Experimental Design for Soil Gas Radon Monitoring

Radon, the radioactive daughter product of the decay of has been the subject of scientific inquiry since its discovery in 1900 by DORN. 1 Because it is ubiquitous radium, initial in the environment, it has been studied as a means to better understand such diverse processes as earthquake precursors2 ' 3 atmospheric circulation patterns 4 , eruptive and non-eruptive volcanic processes5 , and groundwater transport and mixing· 6 Field surveys of soil gas radon activities have also been widely used for mineral prospecting7 and geothermal resources assessment· 8 , 9 The recent discovery that radon activities within dwellings can achieve levels that pose a significant risk of lung cancer has prompted renewed interest in the mechanisms of radon release and transport in the natural environment, within confines of human habitations, and across the interface separating the two·lO,ll As a first step toward addressing the question of how radon is ~ transported from the soil into human habitations, the present study was initiated in an effort to define and characterize the environmental effects that control the release and mobility of radon in the natural environment. our ultimate objective is to determine the relationship between soil gas radon activities and meteorological variables such as barometric pressure, rainfall, and wind speed, and to develop an accurate numerical model of the response function of radon to these variables. The present paper will report on the