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Correlations for predicting air permeabilities and 222Rn diffusion coefficients of soils
1Rogers and Associates Engineering Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT 84110-0330.
Health Physics
|August 1, 1991
Summary
Simple correlations predict radon-222 (222Rn) gas transport in soils using water saturation, porosity, and particle size. These findings help estimate radon releases to indoor environments and the atmosphere.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geology
- Radiological Protection
Background:
- Radon-222 (222Rn) gas transport in earthen materials influences atmospheric and indoor environmental releases.
- Soil properties significantly control the diffusion and permeability of 222Rn gas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop simple correlations for predicting 222Rn diffusion coefficients and soil air permeability.
- To establish relationships between soil parameters and 222Rn transport characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 1,073 diffusion coefficient and 137 soil air permeability measurements.
- Developed predictive correlations based on fraction of water saturation, total porosity, and arithmetic mean particle diameter.
Main Results:
- Established correlations for predicting 222Rn diffusion coefficients and soil air permeability.
- Achieved geometric standard deviations of 1.98 for diffusion coefficients and 2.31 for air permeabilities between predictions and measurements.
Conclusions:
- Fraction of water saturation, total porosity, and particle size are effective predictors of 222Rn transport in soils.
- The developed correlations provide a simplified method for estimating 222Rn gas transport in earthen materials.