Active-passive measurements and CFD based modelling for indoor radon dispersion study

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Physics
• Engineering

Background:

• Radon is a radioactive indoor pollutant whose concentration is influenced by ventilation.
• Understanding radon dispersion is crucial for indoor air quality and health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate indoor radon gas distribution using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling.
• To assess the impact of natural ventilation on radon concentration and spatial distribution.
• To validate CFD models against experimental measurements for accurate radon prediction.

Main Methods:

• Employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for indoor radon dispersion modeling.
• Conducted passive (pin-hole dosimeters) and active (continuous radon monitor) measurements for validation.
• Compared CFD simulation results with experimental data at multiple points and planes.

Main Results:

• CFD simulation results showed good agreement with experimental radon concentration measurements.
• The study validated the use of CFD for predicting indoor radon levels.
• Spatial distribution and concentration of radon were found to be influenced by ventilation conditions.

Conclusions:

• CFD modeling is a reliable tool for studying indoor radon dispersion.
• Natural ventilation significantly affects indoor radon concentration and distribution.
• Future work can explore varying airflow rates to further refine radon prediction models.