29-20 Quantifying Radon Entry Points and Efficacy of a Mitigation System in a Single-Family Home, Moline, IL

Session: Undergraduate Research, Part II (Posters)

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Abstract:

Radon (222Rn) is an invisible, tasteless, and odorless gas that naturally decays from uranium found in soils and rocks. The gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US (US EPA). Radon exposure is a significant public health issue in the Midwest, especially where well-insulated homes have finished basements but lack mitigation systems. Previous research has shown that radon levels are varied spatially and temporally throughout different homes, with no clear correlations between many compared factors. Furthermore, little research has been done to identify the most problematic entry points for radon gas. The purpose of this study is twofold: to assess potential entry points for radon gas and to evaluate the effectiveness of a mitigation system within a +100-year-old, single-family residential basement (Moline, IL) throughout several rooms using 11 RadonEye, 2 EcoCubes, and 1 Corentium Pro radon detectors. Preliminary results indicate that the most problematic entry points include floor drains, as well as other holes and cracks in basement brick walls and concrete floors. An enclosed system placed over the floor drains shows fluctuations between 0.5 pci/L and 60 pci/L (at least one of the two floor drains probably does not have an effective water-filled trap). In addition to the other monitoring devices, a Durridge RAD8 monitoring system was tapped into a radon mitigation system using a small hose to measure how much radon is being mitigated from beneath the home. Preliminary results show that with the mitigation system on, it vents ~100 pCi/L (at ~20 L/s) and maintains levels in the basement at <2 pCi/L (measured on the outside exhaust side of the fan system). With the system turned off, radon initially accumulates within the subslab up to ~60 pCi/L but drops to <2 pCi/L within a few days (measured at the inside beginning of the exhaust system); however, radon levels within the basement rise to 2-12 pCi/L with the mitigation system off. The mitigation system is highly effective at reducing basement radon to acceptable levels. We will analyze the results as a function of outdoor temperature and barometric pressure, as well as additional entry points within the basement.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 1, 2026

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