Determination of the radon concentration in homes depending on the insulation used for the floor

¹ University of Petrosani, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and Transports, Universitatii street, No.20, Petrosani, Romania
² University of Petrosani, Departament of Management, Environmental Engineering and Geology, Universitatii street, No.20, Petrosani, Romania

^* Corresponding author: andreeastanci@yahoo.com

Abstract

A current environmental problem is the presence of radon inside the house. Radon (222Rn) is a noble, colourless and odourless gas that comes from radioactive elements naturally present in rocks and soil. Being gas, it is released from the ground with a tendency to concentrate in closed spaces such as caves, mines, cellars but also in any rooms in the basement, ground floor or with poor ventilation. Due to the differences between the temperature inside and the soil, the radon in the soil will move naturally to the interior of the houses, concentrating in closed rooms. The accumulation of radon inside buildings is a consequence of technological progress. Insulation work, tightly closed windows, poor ventilation of rooms lead to unobservable increase in radon concentration inside. In this paper we aim to present the values of the concentration of radon accumulated inside a house depending on the way of insulating the floor.