Scientific experience in radon mitigation, bases for a bigger picture in Romania

Bety Burghele, Kinga Szacsvai, Alexandra Cucoş (Dinu), T. Dicu, B. Papp, M. Moldovan, A. Ţenter, C. Sainz, Constantin Cosma

Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Environmental and Engineering

LiRaCC - “Constantin Cosma” Radon LaboratoryCLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA

Programul Operațional Competitivitate 2014-2020, Axa prioritară POC-A1-A1.1.4-E-2015Titlul Proiectului: Sisteme inteligente privind siguranța populației prin controlul şi reducerea expunerii la radon corelate cu optimizarea

eficienţei energetice a locuinţelor din aglomerări urbane importante din România - SMART-RAD-ENNr. contract: 22/01.09.2016, cod proiect: ID P_37_229, cod MySmis: 103427

Beneficiar: Universitatea „Babeş-Bolyai” din Cluj-NapocaProiect cofinanţat din Fondul European de Dezvoltare Regională prin Programul Operaţional Competitivitate 2014-2020

Băiţa-Ştei area

1

Passive indoor radon measurements

Nr of houses investigated 303

A.M. [Bq m-3] 247

Median [Bq m-3] 116

G.M. [Bq m-3] 121

G.S.D. [Bq m-3] 2.26

Range (Min-Max) [Bq m-3] 30 - 3998

% of houses by radon

concentrations [Bq m-3]

0 - 99 35 %

100 - 199 34 %

200 - 399 17 %

400 - 599 4 %

600 - 799 3 %

800 - 1000 4 %

> 1000 3 %

RomaniaCell mean, AM ± CV (%): 173 ± 73

31% of houses had radon concentration values higher that 200 Bqm-3

The site was categorized as “radon-priority area”

according to the international criteria for

radon exposure.

Băiţa-Ştei area

Radon remediationStep 1. Identifying sources and ‘hot spots’.

Main radon sources:

• subsoil (70-80%)

• emanation from building material (20-30%).

Step 2. ‘The purge’.

Radon remediation

Step 2. ‘The purge’.

gamma spectrometry : 34% U !!

Radon remediation

Step 3. Fixing the problem.

• open windows – improving natural ventilation

• new floors with anti-radon barrier

• sump pit + mechanical ventilation

• active sub-slab depressurization + new floor with radon proof insulation

Radon remediation

Step 3. Fixing the problem.

• open windows – improving natural ventilation

Radon remediation

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

C Rn

(Bqm

-3)

Time

Open window

Closed window

Step 3. Fixing the problem.

• New floors with anti-radon barrier

Radon remediation

Step 3. Fixing the problem.

• New floors with radon proof insulation

Radon remediation

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

C Rn

(Bqm

-3)

Time (h)

before after

Step 3. Fixing the problem.• Sump pit + mecanical ventilationfan

Radon remediation

sump pit

kitchen

bedroom 1

bedroom 2

Entry

Radon remediationStep 3. Fixing the problem.• Sump pit + mecanical ventilationfan

0500

10001500200025003000350040004500

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

C Rn(B

qm-3

)

Time (h)

before after

Step 3. Fixing the problem.

• Active sub-slab depressurization + new floor with anti-radon barrier

Radon remediation

Step 3. Fixing the problem.

• Active sub-slab depressurization + new floor with anti-radon barrier

Radon remediation

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

0 50 100 150 200 250

C Rn

(Bqm

-3)

Time (h)

before after

Remediation Efficiency (best room and average for all rooms in the house)

ResultsHouse Room Annual CRn (Bqm-3) Eff. (%) Average Eff. (%) all rooms Eff. Range (%)

Before remediation After remediation1. Kitchen 3389 867 74.4 70.6 66.7 - 74.42. Bedroom 1958 96 95.1 95.1 95.13. Bedroom 1557 91 94.2 93 83.5-94.24. bedroom 1354 159 88.3 79.0 71.1 - 88.35. Bedroom 1205 112 90.7 79.1 67.5-90.76. Bedroom 1177 214 81.8 65.2 65.2 - 81.87. Bedroom 1127 77 93.2 90.8 88.4-93.28. Living 1062 100 90.6 89.5 88.3 - 90.68. Bedroom 1059 155 85.3 86.4 79.1 - 85.39. Bedroom 1010 117 88.4 81.9 75.5-88.4

10. bedroom 982 143 85.4 85.3 85.3 - 85.411. Bedroom 948 92 90.3 90.3 90.312. Living 872 107 87.7 87.7 87.713. Bedroom 834 219 73.7 72 70.3-73.714. Living 771 152 80.4 78.3 75.9 - 80.415. Bedroom 761 137 82.0 84.5 80.5 - 8216. Living 560 122 78.2 78.2 78.217. Bedroom 548 86 84.3 77.0 72.6 - 84.318. Bedroom 534 113 78.8 78.8 65.619. Bedroom 530 91 82.8 82.8 82.8

Pilot house Bedroom 1395 174 87.5 76.9 68.7-87.5AVERAGE 85.4 81.4

65.2-95.1Min 73.7 65.2Max 95.1 95.1

Remediation techniques applied in the IRART project compared with those applied in 14 European countries within the European project RADPAR

Conclusions:

Remediation technique

Efficiency Costs

(reduction factor - %) (EURO)

IRART RADPAR IRART RADPAR

Improving natural ventilation 10-84 10-50 2500 4000

Insulation of floors. Anti-radon barrier 60-65 10-60 1800 2500

Improving mechanical ventilation 65-78 10-60 2600 5000

Ventilation methods combined with soil depressurisation 88-95 60-99 3200 6000

SMART-RAD-EN - Intelligent systems on the safety of the populationthrough the control and reduction of radon exposure correlated with

the optimization of housing energetic efficiencyfrom important urban areas from Romania

Cluj-Napoca

Timișoara

Sibiu Iași

Bucharest

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Seasonal variations of indoor radon concentration, in Romania

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Seasonal variations – passive vs. Active measurements

To be continued….