Estimation of 222Rn release from the phosphogypsum board used in housing panels

Phosphogypsum board is a popular construction material used for housing panels in Korea. Phosphogypsum often contains (226)Ra which decays into (222)Rn through an alpha transformation. (222)Rn emanated from the (226)Ra-bearing phosphogypsum board has drawn the public concern due to its potential radiological impacts to indoor occupants. The emanation rate of (222)Rn from the board is estimated in this paper. A mathematical model of the emanation rate of (222)Rn from the board is presented and validated through a series of experiments. The back diffusion effect due to accumulation of (222)Rn-laden air was incorporated in the model and found to have a strong impact on the (222)Rn emanation characteristics.