr. Assuming outdoor concentrations of radon are negligible and that the ventilation rate of the house is 0.9 air changes per hour, (a) what is the ambient steady-state radon concentration inside the house (in pCi/m')? (b) how long will it take to reach a room radon concentration of 100 pCi/m' after the house is properly insulated so that no radon gas is emitted from the soil nto the house (assume that steady-state is reached before proper insulation)?

Applications and Investigations in Earth Science (9th Edition)
9th Edition
ISBN:9780134746241
Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Chapter1: The Study Of Minerals
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Assume that the soil under a poorly insulated house emits 2 pCi/(m².s) of radon gas and that all this
gås finds its way through the cellar floor and into the house. The house has 100 m? floor space, the average
ceiling height is 2.6 m, and the radon first-order decay rate is 7.6x10/hr. Assuming outdoor concentrations of
radon are negligible and that the ventilation rate of the house is 0.9 air changes per hour, (a) what is the ambient
steady-state radon concentration inside the house (in pCi/m')? (b) how long will it take to reach a room radon
concentration of 100 pCi/m after the house is properly insulated so that no radon gas is emitted from the soil
into the house (assume that steady-state is reached before proper insulation)?
Transcribed Image Text:Assume that the soil under a poorly insulated house emits 2 pCi/(m².s) of radon gas and that all this gås finds its way through the cellar floor and into the house. The house has 100 m? floor space, the average ceiling height is 2.6 m, and the radon first-order decay rate is 7.6x10/hr. Assuming outdoor concentrations of radon are negligible and that the ventilation rate of the house is 0.9 air changes per hour, (a) what is the ambient steady-state radon concentration inside the house (in pCi/m')? (b) how long will it take to reach a room radon concentration of 100 pCi/m after the house is properly insulated so that no radon gas is emitted from the soil into the house (assume that steady-state is reached before proper insulation)?
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