I have been meaning to test the radon(222) levels for a while - it looks like we have elevated gas levels in the lower airspace in the basement. I just started preliminary testing before placing 6+ month laboratory grade sensors. The results from the Airthings sensor even after 3 days is interesting. The plan is to move the meter around daily to get a 3d view of the house before winter ends.
Have an ERV running.
The issue is unventilated confined lower spaces - we are looking for a number lower than 100 Bq/m(3) - but any level is bad. A Bq is defined as 1 alpha particle (helium nucleus) per second per cubic meter.
Have an ERV running.
The issue is unventilated confined lower spaces - we are looking for a number lower than 100 Bq/m(3) - but any level is bad. A Bq is defined as 1 alpha particle (helium nucleus) per second per cubic meter.
Results:
20190307:0823 - bedroom 1st floor 1m above floor (12h)
79
20190307:2240 - basement by work area - 50cm above floor
67
20190308:0858 - basement back by furnace by crack in floor - right on the floor
666
20190308:1243 - basement back by furnace by crack in floor - on 30cm box
732
highest link
Canada specific
we need to be below 200 Bq/m(3) but even 50 is still dangerous
getting these (2) from Canada - to send in for a 90+ day check
and likely this one for continuous monitoring
2 of
and optionally the smartphone only one - with time
causes:
Since we life on bedrock - we have a couple sources.
The cracks in the basement are over crushed stone
The water around the basement
The soil around the house - origin - and the rocks like the stepping stones.
Ventilation is critical - we should be good with floor vents on the 1st floor - it is the basement ventilation that may be an issue - our unfinished basement.
some 5 min science.
Because I always hear about how old the canadian shield is here - good for earthquake stability and no shifting of the ground - but bad for having Uranium and Gold -
we are on 4.5 billion year old bedrock
map of ottawa - see purple, blue
Radon comes from Uranium - which is mostly made in merging neutron stars when parts of the neutron star pieces up to 1km wide (essentially a large atomic nucleus) are released from the main 10km wide star. These pieces because they are under a lot less gravitational force form normal atomic matter - they condense into less dense isotopes like U235 and even gold/silver. A smaller portion of elements higher than iron are made during the bounce off the core of the collapse of a supernova in the last minute of a large > 20 solar mass start stops burning silicon.
Radon https://www.radon.com/radon_
Cause of radium in the soil
Radon (originally from decayed Uranium) is released during the recoil of an alpha particle decay (essentially a helium nucleus) from Radium 226 - the alpha particle itself is destructive radiation for cells - but it is the ejected radon atom as it moves from radium 226 through radon 222 (ejecting a helium atom) that causes issues for us - until radon 222 decays with a half life of 4 days into Polonium (very toxic). Polonium decays within 3 min into ordinary lead. Even though Radon 222 has a small half life of 4 days - it is under constant replacement because it is a gas and being ejected at a rate of 10-50 percent from the pores inside soil when the ejected radon is near the surface and the vector of the alpha particle emission is in the right angle - https://certmapper.cr.usgs.
Links
https://davidsuzuki.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/revisiting-canada-radon-guideline.pdf
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