Radon transport: Laboratory and model Study

In order to exploitradonprofilesfor geophysicalpurposesandalso toestimateits entryindoors,itisnecessarytostudyitstransport through porous soils. The great numberof involved parameters and processes affecting the emanation of radon from the soil grains and its transport in the source medium has led to many theoretical and/or laboratorystudies. The authors report the first results of a laboratory study carried out at the Radioactivity Laboratory of the Department of Physics and Astronomy (University of Catania) by means of a facility for measuring radon concentrations in the sample pores at various depths under well-defined and controlled conditions of physical parameters. In particular, radon concentration vertical profiles extracted in low-moisture samples for different advective fluxes and temperatures were compared with expected concentrations, according to a three-phase transport model developed by Andersen (Risø National Laboratory, Denmark), showing, in general, a good agreementbetweenmeasurementsandmodelcalculations.