United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA/600/S9-89/006 Sept. 1989
vvEPA Project Summary
Proceedings: 1988
Symposium on Radon and
Radon Reduction Technology
Michael C. Osborne and Jed Harrison, Cochairmen
The 1988 Symposium on Radon and
Radon Reduction Technology, jointly
sponsored by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Air and Energy
Engineering Research Laboratory and
Office of Radiation Programs was
held in Denver, CO, October 17-21,
1988. The symposium had as its
objective the exchange of technical
information on radon and radon
reduction technologies in the indoor
environment Oral papers and poster
presentations describing recent
advances in radon research and ra-
don reduction methods provided a
pertinent forum for consideration of:
regulatory agency activities in radon,
radon health studies, radon surveys,
radon measurement methods, soil/
geology and radon source potential,
house dynamics, and radon diagnos-
tics. The Symposium Proceedings,
published in two volumes, include 52
oral papers and summaries of 35 pos-
ter presentations.
This Project Summary was devel-
oped by EPA's Air and Energy Engi-
neering Research Laboratory, Re-
search Triangle Park, NC, to announce
key findings of the research project
that is fully documented in itwo
volumes of the same title (see Project
Report ordering information at back).
Introduction
The 1988 Symposium on Radon and
Radon Reduction Technology was held
October 17-21, 1988, in Denver, CO.
Sponsored jointly by the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency's Air and
Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
(EPA-AEERL) and Office of Radiation
Programs (EPA-ORP), the symposium
was devoted to the exchange of current
research developments on radon and
radon reduction technology in the indoor
environment. Education in radon research
and the dissemination of technical infor-
mation were the primary objectives of the
meeting.
Fifty-two oral papers and 35 poster
papers were presented, with the keynote
address focusing on medical issues and
health risks related to radon exposure.
The papers addressed a wide range and
variety of radon topics: federal and state
regulatory agency radon activities, health
studies and radon exposure risks, nation-
wide and state surveys of radon levels,
radon measurement methods, soil/geolo-
gy and radon source potential, house
dynamics and radon diagnostics/mitiga-
tion research, radon reduction tech-
niques/methods in existing houses, re-
duction of radon in water, radon preven-
tion in new construction, and radon
measurement/mitigation in schools.
The symposium speakers included
EPA personnel, as well as representa-
tives from federal and state environmen-
tal/health agencies, research and devel-
opment groups conducting radon testing,
academic and medical personnel, manu-
facturers of testing equipment, and con-
struction and real estate groups. Partici-
pants from Sweden, Switzerland, Finland,
Denmark, and Ireland provided a Euro-
pean update on technological develop-
ments and an international perspective on
radon and radon reduction technology
issues.
The welcome addresses were given by
Richard Fleming, President of the Greater
Denver Chamber of Commerce, and
-------
Frank T. Princiotta, Director of the EPA-
AEERL. The keynote address was given
by William R. Hendee, Vice President,
Group on Science and Technology,
American Medical Association.
The symposium has been published in
two volumes: the first includes symposi-
um oral papers, and the second, poster
papers.
Oral Papers
Fifty-two papers were presented in the
10 oral sessions:
Session I: Regulatory Agency
Activities in Radon
"The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Radon Action Program"
"State Radon Program Development in
Region II"
"Status of the New Jersey Radon Pro-
gram"
"Local Radon Research: Meaningful
and Cost Effective"
Session II: Radon Health Studies
"Radon Exposure and Lung Cancer
Risk"
"Correlation Between Mean Radon
Levels and Lung Cancer Rates in U.S.
