Phil
Very well, if this is the proper explanation, than if a different low radon
source of "entry air" is provided that compensates for the entry soil
gas you describe below to enter the house radon levels would
be weatherization depending.
This can be done several ways.
For instance this can be done with outside air, but outside air gives an
energy penalty.
It could also be done with bottled air but that costs bottles of
air.
It could also be accomplished if the house is weatherized and the
basement is slightly pressurized compared to the soil below the slab with
in-house air from other levels, eleviating both problems above.
In fact this could even be done by measuring the sub-soil pressure and
simply equalizing the basement pressure with the sub-soil pressure, so the other
disadvantages of stairway doors opening and disturbing
the pressurization distribution disappear. In a really tight
house, this should be able to be done with very little air.
Interesting study: "Is there a correllation of lower radon with
weatherization in American homes if basement pressure differentials across
the thickness of the slab are merely brought to zero as part of the
weatherization method?"
Leo Moorman
In a message dated 5/31/2009 12:19:59 AM Mountain Daylight Time,
pnprice@LBL.GOV writes:
Based on
the studies mentioned by Bill, as well as other research, we (the
former members of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory radon
research team) think that for most houses there is little
correlation between the degree of weatherization and the indoor
radon concentration, and we think we know why: yes, decreasing
the leakage of outdoor air into the house decreases the ventilation
rate, which would tend to increase radon concentrations. But
it also decreases the amount of soil gas that enters the house
(because that gas can only enter the house when air escapes).
So, yes, with a tight house you can increase the indoor-outdoor
pressure difference at a given temperature and wind speed...but
that's because you are preventing air from escaping to equalize the
difference, which also means you are preventing soil gas from
entering.For a house in a high-radon area, it is always wise to
take a long- term measurement after any major change (such as
weatherizing); it's possible that for some houses it makes things
better and for some it makes things worse (leaving the average about
the same) and it's also possible that weatherization affects most
houses just a little but affects some houses a lot---none of the
studies (that I know of) rule out these possibilities.There
probably is some useful research still to be performed in this area,
but even the small amount of work that has been performed is pretty
convincing in demonstrating that whether or not there is an effect
on radon from weatherizing a house, that effect is small compared to
the amount of house-to-house variability.Phil PriceLawrence
Berkeley National LaboratoryOn May 30, 2009, at 10:31 AM, Bill Angell
wrote:> Radon Colleagues,>> In my review of the
scientific, peer-reviewed literature there are > three studies by
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory scientists that > reflect there is
little correlation between residential rates and > indoor radon
concentrations:>> * the earliest study was by
Nazaroff, /et al./ 1983 based upon 5> months of
monitoring of a Chicago area home which found no>
correlation between ventilation rate and indoor radon >
concentration> * later Nero, /et al./ 1985 reported
that little correlation was> found between
ventilation rates and indoor radon concentration in>
3 studies of homes in 8 states and Canada (17 energy-efficient>
homes), Maryland (55 conventional houses), and San Fransisco
(29> houses)> * Sextro, 1986
found no correlation in 58 homes in Charleston,>
Colorado Springs, Fargo, and Portland, ME>> Of course, three
studies do not make a fact but they are consistent > with
observations we made in the early 1980s in the Minneapolis area >
(unpublished) when I was chairman of the board of a low-income >
weatherization non-for-profit. As I recall (dangerous), these
> results were similar to the Bonneville Power Administration
study > Phil mentioned (circa 1986). I believe TVA did a
similar study and > Dave Wilson is in a better position to speak
to effort than me. You > may also wish to purse two studies
found on page 6 at
www.iee-sf.com/expert-witness-services/curriculum-vitae.pdf>>
*In my opinion, the above cited studies do not close the book on the
> issue of low-income weatherization and indoor radon
concentrations. > I believe the data reflect that the
finding that the action of air- > tightening dwellings has an
unpredictable result on indoor radon > concentration and the only
way to know the impact to test each home > (ideally before and
after weatherization). *>> Personally, I suspect the issue
is more of a pressure-differential > question than directly an
overall dwelling ventilation question. I > have measured 30
Pa of indoor-outdoor pressure difference in some > newer Finish
housing with elevated indoor radon which I believe was > built
very air tight.>> Doug, I wish you and others well on the
proposed effort and if I can > be supportive in any way, please
let me know.>> Bill Angell>> Professor, University
of Minnesota> Director, Midwest Universities Radon Consortium
www.cce.umn.edu/ > radon >
President, American Association of Radon Scientists and >
Technologists www.aarst.org > Chair, World
Health Organization's International Radon Project's > Mitigation
and Prevention Working Group
www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/radon/en/ >
>>>>>
Phillip H. Jenkins wrote:>> Doug, The Bonneville Power
District did a study years ago. I >> don't know if there
is a paper available, but you might try >> contacting them, or
searching for something from them. I don't >> even
remember what year it was, just that it was a long time ago,
>> probably in the 80's. They presented a paper at the Health
Physics >> Society annual meeting.
