Radon in Indoor Air: Towards Continuous Monitoring

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Sa, JP (Author) FEUP; Branco, PTBS (Author) FEUP; Alvim Ferraz, MCM (Author) Other; Martins, FG (Author) FEUP; Sousa, SIV (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Sustainability

Vol. 14 No. 1, Article 267

Final page: 1529

ISSN: 2071-1050

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Associated Projects

ALiCE - ALiCE - Laboratório Associado em Engenharia Química

LEPABE - Financiamento Plurianual 2020-2023 da Unidade de I&D LEPABE - Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia

SENSINAIR - Sensores de baixo custo como ferramenta para redução da poluição do ar em infantários e escolas primárias – impacto na asma infantil

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00W-1G7

DOI: 10.3390/su14031529

Abstract (EN): Radon poses significant health risks. Thus, the continuous monitoring of radon concentrations in buildings' indoor air is relevant, particularly in schools. Low-cost sensors devices are emerging as promising technologies, although their reliability is still unknown. Therefore, this is the first study aiming to evaluate the performance of low-cost sensors devices for short-term continuous radon monitoring in the indoor air of nursery and primary school buildings. Five classrooms of different age groups (infants, pre-schoolers and primary school children) were selected from one nursery and one primary school in Porto (Portugal). Radon indoor concentrations were continuously monitored using one reference instrument (Radim 5B) and three commercially available low-cost sensors devices (Airthings Wave and RandonEye: RD200 and RD200P2) for short-term sampling (2-4 consecutive days) in each studied classroom. Radon concentrations were in accordance with the typical profiles found in other studies (higher on weekends and non-occupancy periods than on occupancy). Both RadonEye low-cost sensors devices presented similar profiles with Radim 5B and good performance indices (R-2 reaching 0.961), while the Airthings Wave behavior was quite different. These results seem to indicate that the RadonEye low-cost sensors devices studied can be used in short-term radon monitoring, being promising tools for actively reducing indoor radon concentrations.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11