Counties--A Test of the Linear-No
Threshold Theory"
"The New Jersey Radon Outreach Pro-
gram"
Session III: Radon Surveys
"Nationwide Distribution of Indoor
Radon Measurements"
"A Comparison of Nationwide Indoor
Radon Measurements by Home Dwel-
lers and by Real Estate Testing Firms"
"Residential Radon Survey of Fourteen
States"
"Distribution of Radon Levels in New
York State Homes"
"Radon Measurements in New Jersey"
"Seasonal Variability and Bilevel Distri-
bution of Radon and Radon Progeny
Concentrations in 200 New Jersey
Homes"
"Seasonal and Annual Average Radon
Levels in 70 Houses"
Session IV: Radon Measurement
Methods
"Pennsylvania's Radon Certification
Program"
"Effect of Indoor Radon Variability on
the Duration and Interpretation of Ra-
don Measurements"
"Realistic Uncertainties for Charcoal
and Alpha-Track Radon Monitors"
Performance of Methods for Measur-
ing Radon and Radon Decay Products"
"Glass as a Retrospective Radon De-
tector"
"Boundary Conditions Affecting Radon
Estimation Based Upon Daughter Dep-
osition"
Session V: Soil/Geology and
Radon Source Potential
"Correlation of Airborne Radiometric
Data and Geologic Sources with Ele-
vated Indoor Radon in New Jersey"
"A Closer Look at the Natural Radioac-
tivity m Soils"
"Anomalously High Radon in Shear
Zones"
"Radon Emanation and Transport in
Porous Media"
"Spatial and Temporal Variation in Fac-
tors Governing the Radon Source Po-
tential of Soil"
"Gravelly Soils and Indoor Radon"
Session VI: House Dynamics and
Radon Diagnostics
"Radon Dynamics in a House Heated
Alternately by Forced Air and by Elec-
tric Resistance"
"Specialized Instrumentation Packages
for Radon Field Research"
"Intensive Radon Mitigation Research:
Lessons Learned"
"Radon Diagnostics: Subslab Commu-
nication and Permeability Measure-
ments"
"Pennsylvania Radon Gas Remediation
Research and Demonstration Project"
Session VII: Radon Reduction In
Existing Homes
"Radon Reduction Efforts in New Jer-
sey"
"Preliminary Results from the New
York State Radon-Reduction Demon-
stration Program"
"Passive Radon Reduction Techniques
for Existing and New Structures"
"Radon Mitigation Techniques in Crawl
Space, Basement, and Combination
Houses in Nashville, Tennessee"
"Sub-Slab Depressurization Demon-
stration in Polk County, Florida, Slab-
On-Grade Houses"
"Testing of Indoor Radon Reduction
Methods in 16 Houses around Dayton,
Ohio"
"Monitoring and Evaluation of Radon
Mitigation Systems Over a Two-Year
Period"
"Analysis of Indoor Radon in Different
Ventilation Systems"
"Application of Air Cleaning Methods
for the Removal of Radon Decay Pro-l
ducts"
"Removal of Radon Daughters by
Filtration and Electrostatic Plateout"
Session VIII: Radon in Water
"Preliminary Results of a Nationwide
Waterborne Radon Survey"
"New Developments and Considera-
tions for Radon Removal From Water
Supplies"
"Radon Removal From Drinking Water
Using Granular Activated Carbon,
Packed Tower Aeration and Diffused
Bubble Aeration Techniques"
"Removal of Radon From Residential
Water Supplies by a Unique Aeration
Method"
Session IX: Radon Prevention in
New Construction
"Overview of Radon Resistant New
Construction"
"New House Evaluation Program
(NEWHEP)"
"Radon Mitigation in New Construction:
Four Case Studies"
Session X: Radon in Schools
"A Preliminary Radon Risk Assess-
ment of Three Florida Schools" |
"Radon and Radon Progeny Measure-
ments in Five Schools"
"Characteristics of Schools with Elevat-
ed Radon Levels"
"Radon Reduction Systems in
Schools"
Poster Papers
Thirty-five papers were presented in
the four poster sessions:
/. Poster Papers for Sessions I
and III
"The Growth of the National Radon