Phil>>>> Phillip H. Jenkins, PhD, CHP>> Senior
Health Physicist>> Bowser-Morner, Inc.>> Mail: P.O. Box 51
- Dayton, OH 45401>> Delivery: 4514 Taylorsville Road - Dayton, OH
45424>> Voice: (937) 236-8805 x248>> Fax: (937)
233-2024>> E-mail: pjenkins@bowser-morner.com>> Web:
www.bowser-morner.com>> _____>>
From: DOUGKLADDR@AOL.COM>> To:
RADONPROFESSIONALS@LIST.UIOWA.EDU>> Sent: Sat, 30 May 2009 11:10:15
-0400>> Subject: Re: [RNPROF] Weatherization Impacts on Radon
levels>>>> Thanks Jim, it would be great if you can
find the study or if >> anyone else out there has a line on an
electronic copy. Doug >> kladder
In a message dated 5/29/2009 9:46:27 P.M. Mountain
>> Daylight Time, mcneesj@yahoo.com writes:
Doug, I >>
don't know if I can get you a copy by Monday, because Monday is a
>> Holiday for the State of Alabama. But, Alabama
did a study in >> 1987 of the effects of weatherization and
indoor radon. Is was >> done as part of the EPA state
indoor radon survey. We got a grant >> for the DOE
weatherization office via the Alabama Energy Office, >> the
same folks who were paying to weatherize low income homes. I
>> believe that money was the state's effort (match) for the EPA
state >> indoor radon survey. Matching one federal grant
with other federal >> funds would be illegal now, but it
wasn't then. The following >> is
from my memory of 20+ years ago. According to memory,
there >> were about 35 questions the client answered about the
house prior >> to being mailed the EPA charcoal
canister. My memory is that there >> were about 1200+
homes tested, maybe more. Questions were about >> storm
windows, storm door, insulation, house type, house age, >>
foundation, etc. We analyzed the data, later students at both
>> Auburn University and Tuskegee University analyzed the
data. >> Results were presented once at CRCPD and twice
at National Radon >> meetings. The Radonosaurs might
remember it. The statically >> valid
conclusions were that houses with basements are more likely >>
to have elevated radon than houses with slab on grade and that
>> houses with slab on grade are more likely to have elevated
radon >> than houses with crawl spaces. To
our surprise, storm doors, >> storm windows, extra insulation,
(weatherization) had no prove-able >> correlation on if the
house had elevated radon or not. I >>
believe there was a possible age of house effect but it wasn't
>> substantial or well correlated. When I get
back to my office, >> I most likely can find the written
report and what was published in >> those meeting proceedings
if anyone is interested. I believe I >> also have a
computer tape of the original data that an Auburn >>
University grad student made about 20 years ago, if anyone would
>> like it. The Alabama Department of Energy and
Community >> Affairs used that study years ago in their
requests for >> weatherization grants from DOE. So
it has been around.>> Jim>> James L. McNees,
CHP>> Assistant Director>> Office of Radiation
Control>> Alabama Department of Public Health>>
Office-334-206-5368 Fax-334-206-5387>> Cell-
334-850-5293>>>> --- On Fri, 5/29/09, DOUGKLADDR@AOL.COM
wrote:>> From: DOUGKLADDR@AOL.COM
>> Subject: [RNPROF] Weatherization
Impacts on Radon levels>> To:
RADONPROFESSIONALS@LIST.UIOWA.EDU>> Date: Friday, May 29, 2009, 6:31
PM>>>> Folks: There may be
an opportunity for stimulus funds to be >> allocated for radon
mitigation in low income housing. This would >> be
via DOE Weatherization programs for low income housing, but we
>> need to move quickly. There has been a
call for papers or >> research that links higher indoor radon
levels when a home is >> weatherized. With the current
emphasis on energy conservation, >> there is a concern about
exacerbating other indoor air quality >> issues, with radon
being one of them. If any one has copies
>> of papers discussing the effects of weatherization on indoor
radon >> levels, please send them at me ASAP (either
electronically, or >> links or via fax), so I can collate them
and get them into DC. We >> need to get them there by
Monday, so anything before that would be >> greatly
appreciated. Doug Kladder Director Center
for >> Environmental Research and technology
719-477-1714 Fax: >> 719-632-9607>>
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