Quantitative aspects of highly emanating geologic materials and their role in creating high indoor radon. Final report, April 1, 1994--March 31, 1996

Indoor radon hot spots, areas where indoor radon commonly exceeds 20 pCi/L, are often caused by unusually highly emanating soils or rock and their interaction with ambient climatic conditions and a building`s architecture. Highly emanating soils and rocks include glacial deposits; dry fractured clays; black shales; limestone-derived soils; karst and cave areas, fractured or sheared granitic crystalline rocks; mine tailings; uraniferous backfill; and most uranium deposits. The above list probably accounts for 90% of the Nation`s indoor radon over 20 pCi/L. In several of these high indoor radon areas, there appears to be a link between the nature of the radon source in the ground, the architecture of the home, and the relative magnitude and ease of mitigation of the indoor air problem. Quantification of geologic materials in terms of their radon potential with respect to climatic and architectural considerations has never been accomplished. Recent studies have attempted semi-quantitative rankings but rigorous analysis has not been done. In this investigation the authors have attempted to develop the quantitative aspects of geologic materials for prediction of very high indoor radon at several scales of observation from national to census tract.