Measurement Proficiency (RMP) Pro-
gram"
"House Age, Substructure and Heating
System: Relationships to Indoor Radon
Concentrations"
"Results From the National Park Ser-
vice Indoor Radon Sampling Program"
"Year Long Radon Survey in Virginia
and Maryland: Results From 1500
Homes"
"Radon in Canada's Capital Region"
"Statewide Radon Surveys: Screening
vs Long-Term Measurements"
"The Colorado State Indoor Radon Gas
Survey Results and Their Geologic
Implications" 4
-------
Jl. Poster Papers for Session II
and IV
"Worker Protection for Radon Mitiga-
tors and Diagnosticians"
"Psychosocial Issues in the Perception
of Radon Gas Exposure"
"Risk-Taking Tendencies and Radon
Messages: A Field Experiment"
"Problems in Radon Measurements in
Homes With the Diffusion Barrier Char-
coal Adsorption Collector"
"The Overresponse of Open-Faced
Charcoal Adsorbers Used for Measure-
ments of Indoor Radon Concentra-
tions"
"The Effect of Moving Air on the Ac-
curacy of Radon Measurements Made
With Charcoal Canisters"
"The Accumulator Method For Measur-
ing Flux Density of Radon and Thoron
From Soil"
"The Performance of Charcoal-Based
Radon Detection Under Time-Varying
Radon Conditions: Experimental and
Theoretical Results:
"Results of the Orange Environment,
Inc., Radon Testing Program"
"State-Specific Radon
ment"
Risk Assess-
///. Poster Papers for Sessions V
and VI
"Weather Factors Affecting Soil-Gas
Radon Concentrations at a Single Site
in the Semiarid Western U.S."
"A Tentative Protocol for Measurement
of Radon Availability from the Ground"
"Regional NURE, Geology and Soils
Data as Predictors for Indoor Radon"
"Radium Distribution Map and Radon
Potential in Northwestern United
States"
"Technique for Rapid Field Assess-
ment of Radon Soil-Gas Concentra-
tions"
"Radon Hot Spots Caused by Bed
Rock Fracturing or Proximity to Shallow
Uranium Mineralization in Ohio"
"Rapid Diagnostics: Subslab and Wall
Depressurization Systems for Control
of Indoor Radon"
"Field Measurements in the
EPA/AEERL Radon R&D Program"
"Radon Mitigation Performance Mon-
itoring in Three Houses"
IV. Poster Papers for Sessions
VII, VIII, IX, and X
"Reduction of Radon Working Level by
a Room Air Cleaner"
"Coatings and Sealants as Tools in the
Radon Mitigation Process"
"Evaluation of the Dranjer Corporation
Anti-Radon Floor Drain Cover Plate"
"Experimental Room Studies on the
Reduction of Radon Progeny Concen-
trations Using Unipolar Ions and Elec-
tric Fields"
"Filtration for Control of Exposure to
Radon Progeny: Theory and Experi-
mental Results"
"Radon Wall Coatings Test Facility:
Design and Development Phase"
"Radon Removal Unit Development"
"Assessment of the Effectiveness of
Radon-Resistant Features in New
House Construction"
"Radon Remediation of a Pennsylvania
School Administration Building"
-------
The EPA authors, Michael C. Osborne (also the EPA Project Officer, see below),
is with the Air and Energy Engineering Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC
27711; and Jed Harrison is with the Office of Radiation Programs, Washington,
DC 20460.
The complete report consists of two volumes, entitled "Proceedings: 1988
Symposium on Radon and Radon Reduction Technology:"
'Volume 1. Symposium Oral Papers," (Order No. PB 89-167 4801 AS; Cost:
$61.95)
"Volume 2. Symposium Poster Papers," (Order No. PB 89-167 498/AS; Cost:
$42.95)
The above reports will be available only from: (Costs subject to change)
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
' . U T"J.UTY
(V-OC5'-;^ - j^c
U.S.PUSIAU j-
? 0 2 5 ;h
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA/600/S9-89/006
»88««CTIOI »GE.CY
CHICAGO
------- |