Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Radon in my house?

Nixie - 20-12-2006 at 13:00

I live in a basement suite and I've had a dosimeter sitting on the floor for no more than two years. The indicator has gone from 0 to 110 mR. Is that cause for concern?

12AX7 - 20-12-2006 at 14:54

Isn't that around half the average yearly dosage? I forget.

Yeah,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation#Natural_back...
3mSv/a USA average dose from all natural sources
3mSv/yr = 300mrem/yr.

What's more, there is possible evidence that low levels of radiation are not detrimental.

Tim

[Edited on 12-20-2006 by 12AX7]

Ozone - 20-12-2006 at 18:13

Nixie,

The normal yearly exposure is between say 200 (houston) and 450 (South Dakota) mR/year. If your counter is cumulative, living in the basement is actually shielding you! This all depends upon where you live. In nearly sea-level places with little NORM, viz. houston, about 200-250mR/y; in places with increased NORM, viz. S.D. a high at about 450. Elevation increases your dose as Denver, Co., is ~350mR/yr.

In places built on immature sediment, vis. Ms. delta there is no real need to worry about Radon (flooding is a bitch, though).

Either rate, I'd not worry too much and try to enjoy the holiday!

Cheers,

O3

NORM is Naturally Occuring Radioactive Material.

Jdurg - 20-12-2006 at 18:15

New England also has a high level of NORM due to all the granite and bedrock in the area which is quite full of uranium and thorium containing materials.

JohnWW - 20-12-2006 at 19:41

Oh yes, that would be the case in all areas of granite, and of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks derived from the weathering or heating of granite. Especially pegmatite - the most coarsely crystalline granite which was originally deeply buried - which is rich in rare earth metals, including U and Th. As well as gaseous radon-222 which is liberated by either diffusion or weathering, such rocks and soils would have significant amounts of, particularly, Ra-226, Po-208, Po-209 (the longest-lived isotope of Po), and Po-210 - but the last-mentioned is not present in sufficient concentration to be worth extracting in order to kill defected KGB agents.

YT2095 - 29-1-2007 at 09:35

recharge your dosimeter, 2 years is a LONG time to accumulate a reading.
recharge it to 0 again and then leave it in place and take readings :)

YT2095 - 29-1-2007 at 12:11

Quote:
Originally posted by discreteguy
Take deep breath, doing that.


indeed, HCN is your Friend! enjoy :P

Nixie - 29-1-2007 at 18:01

Heh, he deleted his post. My guess is discreteguy was just a sockpuppet of YT2095.

Fleaker - 29-1-2007 at 20:15

Quote:
Originally posted by Nixie
Heh, he deleted his post. My guess is discreteguy was just a sockpuppet of YT2095.



Wrong. Polverone deleted his account :) He was spamming like a fiend throughout the forum. It was rather interesting to be reading one of his posts and then refresh only to see it gone. Poor guy must've been rather confused as he was smitten in mid-troll by our efficient administrator-general (5 minutes after I sent in a report about it, it was gone). Most of his posts didn't seem to make sense, but were above the level of a computer generated post.

Oh, and as far as Radon gas goes. The house I've been living in for the past 10 or so years has had high levels of radon in it. When we bought it, it was contained a detector and removal system (just an elaborate fan) in the basement. We polyurethaned the concrete floor to seal it and haven't heard a peep out of the radon detector, which used to beep minutely.

[Edited on 30-1-2007 by Fleaker]

Nixie - 30-1-2007 at 00:35

Thing is, I live in the basement, and I'd have to rip up the floor and wall paneling in all the basement rooms to apply sealant. I don't think the landlady would like that...

Can't move either, the rent is half of the average for this area.

[Edited on 30-1-2007 by Nixie]

YT2095 - 30-1-2007 at 01:57

I`m fairly sure there are agencies that deal with such things, it involves the placement of little plastic devices that contain a film plate, they`re left for a while and the exposure of these measured afterwards.
if it`s a health issue, your landlady may have little to no choice in the matter.

unionised - 30-1-2007 at 12:52

At that level- rather less than the average exposure- it isn't a health issue.
Find something else to worry about.

chemrox - 10-2-2007 at 19:40

Radon readings are taken over the course of 3 days. Start over. Go online and find a carbon block absorption kit. Use it ccording to instructions and send it in for analysis. Cost is about $15. Certain geologic formations are suspect. Granitic rx and fluvial depostis carrying clasts from granitic formations. Check the geology but go by the lab results. Certainly you can mitigate if it's there.