Adaptive (on-demand) Radon Mitigation System

In recent decades, a growing body of evidence has linked the lung cancer incidences to exposure to indoor radon gas. Indoor radon gas is considered the second cause of lung cancer by specialists. The daily, seasonal and yearly variations of indoor radon concentration can be significant and it is dependent of the usage of the building (dwelling, workplaces, kindergartens, schools, etc) and climatic conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation is for periodical and long-term measurement of indoor radon concentration. Whenever the level is above the action level, radon mitigation work is recommended. One of the factors that affect the indoor radon concentration is the ventilation. In this R&D project, Corentium AS is aiming for a product to continuously monitor the indoor radon level and to control the ventilation system to keep it at acceptable levels. The adaptive radon mitigation product proposed by Corentium AS will automatically regulate the demand of airflow of ventilation systems to keep the indoor radon concentration at acceptable levels. The work consists of physics modeling, simulations, prototyping and measurements to determine the feasibility and the requirements of such product. Among the results from this project are: - novel radon sampling and detection structures to improve the radon detection efficiency at lower cost have been developed, prototypes build and tested. - Radon detector prototypes with the capability to control the ventilation system in a dwelling or public buildings were tested and verified. - One patent application was submitted and another one is being prepared. - A new business opportunity was identified and a business plan for its exploitation is going to be prepared. This project was carried out by Corentium with the support from the Norwegian Research Council under the BIA program.

It is well known that airborne short-lived radon gas inhalation contribute considerably to the total radiation exposure of the public. Elevated radon gas concentrations with considerable temporal fluctuations (daily, seasonal and yearly) can occur in many closed environments (dwellings, public buildings and workplaces). The World Health Organization recommends that to limit the risk to individuals, a national reference level of 100 Bq/m3 is recommended. Wherever this is not possible, the chosen level shou ld not exceed 300 Bq/m3. The objective of this project is a unique adaptive on-demand radon mitigation system. An optimized radon monitor to continuously measure the radon concentration and automatically regulate the airflow capacity of the active radon mitigation system (ventilation or active soil depressurization) to keep the radon concentration at acceptable levels. Currently, the mitigation method most often involves the installation of continuously running fan or pump, and the airflow capacity of the mitigation system is fixed in function of the estimated yearly average. It does not adapt to the considerable temporal fluctuations in indoor radon concentration. Further, the proposed solution is expected to produce an active mitigation system wit h lower energy consumption (due to reduced air-exchange reducing the heating demand in the dwelling), extended lifetime and reduced environmental noise compared to presently available solutions. The main R&D work will consist of modelling both the radon detection (phenomenology and methodology) and the indoor radon concentration as function of emanation and air exchange. Development of prototypes, tests and measurements to verify and validate the models are other major R&D activities. The proposed R&D is the core element of Corentium's plan to industrialize and commercialize a product for on-demand indoor radon mitigation.